"Are you all right?" Chris held back her auburn colored hair.
Kathleen finished throwing up and sat back on her heels. Chris knelt beside
her. "What's going on?"
"I told you, Chris, I just ate something bad. That's all." Kathleen looked at him in the eyes.
"Are you sure? You aren't lying to me?"
"Yes, Chris, you are my best friend. Would I lie to you?"
"I guess not."
"Good then its settled." Kathleen stood up and washed her hands. Then she turned on Chris, stole his hat and ran into the living room. Chris followed. He tackled her on the couch and tried to get his hat. Suddenly, the door bell rang. "I'll get it." Kathleen pushed Chris off of her and ran to the door.
"Dave!" Kathleen sounded surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"What? Can't a guy visit his girlfriend on a Saturday?" Dave entered the house. He played for the school football team and as such commanded a room with his presence.
"I told you that I had plans with Chris today." Just then, Chris entered.
"Hey Dave. Kathleen if you want I can leave." He picked up his coat and walked toward the door.
"No."
"Actually that would be best." Dave spoke up; he went to the door and held it open as if he owned the house. Chris nodded to him as he walked out.
"Kathleen, call me." Dave closed the door before he could finish.
"What the fuck is up with you Dave?" Kathleen turned on him. "How dare you! You knew that I'd be busy and you expect me to drop everything.."
Dave slapped her. Hard. She stood in silence, stunned. He took her hand and held it.
"You know that I love you. You know that I don't look at any girl but you." His grip tightened. "And as such, I'd appreciate it if you didn't see Chris anymore." His grip on her arm tightened more. "Do you understand me? You will not see Chris anymore." He tightened his hold on her more. Let go, and left the house.
****
"One and two and three and four and five and six and seven and eight. No! Again! And one and two and three and for and five and six and seven and eight. No! Ladies, when I say I want plies in en seconde. I want perfect plies in en seconde! Now, line up against the wall. It's time for your physicals."
Mr. Boutiet was a dance teacher. He was a tall, thin man who owned a ballet studio with his wife. Mrs. Boutiet was the "resident physician". She took down their measurements for costumes, their height and weight, took care of them when they were sick, and she phoned their parents should something go wrong.
Kathleen stood in the line and moved up with it. Everyone, it seemed, was getting their height and weight done as well as a few of their measurements. It was Kathleen's turn.
"5 feet 1 inch and. 125 pounds." Mr. Boutiet looked at her.
"Kathleen, that is five more than last time. Is something going on?"
"No, Mr. Boutiet. I just ate more this week it seems."
Mr. Boutiet made Kathleen and a new girl named Sarah stay after class.
"Now, I want you both to listen carefully. Sarah, you are new. So I expect you to pick up on all this as soon as possible. Kathleen, there is no excuse for you. I want you both to work on your weight. We can't have heavy people dancing. Next week we are going to do pas de deux. So I expect better from both of you by then."
Kathleen left the studio and walked home. She stopped by her mother's room. She wasn't there. Not a big surprise. Kathleen moved on to her room. She took off her coat and changed clothes. Her cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Kathleen, you never called. I got worried."
"Hey Chris. I had class sorry."
"Is something wrong? You sound upset."
"We had our physicals today. It was nothing huge. Mr. Boutiet just mentioned my weight gain that was all."
"What did he say? You look fine."
"Um. hey, my mom's home. I've got to go." Kathleen lied. She never lied to Chris, but she didn't feel like talking about dance with him.
"She is? Wow, that's different. I'll see you Monday?"
"Sure." She hung up and set the phone on the desk by her bed. Then she turned to the mirror. She wasn't heavy. was she?
"I told you, Chris, I just ate something bad. That's all." Kathleen looked at him in the eyes.
"Are you sure? You aren't lying to me?"
"Yes, Chris, you are my best friend. Would I lie to you?"
"I guess not."
"Good then its settled." Kathleen stood up and washed her hands. Then she turned on Chris, stole his hat and ran into the living room. Chris followed. He tackled her on the couch and tried to get his hat. Suddenly, the door bell rang. "I'll get it." Kathleen pushed Chris off of her and ran to the door.
"Dave!" Kathleen sounded surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"What? Can't a guy visit his girlfriend on a Saturday?" Dave entered the house. He played for the school football team and as such commanded a room with his presence.
"I told you that I had plans with Chris today." Just then, Chris entered.
"Hey Dave. Kathleen if you want I can leave." He picked up his coat and walked toward the door.
"No."
"Actually that would be best." Dave spoke up; he went to the door and held it open as if he owned the house. Chris nodded to him as he walked out.
"Kathleen, call me." Dave closed the door before he could finish.
"What the fuck is up with you Dave?" Kathleen turned on him. "How dare you! You knew that I'd be busy and you expect me to drop everything.."
Dave slapped her. Hard. She stood in silence, stunned. He took her hand and held it.
"You know that I love you. You know that I don't look at any girl but you." His grip tightened. "And as such, I'd appreciate it if you didn't see Chris anymore." His grip on her arm tightened more. "Do you understand me? You will not see Chris anymore." He tightened his hold on her more. Let go, and left the house.
****
"One and two and three and four and five and six and seven and eight. No! Again! And one and two and three and for and five and six and seven and eight. No! Ladies, when I say I want plies in en seconde. I want perfect plies in en seconde! Now, line up against the wall. It's time for your physicals."
Mr. Boutiet was a dance teacher. He was a tall, thin man who owned a ballet studio with his wife. Mrs. Boutiet was the "resident physician". She took down their measurements for costumes, their height and weight, took care of them when they were sick, and she phoned their parents should something go wrong.
Kathleen stood in the line and moved up with it. Everyone, it seemed, was getting their height and weight done as well as a few of their measurements. It was Kathleen's turn.
"5 feet 1 inch and. 125 pounds." Mr. Boutiet looked at her.
"Kathleen, that is five more than last time. Is something going on?"
"No, Mr. Boutiet. I just ate more this week it seems."
Mr. Boutiet made Kathleen and a new girl named Sarah stay after class.
"Now, I want you both to listen carefully. Sarah, you are new. So I expect you to pick up on all this as soon as possible. Kathleen, there is no excuse for you. I want you both to work on your weight. We can't have heavy people dancing. Next week we are going to do pas de deux. So I expect better from both of you by then."
Kathleen left the studio and walked home. She stopped by her mother's room. She wasn't there. Not a big surprise. Kathleen moved on to her room. She took off her coat and changed clothes. Her cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Kathleen, you never called. I got worried."
"Hey Chris. I had class sorry."
"Is something wrong? You sound upset."
"We had our physicals today. It was nothing huge. Mr. Boutiet just mentioned my weight gain that was all."
"What did he say? You look fine."
"Um. hey, my mom's home. I've got to go." Kathleen lied. She never lied to Chris, but she didn't feel like talking about dance with him.
"She is? Wow, that's different. I'll see you Monday?"
"Sure." She hung up and set the phone on the desk by her bed. Then she turned to the mirror. She wasn't heavy. was she?