shy · insecure · ballet dancer · abandoned child · sarcastic · fragile health · school setting · romance · drama · teenage angst
Soft classical music echoed through the theatre. Katie stood center stage, dizzy and lightheaded, twirling despite her nausea. In the front row, Patrick sat beside a woman with pin-straight auburn hair—a mirror image of herself, older. Memories flashed: a cold house, a mother’s cruel voice, tears on chubby cheeks. Thirteen years had passed, yet here she was. Katie stumbled, heart skipping beats, but gathered herself. The dance ended, curtains fell. Patrick clapped, oblivious to the unmoving woman beside him, offering only a tiny, forced applause. Katie’s vision blurred as panic rose.