"Ballerinas rehearse." "One of them is more than just a dancer." "She's a teacher, Delphine." "She scolds them." "And one." "And two." "And three." "Bleed for me, girls." "I don't understand." "If we're doing fine, why do we have to run it through three times?" "So that the other girls can see what professionalism looks like." "Now, do it again." "In that case." "Saren, your posture is terrible." "Straighten up." "Project." "Perfect." "I know you're the teacher, Delphine, but there are a lot of little things that you miss." "That's why you're a prima... to exercise your perfection and grace." "Why are you even criticizing us for every minor detail?" "Don't be offended, girl." "These corrections will only improve your performance." "You must not take offense." "I have a serious question." "Who's playing Hilarion?" "From the looks of it, no boys signed up." "Simple." "We draw straws, and one of you will have to get the boy cut." "I'm a little worried about tomorrow." "We've already discussed this, Maren." "Well, I would just feel better if they found her." "Well, they're bound to any day now." "We're not going to abandon our favorite thing in the world because you're afraid the lunatic will strike again." "Don't they say the criminal always returns to the scene." "Only in real life, not in movies." "Besides, it's not like she even killed anyone." "She just injured Sylvie." "And now one of us gets a chance to play Giselle." "You're right." "So You're saying I'm retired?" "Let's face it, Sylvie, you're in the twilight of your career." "When I walked through your door seven years ago, you guaranteed me at least 10 years of pursuing my dream." "Yes, well, seven years ago, I didn't know that some little 17-year-old bitch with daddy issues would come and ruin everything." "You've got to do something." "I can't stand by and be replaced by these novices just because some bitch on PCP shot me." "She almost killed me." "It was almost near my heart." "DMT, they're now saying." "What?" "She smoked DMT apparently." "But until they find her and grill her, it's anyone's guess." "OK." "Well, they need to torture her if she won't talk." "It doesn't seem to be working with poor Ria." "Poor?" "Wait." "I'm sorry." "You don't think that little skank had something to do with it?" "Hey, I'm not taking sides, but it was her gun." "Her father's rather." "But they had no right to put her in a hospital." "We've all done hunger strikes." "Look, I guarantee you that whore knows where she's hiding." "The law is taking care of it." "Now, I hate to bring up a sore subject, but I need you to help my godmother pick a new lead." "If she were to happen to walk in there and see someone like the little runt taking over," "I would hate to see her rage unfold on my security monitors." "OK." "Yesterday we got three words out of you." "So today, let's try for four." "Ria, you must understand that in the eye of conspiracy theorists, you're just too good an asset in this case." "Would you like to go back to the game room?" "Yes." "Then answer one question." "Did you show Nisa your father's weapons?" "Hey, Ria, do you want to do me a favor?" "As long as it's not sticking two fingers down your throat again." "Exactly." "Nisa, it just doesn't feel right." "They're tonsils." "What are they supposed to feel like?" "Can't you just gag yourself for once?" "OK, fine." "I see what kind of friend you are." "Nisa!" "Nisa, that's not the bathroom." "My god!" "Nisa, put that down." "That's my dad's secret room." "You shouldn't even be in there." "It should be locked." "Is he preparing for the apocalypse?" "Yes, obviously." "Go put that back." "You're gonna get me in trouble." "Do you ever shoot any?" "There's no such thing as a ballerina with gun training." "Put it back." "Come on." "Maybe we should go visit her." "Ria?" "Yeah, who else?" "I'm not about to go to some mental institution." "It's not like you'd have to go play kickball with all the crazies." "We would just be showing her support." "Support?" "I'm not even convinced that she wasn't in on it." "Come on." "She was sweeter than me." "Which isn't saying much." "Hey, guys, I think they just posted." "Really?" "I really don't want to see it." "Come on." "As long as I don't have to be Giselle." "What?" "What are you talking about?" "Every girl wants that role." "Seriously." "I mean, it does not get much better than that." "Yeah, if you're an attention whore." "Which, my god, I guess you are." "My god, you're hilarious." "But really, it would mean a lot to me knowing I was the best." "Well, you guys are just lucky, because even