The Artist and the Dancer

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Started Monday, September 21, 2015

||This story is a spin off to 'The Bad Boy and The Tomboy'. I highly suggest you read TBBATTB but you can also read this as a standalone it doesn't really matter...at least I don't think so. Warning: swearing- like always, maybe minor cliffhangers etc etc...||

Update: The first book of this universe, The Bad Boy and The Tomboy will be published on October 13th, 2020 by Wattpad Books. The published version Wattpad will be put into the Paid Story program along with hitting bookstores on that date. Order link is in my bio. The original Wattpad version of that story will be put into the Paid program as well. 

Chapter One: "Scam On The Back of A Cereal Box."

"SYDNEY, HAVE YOU finished unpacking?" My mom yelled from the living room. The apartment had smelt like mothballs now it smelt like vanilla, my mom's favorite scent.

I looked around my room. The beige paint on the walls was something I knew I didn't want to bother saving money up to change it. Part of the wall was covered with posters of inspirational dancing posters and a bulletin board that had a whiteboard calendar. My small bed twin bed was kind of big (not really) enough for 5'8 height with a light blue cover.

The rest of the room contained my stuff, my clothes sorted thoroughly in the closet, and my things organized on my small desk and drawer next to my bed. But some of my other things were in a box for the shelf that was coming later this week. "Yeah, I think so."

"Then would you mind checking the mail for me downstairs?" She said. I can hear her footsteps coming up the tiny hall she had put pictures of me with or without her on. Most of them were of me at my competitions, dancing my heart out since I was three.

My mom opened the door and looked at me, sitting on my bed. She had a small smile on her delicate face. I've been told that I mostly look like her constantly and I see it. Her background from the Dominican Republic and South African gave her a warm brown skin tone. However, I was a bit lighter because my father was of Filipino descent.

I stood up, packing my thick, extremely really curly hair into a messy ponytail. "I'll go."

Walking, past her 5'4 figure I headed into the living room, grabbing the keys from the counter. The small place was a big adjustment from our big townhouse back in Toronto. Moving to this town was a big change too besides not seeing my friends and my dance crew. I knew some things would never change though like my mom wanting to know where I am at all times. She was protective.

I looped my fingers through the key hole as I walked out the door, closing it behind me. I walked down the hall, the smell of food hitting my nostrils as some family left their apartment door open. I clicked the down button for the elevator before hearing the familiar ringtone coming from my phone.

I took it out of my pocket. It wasn't anything special in fact it was a Blackberry Bold. I answered the call, pressing the phone to my ear. "Hey Wesley."

I could practically hear the smile in his voice. "Hey Sid, how's the new life?"

"It's going great." I said with dry humor in my voice. The elevator light button turned off signaling that the elevator was here.

One of the two doors opened and I stepped inside the empty elevator. When the doors closed I turned around, facing the dirty mirror on the other side. "Did you get the job?"

I looked at my reflection noticing the circles under my eyes. "Yeah they emailed me yesterday. It's kind of a step up from working at Gio's Pizzeria."

"But you're still working at a pizza place." Wesley said.

"I didn't know that thank you for pointing that out." I sarcastically said, feeling the elevator drop slowly as it took me to the Ground floor.

"I miss you and your ugly ass sarcasm."

"I miss you and your bullshit that I've always been allergic too." I laughed softly as the doors opened.

Wesley and I have been best friends since junior kindergarten grade. So many years forward he was still the same; quirky, funny and really active. He came to all my dance competitions if they were in town or he would have someone take a video if I was somewhere else so he could watch it. He was really supportive. I did the same for him and his swimming competitions.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Getting the mail." I said, walking out of the elevator.

"You're mom is allowing you to get the mail in a new place? She barely lets you leave the house and you're seventeen. I'm surprised."

He wasn't wrong. My mom was...overprotective one could say. I mean, there were times when I completely understood but then there were times where I wanted her off my back and to let me have space to breathe. Even to go to a friend's house, it would most likely be a no especially when I was younger but for homework purposes it was my house or the library. I've only been to Wesley's house two times during our friendship and the only way I could go to his swimming competitions were if my cousin, Michelle was able to go with me. It just showed that she was caring and overbearingly safe but I was growing up, it's time for some risks.

"Have you seen him around?" I asked to get off topic.

There was a pause on the phone and I could imagine Wesley shaking his dark hair before remembering that we're having a phone conversation before I could see him. "No but I did notice that his car was still in the driveway."

