Drella Next

I'm back in LA now. When I arrived I don't think I understood what great a task I had taken on. I had arranged to stay in an apartment for however long I needed. But this time Vic had insisted on coming with me. I didn't want him too. But I couldn't think of a good enough reason for him to not be there. It's not that I don't want him to come and I don't want to be with him. I just feel like it'll make him uncomfortable, which will then make me uncomfortable. The fact that Mike invited himself too didn't help much though.
Early Saturday morning I went alone to the club. When I walked in a few of the girls remembered me. I waved and went to Melissa's office. I knocked the door before I went inside. Melissa smiled at me and gestured for me to sit down.
"Thanks." I told her.
"Are you ready to see this?" she asked. I nodded and bit down onto my lip. She took the old video from her desk and put it in the player. Then she pressed play.
I watched on the screen as my mother stepped out onto the stage. The spotlights went to the stage and all the talking in the club died down. She took graceful steps until she was in the centre of the stage. There were other girls on the sidelines, but they weren't really doing much. The focus was on Taylor.
I saw her go through the processes. But all the while she would do certain moves that proved she was a professional dancer. The way she felt herself and complicated motions of her steps were different from any dancer I've ever seen. All the while she had a bright smile on her face. The smile met her eyes too. I could tell she actually enjoyed her job.
After the dance was nearly over feathers were picked up and Taylor used them to shield her body. Then the lights went down and their was a great applause before she got off stage. Melissa turned to video off and looked back to me.
"She was fantastic." I gasped.
"I know." Melissa smiled.
"I don't know if I can do that." I mumbled.
"I knew you'd say that." she sighed. "I know it's put a strain on you and your relationships. But I want to to preform."
"Like on stage?" I asked.
"Yes. Tonight." she smiled.
"You think I'm ready?" I asked seriously.
"I think you need to get out there." Melissa told me.
"When?" I asked faintly.
"Tonight."
"What?" I gasped.
"You'll be fine." she promised.
"Okay." I breathed.
That night I was standing backstage. Everything was so rushed and panicked. Girls were still coming in and running late. I had been one of the earlier people to come in. I did my hair and my make-up. Then different outfits were pushed on me. I put the first on and got my shoes.
There was a line of girls ready to go on stage. I joined the line and tried to calm myself down. This whole thing was terrifying. I don't even know if I'm good at this. At least with my art I'm able to tell if it's good or not.
"Breathe," A voice said I'm my ear. I turned and saw a woman. She was in her mid twenties and wearing the same outfit I was. "Your first night?"
"Yeah." I nodded.
"I remember mine. I was absolutely terrified."
"What happened?" I asked.
"I went out and saw my uncle in the crowd flirting with one of he girls. The most humiliating moment of my entire life. I doubt yours could beat mine." she laughed.
"Thanks." I smiled.
"I'm Kim." she introduced herself.
"Drella." I smiled.
"You'll do great, Drella." she smiled
Spot lights came on and I felt it. The buzz of the place. All the anticipation. It made the atmosphere so heavy. I stepped on stage with the other girls. I took my place and the music started. We started the routine. I knew it by now. Once I was out on stage nothing else mattered. It was like when I was painting. I could work myself up and up about how what I produce will be no good. But when I'm actually painting that fear all goes away. It's just me and what I'm creating. I think it's the same principal. Or it feels the same. I could barely see the other girls. I acknowledged them and made sure I was in sync. But it wasn't about them. It wasn't about that man in the audience that was leering at me and smirking to his friend. It was about the music and the dancing.
With the routine my clothes were slowly coming off. I was down to my underwear and corset. I undid the ribbon at the back and slowly undid the clasps at the front. Then I dropped the corset to the floor in time with the other girls.
"Beautiful!" the guy from the crowd called to me.
"Think you want to shut up!" Vic called. I looked and saw he was sitting a table back from the man. He was trying to get up but Mike was pushing him back in his seat. Mike caught my eye and was looking up at me guiltily. I tried to ignore them and just dance.
"No, look at her legs!" the guy called back.
That was when Vic lost it. He pushed Mike away and went to the guy. I was dancing but my eye was on them. Vic pulled the guy up and punched him square in the jaw. I've never even really seen Vic like this before. Vic went to punch him again but someone pulled him away. Ryan was holding Vic before Vic pulled away roughly and stormed out of the club, with Mike running after him.
I finished the dance and got off stage. "What happened there?" Kim asked.
"My boyfriend." I growled.
"Oh," she muttered. "You go, I'll cover you." she told me.
"Thanks." I sighed. I went to get a robe and hurried to put it on. Then I ran past people to get outside.
I saw Vic leaning against the building. He was standing with Mike and looking angrily around. I ran over it him and they both looked at me as my heels clicked on the pavement. I glared at him and pushed his shoulder roughly.
"Thank you for that, Victor!" I said angrily.
"Come on, he was objectifying you, Drella! All he cared about was your body." Vic snapped back.
"So what? I don't care!"
"But I do."
"I'll leave you guys." Mike said awkwardly and hurried back inside.
"I care about the dancing and the music. To me it's like art." I said.
"Taking your clothes off for money is not art! If I wasn't there he could have followed you home. What would you do then?"
"I would punch him in the dick! I can handle myself, Vic!"
"You can't! Not anymore!"
"Is this about Shane?" I asked angrily.
"It's about you flashing your body to anyone who will look!" Vic spat.
"I'm doing this to meet my birth mother! You know that, so why are you being such a dick about it! What's happening with you?!" I demanded.
"You don't get it!" he shook his head.
"No, I don't," I spat. "Because you're not telling me."
"It's obvious to everyone and their dog walker, Drella. How can you be this stupid?!"
"I am stupid! Isn't that right? You were always cleverer than me. Now you're just proving it."
"Oh, shut up!" he snarled. "You're so infuriating! You never listen. You always have to be right. But you're not right! This time you're wrong. There's nothing right about you stripping. It's wrong, Drella! Get that into your head!"
"You know what's wrong?" I spat. "The way you're speaking to me. Us. We're wrong obviously!"
"What?" he muttered.
"You can't see that what I'm doing is for me. You can't see how happy it makes me and why I'm doing it. You knew it would end like this, so why did you offer to come? To make sure I didn't cheat?"
"Do you blame me?!" he yelled. "Last time I let you go on your own you got engaged!"
"I was gone for twelve years, not twelve days! You have some serious trust issues! Why don't you fucking trust me?"
"I can't!" he screamed. "I just can't!"
"Trust in this," I sneered. I walked over to him and buried my hand in his pocket. Then I took out the keys to the apartment where I was staying and pushed Vic's car keys into his chest. "I'm not listening to this. You fuck off back to your San Diego paradise! I'm staying here, without you!"
"What is this?!" Vic demanded.
"This?!" I laughed hollowly. "It's us breaking up!"
Vic stopped for a moment and just looked at me. He smiled sadly before he started to glare at me. "Fine!" he exclaimed angrily before I turned around and stormed back into the club.

Notes

Hey! What did you think? Sorry it's been so long. Ugh don't hate me! Who hates me for this chapter? What do you think will happen? Will they get back together? What do you want to happen now I just shot Drellic in the face? :)