though I'm just as small, I have the biggest boobs and the chubbiest cheeks, which will probably never leave me." "You do not." "My god, you're so pretty." "Stop, you're upsetting me." "Look, you'd be just as good of a Giselle as her or me." "Yes." "You're right." "Let's go." "Ballerinas scramble to the bulletin board." "Damn it." "It isn't me." "Then it must be me." "Don't be so full of yourself." "It is me." "Yeah, just because they needed somebody." "I bet they hate us all." "Hey, don't burst your bubble, Saren." "If it were me, you'd be grateful." "I'm a throwaway character, as always." "It says "to be decided."" "Well, don't feel bad." "At least no one will write about you in the community flyer." "Your shy kind couldn't handle criticism." "I can handle the limelight." "You know, honestly, we all thought you'd play the dude because you're least likely to mind dressing like a boy." "Shut up." "You know, your gayness doesn't show." "I am not a lesbian, OK?" "I'm technically selectively bi-curious and semi-bi-active when I'm drunk." "Yeah, OK." "I want to share a needle with you." "Why?" "I thought you only liked to use clean ones." "That's not as romantic." "Fine." "I'll share one with you as long as I can go first." "Why?" "What's that about?" "Well, you're the one who's asking." "You want it, you risk it." "Shit." "Are you afraid of catching my disease?" "You're crazy enough to shoot up a happy farm of ballet girls." "What's to say you're not a whore too?" "That's how you're speaking to your girlfriend now." "No." "That's how I speak to a fugitive." "I can talk to you any way I want to." "It doesn't matter if you do fuck me." "Which I..." "I won't anymore." "Yes, you will." "I'm not harboring a fugitive and getting nothing in return." "Don't leave me high and dry." "You know, why don't we focus on the high part?" "Then we'll see about leaving you dry or not." "If you can tell us everything we need to know, I can help you make your old life new again, or your new life old again..." "However you want to look at it." "I want to go back to the ballet." "Hey, now!" "That's eight words." "We are making progress." "She tried to kill me." "I thought she liked you." "Were you not best friends?" "We were." "Up until my lingerie party." "Go on." "All the girls lounge around in their lingerie." "So Samuel, what's your essay about?" "I suppose the concise explanation would be my self-discovered notion that a painting is not painted by an artist but rather an artist paints that which is a painting." "I don't really understand." "I was about to shoot this." "That whole thing?" "That's a huge shot." "Split it with me." "OK." "Hey, what's going on there?" "Can I get some?" "No." "I can't believe you." "You know who that was?" "Yeah." "Faggoty Don Elsoroy." "I hate him." "You hate any guy who's clean cut." "Well, can I help it if I only like tall, skinny guys with tattoos?" "In layman's terms, your creation should be your bitch." "That's, really interesting." "So, do you want to make out?" "No." "I find making out to be rather mundane and counterproductive." "So, do you want to make out?" "If you insist." "What is that?" "It's nothing." ""Chapter four, Chloe takes her ballet shoes off and rubs her heels and toes." "Her face contorts to the usual expression given when pain or pleasure is felt." "For such an unusual girl, the two feelings were perhaps one and the same." "But how could she complain after the killing that she committed?"" "What the hell is that?" "It's homework." "You're not making eye contact." "You're a lying bitch." "Well, only my sister knows." "I made her swear not to tell anyone." "Tell anyone what?" "I'm sort of an aspiring novelist." "I have three books already." "For YA." "YA?" "Young adults." "I hope practice doesn't run late again today." "I have things to do." "Yeah, like what?" "Or people to do." "Either one." "You mean Conway?" "Maybe." "My gosh, you definitely are going to hang out with him." "Well..." "I can see it on your face." "I don't see why Nisa keeps getting so mad about that." "It's not like she hasn't cheated on him." "Everybody knows she has." "Yeah." "So what's the big deal?" "She needs to relax." "It's not like she has to find out about it though." "Yeah, exactly." "Maybe we can just keep it a little secret." "Deal." "Speaking of relax, why is Delphine always so wound up in a ball?" "My god, she's such a cow." "I hate her." "I hate her." "She always makes me tie up my boobs, and it hurts." "I don't want to do it anymore." "Then don't." "I won't." "Because I don't." "I mean, I don't do anything