by Charis Marsh
“I don’t like his class,” Julian said, putting his soft shoes on the wrong feet and trying again.
“You just don’t like him because of how he says your name,” Tristan laughed. “Juuuuliiiiiaaaan.”
“No, I just don’t like his class.” Julian was defensive. He was still annoyed at Tristan. He rolled into the middle splits and put his earbuds in.
Mr. Moretti came into the class without anyone realizing. He stood there for a few minutes, waiting to see if anyone would notice. As they continued to talk and stretch, he frowned and walked to the centre. “Children,” he said quietly. “Is this a coffee shop? Would you like some tea perhaps? Coffee? Possibly a cookie?” They quickly unplugged and started shedding layers of clothing. “Had a good lunch, baby?” he asked Angela, smiling sweetly at her. “It looks it.” He walked to the barre and began leading class. “One, two, in, point your footsies, babies!”
After class, Julian turned to Tristan. “Is it just me, or does Mr. Moretti totally creep you out?”
“Oh, it’s just Mr. Moretti,” Tristan shrugged. “I think he secretly wishes he could work for the CIA or be a pilot or something.” He saw Taylor and mouthed, “Hurry up.”
“No,” Julian mouthed back firmly. But they ran down the stairs to get changed.
“Hey, Lexi,” Tristan said hopefully from the door of the boy’s changing room as Alexandra walked downstairs. “You coming for sushi?”
“Oh, yeah,” she said, surprised. “I said I was going to, didn’t I?”
“Um, yeah, right,” said Tristan. “Me and Jules will be out in a sec.”
As they left the academy, Taylor kept up a running commentary. “I really liked class today, didn’t you? I just love Mr. Moretti’s classes. Oh, are we not going in there? You’re right. The other place has much better sushi doesn’t it? Omigod, I am such a dumb blond. I totally forgot to bring my school stuff out of my locker. It’s okay, though, I never do my homework anyway.” The other three kept silent, with their own thoughts to occupy them. Taylor eventually ran out of steam and walked silently, watching them nervously.
“Is Russian hard?” Julian asked suddenly, turning to Tristan.
“Oh, no. I mean, it’s really tiring, but you’ll be fine.”
Relieved, Julian quickened his pace. Tristan and Alexandra drew abreast of him and matched it. Taylor was forced to walk behind them as there was no more room beside them.
“Mr. Moretti is really hard in rehearsal, though,” Alexandra said. “I mean, that’s good, but if you’re not used to it, it can be pretty tough. Like, he gets really mad if you don’t remember every correction and apply it the second he says it.”
“Yeah. And once he threw the CD player at somebody who kept messing up,” Tristan snickered. “And then he kicked them out of the show.” Taylor fell back a little more — that was her.
“But you’re a boy, so they won’t kick you out,” Alexandra reassured him, patting his shoulder. “They totally need you.”
They’d arrived at the sushi restaurant.
“Do we have time to eat there?” Alexandra asked.
Tristan checked his cell. “Yup. Come on. This place is awesome.”
As they went in, Julian stopped suddenly. “This is the same song Keiko was playing last night!”
Tristan rolled his eyes. “Keiko is Japanese,” he said as if explaining something to a three-year-old. “So is this restaurant. So they have the same music.”
“Hey, it’s still cool,” Julian blushed. “They don’t really have very good Japanese restaurants on the Island or in Toronto.”
Once they sat down, Alexandra kept tapping her nails on the table.
“’Sup?” asked Tristan.
“I’m really nervous for rehearsal tonight,” she admitted. “Mr. Moretti totally hates me.”
Tristan didn’t disagree.
“Hey, but you’re really good!” Julian said, confused. “I saw you on YouTube … I mean, I looked because you got bronze, right? So I thought you might have something up. And you were awesome, and you are in class, too. Why do you think he doesn’t like you?”
“He just doesn’t.” Alexandra kicked the table leg lightly and repeatedly while trying not to cry. Tristan nodded. The waiter came over, and they began to order, relieved for the interruption. Tristan and Alexandra decided to split a sushi combo and ordered a boat combo with tempura for Julian.
“So you can decide what you like,” said Alexandra.