I sighed, dodging past people to enter the tiny open room that held everyone in the apartment's mail. "That's reassuring...I think."

I hear a big sound in the background before Wesley talked. "Uh-I have to go Sid. I'll Skype you tonight?"

"Yeah I'll talk to you then Wes." I hung up and put my phone in my pocket.

I inserted the key and checked if there was any mail. While doing that, I felt my toes twitch in the empty room. The biggest urge to dance was upon me right now.

I've been dancing since I was three years old; starting in a baby ballet class my mom had put me in. I was considered very jumpy when I was toddler. She looked into it and a friend of hers suggested a dance studio. The dance studio I grew up in was no Abby Lee Dance Studio, far from what one might see on some show called Dance Moms.

I had a family there. I made friends, none as close and special as Wesley but close enough. I did solos, duets, trios, and multiple group numbers to showcase talent. That was basically the only other way I could leave the house. I performed in different places in Canada and America. Months before I left, I was dance captain at my studio then things happened and I was here, away from home. 

I exhaled very hard, grabbing some letters and junk mail before locking the box and turned around. I bumped into a chest, backing up immediately. "S-Sorry." I could feel my nervousness and shyness raking in.

I looked up the person. He was a guy of Asian descent probably 18 years old. He reminded me of Wesley with the background and dark hair except this guy had a red stripe in his bangs. He had Dr. Dre beats on his ears and was holding onto an iPad with a really cool cover of different colors. He waved a hand. "It's alright. You new in the building?"

I nodded slowly, trying to compose myself. "Y-Yeah I'm Sydney."

He shook my hand, grinning crazily but the vibe he gave off was completely positive and made me relax. "I'm Jon Ming, soon to be world renounced engineer and can speak over now twenty languages."

I raised my eyebrows even though I shouldn't be talking to strangers but yet again in this town everyone was a stranger. "Really?"

He opened his mouth and proceeded to speak what I heard was probably Italian...fluently. I blinked. "What did you just say?"

"I asked if you were attending Bark-Ridge High School. I'm now considered an alumni there since I graduated in June."

"Bark-Ridge? That's a school name?" I asked. It actually sounded really weird. Was the world running out of things to name schools after?

Jon Ming laughed. "Yeah 'home of the dogs'. Are you going there?"

"No I'm actually going to start attending Hamilton Academy School of the Arts in downtown." Downtown wasn't even that far. I checked the bus and from the apartment it was only a half an hour drive down there maximum.

Jon Ming's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh that school. You must be really talented to get in that school. What are you a painter? Singer? Musician?"

I shook my head. "Actually I'm a dancer."

Jon Ming grinned. "Wow I'm a dancer too."

"Really? What do you do?" This guy seems to have a lot of talent from being a DJ to knowing more than languages to dancing. The idea never fades and his positivity was honestly something everyone needed in life. 

Jon Ming shrugged. "A variety of stuff. Mostly hip hop and break dancing but I'm focusing more on music for other artist as an engineer. I just won a chance to move to L.A tomorrow to be some rising star's DJ so after almost five years I'm moving out of this place."

I stared at the stranger I just met, putting my hands in my shorts pockets. "Wow that's amazing."

"I know. Just finished high school and out of six thousand applicants some Korean guy from a Canadian town won a lifetime chance. My mom thought I was lying and that the contest was probably some scam on the back of a cereal box."

I laughed and he joined with me before asking a question. "So what kind of dance do you do?"

"Uh I'm mostly into contemporary and ballet but I do every other kind even tap and jazz."

"Really? So if I decided to dance battle you right now, you'll go all dancy and wipe the floor with me?"

I rolled my eyes. He was someone I could already warm up too. "Well I haven't stretched first."

Jon Ming waved a hand. "Then maybe some other time. I have to go quit my job at the Tech Shop. Only way I could've afforded this and this," He waved his iPad in his hands and pointed to his expensive head phones. "It was nice meeting you Sydney."

"You too Jon Ming." He grinned at me before leaving the room, out of the building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What piece did you dance to for your audition?" Wesley asked me through the screen.

Last week I had an audition to go to Hamilton Academy School of the Arts. I wasn't supposed to be given the chance to try out so late but the second they heard my name I was given that chance. I wasn't famous or anything I was just known a bit in the dance world.

"I danced Titanium."

"I remember that dance," Wesley said, smiling. "You won your Regional solo when you did that dance. It was amazing."

