The Dancers: An Artist Story

by M.L. Cameron

permission and mom would be upset because she wanted to see him open it.

  Damn it, why did I have to wake up so early? I didn’t hear anything upstairs and I knew no one would wake up for hours. It was a Saturday and Ana wasn’t coming over until noon so Luke would be asleep until at least ten. I groaned and stared at the envelope.

  In the kitchen Dad was pouring himself a cup of coffee. He was wearing a suit and I knew he wasn’t sticking around long. “Can I open his letter?” I asked as he walked through the dining room.

  “No, he’ll be up soon and you know your mother wants to be here.”

  “Ugh, please?” He shook his head and I groaned. “Fine.” I stood up with my empty cereal bowl and Dad kissed my forehead. “Are you going to Luke’s game tomorrow?”

  “I might be able to make it.”

  He left the house and I brought my bowl to the kitchen. One of our new maids was standing beside the sink, waiting to be able to do something. I couldn’t even remember why we had hired her. “Good morning Mr. Surmise,” she murmured softly and I turned to see Luke yawning in the doorway.

  “G’morning,” he mumbled and stretched. “What time is it?”

  “Time to open your MIT letter,” I said and he covered his face with his hand. “Now, please?”

  He shook his head and looked at the maid. “I suppose if I went to pour my own coffee you’d do it for me?” She nodded and smiled as she got a mug from the cabinet and poured Luke a cup of coffee. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “What Scar? I’m not opening it until Mom is awake. You can wait a few more hours. I swear, you’re the only one who really cares.”

  Maybe I was the only one who cared. And to be completely honest, when I think back on it, I only wanted him to go so that he would get away from Anastasia. Maybe that was selfish of me, but I hated that he spent so much time with her. “Fine, don’t open it.”

  “Would you like something for breakfast?” the maid asked both of us, handing Luke his cup of coffee.

  “I already ate,” I said, gesturing to my dirty bowl in the sink.

  “All right, what about you Luke? Would you like something to eat?”

  “Sure…”

  Luke

  Scarlett held the letter in her hands and took a deep breath. “Are you sure you want me to open it?” she asked and I shrugged. My arms were around Ana’s waist and I was whispering to her about how completely stupid MIT was. Mom was standing beside the dining room table, gripping the chair so hard that her knuckles were white.

  “Okay…” She carefully opened the letter and Ana smiled as I told her how much I would hate being away from her. Scarlett started reading the letter and frowned halfway through.

  “What? What does it say?” Mom asked and Scarlett started reading again from the top.

  “Dear Mr. Surmise, we’re sorry to inform you that while you would be an outstanding candidate in our program we do not wish to bring in unwilling students. There are times when you have to make the decision for what you want and it was clear to the board of admissions that your choice has already been made. We would like to extend an offer to you however, one where you can reapply and gain reentry into the school system any time within the next year. Early admission does show a level of dedication…”

  I reached over the table and grabbed the letter, not letting her read anymore of it out loud. Ana glanced up at me accusingly and I scanned through the letter. “What happened at the interview Luke?” Mom asked.

  “I don’t know…”

  Scarlett turned and stormed out of the room… Okay… I would deal with her when I had to. Mom looked at me questioningly. “Did you say anything about not wanting to go to MIT?” she asked.

  “No… I mean… They asked what my fall backs were and I told them that up until a year ago there were no other options. But as of recently I wouldn’t be completely devastated to go to Julliard or maybe NYU but I didn’t say anything about not wanting to go…”

  Ana took a deep breath but didn’t pull away from me. “Do you want to go to Julliard Luke?” Mom asked and I didn’t answer. “Do you or do you not?”

  “I would go if I were able to get in.”

  She nodded and left the room for a second. When she came back she was holding an envelope in her hand. “Because your letter came last week.”

  “What? I didn’t even apply…” Ana reached out and took the letter she was holding out to me. “How did I get a letter if I didn’t apply?”

  “Well, Ana told me about how you weren’t sure where you were headed with your career and how you were looking into an art school. I talked to your father about it and he helped us put together some recommendation letters and a portfolio with some pieces you’ve done with Scarlett. I had you sign the forms a few weeks ago when you were half asleep after a game. There’s a chance you didn’t even get in, so just look and see.”

  I looked down at Ana but she didn’t do or say anything. Her fingers traced the small opening of the envelope and I guided her to tear it. She started reading aloud while I read over her shoulder. “Dear Mr. Surmise, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Julliard: School of the Artistically Gifted, early admissions. You have been chosen, among hundreds of other students…” her voice trailed off as she continued to read.

  Mom smiled at me and I was frozen. Dad helped me apply? What had happened to make him agree? I took a deep breath and realized Ana was waiting for me to say something. “I… If you aren’t going then I’m not,” I said and Mom whistled low.

  “I’ve got to get to work. I’ll see you two tonight.”

  She walked out of the house and I couldn’t believe what had happened. She was leaving without giving me a lecture on how I couldn’t let a girl make me choose where I went to college. “I got you in Luke, that wasn’t what you wanted?”