“And because we want to steal the apple slices that come with it,” added Tristan.
“And what do you want, dear?” asked the waitress, smiling at Taylor.
“Um, can I have the same as him?” She pointed at Julian. “I like tempura,” she added with an apologetic giggle as Tristan and Alexandra looked at her in disgust. “I don’t like the apple slices, though, you guys can have them if you want.”
“As if you’re going to be able to finish that,” said Alexandra.
“I like the boat, it’s pretty,” Taylor said more confidently.
“Whatever,” Alexandra said, exchanging a Do you believe her? look with Tristan. Meanwhile, the waitress had come over with tea, and Julian was smelling it excitedly.
“This is so cool!” he said. “It smells like rice.”
“Have you not even ever had green tea before?” Alexandra asked in disbelief.
“Not this kind!”
“You are so weird,” laughed Tristan.
“Yeah, you totally fit in here,” Alexandra said, laughing. Taylor went to the washroom while they waited for the sushi.
“Hey, pass that,” Tristan said to Alexandra, pointing at Taylor’s glass of water. Alexandra laughed and passed it.
“What are you doing?” Julian asked.
“Wait and see,” Tristan said gleefully, opening a packet of salt and pouring it in the glass.
“You can do at least three more before you can see the salt,” Alexandra said, watching the salt sink into the water.
“Guys, seriously,” Julian protested. “Isn’t that a little mean? And elementary school?”
“Nope,” Tristan said, quickly sliding the glass back into its place and stuffing the salt wrappers in his bag.
“Besides, she’s annoying,” Alexandra added. Taylor came back with a big smile.
“Guess what?” she said. “The waitress lady gave me a free Coke! Isn’t that cool? She said I looked cute!”
Julian kicked Tristan. “Karma,” he whispered.
The waitress came over with the food, and Julian took his boat in surprise. “When they say boat, they really mean it, eh?” Tristan and Alexandra laughed. Taylor smiled at him while rearranging her food on the table.
“I know, right?” she said. “When I first had this, I was like ‘What the F?’ Actually I wasn’t, because I was like three, but I would’ve. I was really upset, though, because they don’t let you take them home.”
“I should think not,” Julian said, looking his over with amazement. “It’s all wood, and the carvings are really cool. I am so showing my family this place when they come to get me at Christmas.”
When they left the restaurant, Taylor went home because she didn’t have rehearsal.
“Bye,” Julian said absently as they left.
“Bye,” she said, her face dropping as Tristan and Alexandra ignored her.
As they walked down the street, they heard someone call “Hey! Faaattiiiiies!”
They turned around. “Oh, it’s Grace … and Aiko and Anna,” said Alexandra. “Fatties yourselves!” she called back across the street. Laughing, both groups headed back to the academy.
As the girls put on their pointe shoes, Aiko asked, “Where’s Kaitlyn? I thought she was also Rose, with Anna?”
“I don’t know,” said Anna. “Mr. Moretti is going be furious.” She grinned in anticipation.
“Where are Jonathon and Leon?” Alexandra asked.
“They’re downstairs with Tristan and Kageki,” Julian said. They hea
rd yells coming from downstairs.
“I wonder who they locked out this time,” Grace sighed.
“Sounds like Jonathon,” Julian said, listening intently. “And I think he’s naked.”
“Eww, gross! Jonathon naked?” Alexandra grimaced. “So not wanting that picture in my mind.”
“Would you rather Dmitri?” Anna asked, laughing.
“No!” Alexandra said, disgusted. “They are both completely repulsive. I wish they would either improve a hundred percent and get a job away from here, or just look in the mirror and give up.”
“Harsh, but true,” Grace said. “Just wait, in a few minutes you’ll get to do pas, with Jonathon and Leon!”
“Omigod, I can’t wait,” Alexandra said sarcastically.
The door opened, and Mr. Moretti said, “Come in, babies. Where are the other gentlemen?” he asked Julian, frowning.
“Uh …” Julian started, but at that moment there was a thundering up the stairs and the boys ran in giggling.
