Chapter Text
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
London, England 2017 (Present)
Thunderous applause filled her ears while she curtsied. Casey felt a flower hit the toe of her pointe shoe as she continued smiling.
Casey rose and went to her spot on the stage to take her final bows with the rest of the performers. It was London’s Royal Opera House opening performance of Swan Lake, and Casey was thrilled to be playing Odette the Swan Princess.
Casey was also playing Odile, in the story Odile and Odette looked so much alike that they were mistaken for each other.
She was the Royal Ballet’s most principal dancer, her toes bled, her feet were calloused and her muscles were always sore but all in all she decided a little pain for fifteen seconds of fame was worth it. Exiting the stage she nearly fell over as she was bombarded with hugs from the cast.
“Good job Case!”
“You looked fantastic!’
“Sensational, Casey!”
Casey felt slightly overwhelmed, she pushed through to the dressing room looking forward to having a nice glass of Coca-Cola, a large truffle pizza and scrubbing every last bit of makeup off her face.
Casey’s twin sister Miranda walked in moments later and handed over her iPhone and a bag of flaming hot Cheetos.
“I am so thankful that you exist.” Casey said, throwing her arms around Max.
“You were wonderful, you looked like royalty.”
“Don’t tell the actual Queen that Maxy.” The sisters shared glances and giggled. “Would you mind helping me out of this?” Casey gestured to her white tutu and looked down at her brand new pale pink pointe shoes.
Max got to work unhooking Casey out of her tutu, while Casey untied the tight knots on her shoes, ribbons running through her fingers like silk.
After changing back into her Royal Ballet sweatpants and sweatshirt, Casey hooked arms with Max so they could go hang up her costume and greet their parents. Cheers of praise continued to follow Casey as she spotted her Mother, Father and Grandma Elaine by the exit.
Casey gave her Grandmother a hug and her mom presented her with a bouquet of roses. Both her Grandmother and Father gave her words of congratulations and praise.
“You were sensational Casey, darling! Now where do you want to go to dinner?”
Casey and Max glanced at each other both thinking the same thing. Casey named off her favorite Italian restaurant, located in the Mayfair area, which had mouth watering truffle pizza and rich red wine to die for.
They took a cab to the bustling restaurant, engulfed with people, the group was led down a spiral staircase to the downstairs area. Casey closed her eyes and inhaled smelling warm oven baked flatbread, and smooth truffle oil.
Talk about the performance began once more.
“I feel like I stumbled a bit on my fouette turns,” Casey stated. The family looked at her with their mouths gaped open like fish.
“That is nonsense Casey, absolute nonsense! You were wonderful, your dancing was magical.” Grandma Elaine exclaimed, her bright blue eyes lit up. The rest nodded in agreement.
Casey smiled to herself and ripped a piece of freshly baked bread, smothering it in olive oil and parmesan cheese. Fresh olive oil and cheese overcame Casey’s tastebuds, she closed her eyes with euphoria.
After dinner and her chocolate mousse dessert, Casey’s stomach ached. Max grinned from ear to ear as they passed one of their favorite clubs, which of course was bouncing with music and sweaty bodies pressed together.
“We need to hit up the club one of these days Case,” Max gestured over to it.
“Of course. When I’m done with my shows we can go.” Max nodded in agreement. Upon clambering into the cab Casey passed out from exhaustion, dreaming of dark clouds and red flags.
The next morning was chaotic to say the least. Right when she woke up, Casey could not find her pointe shoes, ballet slippers and makeup bag as she had taken out her brushes to clean them.
“Max? Have you seen my pointe shoes and makeup bag?” she called out in her twins’ room.
“Yep, they’re right here,” she held up her blue bag for her ballet shoes and her rose gold makeup bag. “Mum left it by door since you were so tired, I held onto it for you.”
“Thanks Max!” Casey gave her a hug and grabbed her stuff, looking at her phone which said it was already 7 o’clock. “Bugger! I have to be there in an hour!” she scratched her bleach blond hair and ran off to the bathroom, nearly knocking over Grandma Elaine in the process.
Casey applied a heavy layer of Urban Decay foundation and concealer, Maybelline powder, blush, eyeliner and mascara. Ultimately, she decided to let Max or her best friend Maeve apply her lipstick before she went on stage for the 2 o’clock show.
Grabbing a brush, bobby pins, hairspray, and a hairnet she set to work combing her mangled up mid length, bleach blonde hair from the night previous. Finally, she was able to tie it up into a high pointy tail and braid it into a tight and secure bun.
She ran back to her room and threw her shoes and makeup bag into her ballet bag, then grabbing her nude leotard and a pair of tights to finish getting ready. Covering up in her sweat pants and sweatshirt she deemed herself ready to go.
