Sooooooo, here we are guys and I've been sitting on this newest idea for a little bit. It's another 2020 idea that I gathered up. I've always wanted to write a story centered around dancers and even tried my hand at it when I was younger but it wasn't very good... well I thought it wasn't very good. It was cliche and like all of the other predictable dancer stories I had read lol. This as you know will be different.
Let's meet our main gal and guy shall we?
Joo Eojin as Min Young Hwa (22)
Young Hwa is the son of a very famous ballet mother and father, both of whom groomed him from the time he was small to carry on their legacy. Even though he's young, he's already suffered at the hands of his parents' efforts. Deeply traumatized by bullying, eating disorders and the pressure to be perfect, he struggles to maintain his identity while traveling through the mystifying and cruel world of ballet. Ballet is something that is natural to him. But, truth be told he hates it. He hates everything it stands for.
Sira Kante as Kyleine Jones (19)
Kyleine isn't your average ballerina. She comes from humble beginnings, rough beginnings should you tell it honest. She begins her love affair with ballet at a young age and sees it as her way out. Her way out of broken relationships, familial abuse and poverty striken neighborhoods. She is introduced to Young Hwa by force but his presence affects her more than she'd like to admit. Trying to overcome the ideal of utter perfection in a world where her asethetic is far from admired threatens to overwhelm her and she begins to wonder if it's love for the art or a reason to escape the dance.
TEASER ONE:
Watching him simply took her breath away. It’s funny that she never noticed him before, being that he always blended in with the back wall of the dance studio. Or tried to anyway. But as he extended his long limber body into an arabesque position, she felt a pang of dancer’s jealousy hit her in the chest. His lines were so clean and symmetrical and he danced with such elegance and grace.
“Kyleine, you’re looking at your new partner.” Turning to face her ballet instructor, she couldn’t help her mouth dropping open.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You need the practice and he’s seasoned.”
“Wait wait wait wait…” But before she could protest, the thin reedy man slipped past her. Biting her lips, her eyes found him now pirouetting. She crossed her arms as she watched him end the dance. The studio exploded in applause and he gave a simple bow of his head and almost eagerly tried to hide amongst the people towards the back of the studio.
“Girl, just a head’s up. He’s rude as hell.” Turning eyes onto the girl who had spoken, she twisted up her face.
“Kyleine, you’re up next. Assume fourth position.” Groaning under her breath, she stepped into the center of the studio and did as told, extending her arms up above her head in a beautiful half circle. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. This was the first time she’d performed a solo piece before… even if it was a practice piece. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and once her selected music began to play, she lifted into a releve movement and soon jumped high into the air in a saute. The sound of her pointe shoes lightly tapping the ground as she came down sounded in the very quiet room. Gliding across the room in glissade, she twirled on one of her feet, extending one of her legs.
“Hold it!” A hot sweat suddenly took over her body as the ballet master beckoned the man from before to come forward. He showed no more emotion than an eyebrow lift and soon he approached her from behind.
“Wait a minute, I’m not done with my solo!” She protested, eyes pleading the man to let her finish. She’d worked hella hard on it and like everyone else, she wanted to be given the chance to finish it to the end.
“Young Hwa will accompany you to the end.”
“But-”
“Fifth position for you. Fourth for you Young Hwa.” He didn’t much protest and she had no choice but to listen, save the embarrassment of the whole class session.
“Begin.” The music began again and before she could really do anything, a pair of hands came around her waist and lifted her up. Remember your lines! Toes pointed! Arms up and elongated! Inhaling sharply through her nose, she was relieved when he put her back on the ground and she twirled away from him, eager to get away.
“Don’t run from him Kyleine.” The ballet master chastised, bringing chuckles of ridicule from some of the dancers. A firm hand grabbed her arm and turned her around. She yanked her hand back but not before he lifted her up above him again, his eyes dark and unreadable. Don’t let him bully you Ky. Fight back. Letting one of her toes touch the ground, she leaned forward just as he lowered his body, leg extending out from him.
“Shaky but decent.” Licking her lips, she lifted suddenly and began to pirouette. When she felt his hands come to grip her waist, she arched her back and let him turn her around in a petite circle before they both came to a stop, her arms above her.
“Sloppy. You definitely need more work.” He distanced himself from her almost as if he’d never been touching her and she thanked God she had her feet on the ground or else she would have fell.
“That’s enough for today everyone! Go home and practice practice practice.” They all uttered a collective groan and like that, the class was done.
“Yo, that was hella harsh. Why BM being like that?” The girl from before frowned, coming to her side, arms crossed. Cutting her eyes at the retreating ballet master, she sucked her teeth.
“Hell if I know.”
“From my point of view, you did wonderfully Ky. Even with your unfortunate partner.”
“Yeah you got that right. A partner I definitely didn’t ask for.”
“Hey.” Looking up, their conversation was cut short as the man of topic came up to them, duffle already in his hand.
“I won’t dance with you again if you perform like you did today.” And like that, he strolled away from them, leaving the two women completely shocked.
TEASER TWO:
“Again.”
“No, we’ve been at it for three hours already! I’m tired.”
“I don’t care about you being tired Ky. This is my debut…our debut. I won’t let it be less than perfect.”
“God, you know what, you think you’re so perfect and shit don’t you?” He stood like a big block of muscle in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. He’d pulled the hair away from his bangs and secured it with a tiny ponytail holder. Sweat made him glisten and his moon shaped obsidian gaze narrowed.
“Have you forgotten Ky? What this is?”
“What what is?”
“It’s ballet. Everything about it has to be perfect.”
“Yeah well I’m not.”
