I snap my eyes to him, now hyper aware that I just zoned out for a second, a blush spreading across my cheeks.
Jean squints observing me. “Developments, indeed.”
I sigh, using my feet to push myself into a standing position, attempting to wriggle my toes in the pointe shoes I'm currently trying to break in.
“I made plans for… an encounter?” I casually toss over my shoulder as I start walking back to the bar. Jean giddily jumps to his feet and I see him eagerly grin in the reflection of the mirror as I move into an arabesque, intentionally ignoring him. He arches an eyebrow, starting his bar warmup in a plié.
“An encounter you say?”
And I can’t help but laugh, finally meeting his gaze and being met with a smile so wide, I’m afraid his face will crack open.
“You’ll be relieved to know that after this Friday, I will no longer be a virgin,” I roll my lips together to keep from smiling, before getting back in the zone. I begin mirroring his movements as we go from tendus to battement jetés. “You’re slouching,” I note, eyeing his shoulders where his posture is lacking and he rolls his eyes.
“Gen—we’re talking about you losing yourvirginity,not my form.”
I sigh as Jean puts both hands on my shoulders causing me to stumble out of my position. I cross my arms and give him an accusatory look.
“It’s a secret.” I point a finger at him, glaring.
“Please—I promise to not tell Ian. In fact, I swear.” He mimes the universal sign for crossing your heart. “Besides, I just told you—we broke up.”
“If I read about my virginity in your boyfriend’s newspaper, just know…”
“I’ll give you the gun myself, girl.”
I raise an eyebrow at him and he raises one back, establishing that we’ve come to an agreement.
“Iknewhe had a thing for you,” he adds, giddily moving toward the bar and back to his warm ups. “I assume you didn’t tell Will.”
“Here we go,” I roll my eyes. I haven’t had the best reputation at Astor… at anywhere, I guess. I’ve heard the whispers as I’ve walked through the halls. Everything from“Gen’s a bitch,”to“Ice Queen,”and finally, “She’s a man stealer,” or “She’s as desperate as her mom.”The last two always hurt the most. Will and I have been best friends forever, and that is true regardless of my feelings for him.Thatis the bit that gets lost in this whole “man-stealer” narrative. Instead, it’s that poor, pathetic Gen just can’t take a hint.
Jean’s one of the few who really knows how close Will and I are.
He’s also the only one who thinksI’mtoo good forhim.
“What?” He holds his arms out in mock defense. “It’s a fair question.”
“Obviously, I didn’t tell him.”
“Good,” he says, nodding as I move back to the bar. Just as I’m attempting to refocus on my warm up, theJAWStheme song begins to blare from my dance bag. Jean gives me a look as both of our postures seem to deflate in unison. “You don’t have to answer that Gen,” he says, glancing at my bag and biting his lip.
“I kinda do.” I wince and move to grab my phone.
“Genevieve!”
I hold the phone a few inches from my face as my mom’s scratchy french accent blares out of the speaker. Jean mouths that he’ll be back, pointing at his water bottle to insinuate he needs a refill, even though I know he’s just trying to avoid my mother’s muffled rants.
“Hi mom,” I say in a hushed tone, hoping it will influence her to keep it down.
“Did you see the vidéo I sent?”
She's referring to the technique videos she spammed me with earlier after I mentioned the resident choreographer critiquing a combination. One I’ve been relentlessly working onwithouther help.
I sigh and switch to French in the hopes that I can hide any concept of the conversation we are having from Jean, who I’m positive is eavesdropping in the hallway. “Oui maman.”
“Stop. I’m working on my English.” This is what she always says when Ken, my current stepfather, is in ear shot.He resents when she speaks in French and I sense he’s deeply afraid that she’s talking shit about him. Sadly, his concerns are founded. “Genevieve, I’m worried you’re getting out of shape.”I flush, and I’m sure she can see it through the phone. “Ken spent a fortune on new leotards last summer. You must stay fit.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, gripping my phone and trying to manifest the call being cut off.
