"Turn and turn and turn and one two three four... Stop!" Lillian, Daisy's dance teacher yelled. "Daisy what's happening? Everyone is in relevé and you're still in a pirouette. Get your head in the game! The competition is in two days and you are missing steps and you should know this choreography like the back of your hand." All the girls stood dead silent. They had never heard Lillian yell at Daisy. Daisy was her pride and joy so they knew something was wrong if Daisy was getting yelled at. "Again from the top!" Lillian yelled. Daisy sighed. She was feeling extremely fatigued and all she wanted to do was go home but she never missed a day of dance in her life and did not plan on starting now. Daisy put on her game face and barely but surely made it through the routine. "Nicely done girls. Daisy go get a drink of water and come back so we can work on your solo, the rest of you, get some water and then keep rehearsing the group routine in the other room."
"Hey are you okay?" Angelina, Daisy's best friend asked. Daisy nodded as she let the cool liquid run down the back of her throat.
"Are you excited for this week's competition? I hear the guys from Milton Academy are gonna be there. I might ask Zack out this weekend." Daisy nodded. She didn't feel much like talking. All she wanted was to become invisible. To not have to be perfect anymore, to not have to dance anymore, to not have to compete anymore, to not have to exist anymore. "Are you sure you're okay?" Daisy sighed. "I'm fine. I have to go practise my solo so I'll talk to you later."
Daisy tossed the empty water bottle in the bin and entered the rehearsal room. Her solo was a contemporary lyrical one, which was her best style and the title of her solo was "Hold On". It is about a suicidal teen who is about to take her life when she meets a mysterious guy who gives her a reason to keep on living, to hold on. Ironic isn't it? Daisy tried her hardest not to make a mistake as to not get yelled at by her dance teacher but it wasn't working. Lillian stopped the music. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Daisy was surprised to hear Lillian address her so softly when she had yelled at her for missing a step only minutes earlier.
"Nothing's wrong," Daisy said. "You and I both know that's not true. You're not dancing with the same passion that you used to. You're messing up routines that you usually know like the back of your hand. Do you not want to dance at the competition this weekend?" Daisy almost said yes. Oh how she wanted nothing more than to say yes but she couldn't because if she did then everyone would know that something was wrong with her and she didn't want or need that kind of stress right now so she put on the best fake smile she could and nodded. "Okay well then you need to start dancing like you do. Ready? Again from the top."
Daisy endured three more hours of practice and practically bolted through the doors when Lillian had dismissed them. It was ten fifty-two when Daisy entered her house. "How was dance?" Dana, her younger sister, asked her. Dana was a short, slender brunette, standing at only 5'3. She had thick well kept eyebrows, dark brown eyes, a broad nose and slightly plump lips. Daisy was a petite girl who stood at 5'5. Daisy had chestnut brown hair which often flowed down her back in natural waves and beautiful sky blue eyes. Her nose was straight and she had thin, pink lips. "Hell," Daisy stated before walking into the kitchen for some water. "Why don't you just quit or take a break?" Dana asked, having followed Daisy into the kitchen. "You know I can't do that D." "Why not? Surely Angelina can take top spot and she'd enjoy it I'm sure. A chance to be the one who collects the crown and the trophy," Dana said. "Yeah she would be but Lillian would have a stroke if I said I wanted to quit. You know she asked me if I wanted a break from this week's competition and I said no." "You're crazy. I can see that dancing makes you miserable now and I wish you would say something so you could take a step back." If only it was that simple. Daisy thought. "Yeah well it's my life so what can I do? I'm going to bed," Daisy stated and left the kitchen to go up to her room.
Daisy sighed as she turned her phone on to check her messages. She had multiple messages. Most of them were from Angelina and the rest of the dancers, asking if she was okay. She didn't respond to any of them. She was too tired to bother to respond to them, plus she'd see some of them at school and the rest at dance so what difference did it make? She checked the other messages, seeing that she had one, reminding her that she had a student council meeting at 7:30. She groaned internally. If she didn't already skip the last two meetings she would skip the one tomorrow but she knew she had a responsibility as president so she had to attend the early meeting tomorrow. She stripped down, took a quick shower, got dressed in a tank top and shorts then went to sleep, dreading the day ahead.
Daisy woke up at 6:45 and she was tired as hell. Damn this 7:30 meeting. She thought. She took a quick shower, tossed on a gray v neck shirt, black ripped jeans, a black and white letterman jacket and black vans. She decided to wear her hair straight for a change instead of its natural wavy look.
"Here," Angelina said, handing Daisy a drink as she entered the classroom for the meeting. "What's this?" "Well it was my expresso but after seeing you looking like this, I figured you needed it more than me." Daisy looked at Angelina. Daisy would never admit it but sometimes she was jealous of how flawless Angelina could look at times. She looked at her perfect makeup, and perfect curled blonde hair and her gorgeous outfit, a long sleeved leopard print tight fitted top, black shorts and leopard print pumps. Sometimes she wondered why she was the fashion influencer and not Angelina. Angelina had more of the body for it. She was 5'8 and slender, with an amazing posture and killer legs, meanwhile Daisy was on the shorter side and constantly had to watch her figure to make sure she didn't gain too much weight. Daisy didn't even put on an ounce of makeup which she usually did for school. Daisy thanked Angelina for the drink and tried to pay attention to the student council meeting. They were discussing the car wash as a fundraising activity for the following month. Daisy, Angelina and the events manager, Trudy, had fun planning it months ago but now Daisy couldn't help but feel like this was going to turn into something else that added to what was an already stressful semester. The meeting went on with Trudy doing most of the talking and Angelina and Daisy chiming in when necessary.
Angelina said she had to go to the restroom after the meeting ended and Daisy told her she'd see her in class in a few. "Yikes! You look like hell," Daisy's friend and fellow dance mate, Julissa Daniels said as she opened her locker which was next to Daisy's. Julissa was a brunette who stood at 5'6 with creamy white skin, striking blue eyes, a straight nose, plump pink lips and a gorgeous smile. Julissa was one of the prettiest girls in the entire school. Boys and girls alike always stared at her wherever she went. "Plus you look like you went shopping in Dana's closet. Vans and no makeup? What happened to you Daisy?" There's more to life than high heels and lipstick. Sometimes I'm fighting to even stay alive. Daisy wanted to say but instead she just shrugged. "I was so surprised Miss Lillian actually yelled at you. You're like her perfect angel who can do no wrong. Seriously she would adopt you if your mom would let her."
Daisy chuckled. "Well there's a first for everything." "What was going on with you yesterday? You kept messing up and you like never do that. Ever." "I was just tired. Kind of like now."
"I wish there was something I could do to help," Julissa said as she took a pill from her bag and popped it in her mouth. "Uh Jules I don't think you should just be casually popping them like that." "But I have anxiety," Julissa pouted. "Besides they're just to help me relax." "Maybe I should take one," Daisy said. "What? Dais you know I love you but these are prescription so I can't just-----." "I know. I was just kidding. Come on let's get to class." English is Daisy's favourite subject but lately she felt like she was suffocating just sitting in the class. Only thirty minutes had passed before it became too much and Daisy asked to go to the bathroom. Once she exited the classroom, she headed straight for the lockers, specifically Julissa's. Since they were such close friends and their lockers were next to each other's she knew the brunette's combination. She opened it and took the pills from the locker. "It's only one. She won't miss it right?" Daisy said to herself. She swallowed the pill and spent five minutes just standing in the halls before going back to class.