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"Had fun last night?"

Camille, fresh out of bed and into her leotard, stared at Jonas in a mixture of perplexment and horror. "What do you mean?" Reg and she had enjoyed themselves during the WooHoo, but they weren't THAT loud. At least, she hoped they were not.

"Hannah told me you and Reg were up all night giggling about stuff."

That bitch. "We were just talking."

"Hope you had a fun 'talk' then!" Jonas cackled.

Camille turned red. She knew who she was going to be having a word with in a few minutes.

"What did I DO to you, Hannah?" Camille was furious, confronting Hannah not long after. "I don't understand! Why are you spilling my tea to everyone now??!"

"Do you know how long I've WORKED for this opportunity?! My family lives in a trailer, for fuck's sake. We don't even have a HOUSE, let alone money to pay for ballet school; Sadie and I are here on SCHOLARSHIPS."

Camille paused; her eyes sunk with remorse. She had never knew this about Hannah.

"I've worked my ASS off ever since I knew how to walk just to provide for MYSELF, FOR MY FAMILY, and people like you who aren't even that good can just swoop on in and take that all away!"

"So you've decided to ruin my life because of that...? How did you even know Reg and I were hanging out in the first place?! Don't use your sob story to make me pity you."

Hannah grinned, a wild look in her eyes.

"...maybe next time, Camille, think twice before you try to sneak into my room after having sex."

The light went out of Camille's own. She hadn't even remembered stumbling into the wrong room after the WooHoo; she was too tired that night to.

She left without a word.

After some quick drills that morning, Ms. Myra gathered everyone together for a talk. Camille tried her best to shake off Hannah's comments. She had to be more careful now more than ever; eyes were constantly on her.

"On behalf of the entire Global Ballet Project staff," Ms. Myra began. "I would like to thank each and every one of you for such an amazing week together. I've said this before, but I'll say it again: this has been one of the best classes I have ever taught."

"Whether it be Sadie's kindness, Hannah's determination, Jonas's spirit, Reg's serenity, or Camille's generosity, whether you decide to go pro, stay on a local level, or simply pursue ballet as a hobby in the future, you all will go on to do amazing things."

"Let's make the most of this final day, all! Pack your bags, say your goodbyes, and we'll head out to one last trip together!"

Camille went to clear her head by doing the very thing she had done the night before: going on a walk. She passed by the Eiffel Tower one last time, wishing she could stay for a little bit longer. France had taught her so much.

"Camille, wait!"

"Jonas?"

Jonas ran after her, panting. "I- where are you going?"

"Nowhere much. Just..." Camille looked away. "Walking. Thinking. I'm gonna miss this place."

"My parents used to take my older sister and I to France all the time back when our family was smaller." Jonas closed his eyes and inhaled. "This is the first time I've been since I was a toddler. I missed this air."

Camille copied Jonas and closed her eyes, taking in the sweet scent. "It's... amazing." She had never truly noticed how crisp the atmosphere was.

"I wanted to thank you for that pick-me-up you have to me yesterday." Jonas smiled. "It may have seemed lame, but it really did mean a lot to me."

"Aww, no problem, Jojo."

"Jojo?" Jonas raised an eyebrow playfully. "we're doing nicknames now, Cammy?"

Camille laughed. "That's what my mom calls me!" Jonas laughed too. Then, things went silent for a few moments.

"I better go pack my stuff." Jonas turned around, starting to jog back to the hotel. I'm super behind on it."

"Jonas, wait."

Jonas turned around, confused. "Yeah, what's poppi-"

She couldn't help herself. "Love you, Jojo."

Camille's time in France ended with her going roller-skating with the rest of the students. She felt at peace rolling around, even if she wasn't that good at it. Being in France had given her everything she needed: new friends, a newfound sense of confidence, even a boyfriend (or two?) It was complicated.

It wasn't perfect one hundred percent of the time, but it was still an experience she would not forget, nor did she regret.

She caught the flight home just a few hours later.

...

"CAMILLE! YOU'RE HOME!"

It was late at night that the flight landed in Brindleton Bay, and when the taxi drove Camille from there back to Newcrest, Teo was right there waiting for her. "Dad!" Camille embraced her father. "I've missed you so much!"