I'm told though." "You're such a rebel." "I know." "I'm such a brat." "Whatever." "I'm about done with this company anyway." "We both are." "Yeah, seriously." "We have so much more to look forward to." "Yeah, screw this place." "Can you knock it off?" "I have to write." "I can't believe it's out that you're writing a story based on what happened." "It's not such a big deal." "I mean, no one has made a big deal about the potential controversy on or offline yet." "What about Sylvie?" "What's she gonna say when she finds out?" "She's not gonna know it's about her really." "You start off your first chapter by a prima ballerina getting attacked." "How is that subtle?" "I altered things in the book." "Like, they're doing just act two of "Giselle," not both acts like we're doing." "And the killer ballerina actually kills people, not just wounds them like in the real story." "You're gonna wish she had been killed when she finds out." "An author like me can write whatever." "True events are turned into stories all the time." "You just have to change names and certain circumstances." "You just gave me an idea." "What if one of the ballerina who survives the attacks goes on to publish a book about it?" "I mean, then it would be a book within a book." "Mind-boggling." "Well, you should try typing on a laptop like a normal person." "The aesthetic of the vintage typewriter is way better than some stupid laptop with a sticker covering the logo." "It has come to my attention that one of you has had the audacity to construct satire..." "More specifically a manuscript for a cheap paperback novel..." "Detailing my life's hardships." "Hardships you all know, and I don't appreciate it." "Now, I don't expect such said person to come forward, and I don't want them to." "Because I already know who it is." "I do expect for them to find it in their tiny hearts that one ounce of decency that their mother instilled in them and destroy any and all pages of this despicable story." "And that's all I have to say about that." "Thank you, Sylvie, for the announcements." "I have a few announcements I'd like to add, starting with the least important." "Whoever has been posting lesbian innuendos on the bulletin upfront is not only extremely immature, but in-professionalism will not be tolerated here." "Unprofessionalism?" "You said in-professionalism." "Thank you, Gabriella." "When you reach the position I have worked for my whole life, you can make up whatever word you like." "Yes, I too was a prima ballerina once." "And now, for the final memo to you all, the student... ex-student who's responsible for the horrific events that have occurred here remains at large." "The only reason we had to fire the handsome security guards is because the money your parents give us isn't enough to afford them any longer." "The amendment we created stands." "There will be no mention of the incident to ensure that the prestigious honor and legacy of this school never dies." "I may have to leave the company." "Why?" "Because my dad got all freaked out when the shooting happened." "What am I going to do without you?" "You'll figure it out." "No, I won't." "These girls are idiots." "I can't survive them by myself." "I know." "And I'm pissed because I just got the lead role." "And now what?" "Don't go." "Well, I'm actually 90% sure I got accepted to a highly coveted academy." "You're kidding." "Way better than this one." "I'm so jealous." "You should just come." "You know what?" "Maybe I will come with you." "We should just do it together." "Stop!" "Well, Ria, much as I would like to grant the freedom you wish for, there's still an upset at the school of ballet you wish to return to." "Your instructors there feel you must, in one way or another, have been involved." "And until we can prove otherwise, you're going to have to make yourself feel more at home here." "Something tells me you're closing your shell on me again." "You don't kill the messengers." "Perhaps that was a poor choice of words." "So if you will just sign, or rather initial here, we can start seeing you get out of this room at least." "Begin field program A, and if you do well, retire to field program B, which is much less work." "We might even have you in this beautiful state park on litter duty, much better than being cooped in here all day," "I can assure you." "Here." "Sign." "I kinda wish they had those massage therapists like they do at the pro level." "You know, that's what they should have had those security boys doing instead of just standing there all day." "Sucks to be someone." "You know, I think Sophie is