“Uh, sorry, sir,” Tristan said, holding his hands behind his back, rocking on his heels. “We didn’t know you were starting early.” He looked up at the clock, trying to keep from smirking. The clock read 6:28.
“Very humorous, Tristan,” Mr. Moretti said, his mouth slowly stretching into a Cheshire cat smile, which then disappeared. “Come in, everyone. I think we will perhaps start with the Rose,” he said meditatively. “Anna first.…Where is Kaitlyn?” he asked, frowning as he noticed she was missing.
“We don’t know.” Anna was clearly enjoying herself.
“Well, does she know that this is a rehearsal for her?”
“Yes,” Anna said.
“I will not have people missing my rehearsals,” Mr. Moretti said with cold fury. “If Kaitlyn thinks that she can just miss rehearsals, she is very mistaken. If she manages to show up tomorrow, please inform her that she is no longer being considered for this role. Anna, you will do the full role.”
Nobody dared mention that Anna was also half Arabian, but, scanning the students, Mr. Moretti realized this by himself. “Yes …” he said thoughtfully. “Anna, you will prepare to do both casts of Rose, as well as Arabian. We will finalize later. No one is guaranteed a role just because they have been cast. It will change if things do not work, if you do not work. Anna, we will still start rehearsing with you. The rest of you, go warm yourselves on the side, and girls learn Anna’s part. Everyone should be able to do every part. Believe me, I will check. Aiko, if you still remember from last year, you may teach Grace.”
He started to walk over to the CD player, but abruptly turned around, seeing Alexandra yawn in the mirror. “Alexandra. Are we boring you…?”
“Uh, n-no,” Alexandra stuttered, quickly dropping her hand from her mouth, hiding it behind her back.
“Do let us know if we are boring you, Alexandra. Or if you are perhaps tired, feel free to go home, baby. Don’t let us keep you.”
Alexandra ducked her head and wiggled her feet around uncomfortably, muttering, “Sorry.”
“Do you see Anna sleeping?” Mr. Moretti continued. “You are the kind of student I hate to teach, the ones that make me want to quit. One student that just doesn’t bother, is too lazy to make an effort, these students bring down the entire class. You watch the class, and it would be good, clean work, except one student is always wrong, and that student is you. You never improve, you never listen. You think that you always know better than me, don’t you? You know what, if you don’t want to be here, just get out. I said, get out!”
Alexandra stood in place, not moving, keeping her face blank.
“Did you hear me?” Mr. Moretti screamed, coming to stand right in front of Alexandra, almost touching her. She stood perfectly still, staring straight ahead. For some reason the Winnie the Pooh theme song popped into her head, and she focused her brain on remembering all the words to it. “Fine, stay,” Mr. Moretti said, his voice soft and oh-so-quiet. “You always do what you want to anyway, why should this time be any different? You have no respect for anyone but yourself.”
Giving a little laugh, he walked back to Anna.
“Now Anna, sweetie, I want you to really focus on your port de bras for this solo,” Mr. Moretti said, the Cheshire cat smile on his face once again. Alexandra stood still for a second, quickly blocking what just happened. Just concentrate on your work, don’t think about it right now, and pretend it didn’t happen, she told herself, making her body relax. Breathe, don’t cry, she told herself as she walked over to the side and began learning the Rose solo.
“Wow,” Julian whispered. “She was right. He really doesn’t like her.”
“Nope, he doesn’t,” Tristan whispered back. “That wasn’t actually so bad. Last year, he told her that she made him sick and if she didn’t get out of his sight he’d throw up.”
As Mr. Moretti worked with Anna, Aiko and Grace worked together. Alexandra tried to look interested in Mr. Moretti’s corrections for Anna and learn the Rose solo. Leon, Jonathon, and Kageki sat just outside of the studio playing on their Nintendo DSs. Julian and Tristan were bored. After they had stretched for as long as they thought they could, they went and sat on the piano bench, slouching so the piano hid them and they could talk.
“Do you think this would be safe to drink?” Julian asked, picking up a half empty lychee juice box from on top of the piano’s key cover.
“Gross, no! That’s been there for three days. George just keeps moving it onto the floor in the morning and putting it back when he goes home.”
“Why?”