"How was it? Did you bring any souvenirs?"

"Let me unpack first, Daddy! And where's Peaches? I have to say hi to my fur baby!"

"Aww, Peaches, my cutie-patootie, I've missed you! Wait until I tell you all about my adventures!"

"Cam, they posted you on Simstagram with the other dancers! Check it out!"

"Since when have you had Simstagram, Zhuri? And since when have you been so... TALL? You're taller than me now!"

In the midst of all of the hugs and all of the "Welcome back!" greetings, Camille swore to herself not to tell them about the two boys, the mean girl, and certainly not the WooHoo. All things considered, to them, she had left as Camille and came back as the same Camille- just way better at ballet.

Some things in France had to stay in France.

"URRRRP!"

The last full day in France came to an eventful start for Camille. She never did end up having he 'special time' with Reg after they kissed. Instead, all night she had been dealing with the aftereffects of accidentally having spoiled leftovers for dinner that previous night.

"I'm never having escargot agai- URRRRRRP!"

Nevertheless, Camille continued to practice. Today was the day of the showcase, after all! The show must go on (even with an upset stomach).

At least, it went on until...

"Hey there, Ms. Pukes-A-Lot."

"Hannah, I am NOT in the mood."

"But you ARE in the mood to practice after what you ate yesterday night!?" Hannah cackled. "We ALL heard you vomiting, Camille."

"I'm not contagious or anything- I just ate some bad food." She took a deep breath. "I'm still feeling good enough to perform tonight."

"Checks out." Hanah rolled her eyes. "It wasn't like you were going to do anything impressive anyhow."

Before Camille could jump Hannah, she felt her phone ringing besides her. She stepped away before someone got hurt.

Lo and behold, it was Everett! "Everett, hi, happy birthday! I'm sorry I couldn't make be there for your graduation, but I'll be sending you a present when I can!"

"That voice in the back? Oh, just ignore her. It's just a heap of trash on the floor."

After another morning full of practice (with Reg cheering her on, of course), Camille made her way back inside to find Jonas working out on the treadmill.

"Working on ces muscles, huh, Jonas?"

Jonas turned crimson red. "I- uh-"

"Don't worry." Camille's eyes were dead-locked on his muscles. "You look breathtaking just the way you are."

"I do...? Wait-" Jonas smiled. "I do!"

"Want me to whisper it into your ear?"

Jonas leaned in. Camille came closer and said softly in his ear, "You look breathtaking."

Reg and she had never made things official. Sure, they had kissed a couple times, but it wasn't like they were boyfriend and girlfriend. He would have asked her, or made another, stronger implication of his intentions.

She wasn't cheating, Camille repeated over and over to herself. Just... exploring.

"That Camille girl is getting on my last nerves." Hannah grumbled to Sadie. "Every day she magically gets what SHE wants; it's like she's the main character of a Tumblr blog or something!"

"But Hannah, it doesn't help that you're acting like an entire jerk towards her."

"She DESERVES it!"

"She's been spending a lot more time with Reg lately." Sadie lowered her voice. "I think they're a... thing."

"Reg?" Hannah raised an eyebrow.

"But... I just saw her inside with JONAS!"

Sadie shrugged. "I guess we'll find out officially who she chose at tonight's showcase."

...

"Welcome, students, to the annual Global Ballet Project Showcase! Tonight, you will be showing off all of the skills you have acquired throughout the duration of this trip. I cannot wait to see your performances, and I'm especially proud of the four students who chose to do the optional duet as well!"

"Let's start off with our only sole soloist of the night, Sadie Villanueva!"

"And next, her sister, Hannah Villanueva!"

As the boys took their own turns, Camille filled up with a sense of both nervousness and excitement. She hadn't spent all of those hours performing and practicing just to be mediocre at the end of the day. She hoped that she hadn't wasted her time, her parents' money.

"And last, but certainly not least, give it up for Camille Erickson!"

...

"And now, time for the two duets you all chose to do. First up, we have Camille Erickson and Reginald Natilla!"

Dancing with Reg made Camille feel all fluttery inside. He moved with such gentle grace, even if he seemed rough on the outside. He was so careful with her, yet so daring at the same time, and that combination was beautiful.

"Finally, give it up for Hannah Villanueva and Jonas Kante!"

