Kale gazed at her reflection in the mirror, slowly moving her right leg up over her head before spinning into a rapid series of movements. Every single step and twist had been analyzed and landed with a graceful perfection that seemed effortless. The truth was not so simple as it was excruciatingly difficult to do, but that did not matter. What showed mattered, not how one felt. Her mother had taught her that time and time again, and now Kale was being scouted by the New York City ballet company. They were getting serious about making her an offer, a job that would pay her to do the one thing she loved in life. She slowed her movements and stretched to cool down, her deep purple leotard damp with sweat. The studio was empty other than herself, and she quickly stripped and showered in the locker room before slipping on 'normal' clothes.
By the time she walked out the door, she was in skinny jeans that hugged her slender form. For shoes she wore an old pair of ballet slippers, perfect if she burst into dance on the sidewalk. They were too worn out to use in the studio anyway. Her shirt was a plain white tank top, covered by a bright yellow cardigan that fluttered around her. Bright blue eyes framed by dark blonde curls set off her face, though she hadn't bothered with makeup today.
Sliding her small duffel across her body to keep it from being jostled away, she began walking down the sidewalk. First came the courthouse, which was oddly busy for this time of night. Must be a high profile case, she figured. She shrugged and slipped her hands in her pockets, wandering along through the crowd. Her thoughts made her so absentminded that she actually bumped into a girl walking out of a Wendy's. Apologizing quickly and giving the girl a friendly smile, she went on her way and shook her head to clear it. The faint sound of music drew her around a corner, but she paused for a moment at an electronics store. It was one of those old ones, with televisions still in the windows. Right now it was showing clips from Afghanistan, pictures and videos of soldiers fighting for their lives. She sighed and moved on, finding the source of the music to be a boy with a lyre. Interesting, she didn't think anybody played those anymore.
She walked by him and tossed a fifty on top of the pile collecting in front of him. He was talented, but she didn't have time to linger. It was already late enough that she would be met with a scowl. She went on down the sidewalk and stepped around a pair of guys having an obnoxiously loud conversation, rolling her eyes and wondering why people didn't just go sit somewhere instead of forcing people to move around when they had places to be. Men. Go figure. She smiled a bit at the thought and turned another corner, crossing the street and cutting through the park. Along the way she saw a couple girls who she didn't really look at, and before she knew it she was emerging on the other side.
Her steps brought her past a huge row of apartment buildings, most with lit up windows that showed shadows moving around in them of the occupants living their lives. She ran a hand through her hair and ran up the steps of her own apartment building, smiling at the kindly doorman as he opened the glass entrance for her. Crossing the wide marble lobby, she pressed the button for the elevator and waited until it opened, with another man waiting for her to enter. Once she had, he pressed the button for her floor. They all recognized her here, she had lived here with her mother on the twelfth floor for years. She smiled at him as she left the elevator, moving down the wide hallway to her door and unlocking it swiftly before stepping inside.
Her mother was standing right there, one hand on her hip and the other holding a half empty martini glass. Kale ignored her at first, deliberately walking around her and putting her bag in on her bed before walking back out and crossing her arms. Might as well listen so that she could go on with her night.
"You're late. Over an hour late! Supper was cold so I tossed it out. You need to stop pretending that this dancing dream of yours is going to work out and accept reality! You're wasting time! Focus on something that actually matters and go to college!" her mother snapped, tossing out the same words that she had been for over a year. Ever since Kale's father died, her mother hadn't been very accepting of Kale's choice of a career. She saw it as pointless and boring, plus a waste of money. There was no greater evil than wasting money that her mother could be spending on more important things - like make-up and luxurious dinners and new cars to add to the huge garage full they already had upstate.
"The only waste of time I know of is staying here," Kale replied calmly, then walked out of the suite and down the hall. Her mother didn't chase her, didn't yell, didn't do anything. She didn't even call Kale's cell. There was no way she would stoop so low as to demand her own daughter come back. What would the neighbors think of such a thing?
Kale made her way down the several flights of stairs, too agitated to bother waiting for the elevator. She strode across the lobby and out the door, hopping down the steps and beginning her trek down the sidewalk. Time to head downtown and see if she could find something to help her relax.
