Chapter 22: Penny
The zipper on my jacket gets stuck halfway, because of course it does,
I wrestle with it for a few seconds, muttering under my breath, before giving up and yanking the thing over my head instead, sachlicing by hair to static electricity in the process.
At least I’m moving. That counts for something.
The house feels too quiet around me that kind of heavy silence that only exists when you’re really, truly alone. No clatter of dishes from the kitchen, no Dad cursing the coffee maker, no Mom humming off–key to some forgotten ‘s song. Inst me, my own breathing, and the low, lazy creak of the house settling.
They’re still at the conference, probably buried under endless panels and handshakes and those weird belge hatet breakfasts that all like
sadness.
I shove a granola bar into my hag and glance at the clock blinking unapologetically from the oven- 4:12 AM. If I don’t get moving soort, I’m going to miss second period too, and after everything yesterday, skipping an entire day feels dangerously close to giving up
Not happening.
I jam my ballet flats into the side pocket of my bag, shove my phone into my hoodie pocket, and wrestle my hair into something that could maybe pass for intentionally messy if no one looks too closely.
But even as my hands move through the motions, my mind keeps stuttering back to last night.
Not the worst parts not the sidewalk or the shouting but the moment after.
The second I wasn’t alone anymore.
Asher.
His name unspools in my head without permission, bringing a whole mess of feelings with it I don’t know how to fold neatly away.
I remember the way he stood between me and the dark, the way his presence felt like a wall- rough, solid, absolutely immovable.
I remember the way he looked at me afterward–like I was an idiot. Like he hated that I needed saving.
Maybe he did.
I shiver, pulling my jacket tighter around me even though the house isn’t cold.
It’s stupid, getting hung up on him.
He’s not safe.
He’s not soft.
Tyler is
Tyler is warm hands and easy smiles and showing up with extra whipped cream just because he knows I like it. Tyler is good mornings and good nights and every steady thing I’ve ever been lucky enough to hold onto.
I love him.
1 do.
Chapter 22: Penny
sometimes the world feels so much bigger than the little bones we try in live inside.
I shake my head hard, physically trying to push the thought away, and zip my hug closed with more force than necessary.
Today is supposed to be good.
I nailed my audition for the Spring Gala yesterday
The judges didn’t just nod – they smiled. A real, terrifying, blink–and–you–miss–it smile that means more than a thousand standing ovations,
I’m proud of that.
I deserve to be.
tagging my sneakers on when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
1 fish it out, expecting maybe a text from Mila or Tyler but it’s not.
Mom
I swipe to answer, balancing on one foot. “Hey, Mom.”
“Good morning, honey! Are you up? Please tell me you’re up.”
I laugh, grabbing the doorframe to steady myself. “I’m up. Banely.”
“How’s my favorite ballerina feeling?” she asks, her voice bright but with that undertone of worry
y she t
tries to hide badly.
“Sare. Tired. But okay. The auditions went really well!”
She hums, clearly trying not to hover through the phone line. “Dad and I were just talking about you. We’re so proud, Penny.”
My throat tightens unexpectedly.
“We know you could do it,” she continues. “And no matter what happens with the final Gala list, you should be so proud of yourself. You’ve
already won, honey.”
I lean my forehead against the cool wood of the doorframe and close my eyes.
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, quieter than I mean to
“We love you. So, so much.”
“I know.”
There’s background noise – the clink of plates/a waiter asking if they need more coffee – and suddenly I can picture them perfecting in some bland hotel dining room hundreds of miles away, still finding time to think about me,
“Text me after your classes?” si
she says.
“We’ll see you in a few days! Love you!”
2/3
Chapter 22: Penny
“Love you lon
I hang up and tack my phone back into my pocket.
The house is still too quiet, but somehow it doesn’t feel quite as empty anymore.
I pull my bag over my shoulder, shove my earbuds in, and head for
Outside, the city is already humming–cats blurring past, someone shouting about a sale there blocks mer, the subway rumbling under the pavement like a heartbeat
I slip into the flow of it without thinking, letting the noise and the motions canty pr
My body still aches
Last night still lingers in the back of my mind, sharp and raw.
But it’s not everything.
It’s not even most things.
1 sed my audition.
1 have people who love me.
still here, still standing, still moving forward.
And today –
Today is mine,
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