Seeing Hannah dancing with Jonas filled Camille with a sort of... jealousy? She had Reg already; she was never going to be lonely. But yet, she desired him as well. It was a weird feeling, an unsatisfying one.

But there was no time to worry about her feelings; Ms. Myra had some comments on the dances. "You all did fantastic!" She cheered. "Well done! I've been hosting the Project for years now; these have been some of the best performances I have ever seen."

Camille stared at the Eiffel Tower right in front of the hotel. She had to clear her mind. She knew what she had to do.

She spent the final night in France walking its beautiful streets, taking photos, enjoying the last bit of freedom she had.

She touched her pocket. The condoms she had purchased at the drug store that previous night were still there.

"Reg? Reg...? REG!"

"GAH!" Reg shot up from his bed. "Camille, seriously?!"

"I can't sleep! Can we talk a bit?"

Reg yawned. "Sure..."

"...only if you face the wrath of the TICKLE MONSTER for disrupting my sleep!"

"AHH, REG!" Camille squealed, writhing around and around as she was attacked. "Stop, stop!" She laughed hysterically. By the time he finally did, her chest was killing her and she was breathing heavily, but she had never felt so free at the same time.

"So... why did you really wake me up? Because I know it wasn't just for that tickle fight."

"I was wondering if you..." Camille blushed. "I mean, I really like how we've gotten closer these past few days.

"I love you too, Camille." Reg smiled. "I haven't felt this kind of love since my dad." Reg looked up at the ceiling. "I know he's staring back down, proud of whatever I'm doing.

"If I can ask," Camille hesitated. "How did he pass? You mentioned he was in the Army; was he killed in combat?"

Reg didn't respond at first. Then, he shook his head somberly. "He took a lot of pills."

"Oh."

The room went silent.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

Reg was quiet.

"I was wondering if we could..." She shifted in her seat; that all-too familiar rustle could be heard in her pocket. "If you wanted to..."

Reg knew what she was asking right away; forgetting about Camille's question, he raised his brow. "First time?"

Camille nodded sheepishly.

"Don't worry- technically mine too."

"What do you mean technically?"

"It doesn't matter; aqua WooHoo is always the best. And besides..."

"Who needs the pool when we have the shower?"

"Good morning, Camille!" Reg saw his new friend moping around in the bathroom. "What's on your mind?"

"Morning, Reg." Camille forced a smile on her face. "I'm fine- just feeling a bit homesick, I guess." The truth was, that first night away from home had been tough. Camille realized that being away from home wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.

"I get it. This place is really different from home." Reg placed a hand on Camille's shoulder. "You've got us, though. Well, most of us." He remembered Hannah.

"That reminds me," Camille handed Reg a box. "Here are the pictures we took yesterday. I cleaned them up and figured you'd want to keep a few of them for memories."

"Aw, Cam, this is great! Thank you so much!"

Seeing Reg so happy filled Camille up with a sense of joy herself. She thought to herself that mybe, today would be a great day after all.

And great it was. Here are some pictures of Camille's first full day of the trip, filled with practicing, a trip to the Eiffel Tower, and finally, dinner!

Saturday started off with an early morning trip to a cafe, where the students practiced their routines for the showcase the following day outside.

After, they decided to have some fun at the pool. "Coming down!"

"WHEEEEE!"

"You're a good swimmer, Camille! How long have you been swimming for?"

"I learned when I was a kid; my uncle taught me how."

"You know, you'd make a good instructor." Reg grinned. "You'll get to wear that swimsuit more often too."

Camille blushed. The two got closer. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Thanks, m'lady."

Camille blushed even more profusely. "I-"

Before she could stop herself, Camille was kissing Reg. They stayed in that kiss for a while.

Reg parted lips with Camille gently, staring in her eyes, pure teenage love swimming in his own. "I better get going to dinner. See you tonight, m'lady. Maybe we can have some fun together."

Camille was left standing there, still trying to process what had just taken place. Maybe we can have some fun together.

She pulled out her phone and searched up: "local drug stores near me." "condoms."

My parents would kill me for this...

After a week of anticipation, the day had come. The bags had been packed. Bluebell has been fully fed. It was finally time for Camille to go on her first solo trip away from home to France.

