Page 14 of The Bloke

“Can’t tonight, maybe tomorrow. I need more sleep. I’m burnt like toast.”

“Boo!—Fine, but I’m keeping you to that!” She giggled, and I could hear her smile through the phone. “Talk later, girl, take it easy, alright?” Concern laced in her words.

“Yeah… night, Lily. Be careful.”

“Always.”

After hanging up the phone, I peeled myself off the bed and changed into hot pink sweatpants and a black cropped T-shirt. I descended the stairs of my parent’s house and went to the kitchen, digging into the freezer for the bag of frozen fried chicken and french fries.

With the high intensity of my weekly training schedule, I didn’t have much time to work, so I still lived with my parents, a blessing and a curse. While I was thankful that I didn’t have bills to pay and a fully stocked fridge, I hated that they could monitor me twenty-four-seven. Again, the freedom Lily had, that I didn’t.

I popped three breaded chicken strips and a handful of fries into the air fryer, set it for fifteen minutes, and then plopped down onto one of the bar stools, flipping through social media on my phone.

Lily’s Instagram account was already flooding my feed with photos of the party she was at. A smile pulled across my lips as I scrolled through her pictures and the fun she was having—slightly jealous that I couldn’t have accepted her invitation.

The only thing stopping me was the complete exhaustion that wrecked my body. My parents were out of town for the week on an anniversary vacation, so they weren’t around to stop me from having a little bit of fun while I waited for my phone call. I could use the distraction, just like Lily suggested.

A ding came from across the kitchen, and I moved to remove my late-night dinner from the air fryer. Dumping the contents of the fry basket onto a plate, I sat back down at the kitchen counter and began reviewing the new dance routine that my trainer had just sent me.

I was so over this… all of it.

I haven't heard anythingfor three days since my audition for Aurelia. There wasn’t even a rumor from other dancers I know who auditioned with me—just radio silence from the admissions council.

“I wouldn’t sweat it. It may very well be that they are saving the acceptance calls for later, you know, get all the‘I’m sorry, try again next year’calls out of the way first.” Lily reassured me over the phone.

I have my Bluetooth earbuds in while stretching for today's training session. My parents booked me a two-hour slot at the studio this morning as a way to kick my ass out of the house.

“I hope you’re right because if I get denied again, I don’t know how I will tell my parents… what I will tell them.” I sighed, resting my leg on the ballet bar to stretch my hamstring.

“You tell them the truth, and you live with it. What’s the worst they could do?”

That was the one problem with Lily; while she understood the stress of the audition, she didn’t understand my parents, my whole reason for even attempting a third time.

“Uh—Kick me out and disown me for one?” I growled out, switching my legs on the bar. “I have no job, no career path. I am a sunken ship, and I’ll drown before I even reach shore.”Since when did I become so metaphorical… I really needed to get more sleep.

“So? Move in with me. We can figure it all out together.” She hummed in thought. “You know, I think I can even pull a few strings to get you a job at Frisky’s as a waitress.”

Oh, that was precisely what I needed to go from a company-worthy ballet dancer to a stripper waitress. Wonderful. Not that I was even worthy of a company by Aurelia’s standards.

“I’ll… think about it. Thanks, Lily. Talk to you later.” I hung up on her before hitting play on my routine playlist for warm-up, starting with mygrande pliésand single-legrelevéson the bar.

Twenty minutes into my warm-up, my phone begins to ring, interrupting my music and warm-up. My gut clenches as I tap the side of my earbud to answer.

Please don’t be Aurelia; please don’t be Aurelia…

“H—hello?” I hesitated.

“Good afternoon, Miss Carter. This is Arietta Scarlet from the Aurelia Admissions Council. Do you have a moment to speak?” Her tone was bored as if this call was just one of many that she had made today, all ending with the same result. Disappointment.

“Y—yes. I am free to speak.” I breathed, sinking to my knee on the freshly polished floor.

“Your file shows that you have auditioned three times for our Academy.”

“Yes.” I quickly answered.

“That wasn’t a question.”Bitch. “Tell me, why did you audition a third time?” Oh no...

What answer do I give her? The truth? A lie? Does this answer impact my acceptance status?

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