The sun was slowly sinking from the sky, and in two houses two figures were pacing the floors of their rooms. One of them held a piece of paper, which they stopped every few minutes to write on. The other one had long black hair, which was swishing as she turned briskly at each end of her room. The attacker and the victim unknowingly paced together, thinking about each other in almost perfect harmony.

Ella suddenly stopped, and sat on her bed by the window. She looked out at the crushed, pink clouds of twilight, and felt uneasy. The phone suddenly rang - it was Ryan. Ella was still furious at him over what she'd witnessed earlier, but the usual uneasy feeling that came with the fall of darkness had somewhat distinguished her anger. Seeing his name made it bubble up again, and she rejected the call without a second thought. She'd never seen this side to Ryan before - or to Josh. Her feelings were battling, head and heart brandishing steel and shield. She could almost hear a clanging sound like swords being unsheathed and hitting against metal. Ella fell backwards onto her bed and closed her eyes. It will all go away she told herself - it will all go away.

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Ella awoke, fully clothed in what she'd worn the day before. She groaned and grabbed her phone, her brown-black eyes barely blinking open. Ryan O'Connor: Seven missed calls! Wow. Automatically she blushed, but then caught herself. No, she was still upset with him, and she didn't intend to tell him so over the phone. Three texts.

Ryan: Ella, u ok? Answer your phone I'm worried!

Ryan: Guessing u must b asleep. Speak 2morrow at dance.

Carys: Hey, pickin you up in 10.

Ella stared at the last text, then suddenly sprang into action. If she was late two weeks in a row, Eva would flip...

5 minutes later Ella leaped over her front door step, slalomed through her gate and fell in a puffing, wriggling mass into the back of Carys' car.

"Late start?" asked Carys, turning around and smiling. Ella glared at her. One of the advantages of having a best friend is that they immediately understand and translate the meaning of every nudge, glare, eyebrow raise and wink you give. This one meant 'Shut up and drive Carys, or I will hit you.' The sound of the engine jumping into action told Ella that Carys had got the message.

-----

"What the hell!" exclaimed Carys. The car park was full. "When is it EVER full? No one else uses the studio!"

"People park here to go shopping and stuff I guess. I know it's further from town but it is free."

"Idiots." snarled Carys before screeching away to find the next carpark. When they finally found a space they were still ten minutes early, but Carys had been acting like they were ten minutes late! Ella jumped out of the car and started to walk, when she realised Carys was not beside her.

"You coming or what?"

"I...need to find something...think I left something in the car, go on without me, tell Eva I'll be there when I've found...it."

Ella frowned, then shrugged. Was it her, or was Carys behaving weirdly at the moment?

"Ok then, see you in a bit." She turned and walked in what she hoped was the right direction. After a minute she saw the studio, but when she reached it she realised it was the back entrance. She'd being coming to the studio for over half of her life, but she didn't know this half of it so well. Still, at least she'd be inside. The summer sun hadn't made her walk here easier, and air conitioning would be welcome. She slipped through the door and into the quiet corridor. Ella padded softly over the floor, listening for the sounds of...well, anything! She heard music, and started towards it, flinging open the door.

She stopped. It was not her class, it was someone practising. Ella would have turned and run in embarrasment, but she couldn't move. The boy dancing in front of her, he was...amazing! She watched him sissonne avant into a triple pirouette, before leaping into the best temps de poisson she'd ever seen. The way he arched his back and straightened his legs was breathtaking. The jump was meant to look like a fish leaping out of the water, and he did it so well that Ella could imagine the drops flying off of him. It was only when he landed and the music stopped (oh the unison!) that he looked up, and noticed Ella.

"I'm not late am I?" He asked, and Ella gave him a confused look. "For Eva's class, she sent you to get me, didn't she Ella?" Ella was about to ask who he was, why he was asking about Eva's class when he'd never been there before and how he knew her name, when a light switched on in her head.

"Josh?" She managed to stutter, her head spinning.

"Yes..." Said Josh slowly, picking up his dance bag and stepping towards her. Now he'd stopped dancing, she could see it was him again. The way he walked was a dead giveway, with both hands on his dance bag which hung pathetically in his grip, his head tilted slightly downwards and his shoulders hunched protectively. It was so hard to believe that this was the same person she'd seen dancing mere seconds ago.

"I've never seen you dance like that before." Ella finally managed to articulate "I didn't recognise you!" She hadn't meant to sound so shocked, but she couldn't help it. Josh laughed nervously, and started to walk out of the room and up the corridor. Ella followed him, her head full of pink fog.

"I don't get much of a chance in the class. No offence to anyone, I mean, it's always Ryan isn't it. He's the hot, popular one with the rich family who buy his way into..." Josh suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth, then took it away, staring at Ella and stuttering nervously

"I...I didn't want...mean to offend you...him...you...I know you're...you like him." Ella was already so shocked by the last shock that this new shock didn't really shock her. She shook her head and just said. "It's fine Josh. Just, show me where Eva's class is. I was lost." Josh led her in silence. When they reached the double doors, Ella's was surprised not to hear music. The pair opened one door cautiously, to see the entire class huddled in the centre. Then she heard a familiar voice.