Lancelot and Toni had already come over to bed farewell. Everett had stayed home. He had an appointment with the psychologist Lancelot had booked for him that day.

Before she left, the family had a mini early birthday party for the twins since Camille wouldn't be around for the actual day. Teo even made a special burger cake to celebrate. "Happy early birthday, kiddos! Make a wish!"

"I wish... for Cammy-Cam to have the BESTEST time in France EVER! Oh, and to come back with LOADS of chocolate."

After the 'party' had ended, Teo helped Camille pack her bags into the taxi she was taking to the airport and hugged her goodbye. "Bon voyage, Camille. Have an amazing time in France. We're gonna miss you around here."

"I'll miss you too, Daddy." Tears prickled in Camille's eyes. She blinked them away stubbornly. "Tell Auntie Vienna I said happy birthday. And Everett, too."

"Remember to have lots of fun, make new friends, and to be good."

"I'm always good, though."

"Well, be extra good for Ms. Myra and the rest of the dancers."

The Eiffel Tower. It's so much bigger than I ever imagined.

Camille realized that this was real. She had made it. Those long practices, those hours stretching to deal with muscle pain, the social gatherings she had to call off because of ballet- they were all worth it now. She had finally made it.

She took the plane to France, a train to the hotel, and met her four other fellow dancers and her instructor at the front of their living quarters.

'"Welcome, students, to the Global Ballet Project! My name is Ms. Myra Kunal, and I will be your instructor during these next four days in the beautiful city of Paris! I am very excited to be sharing this opportunity with you all."

"For the duration of this voyage, not only will we be engaging in sightseeing, fun activities, and immersion into the French culture, but we will also be working on conditioning and perfecting our ballet skills. You all will be required to perform a solo routine on the last night of the trip, and you have the option to perform a duet with another dancer as well on top of your solo. The information you are given during this instruction will help you when it comes to polishing that.

We will be following a very strict schedule, and I expect that all of you have full adherence to it. Lights-out at 11PM, and everyone should be out of bed by 6 in the morning."

"And now with that out of the way, why don't we all introduce ourselves to each other? Say your name, where you live, how long you've been dancing for, and one fun fact about yourself."

A buff teenager with short, curly hair stepped up first.

"What's good, everyone! My name is Jonas Kanté, and I live in Brindleton Bay with my parents, older sister, little sister, and little brother. I've been dancing ballet like my mom since I was a toddler, and one fun fact about me is that I placed first at my school's Comedy Showcase a few months ago!"

"Great job, Jonas! You're definitely going to be the life of the party here." Ms. Myra turned to face a boy with longer, straight hair and tattoos decorated all over his right arm. "What about you, young man?"

The boy approached the front smoothly, adjusting his v-neck. "Hey, all. I'm Reginald Natilla, but literally no one calls me that. Just call me Reg."

Camille was dead focused on staring at Reg's many tattoos.

"I live all the way in Del Sol Valley with my mom and our dog Truman. I picked up ballet in middle school as conditioning for tennis at first, but something ended up sticking and I'm still dancing to this day! When I'm not on stage, I work as a lifeguard and a swim instructor at the local pool."

"Okay, okay, enough with this sentimental stuff." A girl with a lot of makeup and short curly hair in a bob rolled her eyes. "Can we get to me next?"

"Sure." Ms. Myra said flatly. "Go ahead-"

"The name's Hannah. Hannah Alanna Villanueva. That girl there-" She pointed to a similar-looking girl with longer, straighter hair and a shy demeanor. "-THAT'S my little sister, Sadie. We live in Oasis Springs with our parents and little brother, and both of us have been dancing ballet since we were kids."

"And your fun fact?"

"Were the facts that I said before not fun enough?"

Camille rolled her eyes.

Ms. Myra ignored Hannah. "Sadie? Would you like to go next?"

Sadie's voice wavered. "Oh, um, I guess. I'm Sadie, I... also come from Oasis Springs. I mean, I guess I've always loved knitting. And reading books."

Jonas smiled empathetically at Sadie.

"Very well, then. Last but not least." Ms. Myra smiled at Camille.

Camille stood up confidently. "Hiii! My name is Camille Erickson, and I'm so excited to be here! I love in Newcrest with my parents, little twins sisters, my dog Peaches, and my rat Bluebell!"

