I woke up with the feeling of someone being in the room with me.

Sitting up in a rush, I felt a wave of blood go to my head, making the room spin. I groaned and rubbed my temples. There was nobody in the flat. I was panicking for no reason.

Slowly, I eased myself off the bed and walked toward the kitchen. I turned on the kettle, noticing that it was so early my alarm hadn’t even started ringing yet. And still, I was painfully wide awake, which was unusual for me. I was always tired and looking for a spare minute to nap. But now I was excited, filled with renewed energy and determined to make the day a success.

Deciding to ignore what had happened with Tommy, I wanted to focus on what Carina and Amber had been gossiping about instead. Was it really true that a scout had visited one of our rehearsals? The thought offered endless possibilities for fantasies. If it were true, could it be that I was the girl they’d noticed?

It wasn’t impossible. I knew I was Madame’s best dancer. It just really depended on what the scout had been looking for when they walked into that studio.

I had a lot of ambitions, a lot of parts I wanted to play and even more ballets I wanted to star in. The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet… I would’ve loved to be a part of any of them. I lived for the moment someone offered me a lead role, trusting me to perform like I’d always been meant to in front of the crowd. I knew I would come alive with their eyes on me.

I settled down on the sofa bed, a steaming cup of coffee in my hands. The one good thing about my shabby flat was the view.

There was only one window in the whole flat, and it was right across from the sofa bed, next to the TV. It wasn’t spectacular, not by a long shot. I was quite a way off from the real city center. But because I was high up, I could see the buildings below me, giving me a bird’s eye perspective.

Now, I watched dawn take over the buildings below me, the sun coming out to play and lighting up London for my eyes only. I often tried to get up early enough to see it. It was my favorite sight in the world.

My coffee was perfect, and I enjoyed taking slow sips as I got ready for my day. Since I’d woken up a bit earlier, I’d even had enough time to shower and do my hair. I dressed in a black skater-style skirt with a plain white blouse Madame had given me for my birthday. I wore my practice tights underneath to make changing easier for later and threw a leather jacket on top. My hair was already up in a tight bun, and I smoothed it out to make sure it was perfect. Madame hated flyaway hair.

This time, I didn’t have to rush to get to the metro station. I had time to leave in peace and even spritz some perfume on my wrists. As I approached my front door, I saw I’d forgotten to lock it the previous night after Carina had left, and the color drained out of my cheeks.

God, how could I have been so careless? Anyone could have come in, broken into my place and done God knows what to me. I had completely forgotten about the locks after Carina left. I could never let it happen again. Madame would kill me if she found out.

I made extra sure to lock the door behind me and fussed the entire tube ride. I was paranoid she’d somehow find out, and I knew Madame knew how to dole out the punishments. The worst thing would be if she forbade me from coming to practice, especially if the rumors were true… I couldn’t be absent if the scout was around.

Madame sometimes felt more like a guardian than just my teacher. She made sure I was always safe and alert, and I was grateful for her help, but other times she was overbearing. At the same time though, she wasn’t loving or affectionate in the slightest, and I didn’t understand it. Moments like that made me miss Mummy more than ever.

I walked out of the station without a creepy echo or the sound of footsteps following me this time around. Instead, I arrived in the studio to find cars parked in front of it, my heartbeat picking up right away. I got inside, straight through the dressing rooms and into the studio. There was a man and a woman there, along with Madame, and my heart jumped hopefully. Could these be the scouts Amber and Carina were talking about?

“Hello,” I called out, dashing into the room slowly.

My boots sounded heavy on the floor, and Madame glared at me, making me blush. I knew better than to wear shoes into the studio. But the man and woman were wearing boots too, so she didn’t say a word, and I counted my lucky stars.

“Harlow,” Madame said with her lips pursed. “Please come here.”

I eyed the couple standing by her. The woman was short and pretty, with her hair up in a bun like mine. She had plump lips, and her dark skin looked beautiful against the pantsuit she was wearing. But she was scowling, and so was the man—a tall, balding guy with a sour expression and wearing a cheap-looking pinstripe suit.

“What’s going on?” I asked, smiling at them both.

But their expressions remained grim, and I turned to Madame for guidance. For once, she didn’t seem able to meet my eyes. She averted her gaze and cleared her throat, and it made me fidget nervously. What on earth was going on?

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“It appears that…” Madame cleared her throat again as if overcome with emotion she was refusing to show. “It appears something happened in the back alley behind the studio last night.”

“What?” I asked breathlessly, looking from one of them to another. Now, they were all averting their gazes, except for the woman, who kept judging me with her eyes, as if trying to find something out. “What’s happened? Is everything all right?”

“It’s… it’s not,” Madame went on. “Someone was murdered last night.”

“Murdered?”

We all turned towards the direction of the voice, watching Carina walk into the room.

Her expression was keen with interest, and she loudly popped her bubblegum before winking at me. She looked like a different woman than last night, the tears long gone and no blotchy, red-rimmed eyes to show for it. She was as beautiful as ever, and she held her head high as she watched the couple with Madame.

“Someone got shanked?” she asked.

“Carina!” Madame snapped, raising a hand in warning.