just using it as an outlet for her anger." "I mean, let the dreamer dream." "It's not like she got a tattoo on her chest of the bag in a sling." "You know, I kinda want to read the book when... if... she rebels and decides to finish it." "Hey, Maren, we want to read your book." "Did you turn us into characters?" "I think I've had enough emotional abuse for one day." "You're teasing me." "It's really lame." "Seriously, you guys, she's not continuing it, unfortunately." "And it's sad, because it probably would have been a "New York Times" Bestseller." "We just want to know if you wrote about us in it." "Well, at least tell me how it ends." "I mean, does the slut get locked away for her crimes?" "And what about the back story?" "What made her snap?" "Lots of reasons." "Pain builds up inside her." "Buy the book when I'm done." "Bitch." "Delphine?" "Yes." "Nisa." "Come in." "You wanted to see me." "I did." "I'm concerned about you." "What about?" "Is it my arch or my allergies?" "No." "Your dancing's fine." "It's your bust and your waistline that isn't." "Aren't you glad I told you in private?" "I mean, I could have made a fat list and put your name on it." "You'd be the only one." "Yes." "Thank you for not embarrassing me in front of class, but I'm only six pounds heavier than last season." "Shame weighs about six pounds, Nisa." "Yes, Delphine." "I'll correct this at once." "I don't think you can without getting a breast reduction, and those are expensive." "Will Daddy buy?" "Will Daddy need to know?" "You're not even taping them down." "They're literally popping right our of your leotard." "I'm just happy your ass hasn't followed suit." "What are you getting at?" "I'm just giving you an inspection." "Do you mind?" "No." "Just I don't want you to get the wrong idea or impression." "I'm not going to let you go." "You're indeed a vital asset to this company." "But don't let your ass get as big as mine." "No." "It won't." "What are you saying?" "It's shamefully big, isn't it?" "Love me or leave the company." "Nisa." "Don't touch me." "Nisa, it's me." "What's wrong?" "Just leave me alone." "Stop." "What is it this time?" "Just..." "I'm disgustingly fat and fucked up and I fucking hate this place." "Did Brandon text you that shit again?" "It's that dyke Delphine." "What'd she do?" "I hate her." "What'd she do?" "Come here, baby." "I don't want to say." "Just..." "Baby!" "Hey, you are never going to guess what my mom just told me." "What?" "She just got a call from Saren and Maren's crazy dad." "Bitch broke out." "Ria?" "Yeah." "She broke out of the institution?" "Yep." "How?" "I don't know." "But she also apparently assaulted the warden." "Really?" "Hardcore." "So I guess both the crazies are on the loose now." "How does such a pathetic little girl break out of an institution." "She probably ran off when they let her outside to pee or something." "So she's got the darkness of the night on her side now." "Where do you think she's headed?" "I don't know." "She doesn't know where I live, unless she's been here for a party or something." "Besides, the neighborhood watch force would apprehend anyone they saw in a prison jumpsuit." "This is upper-class suburbia at its finest." "What if she did show up here, though?" "I mean, would you let her chill with us?" "What?" "We all used to be friends." "It's not like we know she's guilty of anything." "Besides, being friends with her..." "No, it's way deeper than that." "We can't be affiliated with convicts if we expect to maintain our hierarchy at this school and be besties all through our experience governing the sorority next semester." "Hey, are you OK?" "Yeah." "Here." "My god." "Here, have some water." "I must have..." "I must have over-heated." "Geez, no wonder." "You're wearing long sleeves." "It... it was cold when I set out this morning." "OK, do you live around here?" "Yeah, right here." "Right near here." "OK, let me walk you home." "It's OK." "I'm too tired." "But thank you." "Thank you." "No, you need a... it's..." "I live around here too." "We should be running buddies." "Sure." "Sure, yeah." "So, are you in school?" "Yeah, I'm a senior." "OK." "I graduated last year." "Cool." "Cool." "Do you have any plans for college?" "I'm an aspiring dancer." "Cool." "Cool." "What kind of dance do you do?" "Jazz?" "Hip-hop?" "Tap?" "I'm so sorry." "Can you grab that?" "Yeah." "No worries." "I'm a ballerina!" "But the bottom line is, I can't give out any more scholarships." "The institution is losing its funding." "In 2002, we brought in over 300,000 on tuitions alone." "I remember." "With all