Danny

“Well, that was a shit show.” Theo looks over at me a few hours later and rolls his eyes. We’re still sitting in the auditorium, going through potential dancers that had tried out tonight. And while his words are harsh, I have to silently agree. Aside from a very, very small handful of dancers, Theo is right. Tonight was a shit show.

I can't stop thinking about Faith. I don't know her well, but I feel like she could be an asset to our dance troupe. Mark and Theo had been right about her inability to loosen up. She seemed insecure on the stage, wary, like if she messed up it would be the end for her. It was clear to me that Faith had demons, ones that were so severe she took to hiding instead of facing them. But as my friends already knew, we all had demons among us.

“I think we should call Faith,” I say as the three of us pack up our bags and make our way out. It’s dark out now, and very few people are still walking around. Home for us is a ramshackle house off-campus. It’s not fancy, but the rent is cheap and it’s a perfect bachelor pad for the three of us.

“I think you’re delusional,” Theo says, twisting the front door handle and pushing the door open. Mark and I follow him, kick off our shoes, and immediately go to the living room and collapse on the worn and tattered leather couch as Theo goes into the kitchen and returns a moment later with three beers. He hands Mark and me ours then pops the cap on his bottle, taking a hefty swig before belching impressively in my direction.

“Thanks, bro.”

“No problem.”

“We’re not going to call Faith,” Mark says finally, looking between Theo and me. It’s the first time he’s really spoken tonight, and I’m a bit caught off guard by his forwardness.

“What’s the problem?” I ask them, swiveling my gaze between Theo and Mark. “We’ve been looking specifically for a ballet dancer, and as soon as she comes along, you both shun her.”

Theo opens his mouth to argue with me and then shuts it again when I hold up a finger.

“Faith might not have been perfect,” I continue. “But she had a whole hell of a lot more talent than anyone else who performed tonight. And she was passionate about the craft, I could tell. All she needs is some practice. She needs to get to know us and learn how to loosen up. I’m telling you guys, if we shut the door on this girl now, we’re going to regret it. It’s time to step up our game if we have any chance of winning this competition. Ever since we lost Sasha to Xander’s team, we haven’t been the same.” My eyes skip between my two friends, who can’t seem to meet my gaze. Losing Theo’s sister had been a blow; not just professionally, but personally, too. “We just don’t have time to train a dancer from scratch like we did with Sasha,” I continue. “Faith is our best bet.”

Mark sighs and taps his index finger on the top of his thigh, looking pensive. “She’s trouble,” he says. “I know it doesn’t seem like it now, Dan, but she’s going to be trouble. I can sense it.”

“The only reason you think that is because she’s hot,” I tell him. “She intimidates us. But as long as none of us fall for her and keep it professional, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

Beside me, Theo scoffs as he takes another drink. “You couldn’t pay me to hook up with an uptight bitch like her,” he says. “The stick up her ass is probably fossilized by now.”

“Play nice,” I warn. “This uptight bitch could be the difference between winning and losing nationals. We have to face the music, boys.”

“She just doesn’t fit in.” Theo shakes his head angrily, the building vein in his neck protruding like it does when something is pissing him off. “Why not just send her to the school dance team and pick someone else for our team? Her friend with the pixie cut did okay. What about her?”

“Everyone who tried out tonight is good enough for the school team,” I insist. “But only Faith is good enough for us.”

“What if she doesn’t want to dance with us?” Mark demands. “She thought she was trying out for that stupid school team. Would she even join the three of us?”

Before I can answer, Theo’s cell phone rings, catching us all off guard. It’s almost ten at night, and a dark expression crosses over Theo’s face as he glances down at the caller ID before answering it.

“Speak of the Devil,” he mutters. “Sasha?”

Mark and I exchange a look. If Theo’s twin sister is calling him at this hour, there’s bound to be trouble. Then again, the trouble hasn’t stopped since Sasha ditched us last year for the opposing school’s dance team—and their douchebag leader, Xander.

“Slow down, Sash,” Theo says soothingly, his dark brows furrowing in concern. “He did what?”

My knuckles tense automatically. I don’t know what’s going on, but if Sasha is hurt or in trouble, our hackles will rise. Theo, Mark, and I have been friends since middle school, and Sasha is just as much a sister to Mark and me as she is to Theo. We’ve always been protective of her, the younger twin and the thought that Xander might have done something to hurt her again has my jaw grinding.

“We’re coming to pick you up,” Theo says into the phone, and Mark and I jump up to get our shoes on without a moment’s hesitation. “You can stay at our place tonight. Just stay where you are and give us ten minutes.” He ends the call, that stormy look hovering over his features, and follows Mark and me silently out to the car.

“She’s in Xander’s dorm,” Theo says as I drive towards our rival’s campus. “She said he hit her.” Theo takes a deep breath that sounds more like a growl and shakes his head. “Apparently he stormed out and hasn’t returned.”

“Fuck that little bitch Xander,” Mark snarls from the back seat. “I hope he’s back by the time we get there because I feel like breaking someone’s fucking nose tonight.”

Silently, I agree, though I don’t say it out loud. This isn’t the first time Xander has physically or emotionally abused Sasha, and so long as she stays with the asshole, it won’t be the last. But we’ve all tried to get her to see reality, and much to our dismay, it’s done nothing but make things more tense between the four of us.

But we’ll keep trying. Probably forever.