THE FOLLOWING DAY, NAOMI STILL HADN'T SHAKEN WHAT MR. CARSON TOLD HER. When she danced with Jessica, standing tall in the box of her pointe shoes and smiling at her best friend, the words still nagged at her.

"Ignore it," Jessica said annoyingly.

She fell flat-footed. "I'm trying."

Jessica held her best friend's hand. If Riverside ever had birds, they would be chirping right then, or perhaps if Riverside had winter it would start snowing because when Jessica held her, surroundings smiled. It was what Jessica caused without ever having to try and Naomi wished she could possess whatever that was. Jessica led her over to the bed and plopped them there on the nudish brown comforter. Ducking to see the look in the other girl's eye, she tucked Naomi's hair behind her ear. "Hey, you're an amazing dancer. Maybe he didn't mean that last bit. Maybe he just wants to see you portray a little more love. Giselle was in love."

Naomi crossed her legs on the bed. "Jessica," her voice trembled, "he said grief."

"Well, you don't have any grief," she snapped. "Why would you be grieving?"

Naomi toyed with the fabric of her sweatpants. The walls closed in on them. "Jessica," she said more to herself than anything, "you're-"

"-Right here," she interrupted. "I'm right here with you."

Naomi looked at her, really looked at her by watching her porcelain skin and noticing her assuring pink lips and kind eyes. She nodded. "So, no grief?"

"No grief."

For the rest of the night, Naomi set the thoughts aside until she really forgot them. She personified Giselle's fear and anguish and did her best to embody her subtle interest. Jessica applauded her every step of the way.

However, as the night turned to day, the thoughts came back like a rushing wave. Jessica helped her get dressed and kept her company as she walked but Naomi knew she couldn't speak what was on her mind. It wasn't until she was alone with Ben in the safe confines of their store walls that she allowed the thoughts to realize themselves. "Do you think Misty Copeland cries?" Naomi blurted, atop the store counter.

"Oh, definitely," Ben answered. "Have you seen that smile? You can only smile like that after you've shed your fair amount of tears." Naomi couldn't help but wonder what kind of smile she had herself. In the quiet of Ben's Equipment Store, Riverside felt worlds away. Normally, if she tried hard enough, Naomi could forget about the Academy and just sit there with Ben. They'd talk about nothing and everything and be at peace in their small limbo. But today, Mr Carson's words were still doing fouettes in her head. How was she supposed to face him today?

Ben wiped down the counter around the spot where Naomi sat for another thoughtful second. He continued, "Plus, everyone cries. Especially dancers."

Light pulled across the Riverside sky, overwhelming the darkness and birthing clouds that reached to touch one another. She turned to look at him. "Even you?"

Ben neared the edge of the counter and smiled. Because he knew that as always, the closing walls of his small store made every worry contrast the look in your eye and stand abundant and clear in the lines set on your face. "Everyone cries sometimes, Naomi," he repeated.

*

Everyone cries, Ben had said, and he looked like he really meant it.

"Or maybe he didn't mean it," Jessica was saying on their way to the Centre. "He probably said that so you wouldn't feel alone," she explained. "You know how Ben is."

Naomi tried not to look at her. "You think so?" At half past six in the morning, the pair were making their way to the Fox Performing Arts Centre alone.

"Come on." Jessica threw her wind ridden hair over her shoulder. "You know Ben."

She looked up at her best friend. And she was there. Really there. Standing beside her and smiling and Naomi couldn't fathom how anyone wouldn't want that. She smiled and nodded to herself. "You're probably right." Not a second later, Naomi's eyes found the road. To a specific spot she'd been trying to ignore for weeks.

"Don't," Jessica blurted. Cars suddenly zipped by them and the wind carried her attention.

"Don't what?"

"Sulk," Jessica answered obviously. "About that stupid Guise party."

Naomi groaned. She was sure everyone would come to the Academy today and rave about how great the Guise's party was. Share pictures. Laugh at hashtags.

"Look, we spent our night being productive. We rehearsed and got the moves down to a T. That's something to be proud of," she emphasized, "right?"

Naomi adjusted the strap of her duffel bag. "Right."

When the girls had just about gotten to the steps of the Fox Performing Arts Centre they heard something that was uncommon in Riverside. Shouting. They turned to see that just a few feet over in the scanty parking lot of the Centre was a man who seemed to be reprimanding his daughter. It took the girls only a fraction of a second, only because the girl was standing so sheepishly, to realize that that girl was Aspen Letterman. Her back was to them but they could still tell it was her. Her blonde hair was recognizable anywhere.

"A party?! Are you crazy?!" her father was screaming. Anger had eaten away any softness his face could ever possess and replaced it with burning danger. Naomi settled back in her heel.

"She deserves it," Jessica said.

They couldn't tell if Aspen was saying anything or nodding but one thing was certain: her father dominated the space. "Do you think professionals get hangovers when they know they have rehearsal?! Aspen, how could you be so stupid?!" The blonde girl visibly flinched when he screamed at her, "Answer me!"

In the heat of California, Naomi had to assume that Aspen hadn't given the right answer because, in a flash, the back of her father's hand went straight across her face. Riverside stilled. Aspen's shoulders shivered as she held the reddening spot on her cheek. The parking lot rang out in silence like a white noise.

Her father pulled open the door to his car and retrieved his daughter's things, throwing her bag at her feet and shoving her pink water bottle into her chest. He leaned in to tell her something that Jessica and Aspen couldn't hear before he got back into his Lexus and this time, slammed the door shut. He reversed away from her and peeled out onto the road.

Aspen didn't move.

Jessica said under her breath, "She deserved that too."

Naomi wasn't aware of how long she'd been looking at her until Aspen had turned around and their eyes connected. Naomi took a step back. Aspen's jaw tightened and her sadness morphed into something uncontrollable, just like her father. She stormed over with the devil in her step and blazed up the stairs like fire. Naomi took another weak step backwards but it was futile. Aspen was already in front of her. "If you say anything, to anyone," her voice shook and she exhaled, then her following words held hell, "I swear on my life, I will end you Naomi Morgan."

This close, Naomi realized her eye-liner wasn't drawn in and the conviction she'd always had seemed slipping like her smudged lipstick. She didn't know exactly what she felt toward Aspen Letterman at that moment, but it wasn't fear. Aspen's nose opened with an uneven exhale and she managed one last angry look before spinning away.

She ran up the rest of the steps of The Fox Performing Arts Centre and flung herself through the double doors.

"Sad," Jessica commented.

Author's Note
Alexa, play Nobody's Perfect by Hannah Montanna.
This week, the dedication goes out to the incredibly supportive @Hatay46 yes! I been seeing you vote and I stan! Thanks for pressing that little star bc I need it for validation ilysm❤️. If you vote, comment and share the next dedication could be you!

But yes guys, tell me what you thought. I wanna know!

IN THE NEXT CHAPTER...

He wasn't sure what to say, but his lips parted anyway. Ben had always hoped that Jessica was looking down at Naomi with a proud smile and wishes of many blessings. But this...this was something even angels would cry for...