these other schools popping up, now there's a competition." "They've got lower fees, and they're even supplying their girls with leotards, shoes." "I mean, is that something that you're willing to do?" "Not to mention your prestigious ballet school is teaching classes at somebody's apartment." "I'll tell you what I'm not going to do..." "let some mental case ruin my career." "She already ruined Sylvie's." "Is it bad timing to host another fundraiser?" "I mean, we made decent money at the last pig roast." "This is part of the problem." "You wake up every day at noon, and you're drinking by noon-30." "Maybe if you had half the responsibility I do, you'd suffer from a mild case of alcoholism too." "I know you have a high profile reputation to maintain and all, but I think it's really important to give more than half your girls scholarships, considering the facts." "So we are in agreeance then." "It's only our paralyzed prima we have to convince." "Or do we?" "I've been thinking about terminating her altogether." "She has no reason to stay with us." "She's useless to us if she can't be in the next production." "And Delphine's said to me time and time again she steps on her toes." "If you think you can handle the added hell of her backlash misunderstandings, then sure, go for it." "She probably still thinks she's the lead." "She'll go on even with the sling." "You know her." "What time's lunch?" "11." "How long till then?" "Like, two hours." "You know, I'm really proud of you for standing up for yourself back there." "Really?" "Girls, less talking, more dancing." "And Maren, potty now so you don't have to ask me later." "I have a bladder condition." "Not even baby ballerinas wear diapers under their tutu." "She needs a broomstick." "Tell me about it." "There you go again, putting all your weight on it." "The bar is supposed to be treated like a partner, remember?" "Not completely rely on it." "I'm so tired." "I can't stand how long and hard she works us." "This is only half as bad as the pros." "You should start taking the medication I switched to." "It makes it so I feel the ache in all my muscles, but it doesn't translate to emotional agony." "Sounds poetic." "Let me get your doctor's number." "It's great, but it doesn't stave off hunger like the last pill I was taking." "I asked him if I could take both, but he said, not likely." "Should I try it?" "I guess." "Just stop before it turns you into a zombie." "You danced really well today." "Thanks." "What makes you say that?" "You never compliment me." "Yes I do." "Just take it." "You're getting better." "I'm afraid your skill level is going to surpass mine." "Well, then you better stop spending so much time on your novelist fantasies and start spending a little more time at the gym with me." "As soon as I'm done with the story, I'll give writing up." "Or at least until this season's over." "When are you going to be done?" "Do you have an ending yet?" "I have a few I'm mentally toying with." "I just have to give up this cheap desire to satisfy the reader with some dumb happy ending." "What was that?" "Maren!" "Saren!" "Ria, what the hell..." "Please help me!" "You're not allowed here." "And we're not allowed to talk to you either." "Props on breaking out." "Yeah." "How'd that go?" "I'll explain everything later." "The main thing is I'm innocent." "I had no idea what Nisa was up to." "I know she expressed anger towards Sylvie, but I never took her death threats seriously." "You have to believe me." "I'm on the run now." "Can you just hide me and feed me." "We're good girls." "Remember, you're what people refer to as a bad girl." "Can you just tell me where she is?" "Like we know." "No idea?" "If she was smart, she would have already left the country." "They probably will want to lock her up for, like, five years, let alone not being able to dance a ballet, with ours or any other company from now until eternity." "Please, can't you just throw me down a fruit bar or something?" "I'm starving." "It's a starving art." "You know she's still working on her book." "I don't care anymore." "I'm more concerned about Nisa and Ria on the loose." "What if they try and hurt us?" "Why would they?" "Because they're both psycho." "Yeah, but we're not the ones that should be worried." "Apparently there's no more wine." "There's no more wine?" "Yeah, Ainsley drank it all, that bitch." "She drank it all?" "I don't believe her." "Anyway, yeah, this is the last, so I can get you a glass." "Maybe we just have some mutual friends." "I'm sure we do." "Yeah." "What do you do?" "I dance." "You do?" "Like