this is my favorite tape!

"You got me," Jane says, kicking her sneakers off, successfully avoiding eye contact with Lilya as she got ready. "Everything I do is about you."

Out of her street clothes, she yanks her hair back into a severe bun, and attempts to head out the door.

Except--

"You're blocking my way," Jane says, resigned.

Lilya pulls herself to her full height. Jane would never admit this out loud, but Lilya has a very nice body. Elegant, muscular, strong, all exuding an easy sexuality. Jane on the other hand had bent and shaped and molded her body to ensure her lethality as a ballet dancer, and anything that took away from her form, her athleticism, had been scraped off her silhouette with years of toning and practice.

What that means is that her body lacks any distinctive personality, whereas Lilya's begs you to look at it.

"And you," Lilya says, gleefully. "Are looking at my chest again."

Jane snaps her eyes up. Shit. She tries to play it cool, even as she feels blood rush to her cheeks. "Oh please, you wish." Nailed it.

Jane tries to maintain indisputable eye contact when she speaks with Lilya next. "If you do not get out of my way right now, our teacher is going to have a Category 5 meltdown," she lifts her chin up, defiant. "And if he does, I am taking you down with me."

Lilya stares her down for three more seconds, before she sighs and steps out of Jane's way.

All at once, Lilya's interest in Jane ends.

And when Lilya gets bored of someone, they feel it right away.

Without even a glance in Jane's direction, Lilya pushes the locker room door open, and heads to company class.

****

Jane doesn't catch Lilya after class ends, a flash of unruly blonde hair spilling over her back as she yanks it impatiently out of its bun. So, she thinks that Lilya is done with her for today, and that they can go back to ignoring each other.

Except when Jane is eating lunch, stabbing mindlessly at he salad, Lilya slides next to her at her table.

"Do you know this means the two of us are the youngest soloists in Metro City Ballet history?" she says, apropos of nothing.

"Wow," Jane says, not even looking up from her chickpea salad. "That's crazy."

Lilya blows a fat raspberry, bored, before she starts again. "So were you late to class?"

"The train."

"You ride the train everyday," Lilya says, "and you are on time. I ask you why you are late this morning."

"You are interrupting the flow state of my chickpea salad."

"Oh come on," Lilya easily closes the distance Jane forces between them. With a firm shove, she moves Jane's salad bowl out of the way. "Fuck your chickpea salad. I want to know what made the perfect Jane Hollander not only miss her own soloist announcement, but blow the first five minutes of class."

Jane throws her hands up in the air. "Oh my god," she snaps. "Why do you care so much?"

Jane's rising annoyance seems to only encourage her further. "It's just not like you."

You know nothing about me. Jane wants to throw in her face. Instead, Jane proceeds to have an out of body experience where she sees herself, eating, sitting, and conversing with Lilya Rozanova over lunch. She frowns. "Hey, what's going on with you?"

Lilya blinks, feigning innocence, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"What's your angle?" Jane hisses. "Are you really this upset you aren't the only soloist that got promoted? Are you trying to like, screw with me?"

Lilya hums. "You sound... what is the word... paranoid, Jane."

"Don't bullshit me," Jane throws back. "You know and I know you aren't just doing this out of the goodness of your heart."

"As the two of the youngest soloists in company history," she says, saccharine. "We should stick together."

Jane hates it when people waste her time. She especially hates it when someone who made her as miserable as Lilya did her first year at the company wastes her time. There's a cruelty that only Lilya brings out of her, and it spews out of Jane, uncontrolled.

"You know what I think?" Jane says, low. "I think it's eating you up inside that once again, you weren't the only one," she smiles. "Even worse, out of everyone they could've picked, they picked me."

Lilya's attitude falters, and Jane can't help but feel a sick swoop of joy at the sight. But quickly, Lilya ignites.

The way she always does when Jane bests her.

"I"m not worried about you," Lilya says. "Is one thing to be good enough to impress whatever director you batted your eyes at. Is another thing entirely to be the only dancer no one can look away from," she smiles then. "You of all people should know. I see how you can't tear your eyes away from me."

With that, she swings up, and she looms over Jane. Jane glares at her, having no real comeback, because what she said was true.

"They may have promoted you," Lilya continues. "But i am going to make sure you never get a lead role or solo as long as we are in the same company," Lilya's smile grows colder. "But hey, nothing you shouldn't be already used to, right?"

Jane matches Lilya's shark-like smile with her own. "You can certainly try your best."

Lilya stalks off. Jane glares at her back, visible through her low slung top.