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ONE; THE ACADEMY

     SHOUTING ECHOED throughout the Ashton home after Diana had stolen some of Olivia's ballet skirts, but eventually, the girls had finally managed to get their stuff together.

     "Ballerina."

     Olivia spun around, one hand stuffed in a duffel bag and the other grabbing clothes frantically. Her blonde boyfriend stood in front of her, the corner of his mouth tilted upwards. She sighed. "Hi, Aaron. I'm leaving today, in case you forgot."

     Aaron wasn't the best of boyfriends. Technically, him and Olivia weren't even dating. But whenever they saw each other, there was a spark between them that would never die. When she was down, Aaron was always there to pick up the remaining pieces. She never returned the favor, since he usually got into trouble himself. He wasn't very ambitious about his future, wanting to spend the years stealing from convenient stores and hanging with childhood friends. Olivia preferred to stay on course with her destiny, which was to become the best dancer at the National Academy of Dance. The two clashed on certain ideas but they drifted back to one another like magnets.

     "I didn't forget. You're going to that fancy ballet school to become the best dancer in the world." He tapped his forehead. "I remember important things."

     Olivia zipped up her bag and headed towards him, kissing him on the lips before she left. "I have to go. See you later?"

     "Always."

     Olivia raced down the stairs, rushing outside to jump into her car. Diana held the door open for her and she slid in beside her sister. Aaron stepped outside, waving goodbye to Olivia. She just smiled thinly.

     "You're not honestly going to stay with him, right, Liv?" Diana whispered lowly in case her parents would hear. "He's absolutely awful."

     "He could be better," she agreed. "He won't be around much, anyway. Probably going off to do some stuff he shouldn't be doing."

     "Olivia," her mother called from the passenger seat. "We're very proud of you, dear. Are you going to miss us?"

     Olivia snickered. "Miss being around a bunch of medical-crazed doctors? Of course!"

     Diana pinched her side and glared.

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     Olivia wished Diana hadn't left her so quickly. She was having a bit of trouble maneuvering her way through the school, and it got even worse when a guy bumped into her, knocking her into the ground.

     "I'm so sorry," the person frantically apologized, helping her back up on her feet. Olivia brushed off the dirt on her shirt and smiled. The person in front of her had jet black hair, and those puppy dog eyes that could pull any girl in with just one look.

     "It's alright."

     He offered her another nod before running off, heading in the same direction she was supposed to be going towards. She sped up her pace, finding herself in a building full of hallways and she didn't know which one to head down to first. Girls were giggling and laughing from all around her, arms interlocked to show their friendship. It seemed like everyone had already made a friend and Olivia missed the deadline, but she didn't let it phase her from losing her main focus.

     She — by some glorious miracle — found the girls' dressing rooms in time. She stood in a separate corner by herself while senseless chatter filled the air. The excitement around the room felt unnerving, for Olivia was practically filled with anxiety for audition week. She spent the past few days questioning why she wasn't denied when she probably should've been filled with elation for her acceptance.

     "Do I know you?" As soon as she was touched up and ready, she left the dressing rooms, where a blonde girl began questioning her. The blonde tilted her head, as if she was trying to recognize Olivia's facial features. She had this mischievous sparkle in her eyes that Olivia's never seen before.

     "No, I don't recall. My name's Olivia," she introduced herself, sticking out her hand for the girl to shake. She smiled, showing off a full row of pearly whites.

     "Kat. It's nice to meet you, Olivia."

     Suddenly, it was as if Olivia had morphed into one of the girls she saw earlier. Kat linked their arms, and started talking as they made their way through the hallway. Miscellaneous dance bags were scattered around the floor, and Olivia had to watch her step in case she tripped and fell over.

     "So, Olivia, are you one of those ballerinas who would die for dance instead of dying for fun?" Kat asked, raising her eyebrow. Olivia was confused by the question, but Kat was acting like it determined the existence of their friendship.

     "I thought dance was fun."

     Kat smiled. "Oh, you have a lot to learn, my young friend." If she had to guess, Olivia would say that Kat didn't care much for dance. Multiple strands of her bun were sticking out and her leotard wasn't tucked in correctly.

     Kat led them both into a classroom on the left side, and Olivia took the room in. Her eyes were filled with absolute wonder, and Kat snickered at how amazed she was by the small dance room. They set their bags down, and Olivia took a swig of water before she let her nerves take over her.