on..." "Ballet." "Ballet?" "Yeah." "Nice." "I was gonna say pole, but that would have been rude, right?" "Yeah." "You can give me a glass, but I think you can slow down yourself, because you're wearing someone's hamster on..." "This is mine." "Now we might have to hang out more." "Maybe so." "I don't know if it will be over ballet, but..." "Yeah." "So anyway, how are you?" "What's going on?" "You look hot." "I look hot?" "You look hot." "You never look hot." "What's going on?" "College?" "High school." "What?" "No." "Yeah." "So yeah, it's, like, real cool of you to be so good at pretending to listen to my stupid shit." "Well, I like to actually pretend that I'm your friend." "Fuck you." "Because you never told me about him." "Why would I tell you anything?" "Nice to meet you." "I'm Felix." "Hi." "Nice to meet you." "So what do you do at this party?" "I don't know." "Nice robe, though." "Yeah, I know." "I decided to wear something a little less stressful to take off." "I think that's a very good plan." "So what are you doing tonight?" "I don't know." "Why don't you tell me?" "Do you want to head back to the room and..." "I thought you would never ask." "Conway, were you not going to say hi to me?" "Hi." "Why are you over here, talking to no one, being weird?" "I don't really mind just chilling, grooving to the songs." "I was about to go smoke." "Let's go to Ria's room and have a quickie." "I don't think Nisa would like that very much." "Are you serious?" "You thought I was serious?" "Nisa's my friend." "Right, right." "Well, I could use another drink." "Come on." "Let's do a line in the room, is what I meant." "Everyone thinks I'm a boyfriend stealer." "Why?" "You get that rap from actually stealing boyfriends?" "Or just attempting to?" "I'd say my batting average is 50%." "Here." "You try." "You know..." "OK, I don't know about this." "I don't really do this." "Well, what would be a good idea, then?" "I got it." "Take a line off of me." "You're crazy." "I can't." "Come on, Conway." "Stop being a prude and take the line off me." "You're making things awkward." "What the fuck, Conway?" "Baby!" "I was just trying coke for the first time." "Remember you told me I should open up and try new things." "Yeah, academically." "Not with fucking whores!" "Hey, stop name-calling, bitch." "There's nothing sexual about doing a line of coke on somebody else's body." "Exactly." "I could believe this dumb slut could do something like this, but you?" "Really?" "I spent three hours getting ready for this stupid lingerie party." "That's understandable." "And you look really hot, so I think I'm liking that." "This is not a lingerie party." "It's a sex party." "Or at least that's what we were about to turn it into." "Hadley, fuck you." "Get up, get up." "Stop!" "Stop!" "You guys are ruining my party!" "My god, this is classy, not trashy." "What are you guys doing?" "Are you kidding me?" "That was, like, $650 worth of blow." "Nisa, you need to get out." "What?" "It's that bitch that started everything." "Nisa, I love you." "But you need to get out now." "Bye bye, baby." "You owe us money for that, by the way." "Snort it off my ass, bitch." "Straighten your pelvis." "Straighten your core." "Gab, if I have to tell you again, you'll be out of this sequence." "Where's Ainsley?" "She's up next." "Maren and Saren, where are they?" "They're all in the bathroom, bringing back lunch." "They're throwing up again?" "Yeah." "We do it in groups now." "No one wants to be the only bulimic in the room." "Girls, this is serious." "I'm trying to teach you the divine heroics of the ballet." "I don't want to host another dreadful dancer-parent orientation." "Well, you don't exactly help, constantly always telling us how un-proportionate we all are." "Because bones are beautiful." "Curves are not." "Hey." "Sweetie." "That's all I've got." "So you're not sharing now?" "I'm going to sit here and watch you enjoy yourself?" "What happened to the share I gave you last week?" "I don't know, Don." "I gave it to charity." "I'm not having this conversation right now." "Just shoot it if you're gonna shoot it." "So you want me to shoot it so I'll shut the fuck up, right?" "That's it?" "That's not what I said, Nisa." "Just let me do my thing." "Do you have any clean needles?" "I don't supply that shit." "I'm not a gay and lesbian center." "So then in my note, I said, why are you writing notes to me?" "We're seniors." "I mean, he could have at least, like, slipped it in my locker so that nobody knows he still likes me." "My gosh, you're so brilliant." "You should write a book or