Rival: A Feuds Novella (The Feuds Series) by Avery Hastings Read Free Book Online Page B

out, I’d still be down in the gallows.” Vera’s nickname for the lowest levels of the orchestra had always made Davis laugh, but not today.
    “Easy for you to say,” she told her friend. “You’re the type to bully, not be bullied.”
    “Hey!”
    “Face it, Vere.” Davis elbowed Vera in the ribs. “You’re kind of a mean girl.”
    “That is absolutely not true,” Vera told her. “I’m just selectively kind and otherwise aloof.”
    The two cracked up again, but Davis knew Vera was right. Davis had to get out of her own head—like she had with Seth—for everything to work out. She was her own worst enemy.
    “She can’t touch you,” Vera told Davis, her voice serious now. “You are ridiculously talented, Davis. You always have been. She’s only trying to get in your head because she’s feeling insecure. That’s always the way it is. You have literally everything going for you. Including …” She waggled her eyebrows.
    “A superhot, smart trainer,” Davis said with a sigh, leaning back.
    “Exactly. And he cares what happens to you.”
    “I hope so.”
    “I know so. And you need to know so, too. Never let them know you’re faking, girl.”
    “I think your confidence comes from being an only child.”
    “I think your lack of confidence comes from the nether regions of hell.” Vera slung an arm over Davis’s shoulders, and the two made their way to the Apex.
    ***
    “
These
are the nether regions of hell,” Davis whispered to herself forty-five minutes later. She was surrounded by screaming things in tutus. Were they human? She thought not. They were whiny and snotty and every single one of them wanted all of her attention but didn’t want to take her advice. Worse, she couldn’t exactly exert authority with their helicopter dance moms hovering around. First position? Nope. Not happening. Pirouette? What a joke. Davis didn’t remember being like this as a kid. Fia certainly wasn’t like this—and Davis herself was a million times better behaved than these kids were. She and Vera both always had been well behaved and driven. But then, these kids were just there to have fun.
    Davis sighed, tired, and shot Vera a look from across the enormous auditorium that was normally used for performances. From the look of it (and the sound of the screeches that the clusters of tiny cellos were emitting), Vera was having just as hard a time as Davis was. Vera also kept sitting down on the edge of the stage, her mouth set in a grim line as she rubbed her temples. Davis suspected dehydration and headache had set in.
    Hangover?
she mouthed at her friend. Vera made a
kill me
gesture and grimaced. Davis felt grateful she’d chugged all that water. Her thoughts went to that morning and her session with Seth. It made her so thrilled it was almost painful. She felt her mouth lift into a smile and realized—as one very adorable girl with dark curls that reminded her of Fia tugged her skirt—that she needed an attitude adjustment. She was trying to force these kids into being serious dancers, but they were just there to have fun.
    “How about this,” Davis told the class. “Let’s all spin in a circle.” She spun, too, ignoring the glares of the parents. “Now point your toes and do a hop,” Davis said, abandoning all formal ballet language. It felt like they were playing a game of Simon Says, but she no longer cared. Soon the kids were laughing, and the parents looked a little more relaxed. She smiled at the Fia look-alike, glad for the inspiration. The little girl gave Davis a big, toothless grin in return. She found herself starting to have fun, too.
    When it was finally over and the parents began filing in to pick up their kids, the little girl—whose name was Adele—was still clinging to Davis like a barnacle. “Where’s your mommy?” Davis asked.
    “My daddy’s there,” Adele said, pointing to the man who strode toward them.
    “Hello,” Davis said when he approached. “I’m Davis