Your entire life you’ve only had one passion. Ballet. It was the only thing you loved more than anything. The one thing you dedicated your whole self towards. It distracted you from the hardships you faced at home—like your drunk father who only came to your shabby apartment when he needed money, and a mother who has always drowned herself in work, trying to balance her own life and yours as well. The reason you could even afford to continue ballet is because you worked your butt off to get a full ride at prestigious dance school.

Dream Academy—an institution that accepts and trains the most gifted dancers in the country. With a stroke of luck, you got in after being removed from the waitlist. Because you came from a low-income family and have great talent, the school allowed you to attend with a full ride. It was truly a dream come true, but being part of the academy turned out to be hell. Just like there were people who got in through their skills, there were others who got in through connections. It was mostly a school for kids that came from wealthy families. You were not like them, and when they found out, you started getting bullied.

It began with name calling during class, then trashing your locker with food, tripping you in the halls, and isolating you from other students. You tried your best to hide the pain you got from their harassment— truly—but the last straw was broken when they destroyed the shoes you wore for ballet. They crushed the shoes and broke the soles before they left it in your bag for you to see.

Devastated, you finally went to the principal, trying to explain the situation. In return you only got a cold stare, along with an empty promise to look into what happened. You eventually learned there was nothing you could do about it…because you were just a poor student relying on the school to pay for your expensive intuition. You stood no chance against the bullies who frequently donated money to the academy.

Late at night, you escaped your dorm, and entered the ballet studio. You turned on the lights, placed your shoes next to the door, and felt the ground with just your socks. You walked towards the speaker, turning on some soft music. You began to dance. Your feet leapt lightly over the floorboards, all your problems seeming to disappear the second you started to move.

As soon as you finished, you took a deep breath, relaxing your muscles. But suddenly, you heard someone clap their hands. You turned around, surprised. You met eyes with an attractive guy leaning on the doorway. He had pretty blue eyes, and light brown hair—dressed with loose jeans and a white tank top. He also had a septum piercing on his nose, and wore his jacket around the waist. From a glance, you could already tell who it was—Verse Garcia, the most popular guy in school. Not only was he said to be the most talented student at the academy this year, but he came from an influential family filled with world-class dancers. In other words, he was way out of your league.

“I’ve never seen someone dance so beautifully in my life”. He smiled, a dimple forming on his left cheek.

“Oh..” You blush. “I’m not that good, but thank you”.

He chuckled, crossing his arms. “Well, I might do hip-hop instead of ballet, but… I can tell when someone does a dance that was a result from years of hard work. Have some faith in yourself.” He walked inside, his tall figure towering over you. “Could I have your name, lovely ballerina?”