“No?” He asked suddenly taking her up by the waist.
“Put me down! I swear to God!” He didn’t say anything as he neared the barre, letting her body slip down out of his grasp. Forcing her around, he grabbed one of her arms and lifted it up high above her head, ignoring the expression of pain that flashed across her face.
“You’re so fucking pitiful.” He hissed, forcing her arm around his neck.
“Stop it!”
“You think they’ll care about you being exhausted? Do you think they’ll care about the blood that’s staining your pointe shoes?” He spoke angrily against her ear, lifting one of her legs. He forced it to stretch across the length of the lower barre.
“They won’t give two shits about you. If you can’t perform then you’re useless.” He continued, keeping her gaze in the mirror in front of them. Hands slid across her stomach and she felt her face grow warm as he squeezed the bit of cellulite that lingered from the holiday break.
“They’ll call you a fat little bitch and tell you to hang up your career.” He continued, now gripping the small pooch.
“If you don’t get your fuckin hands offa me…” She pulled her leg down from the barre and twisted around, pushing him away from her.
“I’ve had it up to here with your horrible ass attitude. You ain’t shit Young Hwa! You know that? You really ain’t shit.” Her words seemed to ignite something inside of him and he made it to her retreating form in less than four steps, grabbing her by the arms. Yanking her back against him, he gripped tightly.
“If I’m not shit then why the fuck did you kiss me that night? Answer me that.” Her face grew red and she tried to break away from him but he only tightened his grip, now bruising.
“Y-you’re hurting me…Let go…”
“Answer the fucking question.”
“I was drunk! I ain’t know what I was doin! If I had, I never woulda kissed your punk ass.” That brought a low chuckle from him and he let go of her, watching as she took hold of her now tender abused arms.
“Liar.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t kiss me back.”
“I know I kissed you back.”
“Yeah and why did you huh? Cause I remember you being shit face drunk just the same as me.”
“Unlike you, I’m not blaming it on alcohol.” That made her heart start to pound into her temples and she turned to face him, mouth slightly agape.
“Excuse me?”
“Like everything else, I have to spell shit out for you don’t I? You’re that fucking stupid?”
“Don’t talk to me like that you asshole! I’m not some bitch off of the street!”
“Then what the fuck are you Kyleine?”
“I’m your pas partner!” A full out laugh ensued and even in her angry haze, she felt butterflies tickle her belly. She’d never heard him laugh before and the sound of it was more than delightful.
“Pas partner? I don’t remember you as my pas partner.” Taking her face in between his hands, he brought her close enough that their chests met.
“I remember you being needy and wanting everything all at once. That’s what I remember.” His words sent chills down her spine and she couldn’t find it within her to speak.
“If you want to blame the booze then fine. Be a coward and do that. But I remember everything very clearly.” He took a thumb and glided it across her bottom lip, the first delicate touch yet.
“You begged me to touch you. Begged me to make you feel alive. Begged me to fuck you. Make love to you.” His words brought back drunken memories that out of everything she hadn’t been able to forget. She’d been drunk outta her mind but the words that had left her mouth were ones that were real, honest, raw and unable to be taken back. His strong hands, full of power were soft and careful as they drifted down across her neck and shoulders, following the curves of her body.
“You never looked more beautiful to me than in that one fucking moment Ky. In that moment, you offered me an opportunity to be…imperfect and perfect all at the same time. You offered me an invitation to let go of everything that suffocated me.” Hands now around her hips, he closed those beautifully enticing eyes and pressed his forehead against hers, having leaned down some.
“I swear I wanted to take it. I wanted to accept so bad.” Any response she did have came out in the form of a small squeak as he wrapped firm biceps around her and lifted her up from the floor.
“You ain’t makin no typa sense right now…” But the pouty lips that pressed against her shoulder made perfect sense and she hated it. Hated that she could still feel the way they pressed to hers and if she hadn’t been so drunk, she’d have…
“Look at me Ky.” Taking a soft shuddery breath, she let their eyes meet as he lifted his head.
“Do you want this?”
“T-this?” Leaning down he pressed his lips to hers, humming against her mouth as her legs wrapped around him tightly. Carrying her to the barre, he set her down.
“I need to hear you say it. Admit it. Admit that I’m the best partner you’ve ever had.”
“No chance in hell.” Lips turned up into a smirk, he licked his bottom one.
“Admit it wasn’t just the alcohol. Admit you want me.” That took a longer while before it gathered a quiet response.
“Fine…it…it wasn’t all the booze.” To that, he kissed her again, helping himself to her mouth, tasting her with his tongue. She gripped his shoulders and moaned softly against him, body about to give out completely. Tired from dancing, she felt like it was tired of fighting him too.
“Admit that it was never about the love of ballet or some idea of perfection you or I deluded ourselves into thinking.” He said in between kisses up across her cheekbone.
“You’re right.” She breathed, tilting her head back against the mirror.
“It’s always been about you and I…right here and right now.” He lazily kissed up the column of her throat.
“I want to make you mine baby.” At that, she whimpered as he lifted her legs to drape across his hips.
“I want to be so deep inside of you that you’d never get me out. I’ll be permanent.” Lifting those dark sleepy eyes, he held her captive and at that moment, she knew that things would never be the same between them. After this, they wouldn’t just be pas partners. They’d be… so much more. It terrified her just as much as it excited the shit out of her.
“I want you to crush me into tiny fucking pieces. Make me feel human again.” Lifting fingers, he took her jaw in between them and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“Can you do that for me Ky? Make me feel like I’m worth a shit?” Gathering up all the breath she had before he took it again, she spoke softly, weakly.
“I’ll…I’ll try.”