Date The CEO.com

Chapter 277: Piku? Pas-De-Deux!

When Eve saw the empty ballet studio, she had lost control of her own consciousness. 

Her legs moved on their own as they brought her inside. The place was clean and well-kept. Mirrors covered two interconnecting walls from the ceiling down to the floor. They reflected back her dazed state. Both were lined with railings in two different heights—one for children and another for adults.

A long horizontal window occupied the other wall to her right. The one where the door was located had boxed shelves and a cabinet. She walked towards the latter. Each student had a designated shelf for their belongings. Her hand touched the one within her reach.

It was the one she often used at the time.  A small smile cracked on her lips. All of them were very possessive over their boxes—until Madame Isabelle scolded them for such behavior.

Eve moved towards the cabinet. Its doors were closed. Her hands trembled as she reached out to open it. The hinges creaked with age. It also seemed like Madame Isabelle never got the lock fixed. Something Eve never questioned as a child but, now as an adult…

… well, it didn't hold anything valuable to a burglar. 

And most of it was cleaning supplies.

She kneeled on the floor after pulling the left door open. Like she expected, an old broom stood inside along with a dustpan. There was an empty bucket and mop beside them. A yellow rubber glove that didn't have its pair hung on the bucket. 

Slowly, Eve rummaged through the supplies. Her hand tapped the wooden floor underneath them. She leaned over and found the spot she had been looking for behind the broom and a box of rags. Her sense of touch recognized the feeling of dust over the soft satin.

Eve pulled them out.

In her hands were the last ballet slippers she ever wore. Her thumb pulled the lining so she could see the inside. A soft gasp escaped her lips upon reading her name in black cursive letters. She clutched the shoes near to her chest and closed her eyes. 

They were still there! She couldn't believe it. 

She would have thought someone found them and threw them away or maybe had been donated in a charity drive or to another dancer who needed shoes. Like the cabinet, the shoes had worn out in appearance. 

Eve looked up and blinked away her tears. After recovering from shock, she tested the sturdiness of the shoes. The rigid boxes on their tips were still as sturdy as she remembered. She found herself chuckling at the discovery. 

They were still good for use.

Her head whirled towards the spot between the door and the wall of mirrors. A boombox sat on the floor. A crazy idea went to her head. She slithered across the floor and checked if the boombox had a cassette tape inside. 

She couldn't remember when was the last time she saw one. It amused her that Madame Isabelle still used this method despite the advancement of technology.

Checking if it was plugged in, Eve removed her heeled boots—thankful that she hadn't opted for something that had a shaft higher than ankles. She tied her old pointe shoes from memory. Since she quit in the middle of college, they fit her perfectly because her feet hadn't grown in size anymore.

She stood up and tested the shoes again. Hopping in place, she attempted to stand on her toes. The position lasted only a few seconds the first time. Her toes began to hurt but not as much as when she first started.

Eve tried again. It took several attempts before she found the right momentum for a pirouette. One foot touching the side of her other knee, she circled her arms in front of her and did a quick spin. The sensation was like riding a bicycle. 

Her muscles still remembered the correct way to move but because she hadn't done it in a while, it almost felt similar to successfully doing it for the first time. Her wide brown eyes stared back at her in the mirror. She wondered how much she could still do…

Peeking out into the hallway, Eve didn't find anyone. She turned back to the boombox again and turned it on. The volume was the normal one used in class but since the lower floor was empty, it sounded louder than usual. 

Panic quickly seeped into her chest. Eve spun the knob to its lowest setting.

A bit relieved, she rotated it the other way around until she hit her desired volume.

Her body swayed along with the familiar violin music. Right arm over her head and the other stretched in front, she crossed her legs at the knees and 'walked' right. She stopped halfway, where the center was, to raise her leg behind her and bend down forward slightly—as if mimicking a bow.

Eve continued to move to her right and brought her arms into an arc.

Once she reached the end, she started moving back until she reached the center again. Then, she spun with both sets of toes on the floor. Her next steps included circling around the center spot in graceful twirls and occasionally pausing to raise her leg parallel to her hips. 