"A rat?" Hannah gagged. "Gross." Ms. Myra shushed her.

Camille glared at Hannah and continued to speak. "My parents enrolled me in ballet classes when I was a toddler, and I'm hoping to become a ballet instructor like Ms. Myra when I get older! AND to foster plenty of animals- including rats."

"Nice to meet you, Camille." Reg grinned. "Rats are pretty cool."

"Yeah, you seen nice." Sadie whispered shyly from the back.

"Wonderful introductions, everyone!" Ms. Myra clapped her hands. "Now, I'll leave the rest of the evening to you all, so you have time to get unpacked and settled into the hotel. We have a busy day of conditioning tomorrow!"

"Hey, Reg, I love those tattoos on your arm!" Camille couldn't stop herself from blurting out. "Why so many?"

"Oh." Reg blushed. "They're in honor of my dad. He's in the military. Well, he was, before..." He went silent.

Camille's eyes sunk with pity. She immediately regretted saying anything in the first place. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine- I'm used to the questions."

"I think it's great how you're remembering him, though. He would be proud of how far you've come."

"No one cares about your dead dad, Reg!" Hannah groaned, interrupting the conversation. "We're not here for a sob fest- we're here to actually become GOOD at ballet. Now, who wants to help me carry my bags inside?"

No one answered her.

"Wanna take some photos together?" Reg ignored Hannah and asked Camille. Just you and me?"

"Damn, girl, the kiss?!" Reg was impressed."

"Just posing." Camille giggled cheekily.

When Camille finished helping Reg with his own bags and unpacking her belongings, she found Ms. Myra coaching Jonas downstairs. "Perfect emotion, Jonas, now let's work on the technique surrounding your plie."

A little imp in the back of Camille's head was displeased. I want that attention too.

"Ms. Myra!" Camille burst into the room. "Hi! I just wanted to-"

Jonas stopped dancing and stared at her. "Camille?"

"Sweetheart, can't you see I'm busy with another student?" Ms. Myra frowned. "You need to wait your turn."

"But all I wanted to ask was if I could be your mentee."

"Camille." Ms. Myra pinched the bridge of her nose, annoyed. "You know I already have four other students I need to coach all by myself. I love being your teacher, but I cannot just take one kid and keep them under my wing like a baby bird."

"Sorry..." Camille hung her head low. "But, Jonas-"

"Jonas took initiative and showed up dancing on his own. I'm just aiding him a bit." Ms. Myra's eyes softened.

"Look, I'm not mad at you for asking. But if you want to get something out of this experience, you need to put in the work yourself. Don't solely rely on me all the time."

If you want to get something out of this experience, you need to put in the work yourself.

And so, she did. When Jonas had finished his one-on-one, Camille went up to the barre to practice. I'm putting in the work myself. I hope Ms. Myra is proud of me. My parents worked so hard to give me this- I won't waste it.

After barre practice had ended for Camille, she ran to enjoy the pool with the rest of her new friends (and Hannah too, I guess) in the warm weather. "It's NEVER this hot in Newcrest!"

"You should come to Del Sol! It's like a desert up there!" replied Reg, diving into the pool and cheering.

"Did y'all see the Eiffel Tower across from the hotel?" Jonas asked excitedly. "It's MASSIVE!"

"There's this little bakery right across from town, too!" Sadie added on. "I've always wanted to try those authentic croissants."

"The French celebrities will be BEGGING for my autograph!" Hannah gloated. No one listened to her.

"I'm just happy we all get to be together as one dance troupe." Camille said sentimentally. "It's been an amazing first day."

"I agree." Jonas declared. "To us?"

"TO US!" Everyone cheered.

But despite the cheerful toast, at dinner that night, Hannah was not happy.

"That Camille girl is getting ALL the attention!" She yelled at her sister, Sadie. "It's not fair! She's being such a show-off, practicing before we even NEED to."

Sadie shrugged. "Maybe people like her because she's... nice?"

"Well, I think she's a faker and a PLAYER, that's what she is. And the way I see it, you can only fake it till you make it for so long."

"Hannah, we barely even KNOW her."

"Trust me, Sadie- THIS type of atmosphere is one where true colors come out FAST."