I Was The Ugly Twin Who Outshone The Swan Sister Chapter 10

I Was The Ugly Twin Who Outshone The Swan Sister Chapter 10

On the day of the freshman showcase, I laced up the new shoes Aunt Laurel had given me.

The girl in the mirror wore a black practice leotard, hair pulled up high. No heavy bangs. No

thick-framed glasses. Head up.

My teacher adjusted my shoulders. “Nervous?”

I shook my head. Then nodded.

She smiled. “That’s okay. The stage takes care of people who dance like they mean it.”

The theater was packed. After everything that had happened, the showcase had been moved to a live

stream last minute.

People were tuning in to see if I was actually as good as the scores said. Others were waiting to

watch me fall apart.

My phone buzzed right before I went on. Unknown number.

[Brenna. Your parents are in the audience. Sienna came too.]

I looked up. Last row, exactly where I expected them.

Mom’s eyes were swollen. Dad’s face was stone. Sienna had a mask on, her hood pulled low.

A few months ago, that sight alone would’ve unraveled me.

I would’ve spiraled-convinced I’d done something wrong, terrified of embarrassing them, already bracing for Sienna’s tears.

But I just handed my phone to Aunt Laurel. “Hold this for me.

The lights went down. The music started.

On the first beat, I thought about those nights in the living room.

No overhead light-just the pale yellow glow from the streetlamp outside bleeding through the

window.

Sienna’s old shoes on my feet, going through the same sequences over and over, falling, getting

back up.

When my knees hit the floor, I bit down on my sleeve so I wouldn’t cry out, because crying would wake my parents, and waking my parents meant “Brenna, what are you making all that noise for?”

I didn’t know back then if I’d ever make it into a conservatory. I didn’t know anyone would ever sit

in an audience and watch me dance.

I just needed to dance. That was the whole reason.

I landed the final.turn clean and solid.

The applause started in the corner. Then it spread.

When I looked up, Aunt Laurel was in the front row with tears running down her face, beaming like

she’d won something.

My teacher was clapping too.

The livestream comments were flying.

[She’s the real deal.]

[How did the people around her keep this hidden for so long?]

[THIS is what a swan actually looks like.]

I didn’t look for my parents.

But when I came offstage, Mom broke through toward the backstage entrance before the staff caught her.

“Brenna!” She was crying hard. “I didn’t know how much you loved this.”

I slowed down.

She knew. She just never cared enough to look.

Dad stood behind her, and when his mouth moved, his voice came out barely above a whisper.

“Come home. Have dinner with us.”

Sienna lifted her head, tears spilling out from under the mask. “Brenna. I really am sorry.”

I looked at all three of them.

It didn’t hurt the way I thought it would.

Aunt Laurel came up beside me and put my phone back in my hand.

The screen showed a scholarship confirmation from the school. Below it, my student information form-the emergency contact field still blank.

I looked down and typed in Aunt Laurel’s name slowly, one letter at a time.

The confirmation screen came up.

[Information saved.]

I looked out toward the hallway. Sunlight hit the far end of the corridor, sharp and bright.

Mom was still calling my name.

I didn’t turn around.

I walked with my teacher toward the training building, and with every step, her voice got smaller

behind me.

But my footsteps grew steadier than ever.