Page 21 of The Bittersweet Bond

“There will be some dancers given the opportunity to earn the lead roles,” Mrs. Wagner continued. “Two dancers will come from this group.”

Evin’s pulse quickened.Two.That wasn’t many, and the pressure became palpable. She knew she had to outshine everyone if she wanted even the slightest chance of being cast as Nikiya.

Mrs. Wagner’s eyes swept across the room, scrutinizing each dancer critically.

“You will study the choreography and have one month to rehearse. Those who can convincingly portray the emotions demanded by this piece will earn roles as Nikiya, Solor, or Gamzatti. These are not roles I assign out of favoritism. You must earn them.”

Evin felt her stomach tighten. This wasn’t a game. It was a ruthless competition.

If she wanted the role, she had to give it everything she had—while somehow suppressing the inner turmoil brought on by Bas and the past few weeks.

“Nele and Evin,” Mrs. Wagner suddenly called out. “You are the two from this group. Evin, you have the talent and the expression this role demands. But you will need to work on yourself. Your technique needs to be sharper, but that’s achievable. However,” she added, her gaze critically assessing Evin’s body, “you might want to lay off the burgers for a while.”

Evin’s heart froze as Mrs. Wagner’s words hung in the air.

5'6". 136 pounds.

She knew she was curvier than the other dancers. Her hips, the curve of her waist—things she might have considered beautiful outside the ballet world—were seen as weaknesses here. A body that didn’t perfectly fit the rigid mold of a ballerina was a burden she had carried since puberty.

“Nikiya must be light,” Mrs. Wagner continued. “Graceful. Understood?”

Evin nodded without really looking up. Light. Graceful.

All she could think was:I have to make this work. Lose weight. Eat less. Train harder.There was no other option. If she wanted this role, she knew exactly what it would cost her.

As she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she analyzed every inch of her body, noting where she thought there was too much.

Chapter 5

Nothing But Ruins

Evin

When Evin left the studio with slumped shoulders, Mrs. Wagner’s words were echoing in her mind.

A few less burgers. She hadn’t looked down when the teacher said it, but now she couldn’t stop glancing at her reflection in the glass windows, taking in every inch of her silhouette.

She had changed quickly, avoiding too much interaction with the other girls, and had hurried outside. The crisp, almost cool air prickled her skin, but it didn’t ease the tension clawing at her chest. There was no way around it—she had to pull herself together. This was her shot.

When she got home, her room greeted her with complete chaos. Evin threw her bag onto her chair and stood in the middle of the mess instead of collapsing onto her bed. “Ugh.” Her half-packed suitcase sat open on the floor. Tomorrow morning, the class was leaving for their field trip, and she hadn’t even started packing properly.

Theclass was heading to Mission Santa Esperanza—a place steeped in history and impressive ruins, as their history teacher had put it. “A glimpse into the past,” he’d said. But Evin found the idea ironic. Her own life felt like ruins right now.Maybe I’ll fit right in,she thought sarcastically as she sifted through the pile of freshly laundered clothes she still had to pack.

The silence in the apartment swallowed her up, letting her thoughts drift back to Bas. The fight with him, his cutting words—it was like he was pulling further away from her every time. She could still feel the sting, but this time, it was different. There was anger in the mix, blended with a quiet resignation as she folded her clothes and placed them neatly into the suitcase.

Her suitcase, battered and scuffed from years of travel, looked as worn out as she felt. As she methodically packed, her mind kept drifting.

It was the day after the party, and Bas had been distant from the start. He hadn’t replied to a single one of her messages. At school, she’d tried to ignore him, but his coldness was impossible to overlook. By the end of lunch, she’d had enough and cornered him in an empty hallway.

“Bas, we need to talk,” she’d said, following him as he tried to walk away. But before she could say more, he turned around, his eyes cold and distant.

“Talk?” His laugh was sharp, hollow. “Now you want to talk? After all that?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Evin’s stomach twisted. She knew he was hurt, but she hadn’t expected this.

“You’ve got some nerve,” he hissed, eyes flicking away like he couldn’t even look at her. “First us, then Ben? You really think I’d just sit back and take that?”

His voice was quiet but razor-sharp. Evin took a step back. “Nothing happened with Ben. We were just talking! You know I’m not into him.”

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