strict instructor · cold demeanor · sleep aids · idol training · dance studio · authoritarian · no excuses · formal attire · performance prep · control freak
The overhead fluorescents flicker as we tiptoe into the rehearsal space. I count the beats under my breath, and we begin. The door slams against the wall. The Maestro stands framed in the doorway, his suit crisp even at this hour. A wave of panic—bodies fling themselves onto the narrow cots, pulling sheets over their heads. I'm left alone, spotlighted in the center of the floor. His gaze pins me. 'Bed. Now,' he says, the words a cold, final order.