Page 34 of Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

Will took a chocolaty bite. “You made these? Marry me, Treadwell.”

The cakes passed to the other table. “Did you even attempt to make them low fat?” asked Simone. “You shouldn’t, Sadie. Don’t ruin your diet with cake that’s probably not even good.”

A-ha! I had a name for the short girl. “I have other things,” I said. Out came the tubs of leftovers: pasta, curry, a box of cherry tomatoes and some cheese, most of which was claimed by Will, only the tomatoes making it to the other table.

“I didn’t have any breakfast,” justified Will.

“So lover-boy can cook as well,” said Justin. “Life is just not fair.”

“Have another cake,” I said, taking one myself. “Did you have a nice time yesterday?”

“Mmm,” he conceded, examining me. His hand waved up and down, indicating the new clothes, and then grabbed my wrist. “With a watch like that, you could at least have been on time.”

“So, Amalphia,” said Simone. “You went to Aleks’s own studio for extra lessons? The one at his house?”

“Yes.” Monosyllables might be best.

“Did you glean anything about him as a person?” she asked.

“Like?”

“Well...”

Sadie butted in. “Like, does he have a girlfriend, wife or significant other? It’s what you wanted to know,” she added in the face of Simone’s obvious annoyance.

“He only talks about ballet in the lessons.” That was true. The teacher part of Aleks was most focused, and actually quite stern, until the end of class. I didn’t like lying and had planned to tell the truth whenever possible.

“Simone Conner,” drawled Justin. “Are you all warm and squidgy for the Zolotov?”

“No,” she snapped. “But he’s going to be our main teacher, and we don’t know much about him other than his career.”

“We’ve all wondered what he’s like in bed, of course,” said Justin dreamily.

“I haven’t,” commented Will.

“Someone as good looking as that?” said Sadie. “Bound to be all about himself.”

This nasty remark about Aleks caused me to examine the short girl in a slightly different light. Her hair was an unattractive colour of brown, so dull it appeared dark grey. It sat like a bowl over her unintelligent bovine features.

Justin gazed at me as he spoke. “Cock-centric, you think, Sadie? I wonder…”

“Aren’t all men?” said Sun with a laugh.

“What do you think, Phi?” asked Justin. “Any thoughts, my lovely?”

“Yes. I think you and Sadie are going to thoroughly enjoy the new piece you’ll be dancing together: the sexy, sexySarabande.”

The statement attracted questions about the new pas de deux and the other partnerings that Aleks had planned, and most people were not pleased. I could see that Will was thinking Simone would be taller than him when she stood en pointe, Justin that Sadie was going to be heavy, and Simone was jealous that I was with Aleks. Sun and the quiet boy – I hoped someone would say his name soon – merely smiled at each other.

My phone rang. “Ah, you are travelling,” said Aleks. “I hear the noise.”

“Yes.”

“She nearly missed the train,” Justin said, leaning forwards towards the phone.

“Did you? This is very irresponsible, Malphia.”

“I’m on it now,” I said, getting up and walking out of the carriage to stand beside the train doors.

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