"It wasn't that good I almost messed up and-"

"It doesn't matter. You were so focused and into the dance. Holy, I've known you for only four years and you're still amazing at dancing. You're the best I've ever seen."

I scoffed. "I'm the only dancer you know idiot."

"You call me that a lot. I swear you still have that shirt-"

I laughed moving away from the laptop and ran to my closet. After searching for a couple of seconds I returned back to Wesley and pulled out the shirt. He started laughing. "I know that idiot'." With the arrow sign that I usually made to point at him. "I miss you Sid."

"I miss you too Wes. You ready for grade twelve?"

"Yeah I'm totally prepared to be without my best friend this year. Ready to graduate with strangers?"

"So ready," I mocked him. "I'm doing a happy dance in my head right now with the perfect turn out."

"Speaking of dance moves, have you found a studio?"

"I got so used to working at my old one. I mean I've been there since I was three and..."

"It's hard but when you become a professional dancer one day and go to Julliard because you've been working so hard, I'll come to your first opening night and be like GO BEST FRIEND! THAT'S MY BEST FRIEND!"

I laughed at him as I walked around my small room. I grabbed a box and put it on my small bed. "Of course you would yell during my performance."

Wesley grinned. "Yeah I'll have the biggest bouquet thrown at you. Filled with tulips because I know how much you despise roses."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes I totally despise them."

"But when you actually find a studio, are you going to have to explain your whole situation?"

"Didn't I explain it to you already? The school has its own dance studio. Like whoever makes the Elite team is basically the team that goes to Regionals, Nationals, competitions, you get the crap. I told you this!"

I could hear Wesley groan. "Yeah but it's a lot of info to take into like what was that competition that you did your routine last year?"

"That was Nationals, idiot."

"Yeah you were so nervous about that I swear you were going to throw up and you never throw up not even when you caught the stomach flu. Now about the whole situation..."

"You mean about how I need to make time between school, dance and a part time job? Yeah of course I have too. It's not like we're insanely rich."

"School starts tomorrow. Holy shit I'm nervous."

"Why the hell are you nervous? I'm the one going to a different school!" I yelled at him.

"I don't have my best friend with me, of course I'm nervous."

I don't have my best friend with me.

It doesn't hit me until know and I feel tears pricking in the corner of my eyes. Wesley squinted his eyes at the screen before they widen. "No don't cry Sid."

I wiped the tears that were threatening to escape, laughing a little. "I'm not crying."

"Good because let's face it, you are one of those ugly criers. You know what I'm talking about? With the scrunched up faces and-"

I rolled my eyes, sniffing as I smiled at him through the web cam. "You're such a dick."

"But seriously, tomorrow is going to be hard."

"I know."

I see a smile flash on his face. "But you're still coming to my graduation right?"

I nod. "I'll beg my mom if I have to but nothing will stop me. And you to mine?"

He grinned. "Yeah, yeah, of course. And we'll tape our events and when you have a dance competition in Toronto, I'll come to see you."

"Promise?" I asked my best friend, reaching out my pinky towards the web cam.

He reached out his pinky and we bumped them through the screen. If he were right beside me we would've locked them like we've been doing for years. We weren't one of those best friends that have known each other for the longest time or our entire lives but I knew Wesley would be there for me, through thick and thin.

A knock sounded on my door and it opened. "Hey Sydney."

I faced my mom, focusing on her tired expression. "Hey, what's up?"

"Just wanted to let you know that your uniform for your school arrived and that I'm dropping you off at school tomorrow, okay kiddo?" She wasn't just tired. I could tell her mind wasn't in the right place. She was thinking, possibly of money, our family, everything. She looked completely stressed.

I nodded. Her calling me kiddo would probably never end until I'm forty years old. The look on her face was forcing a smile but I can see the sadness underneath. When she's about to leave, I spoke up. "Mom, you okay?"

She glanced at me. "Yeah I'm fine Sydney." She gave me another forced smile before shutting my door.

"Is everything okay?" Wesley asked through the screen.

"Um, how's Danielle doing for with the idea of high school?" I asked about his younger sister.

If Wesley noticed the sudden change in topic, he doesn't speak of it because he started ranting about his little sister's complications and nervousness about tomorrow.

When I turned off the lights and entered bed after I had finished talking to Wesley, I turned on my side to face the wall. My mom's room was at the end of the tiny hall and the walls were not soundproof.

It didn't take long before I could hear the soft crying.