Nurses have been in and out of my room most of the day. My father and I have been at each other's necks since Olivia left. He won, of course. I'm going home. He's already made arrangements with a therapist out there for me. He says most of the classes are online, but not the class that matters to me most. I wish he could see how unfair he was being. He's gone now. I've been alone for the last hour or so. I've been thinking about my life back home. I guess I could go back to my old studio. Mrs. Georgia always told us it was our home and we were always welcomed. I know I'll be miserable there. I've grown so accustomed to the fast paced life here. The people, the energy. It's not like this back home. I also don't know what I'll do without Liv. We've been inseparable since kindergarten. Then of course, Mama. I can't bring myself to even think about that yet. A squeaking door catches my attention. Speak of the devil. Mama walks in carrying flowers. Flowers? She's so sweet. I don't know how to tell her I'm leaving. She sits the flowers on the window sill.

"Those are from the class." She says as she positions them in the sunlight.

I nod. "The class. Right."

She smiles at me like she's been caught.

"We're alone." I say quietly.

Without a word, she kisses me and I swear my heart skips a beat. The kiss ends too quickly.

"Mistress." I whine.

Her eyes are dark. Hungry. She bites her bottom lip and turns away from me. "Have the doctors said anything new?" She asks with her back still turned to me.

"No ma'am. Please come here." I sit up in the bed.

She turns around and comes closer. "Yes baby?"

I grab her hand. "We need to talk." I can't look her in the eyes. I'm so afraid.

"What's wrong?" Her eyebrows draw together in worry.

"My dad is-" I let go of her hand as he walks into the room. He makes eye contact with Mistress. Her gaze is steady. She doesn't look away from him.

"You are?" My dad asks.

"You must be Mr. Galanos. I'm Christine Bell. Katia's dance instructor." She answers as she extends her arm.

He shakes her hand. "Of course you are." He says harshly.

"Excuse me?" Mistress asks.

"You're probably the last person she needs to see. She's not well."

"Dad." I say embarrassed. "She was just bringing flowers from my classmates." I point to the flowers sitting in the sun.

"Well since you're here I should let you know Katia won't be returning."

Miss Bell's face is unchanging. She must have nerves of steel. "Why is that?"

"She's moving back home with me." My father puts his hands in his pockets.

Miss Bell blinks. She looks at me then back to my dad. "I see. I'll be sad to see her go."

Her compliance seems to please my dad. He smiles. "I'm sure."

Why doesn't she care that I'm leaving? The room is spinning and I'm starting to feel dizzy. My stomach is becoming concaved.

"Sir, what is your main concern with Katia staying at school?" Miss Bell asks nonchalantly as she sits down.

"Well she doesn't have anyone here. No family. We don't speak or see each other often enough. I'll never know something is wrong until it's too late obviously." He looks around at the hospital room as if the walls were closing in.

Miss Bell nods. "What if someone here was willing to... supervise Katia for you. Weekly check-ins. Monitoring her intake and mental health."

My dad stares at me. "That would be ideal, but I can't force someone to do that. Especially not at the school, where she spends most of her time."

"I'd do it." Miss Bell volunteers.

My dad looks genuinely surprised. "You would?" He asks.

"I would." She replies.

"Why?" He asks skeptically.

"I don't want to see her go. I see how much she loves dance and school. Your daughter is very very talented. She has good friends here. It would be a shame to see her have to leave all of that because of this mishap."

My dad looks like he might actually be considering it.

"Dad, please." I say.

He puts his hand up to silence me and looks back at Miss Bell. "You would answer to me about any and everything concerning her? I mean if I wanted to know what color her shit was, I'd expect you to tell me. What she eats. If she eats. How much exercise she receives. I want her to go to therapy. These things are non-negotiable."

"I understand." Miss Bell says.

My dad clenches his jaw and turns towards me. He grabs my hand. "Kit Kat?"

I look up at him.

"Don't do this to me ever again." He says quietly.

"I'm sorry Dad." I say.

"Do you want to stay? Are you sure?" He asks.

"I do. I'm sure." I answer quickly and excitedly.

He silently stares at me, mulling it over. He turns back to Mistress. "Miss Bell?"

"Yes?" Her voice is so cool and calm.

"Walk with me? We have things we need to discuss." He says.

"Absolutely." Mistress stands and starts to exit the room with my dad. He walks out before her. She turns her head and sneakily winks at me. The butterflies in my stomach take flight like a jet. I have never been more certain than I am right now, but I love her.

