Vicious Little Thing

“I like you too, Danny.” she smiled, buckling her seatbelt. “I think they got in some new pumpkin pastries on the menu.” she did love pumpkin anything. It made up for the fact all the flowers were dying in preparation for the snow.

“I needed this night out, you know?”

“I guess I’ve been keeping up with appearances for so long that I forget people are probably just as much of a wreck as I am. It’s easy to forget when everyone looks so effortless.” hip hop classes were much less intense, still technically difficult, but she felt a bit freer.

But Mary was a good person. She wouldn’t have taken this time to talk with her and to comfort her if she wasn’t. She was doing more than her own sister was at this moment in time. Everything went back to how stressed Alex was, to how heartbroken she was over Randy. How she wanted a baby, but she would just have to settle for an emotionally damaged teenager. How did she think Orion felt? She knew she had to fill Randy’s shoes, and she was homesick for her father. She was taken away from him only to be practically ignored for work and emotional breakdowns. Orion had no rock, she had no constant support. Everything seemed to be on glass, every time she made progress, she could feel it crack.

“Alright. I’ll try. Who are these girls?” she was much more comfortable around boys, they were easier, in her opinion.

“Glad you asked.” Mary said, steering the teen to leave. They’d make their way to the dorm section where the two girls Mary wanted Orion to meet were in their dorm at the moment. 

“I guess I’ve been keeping up with appearances for so long that I forget people are probably just as much of a wreck as I am. It’s easy to forget when everyone looks so effortless.” hip hop classes were much less intense, still technically difficult, but she felt a bit freer.

But Mary was a good person. She wouldn’t have taken this time to talk with her and to comfort her if she wasn’t. She was doing more than her own sister was at this moment in time. Everything went back to how stressed Alex was, to how heartbroken she was over Randy. How she wanted a baby, but she would just have to settle for an emotionally damaged teenager. How did she think Orion felt? She knew she had to fill Randy’s shoes, and she was homesick for her father. She was taken away from him only to be practically ignored for work and emotional breakdowns. Orion had no rock, she had no constant support. Everything seemed to be on glass, every time she made progress, she could feel it crack.

“Alright. I’ll try. Who are these girls?” she was much more comfortable around boys, they were easier, in her opinion.

Orion was definitely too tense. The girl sat like Mary was some stern school marm. “There is nothing wrong with that, but we’re in school here, you gotta relax a little. Your teachers and other students don’t expect to see you perfect every second of the day.” And Mary agreed, “Of course everyone wants to be perfect when they perform. I used to go to acting classes and voice classes and any kind of class I could get into just to be perfect. But it ate away at my childhood. I never got to play with kids my own age, and by the time I was a teen, I had no idea what it was like to be myself or be anything else but an actress. I was stunted to say the least.” And then even that didn’t go right. 

She shrugged, tucking a piece of stray hair back into her bun meticulously. It wasn’t so wrong to try, was it? “I guess it is just intimidating feeling like the only weak link in the class. I want to make sure rehearsal goes smoothly, and we use each minute that we have most efficiently. I want people to like me...” she trailed off. Hard work would always be respected and admired, and the older kids would like her because she could hold her own. She nodded as Mary spoke. “But you’re having fun now, right? You don’t have to have a childhood to be happy.” 

Orion had stopped being a kid when she was ten, and Batman and the accident with her father all happened. She wasn’t always as serious as she was now, but she had lost both of her parents in what seemed to be one fell swoop. 

He hadn’t messed up, but Orion was very much a Powers, she wanted him to come to her and clearly state his intentions. She wanted to be sure she was right, since Danny was a nice boy, and nice boys didn’t typically go for Orion Powers. 

“You know, I’m always so impressed you go out of your way to remember my order.” she said with a small smile, allowing him to hold the door for her, entering and winking over her shoulder.

He smiled and followed after her. Orion’s wink was a shock to him. Was she being coy? That didn’t seem too much like Orion though. Trailing after her, Danny opened the car door and hopped onto his side, making sure Orion’s door was also open.