     "How long have you been dancing?"

     Olivia observed another girl from across the room, already practicing to instill some fear in the other dancers. From beside her, another girl was wearing the same leotard, giggling into her palm at the frightened looks on everyone's faces.

     Olivia shrugged at Kat's question. "For as long as I could remember. My parents said I breathe just to dance. How long have you been dancing?"

     She was expecting the normal response — parents signed her up for ballet classes when she was little and she had been dedicated to the dance since then. Kat took her by surprise, which Olivia expected to happen a lot.

     "When I was born. Came kicking out of the womb," she joked, brushing the floor with her dance shoes. Two claps made heads dart up, but Kat wasn't startled, appearing as if someone had forced her to dance today.

     The principal of the school, a slightly aged man with a white beard, greeted them. "Welcome to the National Academy of Dance, one of the most elite training institutions in the world. You have been chosen from amongst thousands of dancers." A teacher instructed them to form a line and Olivia obeyed with Kat by her side. She noticed that a girl had walked in late, her cheeks bright red from embarrassment.

     "Sorry," she apologized, pushing back her hair. Olivia would hate to be in her position, especially with the main teacher staring at her like she was on fire.

     "However," the principal continued, ignoring her disruption. "We only have room in first year for just a few. It'll be your job over the next few days to make sure you're among them."

     "Kill me," Olivia whispered, her hands shaking. Kat chuckled under her breath.

     "Not if you kill me first."

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     Olivia chewed on the end of her pencil, a bad habit she was failing to break. She swung her legs back and forth as girls passed, complaining about the aching feeling in their feet. She jotted down the answer to her next question before a hand slammed down on the table. She jumped slightly but relaxed when she realized it was only Kat. "Want to do something fun tonight?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Olivia scoffed when Kat took her pencil away. "Homework? You go to an academic school?"

     "Yes." Olivia snatched it back. "In case this doesn't work out, I have to have something to fall back on." Kat rolled her eyes, folding up the parchment and tossing it on the couch. Olivia was about to argue until Kat grabbed her hand and hauled her up.

     "Please, Liv. I saw you in there today. You were amazing," she complimented as a prodding gesture to get Olivia to leave her spot. "C'mon, let's go out and have some fun!"

     "It's after ten." Olivia pointed to the clock, disconnecting their hands. She retrieved her work and sat back down. "Curfew, remember?" Kat couldn't care less about the Academy's rules, and Olivia managed to catch on to that in the middle of the day.

     The National Academy of Dance was everything she expected it to be. The teachers were harsh but she understood it was only because they wanted to make the students better. She didn't get much backlash, although she couldn't say the same for other students. She befriended a girl named Tara Webster, who received much of the hostile environment. Tara was hesitant on becoming friends with her after a solid warning from Abigail about Kat. Tara believed in the insane notion that if Olivia was associating with Kat, it obviously meant she wasn't serious about dancing.

     "Your loss," Kat said, blowing her a kiss before leaving from sight. Olivia shook her head with a smile grazing her lips.

     She stayed up past ten, and another guy entered the Academy around midnight. He paused when he saw another person in the room — her hair flowing down her back, her eyebrows furrowed, and a concentrated look washing over her features.

     "Do you go here?" He asked. She didn't bother to glance up, thinking it was Sean — a boy she wished she hadn't met during the course of her stay — or one of his idiot friends. She met Sean's group earlier in the day and their first move was to begin flirting with her. She wasn't particularly interested.

     "Yes, I do. You're past curfew, by the way," she notified, finishing up one of her last questions. Balancing academic schoolwork and the Academy's dance routines was difficult, but Olivia pushed herself to do it. If some terrible injury would permanently keep her from dancing her heart out, she would have to follow the normal route that typical teenagers these days do.

     He walked up, a certain look on his face. He felt like he knew who she was, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint her to a personality. "Is that any of your business?" He didn't mean for it to come out so harsh, but she just shrugged.

     "Only saying," she reasoned. "What's the name, troublemaker?" He joined her, taking the seat across. He cracked a few of his muscles and sighed at the overbearing tension.

     "Christian Reed." The name made her cease from the homework, finally fixing her stare on him. He was Aaron's best friend. Aaron happened to slip his name into the conversation a few times, insisting that if Christian were a girl, he would not be interested in Olivia.