She finished the full circle and posed with one foot behind the other and both arms raised like wings of a bird. Then, she took a few steps diagonally where her feet alternated between stepping flat on the floor and rising to her toes. 

Losing herself into the dance and the music, Eve didn't notice that she had gained an audience.

Madame Isabelle and Ambryan stood in the doorway. The former wore a frown on her face. Her mouth had been opened wide just before she stepped inside the studio. Anything she had to say died quickly. 

Not only was the dancer in a jumpsuit instead of proper attire but also she had untied hair that swayed along with her movements—something most people didn't succeed at since they'd always wear their hair in buns. But this person didn't struggle. 

It was as if the loose hair was part of the costume and enhanced the movement.josei

Isabelle gave Ambryan the side-eye. She spotted the smug expression on his face right away. He had known who exactly was inside the studio and tricked her into thinking it was a stranger. She glanced in Eve's direction, recognizing the music and choreography.

Then, she nudged Ambryan with her elbow.

He raised his eyebrows at her, ready to hear her scold him for not telling her that it was Eve. But, instead of that, his mom gestured her head towards the center of the room. "Do you still remember what happens in this dance or should I hit you with my cane to trigger your memory?"

The next dip was lower than the first one Eve did which normally needed support. Her body readied itself for the shift in weight when she'd bend forward and raised her leg, its foot pointing to the ceiling. 

Her arms spread across fully stretched and she dipped forward. 

That was when two hands supported her arms. It had taken all of Eve's concentration not to break away from the dance. When she straightened her spine, she transitioned into the next step which consisted of a spin without her raised leg touching the floor. 

The hands that supported her had switched places. They now held her waist as the pirouette allowed her to face the culprit. Her raised leg slowly descended until it brushed the floor.

Ambryan had a smirk on his face. 

Just before Eve could berate him for it, another voice cut her off.

"Posture was okay. Positions weren't precise. You missed a few beats when you walked forward. Arms movements weren't elegant enough. It's a dance not a workout," Madame Isabelle said, announcing her presence. She stopped a meter away from the couple. The tip of her cane thudded on the floor.

Her indigo eyes focused on Eve. They narrowed in disapproval. "Overall, it was an unsatisfactory performance. I know you can do better than that, Little Swan."

"Madame Isabelle!" Eve exclaimed. The criticism didn't even face her. She had known them all while dancing. Just the sound of her teacher's voice almost prompted her tears. It hadn't changed a bit—including the stern intonation.

"And you, Noah!" Madame Isabelle added. She pointed her cane at him. "Are you a gangster? What kind of walk was that? The moment you moved to join her was the moment you entered the stage. Therefore, you were no longer an ordinary person."

Her chin tilted up as she dropped the cane back to the floor. "You became a dancer."

Eve froze for a second. She stepped away from Ambryan so she could get a good look of his face. Disbelief painted over her expression. "Did she just call you… Noah?"

Isabelle glared at Ambryan. "You haven't told her?"

The latter darted his gaze between the two women. He raised his hands in surrender, feeling slightly attacked. "I thought it would be best to do it today when you're also present, mom."

"How can you enter into a relationship without telling her the truth?" Isabelle hissed. She walked over to hit his leg with her cane. "Secrets shouldn't exist between a couple."

"I didn't even know it was her at the time!" Ambryan defended, hopping away. But it was useless. His mom didn't stop until she could manage a good smack.

"And so you wouldn't have told her at all if she turned out to be someone else?" She shot back. "I raised you better than that boy!"

Eve snorted at the display. It was the first time she saw Ambryan act like a kid in trouble.

Ambryan squinted his eyes at her. "What's so funny? You didn't even tell me you were E."

"Well, I didn't know you were Noah!"

"You heard what mom said. That's not an excuse."

"I didn't raise her. I raised you! So I expect more from you than this."

Ambryan shielded himself behind Eve. "Can we please smooth this over tea?"