“Um, I think to see if some idiot like you would drink it!” Tristan raised his eyebrows.
“Right, makes sense.” Julian gingerly placed the juice box back.
“Do you think he’s actually going to rehearse anyone but Anna tonight?” Tristan sighed. “Or is he just going to make us sit here for fun, like he usually does, or because the Demidovskis said he had to rehearse us?”
“Well, I’d read the clock and see if he has any time to rehearse us, but I am way too lazy to read an analog clock right now.”
“Don’t worry! Tristan to the rescue.” said Tristan sleepily, digging his cell out of his warm-ups. “It’s 7:58, so we have two minutes to rehearse. And it is completely pathetic that we are so tired right now!”
“Poor Alexandra and Anna,” Julian said, smothering a yawn.
“Better them than us, Jules. Wait ’til you’ve been introduced to the Russian choreography.”
“Okay, finished,” Mr. Moretti said. The boys rushed downstairs, eager to go home. The girls limped to the hallway to take off their shoes before they attempted the stairs.
As they got changed Julian said, “Did you notice that he didn’t even apologize or anything?”
Tristan laughed. “If he had, he’d have to be sorry. And he’s not.”
“Right,” sighed Julian. “He’s a total creeper.”
Tristan laughed. “You think that’s creepy? You should see his wife.”
“His wife’s creepy, too? That’s funny.”
“No, no,” Tristan laughed. “I mean, his wife used to be a student at the academy. There’s like a twenty- or twenty–five-year age gap between them. They got married after she graduated. She was a Korean student and hardly spoke any English at all, and he sure as hell doesn’t speak any Korean.”
“Wow!” Julian whistled.
“Yeah! Come on, let’s go,”
As they walked to the bus, Julian asked, “So what is going to happen to Kaitlyn? Did he actually mean it when he kicked her out?”
“Yes, of course he meant it. But Anna can’t do both roles at once, and Mr. Moretti certainly won’t give Alexandra both casts of Arabian.” He swung his back pack to the ground and rummaged through it for his bus pass. “Mr. Demidovski will probably do something about it tomorrow. Besides, they need understudies.” They got on the bus and sat across from a highly high individual by accident.
“Do you know whatsa good about cok
e?” he asked them.
“Look out the window,” Tristan whispered to Julian.
“It makes you freakin’ better, everything better. Hell, this whole freakin’ city shoulda take coke.” The druggie started rubbing snot from his nose to his cheek. As the bus lurched, the druggie lurched and fell into the bus aisle. Not at all fazed, he got up again, hauling on the bus bars. He noticed his bag of garbage, which he had left on the seat during his fall. “Bag a freakin’ crap, bag a freakin’ crap-garbage,” he said angrily. Falling against the bench, again, he reached up and tried to push open the window.
“Should we move to the front?” Julian whispered while the druggie was trying to open the window.
“Nah, he’ll just get pissed at us,” said Tristan. When he had managed to pry open the window, the druggie started to push the garbage through the window. As they were at a stop sign, the garbage fell directly on the neighbouring car’s hood. The druggie began to laugh gleefully.
“Bag o’crap man, bag o’ freakin’ crap,” he chortled happily. “Waddyou think ’bout that, huh? Freakin’ hell, man.” As teetered toward their bench, Julian and Tristan moved to the front and started giggling
“Shit, that was funny,” whispered Julian.
“Bag o’freakin’ crap man,” replied Tristan. “Get it right! Oh hell, man!” They both collapsed into laughter again.
Julian got into bed and turned out his light. Oh great, he thought. I forgot to call Will and Daisy again. And now he was too tired. Sighing, he turned on his lamp and managed to reach his laptop off his desk without getting out of bed. Pleased with himself, he flipped it open. He logged onto Facebook and sent Will a message:
Having fun, sorry forgot to phone you again. Will phone you tomorrow. It’s really funny here.
Love,
Jules
He smiled at his dad’s profile pic. Will had put a picture of himself holding River, who was modelling one of Daisy’s tie-dye shirts.
He put his laptop on the floor, too lazy to put it back on his desk, and turned on his iPod. Only a few minutes, he told himself as he listened, slowly falling asleep.