"My family paid for part this building! You could have at least seen to it that the floorboards weren't loose! I was lucky not to fall through completely!" Lanelle screeched, and as Eva parted the class Ella saw her lying flat on her back, one leg completely lost from view beneath the now broken floor. There were a few half concealed giggles from the other girls, but Ella was surprised to see Victoria Silverstead glowing bright red, her hands on her cheeks and staring hard at Lanelle. Then again, Victoria had always been the only one to really give Lanelle the time of day. Eva shooed the class away from the hole in the floor and helped Lanelle up. As she helped her hobble out of the room she shouted back "I'm afraid that will have to be all from me. Please help yourself to a rehearsal studio and practice!" Josh and Ella looked at eachother in confusion, before Carys grabbed Ella and spun her around.

"Where did you get to? Did you see Lanelle? Oh Els I'm so glad it wasn't y...I'm...I'm glad it was her and not someone else, that's what I was saying. There's no way she can understudy you now!"

"And thank god for it." smiled Ryan, striding towards them. Ella burned, but today it was with anger. She heard movement behind her meaning that Josh was leaving, and she suddenly turned and said "Wait!"

There was a moment of silence as Ella thought "Shit. Why did I do that?"

"Are you talking to me?" asked Josh, quietly. There was nothing for it. Ella took a deep breath, stuck out her chin, and thought on the spot.

"Yes Josh, I was thinking we should practice the short pas de deux between Hilarion and Giselle in Act 1, we haven't been through it much in class and I think I really need the practice."

"But the love duet between Giselle and Albrecht is what we should be doing today Ella." said Ryan behind her. His voice was low and insistent. She hadn't heard him take a sharper tone before, but it only riled her anger at him further. She had to say something. She span around to face him.

"Frankly, Ryan, after seeing what you did to Josh on Friday I'd rather not be dancing with or even near you." Ryan blushed scarlett.

"Oh." He said simply. "You...you weren't meant to see that." Ella could have exploded.

"What! Weren't meant to see that! It should never have happened!"

"Calm down Ella." said Josh cooly, and Ella felt his hand on her shoulder. Suddenly Ryan stepped forward, and Ella saw really for the first time the difference in size between the two boys. Josh's skinny frame was nothing against Ryan's well built muscles, but in her anger Ella didn't see the good looking side to them. He just looked like a sock full of walnuts, buldging in too many places.

"Don't you touch her!" Ryan shouted. Oh gee. She'd always dreamed of seeing two boys fight over her, but now that it looked like it might actually happen, it wasn't quite so appealing...

"Seriously you two, leave it out!" To Ella's surprise it was Carys who spoke next. She stood inbetween the boys before grabbing Ella and Josh and dragging them into the corridor, to the amazement of both of them, and by the look on his face Ryan as well.

"Firstly, don't think about picking a fight with Ryan, Josh. No offence, but you're kinda srawny, not to mention everyone including Ryan knows you have a massive crush on Ella..." Josh glowed bright red, and shuffled awkwardly a step away from Ella, who buried her face in her hands and wished for her best friend to shut her mouth.

"And you. Why are you losing your rag with not only the fittest boy in college, but the fittest boy in college you likes you?" Carys continued.

"You didn't see what I saw yesterday Cary. The way he treated Josh..."

"Since when did you care about him?!"  snapped Carys, taking Ella completely aback.

How was she supposed to answer that? She didn't really know! Half of her wanted to pinch Carys for showing her up like this, and the other half wanted to scream at Josh for...well...confusing her! What actually came out was something even she wasn't expecting...

"I always have!" She half screamed. Carys and Josh stared at her in silence.

"What?" Carys half whispered. "I know you felt sorry for him but I thought that was as far as it went! I thought you were crazy in love with Ryan? Or is there something you're not telling your best friend?"

"I don't mean like that." Ella said, her confusion clanging like symbols in her brain. She turned to Josh.

"Look, you're lovely. I never knew it before, but you are and I've never given you a chance to show it. No one has, and I want to be the first." Carys looked even more confused, and Josh glowed redder than ever. "I'm not asking you out or anything" Ella added quickly "I just want to get to know you as a friend. I just...I'm sorry. For ignoring you and avoiding you all these years I mean. I tried to be friendly, but I guess I just didn't like attention I couldn't...reciprocate. God I sound stuck up." She bit her thumb nervously, as Carys rolled her eyes and turned away from her on the edge of laughing out of pure hysteria.

Josh shrugged awkwardly. "Fine." He said simply. Carys turned back to Ella. "You done with your momment of madness now? Good. Maybe we can just forget about this little outburst, go back in there and do your duet with Ryan now?" Josh looked at Carys reproachably for a second, before nodding at Ella and walking down the corridor to find a rehearsal space. Ella shook her head in dismay at the last few minutes, and gave her friend a look.

"I'm not going back in there Carys. Tell Ryan to text me when he grows up - I want nothing to do with him until then, or you right now. I'm going home." She began to walk away.

"But I gave you a lift?" said Carys sarcastically.

"I'll get the bus." Ella snapped back, not even bothering to turn her head. She gripped her dance bag so hard, her knuckles glowed white through her fawn coloured skin.

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Authors Note:

First update in ages I know. No one reads this though so oh well. I didn't totally plan this story, which I'm regretting as I'm losing sight of things a bit. I'd plan it out and re-edit but I've grown a little tired of the story already :/ I'll see how it goes. If anyone actually likes this please say :P

Ceri xo