The Dancer and Her Bad Boy

3. Sydney's POV

I have just finished up with 2 hours of dance and I am exhausted. My feet are bloody and sore, but the pain is worth it. Listening to Miss Amber yell at me for 2 hours about how I can't do anything right is really starting to get on my nerves. I'm starting to question if this is worth it. How much abuse can one person take when all they want is to be good at what they're doing.

The worst part is I know I'm good at what I'm doing, I just have to work so much harder at it than everyone else. Nothing in my life can be easy. I have to work hard at school to keep my grades up, I have to work hard to keep my weight under control. If I cared enough, I would probably have to work hard at a relationship, so I don't try.

I know I have what it takes to be a professional dancer, but I don't want to do commercial, I do that for fun. Ballet is my passion. I have sent videos of myself dancing away to programs and been selected for summer internships, so I know I am not a terrible dancer. However, it never fails that I am told I will never be a professional ballerina with a professional company and be taken seriously. That is the part that hurts my soul.

As I sit outside and wait for my mother, who seems to have forgotten me yet again, I contemplate the last 2 hours of my life and the decisions that I am making for my future and try to decide what I'm going to do. I wish I could close my eyes and be like the main character, Jody Sawyer, in my favorite movie, Center Stage, and be placed at ABT with bad feet and her imperfect technique. Ha, that is never going to happen, but a girl can dream!

Once I've decided that I need to stop dreaming and that I've sat here long enough, I decided to get up and just walk home.15 minutes is enough to tell me mom got stuck at work again. My feet are exhausted, but I don't have a choice, I still need to get up and go to school in the morning. As I start to walk home I have this eery feeling like I'm being watched. I know it's late, but I also know that my best friend, Margot, will walk me home through the phone so I call her.

"Hey Margie what's up?"

"Let me guess, your mom forgot you again?" Margie more states than asks.

"Ah, you know her so well. Yes, and now I'm walking home by myself and I just have this eery feeling like I'm being watched. Will you please walk home with me?"

"It will be my honor," She says in her most gentlemanly voice and I giggle like a silly school girl and roll my eyes like she can see me.

30 minutes later I finally get home and as I turn to walk up the driveway a car drives by out of nowhere. As I turn my head to catch a glimpse of the car it looks like Nikki's brother's cherry red Charger. "What would Greg be doing out this late at night and by my house?" I say out loud to nobody in particular forgetting Margie is on the phone. Truth be told, I've always kind of had a secret crush on Greg, but Margie's the only one who knows.

Margie must have been calling my name for a couple of minutes because now she is yelling at me, "EARTH TO SYD, ARE YOU STILL THERE? IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?"

"Sorry Margie, I just got distracted. Seriously, why would Greg be driving by house this late at night with Brad? I don't live in the best part of town, all they are going to find is trouble."

"Well Syd, maybe he had finally decided to profess his undying love for you, but chickened out at the last minute and just kept driving."

"Margie, you are a royal pain in my a$$. I am so glad I can amuse you. Thank you for walking me home, but since I am here and you are now being mean and crushing my already fragile heart, I am hanging up on you now!" I say with a fake pout in my voice. And just as I am about to hang up I hear Margie shout, "But don't forget that I love you Syd and your life would be boring without me!" Boy, isn't that the truth.

I head into my house and can tell that mom must have had to stay at work late because it is pitch black inside. I turn on the light in the hall that leads to the kitchen and pry my shoes off my feet. I will have to soak them tonight before bed or I won't be able to walk tomorrow.

Next I hobble into the kitchen to get some dinner. I hate eating this late at night, but I cannot go to bed on an empty stomach. I am so exhausted the only thing I have energy for at this point is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I grab an apple and some carrots too as I make my way to our little table. As I sit down to start to eat, I hear the door to the garage open. "Syd, I am so sorry, they made me stay late again. I tried to get out, I promise I didn't forget. Will you forgive me?" Mom is almost in tears because she is so exhausted.

"Mom, stop apologizing. Margie talked to me the whole way home. I am fine. I just have to soak my feet a little extra tonight. What can I make you for dinner?"

Mom smiles while she answers me, "you are not making me anything for dinner. Besides, I ate on my break. Did you get your homework done before dance tonight?"

"Yes Mom, I know the rules. School, then dance. Speaking of which, can Margie spend the weekend here so we can finish our science project and then have a movie marathon and pizza night to celebrate on Saturday?" I ask with the biggest puppy dog eyes I can muster.

Mom rolls her eyes, "How do I say no to that? As long as it is ok with her mom I am ok with it."

"Thanks mom, you're the best," I say and I finish my food, give her a hug goodnight, and run upstairs to soak my feet.

As I am sitting in my lounge chair soaking my feet in epsom salts, I find myself drifting back to thoughts of Greg. Was he following me to make sure I got home ok? Why would he do that? If it wasn't him following me, who was, because I felt someone's eyes on me. Honestly, if I wanted a relationship, I think Greg would be the only guy I would consider. Margie would kill me if I ever went out with him though.

Apparently, he's a "bad boy" and I'm too good for him. I've never seen myself as too good for anyone. I've seen the way he looks out for other people, even his sister who he even thinks is a total b!tch. He can pretend to be a bad boy, but I see right through it. It still makes me wonder why he would be on my side of town driving past my house at 9:45 at night though?