  “You got me in? How? And I already told you, if I didn’t get into MIT then I wasn’t going unless you agreed to go to Julliard or NYU with me. That was my deal.”

  “Who said I’m not going? Do you know how hard it was to get you in? I had to find four letters of recommendation, build an entire portfolio out of nothing and then agree to go to the stupid school. If you go, I have to go. That was the deal.”

  I turned her around in my arms and stared into her blue eyes. “Why would you do that?”

  “I didn’t have anything to do with the MIT thing. I didn’t call them or talk to them. The Julliard thing though… I knew that you wanted to go to college with me. And while I can’t take MIT from you I can give you something else you want.”

  “Going to school means you have to keep dancing, right?” She nodded and then smiled.

  “Yeah, it means I have to keep dancing…” She said the words dreamily, like she was far away somewhere. I smiled and pulled her closer.

  Ana

  I watched Luke as he raced against one of the other players to reach the puck. His stick slammed onto the ice and the puck slid to one of the other guys wearing a red jersey. Scarlett was sitting next to me, sulking. What was her problem? Ever since Luke decided he was going to Julliard she acted like she hated me. I didn’t say anything to her, just continued to watch guys smash into each other on ice.

  The game ended and Luke skated over to where I was standing. He pulled his mask off and kissed me. It was an end of the world kiss that seemed to last forever. When I pulled away he grinned and then glanced back to see Scarlett waiting for me. “I love you,” he murmured and I hugged him close. “I’ll go change, we’ll drop Scarlett off at home and then we’ll go out.”

  I nodded and he pushed himself away from the wall. I turned to Scarlett and she walked off the bleachers. I took a deep breath and followed her. I didn’t exactly want to follower her and risk having to talk to her without Luke there. I didn’t know what she had to say and a small part of me didn’t want to know.

  We stood in silence for the first few minutes. Everything was cold and covered in snow. I breathed in the smell of the fresh snow
and then turned to Scarlett. “Scarlett? Can you tell me what I did to make you hate me?”

  She just scoffed and turned around. “Please? I want to know what I did because I really don’t know.”

  “You don’t know!” She turned to face me with a brutal glare on her face. “How could you not know? You’re taking my brother away from his dreams. He wanted to go to MIT forever, and then you come in and all he wants is to make you happy. He doesn’t care about his dreams anymore, all he cares about is you. He forgot about school, hockey, me!”

  “Is that what this is about Scarlett? Him not being there for you? He’ll always be there for you, always.”

  “No! He doesn’t care about me anymore. Because you had to come and take him away. I never thought my brother was capable of falling for a selfish, vain, conceited, slut.” I took a step back… What had I done? I was on the verge of tears when Luke stormed by me.

  “What the hell was that?” he half growled at Scarlett. He grabbed her arms and shook her a little bit. “What in the world gives you any sort of right to say that to her?”

  She struggled to get away from him but he wouldn’t let her go. I turned from them and walked back into the ice rink. “Get your ass in the car, mom’s going to come and pick you up.” I heard him following me. I didn’t want to talk to him or her or anyone. I just wanted to sit by myself and cry.

  I pulled open the doors and Luke caught my arm. I tugged away but he wouldn’t let me go. “Ana…” He wrapped his arms around me and I just stood there. I had no idea what to do. “Don’t listen to her, okay? I don’t know what her problem is. I think she’s on her period or something…” I smiled a little, but it wasn’t enough, the silent tears just continued to fall. Luke tipped my head up and his face fell as his thumb traced the tears that were falling down my cheeks.

  “She was right,” I whispered. “About… All of it…”

  “No, Ana, she wasn’t right about any of it. You aren’t any of the things she said, none of them, I promise you. I made the choice to give up MIT, I don’t want that life if you aren’t there. I’m going to call my mom, she’s going to come pick up Scarlett and we’ll talk.” I didn’t answer. “Ana, college is still a year away. We have one more year of high school and then you have to officially make your decision, until then, don’t worry about it.”

  His kissed me and walked off to call his mom. I wiped my face dry, he was right. I had one year to officially decide if I even wanted to go to college. And until then, there was no reason to worry about it… I didn’t even need to think about it until then…

  Luke

  My winter passed quickly with hockey games and tournaments. My spring came slowly and lasted a while. When school got out my outlook on life really picked up. I spent nearly every waking moment with Ana. Her house, my house, the park, the mall, anywhere and everywhere.

  “Dad, please. I want to go see them,” Ana said one night at dinner.

  “No. I said you can’t and I meant it. I will not allow you to go see your grandparents. They’re crazy Anastasia. They’re all insane. They have this idea that-”

  “That I’m not human?” Ana finished for him and he shrugged. “I think it’s time for you to suck it up and read mom’s journal. She wanted both of us to read it and it does not good if you won’t. If you read it then I’ll agree not to argue any more about going to see her parents. But until you read it, don’t tell me no. Please?”

  He didn’t say anything back to her. He just nodded and continued eating. Ana took a deep breath and stared at her plate. I kicked her lightly and she scowled at her plate. I just waited, kicking her again. She groaned and reached for the bowl of strawberries that was sitting at the edge of the table. “Anastasia,” her father said and she shrugged.