“Yeah…” Mary sighed. “Yeah…I know how that is. I didn’t make friends until I was in my 30′s. But you, you have a chance to make friends much earlier. And much easier.” Not that it would be easy. But Mary, Mary had an idea. 

“I am sure no one says that. Your teacher says you get nervous, but she knows you know how to perform. It’s just…doing it.” And that was a hurdle that Orion may never be able to jump. 

“At my old dance school I never really liked recitals. I like classes, though. I wish mom and dad could have seen me do a recital here. That would be schway.” her face sank, but quickly became hopeful again. “But I think Paxton will come, and maybe Alex.” 

“See? You’re already planning to dance. Well, if they don’t or can’t I’ll be here.” And Mary at least wouldn’t judge. She’d seen Sophia judge that little girl on performance, and she was 5 at the time! It really was unfair.

“I mean, I’m here to dance. I just…I’m not pushing myself enough, right? That’s what stage fright is, isn’t it? A fear of failure because you haven’t practiced enough?”

She softened when Mary patted her hand. Physical affection in her household was hard to come by. Now she couldn’t even look at her father for prolonged amounts of time, much less hug him. She never liked to hug her mother. 

“Even nice girls tend to think I’m weird.” the only female friend close to her age she had was Nicole Lovelace, and she didn’t see her often enough for her liking. Max Gibson, and Riley were both way older than her. More like surrogate sisters than friends.

“My dad’s a meta supervillain, my brother’s been in jail, my sister’s Clayface’s step-mom. And I am an out of control teenager. I don’t feel like I know how to talk to people my age.” she was surprised she had the four friends she did, even if she was usually serious.

Mary’s eye brows shot up slightly. “Who told you that tripe? Wait, nevermind, I know.” Sophia of course. Nothing was ever good enough. “Honey, Come, let’s sit a minute. I’m tired of craning my neck up.” She moved to sit in a chair that the instructor used. Her old bones creaked slightly as she took a seat. 

“How man other dancers do you see practicing right now? And how many do you usually see here practicing when you do and for as long as you do?” Mary glanced around. No one was here. It was lunch time and most kids were with their friends and eating. Not Sophia Power’s little girl. Food was for the weak and practice was all that mattered. 

“You are good enough, more than that. I know, I saw your entrance performance. You are wonderful. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. Your teachers believe in you and so do I. I think the only one who thinks that your not good enough is you. And that’s ok.” Mary sighed. “Well…it’s not. But I understand where it comes from.” Years of being told she wasn’t good enough and never would be. “So no, stage fright is not because you haven’t practiced enough. Sometimes it’s because you practice too much. You worry yourself to the bone, thinking too much about how you’ll mess up that you do.” And that was the worst thing a performer could do to themselves. 

“I think having a few friends and relaxing a bit might help you get even better.” Mary couldn’t promise anything, but Mary knew from her own experience that gaining friends and not worrying so much over her performance had actually helped her in her later career. 

She sat when Mary told her to, her posture perfect. She tried to be delicate and graceful in all that she did, but the conversation about meeting new friends was stressing her out. She was lonely, and the last group of friends she’d made outside of Bucky and Matt ended up to be gang members trying to recruit her. Hopefully Mary would be right, and this would go better.

“I mean, I don’t want people to see me when I’m not polished. Which was why class with better dancers made her anxious, it was like going onstage unprepared. The other girls would size her up, and suss her out as weaker, right? “Isn’t it normal to want to be perfect? Especially in the arts?”

“Yeah…” Mary sighed. “Yeah…I know how that is. I didn’t make friends until I was in my 30′s. But you, you have a chance to make friends much earlier. And much easier.” Not that it would be easy. But Mary, Mary had an idea. 

“I am sure no one says that. Your teacher says you get nervous, but she knows you know how to perform. It’s just…doing it.” And that was a hurdle that Orion may never be able to jump. 