“Max! Let’s go!” she called from outside the door to their flat.
“Coming!”
With that Casey ran down the stairs as fast as she could, with Max joining her moments later. When they arrived at the studio, with a minute to spare at that, Casey threw her bag down in the dressing and quickly yanked on her slippers so she could go to warm ups and stretching class.
“Bloody hell Casey, you really cut it this time,” Christine her frenemy and understudy for Princess Odette snickered. Christine gave her a once over and threw her leg up against the wall for a split. Casey looked around for her best friend Maeve and prayed that Christine would break her leg or fall over.
To her avail neither of those things occurred and Maeve walked in a moment later flushed and breathless, she was the one barely cutting it.
Casey walked up and kneeled down beside her friend who was putting on her own ballet slippers.
“Maeve, if Sergey had been here I can guarantee Gretchen would’ve attempted to steal your part,” she whispered. Maeve was playing the Queen Mother and other characters.
Gretchen was Christine’s best friend, Maeve's understudy, and by far one of the worst dancers of the company.
“Casey, how do you not let it get to you?”
“I pretend a lot of shit doesn’t get to me. Christine was over there complaining how I walked in late, she kicked up her leg against the wall. I simply willed her to fall over.” At that, Maeve giggled which turned into a laugh. Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed in the studio. Sergey had arrived.
“Ok ladies!” he bellowed in a heavy Russian accent. “We are doing a regular warm up, plie, pique, ronde de jambe, grande j'te, saute, you know the drill now move it!”
The girl’s quickly moved over to the barre area and the pianist, Maria, began to play. They moved through warm ups quickly, and before she knew it they were onto exercises on pointe.
An hour and a half later they went onto the stretching portion of the class. Casey could feel every last muscle crack and pop as she slid down into a split.
Thankfully, Sergey didn’t come to push her hips even more square than they were, but he went over to lift up Christine’s leg. Casey saw her wince slightly in pain and she and Maeve both shared a slight grin of satisfaction.
During a fifteen minute break after class, Casey felt her stomach flutter with butterflies, she had to go rehearse and clean up some of her movements with her male partner Alfie.
Alfie played Odette’s lover Prince Siegfried. He was slightly an asshole, his palms were always sweaty which bothered her a bit, she had also never seen him smile.
Casey drank some water and powdered her sweaty face in the bathroom before returning to the studio.
Galina, Sergey’s wife was there speaking with Maria the pianist with a heavy Russian accent, while Alfie stretched out. Casey in the meantime laced up her pointe shoes. Galina turned around to face the duo.
“Now Alfie, we need to work on the fish dives both low and when Casey does an arabesque. You also need to hold her much lighter when she does her finger turns hold her much tighter than you did last night and she won’t be able to move.”
Galina smiled at Casey, she absolutely adored her, almost like a daughter. Galina was never able to conceive children, so she treated her favorites in the company as her own.
Casey and Alfie practiced the movements Galina had mentioned at least thirty times before they did a run through of the more complicated scenes.
After what felt like the millionth time practicing, Casey saw Galina smile so big her teeth were showing. Galina clapped and did a slight jump.
Casey was taken aback as it was unusual for such a reserved woman to do something so excitedly.
“Yes! That is it! Hold her exactly like that Alfie!” Casey let out a sigh, thankful that they had finally mastered the pas de deux, she looked up at the clock and saw there were thirty minutes till call time.
Casey gestured towards the door and Galina gave her a nod. Casey ran as fast as she could in her pointe shoes towards the dressing room. Outside the dressing room Max stood with Casey’s ballet bag and bag with her costume.
“Common sister you have a show to do!” Max declared grabbing Casey’s hand so they could go finish her hair, makeup and put her costume on.
Max set in the last of her hair decorations, Maeve helped finish off touching up her eyeshadow, and Galina came over to help tie her shoes as tight as possible.
Casey rose up and made sure her white tutu was set before heading over to backstage.
The symphony began to play, the stage was dark as Casey did a polonaise step out onto it pausing towards the center and taking her position.
Soon, the pas de quatre dance with the four swans came up and she was reunited with Maeve. This was both of their favorite dances in the show.
Casey ran backstage to do a quick change into her black leotard for the pas de deux with Alfie. She couldn’t deny her nervousness. Max rushed her over to help her change and gave her a push to go back towards the stage area.
All of the sudden Casey was sidetracked by a bright light coming to the left of backstage. It can’t be she thought all of the lights are supposed to be off, she wondered if the audience could see the light.
Casey walked towards it, her curiosity was piqued. She was about to turn around, since her queue to return to the stage had begun, when all of the sudden a force pulled her.
Casey tripped and reached her right arm out, she could only feel herself falling.