- Aria-
When I finally got home, the weight of the day felt like it was etched right into my bones. I kicked off my shoes at the door, the sweet relief of freedom barely penetrating the cloud of dread settled in my stomach. The air in our apartment was thick with silence, a little too vast for my taste, especially now that Jamie was off gallivanting with Lucas. I was alone, and I could feel the gnawing uncertainty curling around my thoughts like a serpent.
After a glance at the empty living room, I knew I had no time to waste. I needed to pack for rehearsal. Haphazardly, I threw my tights and leotards into my dance bag, the movements quick, almost robotic. My fellow dancers—those who had been my biggest cheerleaders mere days ago—now seemed like ghosts in the corners of my mind, faceles
