"Marinette Dupain-Cheng you are going to be late! Get out of bed!" My mother shouted.

"Mmm...." I mumbled as I covered my head with my pillow. Slowly, I opened my eyes and blinked the sleep away. Lifting my head up, I saw the clock. '7:57 am' it read.

"GAH!" I screamed. I threw away the soft covers and jumped out of bed. Quickly, I grabbed my leotard and tights and ran to the bathroom. I changed as fast as I could, but by the time I got out the clock flashed 8:07. My phone buzzed with text from Alya.

"Where are you?" one said.

"Get over here, class is starting!" said another.

I ran over to the desk my phone was laying on, but tripped over my sweatpants, which I was pulling up over my tights. Fumbling with the password, I finally unlocked the phone and responded, "Running late, be there soon! Ask the teacher to hold class for me!"

"Marinette!" My mother shouted up the stairs.

"Coming!" I responded as I ran down the stairs, pulling my jacket on to my arms.

I grabbed my dance bag, which had been pre-place by my mother at the door, and was about to run out when my mother grabbed my arm and sat me down in the chair at the kitchen table.

"I will not let my daughter go out the door without breakfast!" she said, pinching my cheeks and smiling at me.

"Mom!" I said, pushing her hands away. She placed a bowl of cereal, a croissant, and a glass of vanilla protein shake in front of me. I started eating the food as fast as I could, not wanting to be any later than I already am.

"I checked the class roster, and guess who's in your class again." My mother said.

I dropped my spoon mid scoop. "Not Chloé!" I screamed in distain.

"Oh come on darling, it can't be that bad! Maybe she'll be nicer this year!"

"You haven't met her..." I massaged my temples, already getting a head ache from the memories of the reading and name calling from last summer...

"Come on come on eat up!" My mother encouraged, "You're already late!"

The clock read 8:17 am.

"AH!" I screamed. I scooped a few more spoonfuls of cereal into my mouth and ran to the door, grabbing my dance bag on my way. "Bye mom!" I mumbled through a mouthful of cereal.

-----

I ran up to the giant building, holding onto my dance bag to keep it from falling off my shoulder.

The marquee letters glowed in the soft morning light, spelling out, "les papillons de danse", or, "the dancing butterflies". It was a cheesy name, but the owner of the chain had a thing for butterflies I guess.

I heard a moan and turned to my right. An old man had tripped and fallen over the curb! I ran over and helped him up.

"Thank you young lady." He said as I helped him get to his feet and handed him his cane. He was wearing a red Hawaiian patterned shirt and his grey hair looked like it had retreated from his hair line long ago. He bore a Chinese style mustache and beard that I found familiar, since most of my distant relatives had a similar one.

"No problem." I said with a smile, "Sorry to bother, but do you have the time, sir?"

"Yes," the man looked at his watch, "It's 8:37am."

"I'M SO LATE!" I screamed, "Sorry sir but I have to go!" I waved as I ran back to the dance studio.

Running into the building, I asked the lady at the front desk which studio the summer advanced was in.

"Studio B, but you're half an hour lat-"

"THANK YOU!" I replied before she was done. I ran down the hall past the other studios and threw open the door to studio B.

Everyone turned to look, but soon went back to their conversations. except for two people.

"Oh no...." I muttered under my breath.

"Late again Marinette?" Chloé said, "You're lucky the new teacher isn't here yet. I don't like being my time wasted!"

Chloé Bourgeois was the daughter of the dance studio's manager. She wasn't exactly the best dancer, but her dad made sure she was always front and center. Her father had so much money he could basically bribe any of the teachers to make sure she was the star... and to make sure her enemies were in the back. And I was definitely on her bad side.

"Her father will hear about this." Sabrina said, flipping her orange bob cut hair and giving me a look. Sabrina was Chloé's minion, she followed her everywhere. They were never separated. Once, me and Ayla tried to take their spot in the girls' dressing room so we could have a seat, and not only did they make us move, the next day they out him all over our spots! Everyone hated them, but no one was brave enough to stand up to them.

"Whatever Chloé...." I said, taking off my sweatpants and jacket and taking out my pointe shoes.

"Whatever? Whatever!" Chloé exclaimed. "Oh I'm going to make sure out new teacher, HATES you. Trust me." She flipped her ponytail, making sure it hit my face, and walked away, Sabrina following close behind.

Rolling my eyes, I shoved my street clothes in my bag and rolled through my feet, warming up my shoes. Alya came up to me and gave me a hug.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"I was running late this morning."

"You say that every time!" Alya said with a chuckle.

We had just moved to the middle of the floor to warm up when the door opened.

An old man in a red Hawaiian shirt entered the room. The man I helped earlier this morning?

"I am your new teacher for the summer." The man stated simply, "Call me Master Fu."

The class applauded respectfully. The old man held up a hand to signal silence. "Across the floor. One at a time." he ordered.

Everyone started to get in their normal order for across the floor, (Chloé and Sabrina in front, Alya and I in the back) when Master Fu grabbed my arm, "This young lady will start."

I blushed as everyone stared at me.

Master Fu spoke the combination, not demonstrating like our normal teachers but taking a seat instead.

"Piqué turn en dedans. Soutenu turn to 5th plie. Pirouette en dehors from 5th to fondu on supporting leg, extend working leg 90ᵒ devant. 4 Fouetté turns into 4th position. 5...6...7...8"

I knew as soon as I heard the combo I was about to fail. But I tried anyway.

I made it through the combo until I got to the fouetté turns, I tried to do it, but fell and landed on my butt.

Everyone started laughing.

Just a repeat of last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. I always fell, and everyone always laughed at me. I was tired of it.

I shakily stood up and wiped my eyes.

"Oh look she's crying! Cry baby Marinette!" I heard Chloé shout above the laughter.

I'm done.

I grabbed my bag and ran out of the room. I ran down the hallway towards the bathroom. I could hear the music start up again. They were going on without me. They were going on without me.

I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. I slid down the wall and put my hands over my head. Hot tears streamed down my face and fell into my mouth, salty.

I sobbed as I unzipped my dance bag and bug through the piles of shoes and clothes, looking for my phone, hoping I could text my mom and she would pick me up. But I found something that I wasn't expecting.

A soft black bag with a red picture on it that I didn't recognize was in my bag. "Huh?" I said.

Opening it up, I recognized it as a bag that dance costumes came in. I dumped out its contents onto the bathroom floor.

A red, black spotted sports bra, baggy black capri pants, some red arm bands, red shoes, a red and black hat, some red eye makeup, and a pair of red black spotted earrings.

There was also an envelope.

I picked it up and ripped it open. the letter was written in beautiful calligraphy...

"Dear young lady,

Put on the costume and wait until 9pm. Then go to the back of the storage room of this very dance studio. Behind the costumes you will find a door. Go inside. You will find your destiny. You will even meet someone along the way.

~The Turtle"

The Turtle? Who was that?

Someone...

-----

I put on the costume. I took the eyeshadow and wiped it sloppily across my eyes, forming a mask. I didn't want anyone recognizing me as "cry baby Marinette" in... whatever was behind that door.

Eventually the time ticked by and 9pm came. I knew the studio closed at 7, so I wasn't expecting much, this whole thing was probably just a prank.

I unlocked the bathroom door to be greeted by the darkness of the locked up studio.

Hesitantly, I walked to the storage room and opened the door. The smell of old sweaty ballet tutus filled my senses. Hesitantly, I walked over to the back of the closet. I began to move the old costumes out of the way. Pushing away a crusty old tutu, I saw a door. This must have been the door the person in the letter was talking about. Uncertainly, I turned the door knob....