Page 13 of Meet Me at the Metro

“I heard you,” I grit between my teeth.

I quickly put my phone away because I don’t think I can physically stand to hear this man utter another word.

However, that thought immediately makes me uneasy because I realize I won’t be able to avoid him as easily as I hoped…

Because he goes to this school, too.

5

SHADY, SHADY, SHADY

E L L I E

The elastic bands of my soft-soled ballet shoes snap against my skin as I yank them off my feet, gather my things, and head out of the dance studio. An entire month has passed since my studies started atGildenhill, and I’m working tirelessly to keep up with my classes. Unfortunately, I’m struggling majorly in one department:ballet.

If I had my say in it, I would banGrande JetésandGlissadesfor the rest of my existence.

It was hard enough to overcome the challenging demands of myVocal StudiesandShakespeare and Naturalismcourses, let alone having to juggleDance IIalongside them. I need more time to perfect my ballet skills, but the coursework in my other two classes makes it impossible.

On a more positive note, I’m so consumed and busy with school that I hardly spend much time at the apartment. Less time spent there means lower chances of running into Theo, and not having to see Theo saves me from having to deal with his grumpy ass… so I’ll consider my engrossing schedule a blessing.

I make my way into Professor Henderson’s classroom and sigh with relief when I spot my newly made friend, Connor, waiting for me at our carefully picked seats. We always sit at a desk in the middle of the room—close enough to hear Henderson’s monotone voice but far enough away that we didn’t have to engage in one of his many philosophical questions aboutShakespeare’sworkings.

As I walk over, Connor’s consumed in his textbook, his dark eyelashes flickering as he reads the text along the pages. He must hear my oncoming footsteps because he glances up from studying and greets me.

“Well, don’t you just look lovely?”

“You’re a dick,” I laugh.

He runs his honey-brown eyes over me, taking in my disheveled appearance. “Good to see you survived another day of dance.”

“Key word there,surviving.” I take my seat beside him and whine, “I’m going to walk out of there as an amputee by the end of the semester.”

“Oh, stop,” Connor chuckles. His dark hair flows against his forehead as he shakes his head in disapproval. “It’ll get easier. From everything I’ve seen from you so far, I can tell you’re talented. You’ll figure out how to work the kinks out.”

A smile starts to bloom on my face, as it frequently does when he’s around. He never fails to encourage me, which is a welcoming quality of his that I’ve grown accustomed to over the last few weeks of getting to know him. His friendship has helped to keep me going during this first month of classes. He certainly makes Professor Henderson’s class bearable to sit through because boring lectures are always more enjoyable when you’ve got a friend to slide stupid notes back and forth with—even if the topics of those notes are completely irrelevant to the lessons taught at the front of the classroom. Hell, they’re theonlything that keeps me from nodding off during class.

As Professor Henderson drones on about analogies found in the first act ofMuch Ado About Nothing, I catch Connor’s stare on me from the corner of my eye.

“What?” I whisper timidly, brushing my hair back because I assume the mess on my head is what’s been holding his attention for so long. “Does it look bad?”

“No. No, not at all. It’s not that.”

“Is it something on my face?”

“No, Ellie,” he chuckles. “I-I think you look pre—”

“Mr. Davidson and Miss Mattice. Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

All the students in the classroom shift in their seats, looking back at the two of us.

“Umm,no, Professor. I was just—”

“Grabbing me a pencil,” I finish, snatching the one in his hand. “Sorry, please continue.”

Henderson gives us both a long, annoyed look before turning back to the projector and resuming where he left off. “As we were discussing…”

“I’m so sorry,” Connor mouths.

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