Page 92 of Delilah In Discretion

Chapter thirty-one

Delilah

“All right, girls! We will go from the top and full-out, please! No marking anything... I’m sure Delilah is tired of running the number constantly,” Madam A remarked, crossing her arms as she looked at us, and I sighed.

All of the girls gave me side glances, but I ignored them as I got into my starting position. We were back in our regular routines, and unfortunately, it was eight in the morning, and we had been in this room since six.

Our schedules changed for the next three-month semester, and we all had to endure Madam A early in the morning two to three times a week until our break in August.

Eventually, the fast-paced ballet music started, and I quickly began my opening routine. Soon, we were all in sync, and towards the end, we slowed, and the song came to an end.

“So that is all for today. I’m sure you all are tired. Many of you have a class scheduled soon, so I suggest you run along now.”

We bid her goodbye as we went to the locker room for our showers.

Stretching my arms and wrists as I walked to my locker, I heard someone call my name.

“Delilah...” she said, and I turned to see one of the girls from the class.

“Natalia, right?” I addressed her, and she nodded as she crossed her arms like I was the last person she wanted to see.

“I just wanted tocongratulateyou on the beginning solo that was given to you by Madam Alexandrova.” She spoke with much sarcasm, and I shrugged.

“Thanks, I guess.”

“It’s not like we were expecting anything else. Madam A is not exactly… discreet about her favorites,” Natalia muttered as she went over to her locker.

I rolled my eyes as I opened mine and grabbed my towel. “If you have a problem with me, just let me know,” I muttered, and she scoffed.

“Of course I have a problem with you. Or shouldn’t I? It could make me a bit of an outcast to dislike the new royalty of the school... No idea what Luca sees in you,” she muttered and walked away into the showers.

I sighed heavily as I pulled my hair out of its ponytail and made my way to the showers on the opposite side of the room.

I entered and was relieved that I was the only person there. Going into one of the stalls, I tried to force myself to relax my mind and muscles under the running water.

I was already used to this treatment. People always assume that I’m stuck up or full of myself when it couldn’t be farther from the truth—continuously having to find a way out of my father’s shadow and make a name for myself. One that wouldn’t have me labeled as a spoiled daddy’s girl.

After a few more minutes, I stepped out of the shower and walked to my locker. Once I opened it, I rolled my eyes and pushed my hair out of my face.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whispered as I frantically looked through my second school bag that had everything but my school clothes inside.

It wasn’t the first time something like this happened. Coming in before sunrise can take a toll on a person, and I guess luck wasn’t on my side today.

I checked the time to see I was already running late for class, and my relief from earlier vanished as I was the only one in the locker room. I could throw on my dance clothes, but that would just defeat the purpose of the shower I had taken. Holding the towel around me, I huffed as I approached the exit.

I was sure I left my clothes in Madam A’s office, which was thankfully only a few feet away and around the hall. It’s still early. Everyone should be in class, the professors will understand, and it will be quick.

This should be easy...

I braced myself and opened the door as I made a run for her office. She was thankfully now teaching a class, and with the spare key on the top of her door, I quickly entered and grabbed my bag before slamming the door shut.

Running back towards the locker room, I felt like I was about to cross the finish line as my heart raced. However, in the midst of that race, I imagined running into a brick wall as I turned the corner and virtually froze at the sight before me.

“Well, this is entirely unexpected,”I heard Luca say at the end of the hall with his other teammates, all in their fencing uniforms. They stopped walking and stared at me as if I was a circus act waiting to perform, and my feet stayed glued to the ground as the feeling of embarrassment went through my entire body.

Eventually, a few of the guys averted their eyes, and Luca gave me a small smirk as if he was happy that I’d caught myself at thisunfortunate point. I gave them my best forced smile as I inched slowly to the girls’ locker room.

“Hey, guys. Really, really wish I could stick around.”

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