__________________________________

It's been a week seen I've been released from the hospital. I've been taking baby steps when it comes to eating. A piece of fruit here. Oatmeal there. I hate it. I still feel like my body is constantly betraying me but if I want to continue dancing I have to eat something. That was the deal I made with my dad and Mistress. I've had to take it slow with dancing as well. Mistress makes me sit out the strenuous routines in class and I take it easy at Blue Bird rehearsals. I can't wait until I can go full throttle. Mistress found a therapist that my dad approves of and I have to see her twice a week. There's a laceration on my head that my hair sort of hides. It's healing and with any luck it'll leaves a little scar or no scar at all. All in all though it's not the worst case scenario. I could be back home with my dad. That would suck. I walk up the steps and let myself into the house. I kneel and wait. I hear her footsteps. Lately she's been unnecessarily gentle with me like I'll break. We haven't had sex since I've left the hospital.

"Up." She says.

I stand up and she's kisses me softly. "Hi Mistress."

"Hi baby." She kisses me again and her hands caress my body. I arch my back, pressing my body against hers. Then she pulls away. Her eyes search my face. She seems concerned.

"Mistress, I want you." I say. She bites her lip.

"I want you too but-" she stops and looks like she's thinking.

"You're not going to break me. I'm okay." I tell her.

She looks at me long and hard but doesn't say anything.

"Christine." I say.

She feigns surprise. "Oh?"

I giggle. "I'm OKAY I promise."

She nods. "Okay but not down stairs." She says taking my hand.

I thought we would go to my room but she leads me upstairs to a bedroom I've never been in. I look around. This is her room. She sits on the bed and I sit beside her.

"Can I kiss you, Mistress?" I ask.

She smiles and leans in to kiss me. She begins to take my clothes off, slowly, kissing my body as she goes. I've missed this so much. I try not to think about if I look fat or not. She likes the way I look. She obviously thinks I'm desirable. Right? My skin rises in goosebumps under her fingertips. I lay back and watch as she takes her own clothes off. Her body is remarkable. Her hands part my knees and her body fills the gap. She leans down and kisses me again. I love the way her body feels on top of mine. Her lips travel to my neck and she licks me. I tremble. Her hands hungrily grope at my body. Lower. Her mouth against my erect nipples. Yes. She sucks and nibbles. A trail of kisses leading to my center. Her tongue parts my lips and swirls around my little bundle of nerves. I can feel myself creating streams from the pleasure. My body responds to every stroke and brush of her tongue. Her lips, warm and full, wrap around my clit and suck.

"Mmm Mistress." I moan. My hips have a mind of their own. They grind against her mouth as she sucks. Her finger teases my opening. I want it. I want her inside of me. "Please, Mistress." I beg. She slides one finger in. Then another.

"Ahhh. Yes." I moan. Between the sucking and fingering I'm ready to give in. Be a good girl. Be a good girl. Be a good gi-

"Can I cum? Please!"

Her fingers begin to do a come here motion and I almost scream in pleasure.

"Baby. Baby!" I yell. "Please. Can I cum for you?"

With her lips still planted against my throbbing clit, she being to nod her head. Without any hesitation, I release the internal tsunami that is my climax. It comes hard and fast and leaves me shaking. Breathless. Soaking. She climbs back on top of me and kisses my lips. I'm not done. I need to hear her moan my name. I want to please her. I need to. I roll us over leaving me on top. She raises an eyebrow.

"Master." The word sensually slips from my lips.

"Yes?" She purrs.

"Can I have permission to do what I want?"

She gives me a quizzical look then smirks.

I lean down close to her ear and suck her earlobe. I know how much that turns her on. Her body squirms beneath me. "Please." I whisper.

"Yes."

I get off of her. "Get on all fours." I instruct.

She gives me a look of uncertainty but she does it. I spread her legs before sliding my head between them. I pull her down closer to my mouth. My lips graze against her pussy causing her to quiver. Her wetness meets my tongue like morning dew to a flower. I'm always amazed at how much I love the taste of her. I tease her with long slow strokes of my tongue and she moans like I want her to. It's ravenous like a low growl. Like she wants more. More of me. I speed up just a little to satiate her yearning. She sits up on her knees and begins to ride my face. Perfect. She grinds and bucks against my tongue.

"Katiaaa." My name has never sounded better. "Baby." She moans. I squeeze my legs together to soothe the pounding sensation in my pussy. She arches her back and tilts her head back as her elixir fills my mouth. She falls next to me in a glistening heap catching her breath. She's beautiful.

"I love you." My mouth whispers before I have a chance to stop myself.

She turns her head towards me. "What?" She asks. Her chest still rapidly rising and falling.

I repeat my myself a little louder. "I love you."

She smiles. "I love you too."