Chapter Twenty - Two

Oh geeze..

Piper smiled up at me as I walked in through the door. “Hey,” she said from the table. She whipped her head around to look for anyone else in the room. “You did way awesome today, Russ. It was so good. You really showed those All Stars.” She smiled and sipped at her juice.

I nodded and looked around the house. “Where is everyone?” There was an awkward silence.

She shrugged her shoulders. “No one was here when Blake and I came back.”

My face twisted. Something wasn’t sitting right inside my stomach. Something wasn’t right.

I didn’t have time to think about it. I had to be out the door for Ballet. I grabbed my bag and started walking out to my car. The phone in my pocket started to ring. “Hello?” I said out of breath; I was already late.

“Russ.” I recognized the voice immediately.

I stopped in my tracks, “Bridger.”

He laughed, “Yeah it’s me. Mom turned my phone back on today. She was sick of dad trying to control me.” I sighed knowing I could talk to him again. “Piper called me earlier. She said you showed off a little at school today.”

I laughed on my side of the phone. I continued moving my body to my car and I started going to class. “I heard about Parker. He doesn’t seem like the type that would do that.”

“Well he was,” I hissed the words through my teeth.

“Whoa, Russ, I was just stating my opinion. There’s need to get all hissy.”I caught my tone and shut my lips. “He called me Russ. Piper gave him my number and he called me.” Just before I was about to speak Bridger spoke again. “He called and apologized to me. After he was done he explained the whole situation.” Bridger paused and I listened. Cars whizzed past my car on the main street. I looked down to the speedometer to see that I was speeding. My foot went to the break and I tried to calm my body. “I think he’s telling the truth Russ. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I trust him.”

The car turned into the parking lot of the studio. “I have to go Bridger.” My tone changed back to a rude one.

I could hear a slight smile behind his voice. “Alright Russ, don’t think you’re going to get away with this that easily.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Bye.”

Parker wasn’t at ballet. I was thankful for that. Through the class I tried to work out all of my frustration, there was a lot. The teacher noticed my effort and applauded me at the end of the class. Her thin arm went around my shoulder as everyone was leaving. “You have an amazing talent.”

“Thank you,” I whispered and smiled down at her wrinkled face. “There will be recruits from the New York Ballet at our next recital. I’ve told them your name.”

My eyes got wide and my jaw dropped. I started to jump up and down. The older woman laughed. “You and Parker will be both auditioning at the same time.” I stopped jumping.

“That’s great,” I said and my feelings sank. He wasn’t gone for good was he?

I bit my lower lip and nodded once at her. I spun on my heels and walked out to the parking lot. I could’ve sworn I saw Parker’s truck pull out of the parking lot. I shook my head and opened my door.

Author's Note

Hey guys! I'm back!