"Alexandria Stappord!"

I turned sharply to see my best friend Ireland running up beside me, her face slick with sweat and she was panting heavily - she was never one for exercise.

"What's the matter? you look like you've seen a ghost" Ireland looked paler than normal and seemed almost like she was going to throw up (but that honestly could have been the over exertion).

"Ireland?" I put my hand on her shoulder but she still look sick

"Ireland  your scaring me" I shook her shoulders and she turned to me

"they are... serving god damn mystery meat! I have told them a hundred times I will email the proper authorities for trying for trying to food poison children" I looked at her annoyed, "Damn it Ireland! I thought you were dying or something terrible had happened" I whacked her in the arms and she cried out angrily.

"For gods sake Alex we all need a hobby" yes and Ireland's hobby included her ranting on her twitter account about the wrongdoings in her life and the 'injustices' she was surrounded with.

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Yes and my hobbies include ignoring you and avoiding half of this schools student body... well look at that I have two hobbies" I grinned at her and Ireland growled. "You are impossible" and I shrugged at her, she wouldn't be able to convince me otherwise anyway.

It was nearing the end of the school day and of course Ireland wanted me to come with her to eye the football team for the first practice of the year. Ireland had a crush on Rory Taylor the second in command to Lincoln Valentine: the epitome of a cliche; football captain, beloved and adored by our student body.

However Lincoln Valentine broke away from the cliche in two ways. Firstly Lincoln did not date the head of the cheerleading squad and actually hadn't dated anyone in awhile and nobody could figure out why. Last of all Lincoln Valentine had lost the respect of his team which is something every captain needed and usually deserved.

After some event last year everyone understood why. Well I didn't really care, whenever football is brought into a conversation I tuned out.

"Please Ireland not today, I can't spend hours watching that..." okay maybe not hours but I had things to do and I had rehearsal. "Come on Alex! Your brother was a footballer! You know what's going on" I rolled my eyes, yes golden boy Sebastian Stappord was my brother and last year graduated and now he was in college living out his dreams.

Leaving me in this town to be Sebastian Stappord's less than golden sister.

"Please Alex! Please pretty please" Ireland clutches onto my arm like a toddler. "Fine, one hour and then I'm gone" Ireland clasped her hands together and jumped up and down in glee. "Yay your the bestest friend ever" she grabbed the hem of my tank top and pulled me to the football field and up onto the stands.

Ireland sat down and pulled out a book and tried to make it look as natural as possible but the blush on her cheeks and the fact she kept looking up every five seconds made it very obvious she was not here just for a good reading spot. I sat next to her but I was intend on keeping track of the time.

Until I noticed something I never thought I would notice: Lincoln Valentine was not on the field.

"Where-" I stopped myself before I could finish and Ireland looked like she hadn't caught on and kept looked out at the field, her gaze solely on Rory. A few minutes later I saw Lincoln stalk onto the field and he looked pissed off.

"Woah what's gotten under his skin?" Ireland asked me and I shrugged, Lincoln Valentine was not my area of expertise and I hoped he never would belief he was anything like my brother I knew everything I needed to know.

"Okay hours up..." I checked my watch and got up and Ireland  waved goodbye and thanked me for trying to explain football for perhaps the millionth time to her. Making my way outside I walked over to the old pickup truck that once belonged to Sebastian but since he went to school too far away he didn't take it and left it in my care.

I heard my phone ring and I groaned because I swear if it was Ireland telling me to come back because the guys had suddenly lost their shirts (yeah that's happened) "Ireland I swear to god- oh hi Rosie" Rosie was the owner of the Spencer dance studio where I practiced and was perhaps the only person in the world who cared about me (dramatic but sadly true).

"Alexandria I have a favour to ask you..."

--

"Damn it!" I slammed my front door shut and walked angrily into the lounge room and flopped down onto the couch. I was met with my usual silence and sighed. My mother was like a ghost, you sometimes caught a glance of her maybe even the occasional whisper but like with ghosts I wasn't even sure she existed.

I walked up stairs and walked into my room and it was was the only sign of life within the house. I lay down on my bed and thought about what I was asked less than an hour ago: I had to teach Lincoln Valentine ballet and of course I was the perfect girl for the job.

Fate has a sick sense of humour.