I noticed it shook and wondered what on earth had actually happened. Madame rarely showed any emotion whatsoever, but Carina was treating this so carelessly, as if the news wasn’t shocking in the slightest, and as if she didn’t even care. I was at a loss for words myself, and I just wanted to know what exactly had happened last night.

“Are you police?” I asked the couple, and the man nodded briskly before pulling out a notepad.

“Where were you yesterday evening, Miss… Harlow, was it?” he asked, and I blanched.

“I was at home,” I said, the surprise evident in my voice. “Where else would I be?”

“And what about you?” the woman asked Carina. “Where were you?”

“I visited Harlow,” she said, and I nodded when our eyes met. “And then I spent the night at her flat. Isn’t that right, Harlow?”

I stared at her, processing her words with shock.

What was she saying?

She’d left after midnight, and we both knew it. But her eyes were on mine, imploring me to lie for her. What kind of friend are you, she asked silently, shooting daggers at me.

“Y-yes,” I muttered. “We were together.”

“I took the tube after leaving Harlow’s,” she said, shrugging. “You know, I need longer to get ready. This doesn’t happen by itself.”

She motioned to herself and giggled while we all stood there uncomfortably. She was hiding something, and it made me sick with worry. But just thinking of our conversation the previous night, I knew I couldn’t bring it up. She was in a bad enough place already.

“Who died?” I whispered towards the policewoman. She seemed the more reasonable out of the two. “You said someone was murdered… Who was it?”

“Thomas Paddington,” she said, her face emotionless. “You knew him?”

Thomas.

Tommy…

The boy I had watched only a day ago, feeling disillusioned with my crush after he’d been so rude to me.

“I…,” I whispered, looking to Carina for support.

She was next to me in seconds, linking her arm through mine, her own face grave as the policewoman delivered the news.

“He was strangled,” the woman said. “In the back alley behind the studio. A passerby, someone who was jogging, found his body early this morning. We’ve already sectioned off the crime scene, so there will be an influx of police officers around here. I’m Detective Bellows, by the way. I would like to ask you both some questions.”

“Of course,” Carina said, squeezing my arm. “We’ll be ready to answer anything you need to know.”

“Now,” Madame cut in, “this is sad news for all of us. But we have the practice to get on with, so if you’ll excuse us, Detectives.”

I stared at her incredulously as she dismissed the couple. Surely she couldn’t be serious? Were we really supposed to dance right beside the spot where one of our own had lost his life just hours earlier?

Madame stared at me, her fiery eyes filled with determination.

“Well?” she asked once the detectives left the room. “What are you waiting for? Get ready!”

She shooed us out of the studio, and Carina and I joined the other girls in the dressing rooms. The place was filling up now, girls getting ready for our morning practice. There were whispers, rumors spreading around the room, and the girls gossiped like it was nobody’s business. Carina wouldn’t let any of them near me though, not even Amber. It was a good thing because I was completely shell-shocked by the news.

Moments before practice began, Carina pulled me aside into the bathroom and looked around to make sure we were alone.

“I’m sorry I made you lie for me,” she whispered, and a huge weight fell off my shoulders.

So here it was, the explanation, the acknowledgment that she had indeed made me lie for her. I was relieved that she brought it up because I was too embarrassed to say anything myself, especially after the news she’d told me the previous evening.

“I…” She fidgeted nervously with the fabric of her leotard. No tutus that day, only tights and leotards along with our ballet shoes, and our hair up and held back tightly with bobby pins and elastics. “I went to see the father last night.”

“You did?” I asked, covering my mouth with my hand. “What did he say?”

Once again, my curiosity about the father took over. I was ashamed, worried I wasn’t being a very good friend because I was thinking about it, but I couldn’t help wondering.

“The usual,” she replied bitterly. “That I should get rid of the baby.”

“Oh, Carina,” I whispered, pulling her in for a hug. She responded eagerly, and I held her for a few precious seconds before she pulled away, a brave smile on her face. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said, waving a hand as if it were nothing. “I just didn’t want Madame to know that I’m, you know…”

I nodded.

“I will tell her eventually,” she explained. “But I don’t want her to know just yet. Especially with those scout rumors floating around, you know?”

“I understand.” I squeezed her hand. “And don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

We exchanged conspiratorial smiles, and for once, I felt like I had a true friend. Maybe things would change for the better now that Carina had shared her secret with me.

After we’d gotten ready for practice, we entered the studio, whispers flying around when we saw another woman standing with Madame. I recognized her vaguely—she’d been to the studio the previous week.

“Girls,” Madame said sternly. “This is Bella Perkins. She works with the Estate Theater. They’re putting on a performance of The Nutcracker.”

My heart soared when her eyes zeroed in on mine. Could this really be happening?

“Mrs. Perkins has found two promising talents amongst our very own,” Madame went on. “Harlow and Carina, will you please step forward?”

There were gasps and clapping, disappointed sobs, and even a cry or two as we made our way to Madame and Mrs. Perkins. I felt delirious, the happiness so overwhelming it almost knocked me out, but mixing with sadness when I thought about Tommy being gone.

“We would love to have you dance in our ballet,” Mrs. Perkins said with a bright smile, shaking hands with Carina and me. “Would you like to join the team?”

Carina shrieked with excitement, making everyone laugh, and I just smiled, nodding slowly.

My dreams were coming true after all.