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@e-n-leonard

@jared-williams

Ophelia

“So, Ophelia, what do you think this dance should be? I think…I’d like it to be a dance of birds. Imitating them, ya know?” Jade said, gesturing with her arms as though they were wings.

I continued with my improvised barre warm-ups but nodded.

I forced my smile back.

“That sounds nice! The ballet we’re working on is called Seven Swans, so I’ve had practice.”

Thankfully this laugh didn’t sound too forced.

Jade jumped straight into someone and I glanced away again, concentrating on my position. Turning out my feet, stretching them as far as I could manage, and staying as upright as though someone was pulling me upright like a puppet.

Jade pounced on Abirami as soon as she spotted him.

“Come on, dancer boy, we got to get you limber and teach you the steps.”

She was doing her utmost not to laugh, I could tell.

How was she planning to teach him anything in a space of time as short as this?

Thankfully, Jade seemed happy to torment him in her own personal way. I would leave her to it.

“Ophelia, please show this muscle-bound idiot how to stretch.”

My gaze flicked back to them. Abirami just looked confused.

Was I supposed to start with what he could actually do or just show what she meant? Did he not understand the word or did he not understand how to?

I decided to opt for the latter and brace for correction.

I was warmed up enough by this point so I lowered myself into a forward split. Was that what they meant?

Abirami nodded, as though he knew what I meant now. Good.

He bent backward, managing to get his palms flat on the floor. I raised my eyebrows, impressed. Almost nobody could do that on their first try.

I started laughing when he managed to bend back even further, beyond the point that any person might have managed. He obviously wasn’t any normal person.

The expression on Jade’s face made me laugh even harder.

Abirami stood again, looking between us eagerly as if waiting for some confirmation that he’d done it properly. The excitement in his expression paired with the absolute disgust in Jade’s was enough to make me double over in laughter, even though I was still in the splits.

“I think he can do it,” I said, between bursts of laughter.

Jade shot me a withering look that made the laugh die out like a quenched flame.

She started trying to teach Abirami the basics. I got up and went back to my warm-ups, absently listening to Jade ordering around Abirami and plotting the dance with another boy who was apparently joining us.

“Don’t make it too complicated,” I added in, right as Jade took a breath while planning.

“You can improvise, I’ll follow your lead. It’s harder with partners though, but we’ll make do.”

I could at least try to make it a little easier on her.