"What do you think Cyrille Perret would say when he finds out you kicked us out?" I ask.
She rolls her eyes to the ceiling. "Once he knows the reason, he'll fully agree with me."
"Will he?" I tilt my head, fixing my gaze on her. It takes effort not to continue speaking right away; it's important that my words have a moment to sink in.
She shrugs. "Of course."
"What makes you so sure?" I don't break eye contact with her. I hope she can't see how vigorously my heart beats. Is the pulsingin my carotid artery noticeable? Does she notice how irregularly my chest rises and falls?
"What else would he say?" she suddenly snaps with hostility.
Now I'm the one who can't stay seated any longer. "You know as well as we do that Aurora and I are Cyrille's new stars." After the tournament in Bordeaux, we all saw in his eyes that he has big plans for us. I gesture toward Aurora, who sits on her chair with clenched fists. "Both of us are the faces of this academy. The reason so many will apply for a spot next year, causing his enrollment numbers to soar."
"That may have been the case," the boss angrily interrupts me. "But stars that don't dance burn out in the night sky long before the sun climbs over the horizon." She shakes her head as if she's deeply disappointed that I don't understand this. "Cyrille will see it the same way."
"No, he won't," I assert. Our sponsor is a businessman. He knows the value of long-term thinking. "And I'll tell you why." With a stride, I approach her. "Aurora and I are not giving up dancing. We are taking a break, but we will come back. Better and stronger than ever before."
A furrow forms between her eyebrows. She opens her mouth, but I don't let her speak.
"How long do you think it will take to find another dance couple that can become the face of this academy?" Aurora suddenly interjects, then bites her lip. Her apologetic gaze tells me she can hardly stand by and let me fight this alone.
I shift my attention back to the boss. She doesn't need to answer; all three of us know how scarce talent is and that the Académie de Nouvelle Danse Paris is certainly not the first choice for those who seek the elite of partner dancing. They want to be in England or Italy, where the best of the best train.
I see her fingers slowly clenching in her trousers. She gasps for breath as I walk over to Aurora and extend my hand to her. She takes it and rises to her feet.
Now we stand together facing the boss, and not for the first time since I learned of Aurora's pregnancy, I feel a paralyzing fear.
"We'll make our way, with or without the academy," Aurora says firmly.
"So this is not about us, but about the future of the academy," I add, doing my best to suppress the trembling in my voice.
That's it, we don't have any more arguments. Side by side, Aurora and I now wait for her reaction, which for now consists of a weary breath.
What does it mean?
Her gaze drifts into the distance behind us. Agonizing minutes of silence pass, which I can endure only because Aurora is by my side.
Although what I just said is undeniable, life without the academy will be incredibly challenging for us. How will we find a sponsor to fund our careers? How will we balance our lives between family and competitive dance without further assistance? We would be on our own, while here at the academy, we not only have access to all resources but are also secured by my teacher's salary.
I'm sure the boss is contemplating all of this as she tries to come to a decision. Her jaw tightens a little more with every passing second until she finally turns to both of us.
"What about the French Championship?" she asks with a strained voice.
"We'll dance as long as we can," Aurora replies quickly.
Her skeptical look bodes ill. "Dancing is a competitive sport."
As if we didn't know that.
Undeterred, Aurora shrugs. "The championship is in just under two weeks. I see no reason we shouldn't compete."
Silence spreads once more.
My God, can't the boss just make her decision already? I want to get this over with and forget all of this as quickly as possible.
"What do you think?" I ask her directly, hoping to bring this to an end.
Her expression turns serious as she looks back and forth between Aurora and me. Then she rests her hands on her thighs and rises from her chair.
