Behind The Curtain

Blinding lights shone in my eyes, my body covered in a layer of sweat, every muscle taught as I carefully move through the last steps of the dance, the last notes of the music dying out with each choreographed move. Cheers erupted from the audience, various types and colors of flowers raining down in front of my feet as I gave a low bow, making sure to stay on pointe as I do so. I look down at the petal rainbow now covering the stage, smiling. I rise, my eyes looking out across the vast sea of people, all standing and clapping. I had just finished my latest ballet tour, making it my fifth annual tour since I became the prima ballerina of the century. I had a very busy schedule from practicing six to seven hours a day, talk shows, meetings, hair and makeup before shows…it can be a bit much sometimes, but this has been my dream since my mother had bought me my first pair of pink ballet slippers, and my heart swelled at the success I have achieved through years of hard work. The thought of her made my eyes sting with hot tears, but I swallowed them back and exited the stage through the side wings. As soon as I was out of view from the audience, multiple arms encase me in a group hug, voices and squeals ringing in my ears. “Bravo, Violet!” “Splendid as always.” “You were amazing, girl!” The last praise came from my co-star, Lillian Greene. Lillian and I have been dancing side by side since I can recall. Our mothers had been best friends since before we were both born, and now Lilli and I carry on the same legacy. She was my closest and my only friend. With my packed schedule, there were hardly any people who wanted to hang out only once in a while, and most of them who did, only wanted to sponge off of me. Being a famous ballerina paid pretty well, even if it meant not having a lot of time to actually enjoy said money. I turn towards her, encasing her in a tight hug, my smile brighter than the sun. “So were you, Lilli.” She scoffs at my praise. “Oh, stop it, you’re going to make me blush!” She says dramatically. I pull away from the hug slightly, still holding her shoulders, and look her in the eyes. “Honestly, I think this was one of the best shows we’ve ever done together.” “That’s because we’ve grown into our tutus. Do you remember when we were little and your mother bought us tutus for your birthday party, but they were two sizes too big?” We both laugh at the memory we shared. “Yeah, well, I’m just glad my tutu didn’t fall off tonight. Could you imagine the scandal the magazines would make it into?” She clucked her tongue and shook her head. “Yeah, I honestly don’t know how you handle all that attention sometimes.” Neither did I, but it came with the job, and fortunately for me, I had a good P.R team backing me. “Are you going to join us for drinks? The crew is all going to meet up in an hour.” She must’ve read the look in my eyes, because she started groaning at me. “Come on, Vi! You need to celebrate with us! Plus, you’re on break for 4 months.” I laugh at her childish nagging. “My break isn’t completely a break, as you well know. I still have to maintain my practice, keep up with my diet, attend meetings for the next tour…” I trail off, her puppy dog eyes making me cave. “Fine! I’ll come for a bit. But not too long!” I try to stand my ground, but I know that she won’t let me leave before she is satisfied with me partying for at least a few hours. She jumps, squealing like someone who just won the lottery. “Yay, come on, let’s go get ready.” She pulls me towards the dressing room, skipping like a little girl. We got dressed and did our make-up in less than an hour, and when we arrived at the club, we were the first two there, except for two of the other male dancers. We join them at the bar as we order our first round of drinks. This place was already packed, the air a little humid from all the people occupying the dancefloor. “Two tequilas here as well, please!” Lilli shouts at the tall barman preparing our drinks. I roll my eyes at her, knowing she plans to get me drunk, but I don’t say anything, knowing that it would be futile to try and talk my out of having the shot. “So, are you glad you’re on break now, Vi?” One of the dancers, Dan, asks me. I scanned over his sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and his wide smile. Dan was one of the best ballerinos I’ve ever seen and I was lucky to have him apart of our crew. I meet his gaze just as the bartender puts down my drink in front of me, I quickly thank him and take a big gulp. “Yeah, I really am. I still have a lot of work to do, but it won’t be anything too hectic. Nothing I can’t handle anyway.” I give him a small smile, trying not to let my mind wander back to work. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration for all the hard work we’ve all done, and I was going to try my best not to ruin it by going into workaholic mode. “Well, if you ever need any help, you know where to find me.” I gave a soft smile, despite the indifference I felt towards him. Dan wasn’t necessarily unattractive, and with his golden retriever personality he certainly was a huge catch among the ladies, but I had never really personally leaned towards those types of guys. I may not have had a lot of dating experience, my work life balance not really allowing for a solid relationship, but I always pictured myself with a more rugged, ‘dangerous’ man. I look at the dancefloor then back to Dan, chugging my drink. “Hey, do you wanna dance?” “You bet.” He downs his drink as well, grabs my wrist, and leads me to the dance floor. There was a live DJ in the booth, playing a mix of deep house and EDM music, the bass so heavy it rattled my bones. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the vibrations the floor left in my body. I let loose, deciding to let all worry leave my body as I danced my heart out. I don’t know how much time passed, or how many drinks I drank, but by the time midnight rolled around, I felt a buzz in my blood, and wanted to end the night here. I weaved my way through the crowd as I looked for Lilli to say goodbye, when I bumped into someone, nearly falling over from the impact. The stranger grabbed me around the waist, pulling me upright. I tried to look at his face, but the lack of lighting, his dark hoodie over his head, and the fact that my vision was spinning from all the booze made him appear blurry. “Careful, beautiful. I don’t want you to get hurt.” As soon as I found my footing, he let go of me and walked away. Something about him made my skin crawl, and a shiver ran down my spine. I had to find Lilli and get the hell out of here. I pushed my way through the sweaty dancing bodies, my mind spinning more with each step. I gave up on finding Lilli, exiting the humid club, the brisk night air hitting my senses waking me up a little. I pulled out my phone and typed a quick message to Lilli, letting her know that I was leaving and that she didn’t have to worry about me. I don’t really remember the cab ride home, don’t really remember getting dressed in my pajamas, but I do remember the icy fear that crept into my skin when I walked back into my kitchen. There, on the countertop, lay a single red rose and a picture of me dancing in the club. I walk closer, my steps faltering, and pick up the picture. Written in red marker on the picture were the words, ‘You looked so good tonight.’ I felt nauseated at what I saw. How did this get here? Who took this photo? How did they get past my alarm? My blood ran cold, my hands shaking as I shredded the photo into tiny pieces. I took it along with the rose and threw them into the bin. I tried to go to bed after checking that all windows and doors were locked, but I couldn’t seem to relax enough to let sleep drag me into its dark abyss.