En Pointe Part 6

The last note rung out through the theatre, they both froze like beautiful glass figurines and looked at eache other as the curtain dropped. "We did it!" Natasha cried wrapping her arms around Natalia. Natalia pulled her sister out, they weren't the last act, there was two left. The last two spots were always reserved for seniors.

They were sitting back stage waiting for the program to get finished. "Why didn't you change?" Natasha asked her sister.

"It's more comfortble," she said exchanging her ballet slippers for a pair of flats and putting a jacket over it. Natasha looked the picture of a ballet dancer, not in a costume anyway. She wore one of her skirts that was loose and pink with flats and a shirt that had one loose long sleeve and one bare shoulder. Her hair fell around her shoulders and she looked tall and willowy.

"Yes, but we're going to dinner and are you really going to want to wear that?" she asked.

"I'm keeping the makeup, be happy," Natalia snapped, truth be told she didn't feel like standing at a sink and scrubbing her face until after her shower. She heard the applause. "Looks like they're done," Natasha nodded and people whirled around. Jazz and Anthony had found their parents along with most everyone else.

"What do they want?" Natasha asked, pointing to a women who seemed to glide as she walked followed by the man who approached them.

"Shh," she snapped as they walked over.

"Ah, the Evans twins," the women said in a voice that was heavily accented. "I thought you both danced wonderfully. I loved how your styles contrasted,"

"I told you Giselle. Usually twins are just novalties, I think both of these girls would make a good addition to your summer program. She is one of the main intructors at Harded Earned Elegance," she smiled lightly and Natalia took her in. The petite figure and short heigth with black hair pulled into a bun and green eyes, then it hit her.

"Your Giselle Tremont! Tash don't you remember she played Clara in the Nutcracker mom and dad took us to see that Christmas," she said to her sister. "Your the reason I wanted to dance,"

"Well, I would love to have you this summer," she handed both of us a card. "Send in an application with a copy of your performance. Send it directly to me and I'll see if I can pull some strings," Natasha held the card reluctantly, Natalia knew what she was thinking.

"We go around to talent shows, fairs and recitals like this. If we see a student with exceptional talent we like to make it easier for them to get into out program," the man said. Natasha was still looking uneasy. Natalia grabbed her sisters hand and smiled.

"Thank you so much for this opportunity, we'll try to send out application's as soon as possible," she said with a smile.

"It's December, we don't send out applications to former students and the public until April. The program starts the seventh of June," Giselle said with a smile. The NEDC ended on the fifth. They started a couple days earlier to enable dancers to attend summer programs.

The pair bid there goodbyes to talk to others. There parents came, along with their older brother Nick. "Nicky!" Natasha cried throwing her arms around her brother.

"You both danced great. Well it looked good, but I don't know a thing about ballet," Nick said reaching over to hug Natalia. "It really looked like easy, I know it's not, but..."

"We know what it means, it's supposed to look effortless," Natalia addded.

"So your heading home on the bus?" Their mom asked. They both nodded. "I wish you guys could come with us," she said hugging both your daughters. "Sometimes I think it's harder on us than it is on you," Natalia looked at Natasha. Their mother learned to ignore the secret glances between the twins long ago, but their dad knew better.

"I think it's hard on all of us," he said. "So what are you going to do after this?"

"We're heading somewhere for dinner than going straight back to school," Natalia answered.

"We'll see you at Christmas," he said giving them both a hug. "Work hard," he said. Natasha smile faltered but they said their goodbye's. The twins gathered up their stuff and loaded up the bus.

The kids were rowdy as they headed to a restraunt. The place was warned ahead of time, so they weren't completely surprised. It was buffet style with long tables. They all got there food and sat down. Natalia started on a salad and Natasha picked at a slice of pepperoni and olive pizza. "Are you okay?" Jazz asked, looking at her.

"Yeah, just tired," she said finally taking a bite. Natalia winced at the greasiness of it.

"I saw those people talking to the two of you. It must feel so great," Jazz said with a smile.

"Yeah," she said half-heartedly taking another bite of pizza and swallowing it harshly. "You did great too, it must be so much more fun dancing with someone like Anthony, than your sister," Natasha hinted leaning in. Jazz blushed and went back to eating.

Soon everyone boarded the bus talking loudly. Congratulating, stressing, attempting to sleep. It must of been nine at least and they had spent almost the whole day practicing. Natasha leaned against the window. "You okay?" Natalia asked her sister, she looked around.

"It seems like my future's set in stone you know?" she whispered, then chuckled. "Everyone wants me to dance, everyone says I should, but I want to quit. Karova was wrong this just made me feel worse." She leaned her head against the window and Natalia left her alone. She didn't know what to say. Her and Natasha may have looked identical, but they were polar opposites. The only thing they had in common was ballet, without that what was there?

Cars zoomed by on the freeway as the bus chugged along at a steady rate. The twins didn't say a word to each other or to anyone else; they remained mute. The were the blurred lights of the city, but as they went forward Natalia saw a brighter light heading toward them. The driver must have saw it too, he tried to swerve in vain attempt to save the passengers aboard. Within seconds there was impact, everyone screamed she heard someones voice, probably Karova, telling them to remain calm, that's when there was a a second hit. More screams but no warning's telling them to remain calm. Natalia felt a sharp pain in her right knee, the same one she mildly hurt earlier, that's when she looked at her sister.

There was blood on her face. "Tash, are you alright?" she asked. Her sister smiled at her and nodded. "Head wounds always bleed more," she rolled her eyes at her sister and gripped her hand tightly. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

"Hold on," she whispered, as her sister closed her eyes. She felt the pulse in her wrist, it had slowed a little almost like she was going to sleep and her chest lifted in and out at a steady rate.

"Miss?" she heard someone say. It was a paramedic. "Are you hurt?"

"My sister is, she was talking, but she just shut her eyes. Can I go with you?" he took in the girl dressed still in her ballet costume. Skirt and jacket stained with blood and clutching her unconscious sister.

"Yes, but we can't waste any time," he told the girl as he tried to prepare the other to be moved.