     "You're Aaron's friend," she recognized. He appeared taken aback, but connected the dots skillfully in his mind.

     "Wait, you're Olivia?" Christian couldn't count how many times Aaron had mentioned her name in conversations. He said that he's never thought of settling down, but if he did, it would be with her. Christian never got the chance to meet her in person, only hearing stories passed from Kaylah to him. Aaron described her as the most gorgeous woman to walk the earth, and Christian couldn't help but agree. Looking at her now, he was tempted to persuade her to leave Aaron for him.

     "That would be me," she affirmed, nodding. "Can't believe I'm finally meeting you. Is Kaylah here as well?" As far as she knew, both Christian and Kaylah were into hip-hop and they came from broken families like Aaron's.

     "Nope," he said, leaning forward. "It's just me. Aaron never told me that you were a dancer." Christian knew many things about Olivia Ashton — the way she laughed whenever Aaron said a lame joke, how her eyes glimmered underneath the moonlight, her irrational fears, and that she offered comfort to his best friend in a way no one else ever could. Aaron failed to bring up that she also owned a pair of pointe shoes.

     "He forgets about that side of me," she explained, closing her notebook. "I think he only pays attention to individual sentences I say." Christian laughed in agreement.

     "Well, it's nice to meet you, Christian," she stood up, taking her backpack with her. He smiled, watching her walk up the stairs. She had a certain bounce to her step.

     Christian could see why Aaron was so interested, and he was determined to learn more about the notorious ballerina.

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     "Carbs," Olivia spoke, turning down the cheeseburger that Kat extended towards her. The blonde rolled her eyes and plopped down on the metal seat. She kept the burger to herself while Olivia munched on a granola bar.

     "You are such a downer," Kat sighed through a mouth full of meat and cheese. Olivia twisted her nose in distaste. She secretly despised Kat because no matter how much food she consumed in one day, she never gained a pound. Olivia envied that ability.

     "Please close your mouth when you eat," she requested. Another blonde came up behind Kat, trying to take a piece of her food. They both looked fairly similar and Olivia concluded that he was the brother Kat told her about earlier. He was only her half-sibling, but Kat said they had been through a lot together.

     "Come on, Kitty Kat. Give me some," he begged. She slapped his forehead as her argument and Olivia giggled. He heard the sound and addressed the raven haired beauty. "Hey, I'm Ethan." She wasn't entranced by his wide smirk. Her only relationship for the past few years was with Aaron, and that was still messy. She wasn't applying for another love interest any time soon.

     "Olivia," Kat interrupted. She had seen the way her brother's broken hearts before, and she wasn't prepared to lose her new best friend. "Go buy your own food, Ethan."

     "Alright, alright," he surrendered, holding his hands up. He backed away but winked subtly at Olivia. She frowned at his incomprehension to his sister's words. She could see why some of the girls were glaring at him in hatred, but others were ogling at him like he was a piece of meat.

     "Sorry about him," Kat exhaled. "I love him, but he can be a bit much."

     "I understand," Olivia cut her off. She ate the last piece of her breakfast, watching Kat devour hers. Christian passed by, smiling and waving. She returned the action and Kat's eyes widened.

     "You know him?" Her tone sounded tempting as she checked out the boy walking past. Olivia was pleased with her behavior, guessing Kat's attitude by now. She was carefree and hilarious, and no matter what rumors were spread around, Olivia adored her.

     "He's friends with my sort of boyfriend," she disclosed. She swore that Kat's head turned 360 degrees. The blonde was very interested in relationships and most of the guys took notice. Sean's group would discuss about Kat when she wasn't looking, and Olivia wasn't appreciative of that fact.

     "Boyfriend? You never told me about this guy," she beamed. "Spill." Kat should've guessed that Olivia had a boyfriend. She was incredibly beautiful, but like most of the people on site, her mind was set on dance and dance only.

     "It's nothing," she waved off. "We've been on and off for a couple of years. It's not serious." Kat held a smug look and leaned back in her chair. She could tell the secret meaning beneath the words.

     "Whatever you say." Her eyes drifted back to Christian, who was talking with some of the second year dancers. "I'd still get with him if I were you." Olivia peeked at him, admitting inwardly that he was definitely attractive. She tapped her fingers on the table with amusement.

     "We'll see."

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