Butterfly (Orphans 1)

"Perhaps not tomorrow but soon after," Madame Malisorf allowed.

Dimitri was sweating almost as much as me.

"Thank you for your extra effort, Dimitri," she told him. "You should take a warm shower immediately," she added. "I don't want my prize pupil going out in the chilly air and getting sick. Celine?"

"Of course. Go up and use my shower, Dimitri. Janet, show him my room, please."

Madame Malisorf turned to Celine. "In two weeks I'm presenting a recital with my newest students and Janet will be included."

"Oh, Janet, that's wonderful. Did you hear what she said? Thank you, Madame. Thank you," Celine said. "Your first recital. How wonderful, Janet."

"Recital?" I squeaked. "You mean with an audience and everything?"

"You will be ready," Madame Malisorf declared with a small smile, "for what you will be asked to do."

"Oh yes, she'll be ready. Whatever it is, she'll be ready," Celine assured her.

Dimitri took his bag and followed me out of the studio.

"You were awful in the beginning," he said as we reached the stairway.

"I was sick. I'm still sick. I had a fever this morning," I complained.

He laughed.

"I'm glad you didn't tell Madame that. She hates excuses," he explained. "Lead the way," he added, nodding at the steps. I started up. "You know your rear end has become quite tight and round just in the short time I've been working with you."

I was too embarrassed to say anything and continued upstairs where I showed him Celine and San- ford's bathroom. After I'd given him a clean towel I hurried away to my own room to shower and crawl back into bed. My ankles ached worse than any other part of my body and when I took off my pointe shoes, my feet were covered with red blotches.

I turned on my shower and took off my leotards, but just before I stepped into the stall, I heard Dimitri say, "Pull up."

I spun around, shocked. There he was with a towel around his waist, gazing at me.

"Pull up," he said again. "Posture, posture."

"Go away!" I cried, covering myself as best I could. He laughed.

"Come on. Pull up. Remember what I told you about that group that dances naked?" He reached for my hand. I wrapped my hands around myself tightly, but he was too strong and pulled my arm away from my chest. Then, in another motion, he undid his towel and stood naked before me. I couldn't take my eyes off him, despite my shock and terror.

He went on his toes, pulled me closer, turned me around, and lifted me in the air. Then he set me down and pressed his body against me.

"There," he said. "Didn't that feel good?"

He laughed and scooped up his towel, wrapping it around his waist as he walked out of my room.

I could barely breathe.

My head was spinning. Slowly, I

sank to the floor and sat there, stunned. A moment later, I thought I was going to retch. I literally crawled over to the shower and stepped into the steamy stall.

Within minutes I got out, dried myself quickly, and crawled into bed as I had planned Just as I closed my eyes, I heard my door open and Dimitri looked in.

"Until tomorrow. Oh. And as I said, very nice and tight little rear end. You're going to be a dancer after all," he added with a laugh and was gone.

Not only couldn't I talk, I couldn't even think. I pressed my hands to my stomach and turned on my side. In moments I was asleep.

I'd only been asleep a few hours when I woke to the sound of bickering. I knew I had slept awhile because it was already dark outside. Sanford's and Celine's voices carried down the hallway. He couldn't believe she had forced me to take a lesson.