“At my old dance school I never really liked recitals. I like classes, though. I wish mom and dad could have seen me do a recital here. That would be schway.” her face sank, but quickly became hopeful again. “But I think Paxton will come, and maybe Alex.” 

“See? You’re already planning to dance. Well, if they don’t or can’t I’ll be here.” And Mary at least wouldn’t judge. She’d seen Sophia judge that little girl on performance, and she was 5 at the time! It really was unfair.

“I mean, I’m here to dance. I just...I’m not pushing myself enough, right? That’s what stage fright is, isn’t it? A fear of failure because you haven’t practiced enough?”

She softened when Mary patted her hand. Physical affection in her household was hard to come by. Now she couldn’t even look at her father for prolonged amounts of time, much less hug him. She never liked to hug her mother. 

“Even nice girls tend to think I’m weird.” the only female friend close to her age she had was Nicole Lovelace, and she didn’t see her often enough for her liking. Max Gibson, and Riley were both way older than her. More like surrogate sisters than friends.

“My dad’s a meta supervillain, my brother’s been in jail, my sister’s Clayface’s step-mom. And I am an out of control teenager. I don’t feel like I know how to talk to people my age.” she was surprised she had the four friends she did, even if she was usually serious.

“Yeah…” Mary sighed. “Yeah…I know how that is. I didn’t make friends until I was in my 30′s. But you, you have a chance to make friends much earlier. And much easier.” Not that it would be easy. But Mary, Mary had an idea. 

“I am sure no one says that. Your teacher says you get nervous, but she knows you know how to perform. It’s just…doing it.” And that was a hurdle that Orion may never be able to jump. 

“At my old dance school I never really liked recitals. I like classes, though. I wish mom and dad could have seen me do a recital here. That would be schway.” her face sank, but quickly became hopeful again. “But I think Paxton will come, and maybe Alex.” 

Orion’s nerves were not doing so well as of late. She had started a new school, and the bullying had come to almost a complete stop. However, that came with the fact that she had to make up a new routine, and find some new friends. She was doing what she typically did in her spare time between class, which was practice. People probably thought she couldn’t dance because her legs locked and she got such terrible stage fright in front of her peers. 

After what she considered a rather sloppy attempt at a pirouette, she hit the wall, figuratively and literally. What was she even doing here? It was probably just because her dad gives money to the school. Usually, if there was one thing in the world she was confident in, it was her dancing. Now her confidence was shaken, and she missed her parents terribly. It wasn’t like Alex paid much attention, and Paxton was busy planning his wedding to Deanna Clay to take much notice. 

One in particular was on her list, and as the girl was not in her dorm, she figured she might be practicing. 

Mary knew all about confidence. She had regained and lost her’s so many times that she wasn’t sure if it was coming or going most of the time. That had been many years ago, age had a way of solving those kinds of problems. But Orion was still a very young girl and her confidence was shot due to a stage-mom from hell. Mary could relate to that. 

She was a perfectionist to her core, and she hated for anyone to see her practicing. In her day to day life, she agonized over outfits, over how her food was prepared, and her hobbies were no different. She was rigid with control thanks to Sophia’s child-rearing skills. Orion didn’t want to look like anything came as a struggle to her. She wanted everyone to see the polished, perfect product. 

“I don’t make friends easily.” she said, messing with a bit of fabric from her leotard. “People probably think I’m stupid because my legs lock in class.” she didn’t want to speak and prove them right. Orion was also never an overly friendly girl initially.

“Those are all flowers that…well, they say a lot. Sometimes the message changes depending on the number of flowers, so flowers could always use a translator.” she said, giving him a smile, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. She grabbed her purse from the table and slung it over her shoulder. 

“Are you ready to go? It probably won’t be crowded and we could play checkers at the table or something.” 

Had he messed up? He looked concerned, glancing from the flowers to Orion. Danny fidgeted slightly, already worried Orion was rejecting him. She hadn’t said it yet, but he nodded, slowly following her. “Checkers sounds great” he said, holding the door open.