Seventeen year old Amelia Shepherd was a lot of things, but late wasn't one of those. That was why, of course, she stood outside the studios for School of American Ballet, smoking a cigarette on a rainy, early May morning. Her graduation from the prestigious ballet school was coming soon, contracts would be coming out, and she was hoping for one to the company, New York City Ballet, or any of the million other companies in America and around the world she had auditioned for. Sighing, she squinted up at the sky before dropping her cigarette on the sidewalk and stubbing it out with her scuffed up sandal. Her overflowing dance bag hung over her shoulder and she sighed, turning and heading inside the big building in Lincoln Center. She knew she should be more grateful that she had the opportunity to dance at SAB, but she never knew it would turn into such an obsession like it had. Her older brother and sisters had advanced to actual careers – they were doctors, some were even surgeons, but no, Amelia had to be a ballerina. In fact, she had started insisting upon it after she had won her first Youth American Grand Prix at the age of 10, the same year she had been allowed to buy her first pair of pointe shoes. That was the day ballet had become more than just a hobby; it had become her entire life.

Heading into the dressing room, she checked the time on her iphone and was glad her hair was already pulled back into a neat bun. She quickly changed into old, worn out pink tights and the uniform black leotard required for technique classes, checking to make sure she had the required white for pointe and variations, before heading into the studio and tossing her bag into the corner. She grabbed a bottle of water and took her place at the barre, studying herself in the mirror. Slim body, creamy white skin, raven black hair. Straightening up, she studied herself even more. She could be skinnier, she could do her hair neater. She could improve herself more. She hated that mirror, most of the time.

Darci entered the room and clapped her hands, and the rest of the girls in Advanced Division D ran to their places at the barre as the piano began to play the familiar chords. Amelia held her core tightly as she performed the simple plies that started her mornings. Plie, stretch. Plie, stretch. Grande plie, stretch, cambre forward, cambre back, rise and balance, lower, tendu second, breathe.

The rest of the day crawled by, and by the end of variations class, she wanted to rip off her pointe shoes. They were at that perfectly broken in stage, and she wanted to keep them that way forever. Sitting down on the floor to take a drink of water, she noticed girls were being called in alphabetical order to talk with Peter Martins, the intimidating director of the school, who also doubled as head of the company. Things swam through her mind as she headed to grab her bag, wanting the bottle of pills in there. She needed something to focus as she found the bottle of Adderall, swallowing two this time, despite the fact she'd had two this morning. If she was going to be talking to Peter, she needed to be sharp and focused.

Finally it was her turn. His secretary, Natasha, stood in the doorway, looking for her.

"Amelia Shepherd, please come," she said, and Amelia silently rose, shouldering her bag, her pointe shoes making the only sound in the room – there we only a handful of girls left in the studio. Her heart thudded loudly and she was sure everyone could hear as she was led to Peter's office, deep within the school. Once she arrived, she politely stood quietly in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her, before he looked up at her.

"Ah, Miss Shepherd, always lovely to see you. Please, come in and shut the door." She gave him a smile and shut the door, sitting in one of the leather armchairs in front of his desk. She had only been here a few times before, always for good reasons, but she was nervous. She knew why she was here this time, and she felt her heart rate speed up even more.

"As you know, it's almost the end of the school year. You'll be graduating at the beginning of June from school and from SAB. Everyone's been working hard during their years here, and even harder for the end of year showcase, but some of you in Advanced Division D have been working harder than others," he said. Amelia didn't want to perk up with hope as she listened to him, but part of her wondered if the conversation was going where she thought it was. She nodded quietly as he went on, picking up an envelope.

"We know all of you have been auditioning like crazy all over the world and worrying about getting a place in a company but here at NYCB we'd like to extend an offer to you, Miss Shepherd," he told her, handing her the envelope. She was positive he could hear her heart beating out of her chest now, feeling the blood rush to her ears, her hands positively shaking as she took the envelope and opened it up. Inside was a corps de ballet contract listing her benefits, including salary, and a line to sign her name. She was still trembling as she read everything listed on the few pages, her lips pressed together. There were still three weeks to go at SAB and Professional Children's School, and she had a job lined up. Hastily, she reached for a pen and signed her name with a flourish, before handing the papers back to him with a smile, blinking back tears.

"Thank you, Mr. Martins. It's been an honor training here my entire life, and it's an honor to join your company. It's been my dream since I was a child," she spoke, knowing how robotic and forced it sounded, tumbling from her mouth, but that was the Adderall talking. Her mind was trying to focus but it was swimming, swimming with the thought that she was a member of the New York City Ballet, young and 17 years old and in the corps de ballet. Standing up she shouldered her bag with a warm smile, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Thank you so much for this opportunity," she expressed, her blue eyes wide as she turned to leave, walking down the hall in a daze.

The next three weeks passed in no time. Soon she was walking across the stage at graduation, and the next night she was dancing on stage at Lincoln Center for the last time with the people she had grown up with. Some had also been offered places with the company, but most had been accepted elsewhere, whereas others hadn't been offered a place anywhere. Amelia knew she was one of the lucky few in her class as she got ready for the first piece she was in. Fanfare was crazy and she was one of the leads, but she was looking forward even more to her Sleeping Beauty pas de deux with one of her closest male friends, a guy from England named James. He had been accepted into the Royal and their last performance together was bittersweet.

As they started to dance the rehearsed steps to the music, it was like magic. She had almost always danced with James in her time at SAB; they had been partnered together when they were 13, and luckily had never been separated. As they danced their last pas together, Amelia could feel the magic in the air and she smiled as he lifted her high above his head, bringing her back down for their ending pose. They were the last dance and the crowd went wild, the rest of the dancers from the school coming out to bow with the rest of them….and then it was over.

She was no longer a student being groomed for company life; in a few months she'd be living the company life.

I know, I already have a ballet story, but I really wanted to do one for Omelia since it would be so different! I can include all of her addictions because no ballet dancer would blink an eye, and her relationship with Owen would bring drama :D I hope you guys like this! Time to update other stories now ;)