something, you know?" "Or better yet, a blog about social etiquette and high school hierarchy." "Today, tomorrow, and for the rest of the social era." "You know, or something like that." "Someone's at your door." "Yeah, I should actually get that." "You expecting somebody?" "Well, just whoever it is, just send them..." "Yeah." "You know, I'll tell them to come back when you're not so fucked up." "God." "My god." "What are you doing here?" "We came for the dope." "Why else would we be here?" "And by the way, why do you want to hurt ballerinas?" "It might have something to do with the mental, physical, emotional abuse I've endured for years in the company." "But let alone at your hands." "You used to be my friend." "I used to own you, bitch." "Yeah?" "Well, not anymore." "You know, you can reapply." "Or better yet, go to Russia." "I hear that ballet's good there." "Yeah." "Just leave the country already." "You know what, I need to know one thing from you bitches." "Where's Ria?" "Because she owes me." "She's in juvy." "Well, actually, she broke out." "Have you checked her dad's house?" "I mean, if I was tired and hungry, that's where I would go." "Well, if you tell anybody you just saw me here, it's going to be the last thing to leave your stupid mouth." "Don't come here again." "Get the fuck up." "What?" "Get the fuck up." "What the fuck?" "Am I missing something here?" "These fucking cunts just showed up at your door." "What the fuck do I know about some fucking cunts?" "For your dope." "For your dope." "You're holding out on me now." "I'm not... what the..." "I'm not fucking holding out on you." "Yeah, you're a lying piece of shit." "Look, they put fucking money in my pocket." "You put my dick in your mouth." "A man's got to have some priorities." "Fuck." "Fuck you." "Fuck you." "And five, six, seven, eight." "And balancing, balancing." "Turn, two, three, four." "Now fly, Demitri, fly!" "Yes, fly with me." "That's it." "Fly, yes!" "Soar over the atmosphere." "You know, being nude during a massage is what separates the men from the boys." "I know that your old ballet school would have a personal therapist over here." "We just have to hybridize our positions." "You are tense." "You need to relax." "I know what you're doing, Mr. Lustgarten." "You're trying to seduce me." "I'm not a full-on queer." "I'm sorry." "Although I have experimented before." "So you have?" "Well, listen to this." "You are not to breathe a word of this to Delphine." "For if you do, I promise you, I will snip off your tiny balls." "Do you hear me?" "Here you are." "Now, you better tell me something more than nonsense this time." "Will I ever get as much attention as my sister does in school?" "All right." "I guess I cheated." "I made this thingy go to yes." "It's called a planchet." "And you need to stop thinking I'm better than you." "I'd rather have your pear bottom and pearly whites any day." "I was just messing with you." "I knew you were watching." "You have to set this on your lap." "We shouldn't have a problem contacting the spirit world." "Our hearts are pure, I'd like to think." "You just have to ask serious questions." "Like what?" "How you'll die?" "U-Z-I." "U-Z-I?" "It must stand for something." "Urinary zinc infection?" "No such thing." "Whoever you are, reveal yourself." "My god." "My god, Saren." "Hello, Maren and Saren." "I am Harmonia." "I'm the lady from the music box that you gave to Ria for her super-sweet 16." "I came from the same garage sale as that Ouija board." "Do you remember?" "I just didn't want to spell it all out on there." "I mean, I've got things to do." "But Saren, what I was trying to tell you is that you will die from an Uzi." "It's an Israeli submachine gun." "In fact, it's the same model that Nisa attacked your ballet school with." "So you mean she'll strike again?" "Of course." "But Maren knows that, doesn't she?" "I was going to have you die by the sword." "Yes, but you're going to change your mind when you sit down to write it." "Maren, you have such a gift." "Really?" "I thought it was just a magical typewriter." "So you're saying that she can determine destiny by whatever she types on that thing?" "Precisely." "And you'd think she would use it to do good in the world, to feed the hungry, to house the homeless, or to put pants on pantless people." "But she is evil." "She is more evil than Nisa." "In fact, she is the most horrible, despicable girl who ever walked the face of this Earth." "Shame on you, Maren." "Shame." "No!" "Shame on you!" "Shame!" "No!" "Shame on you." "No!" "When will the rain stop?" "When will the sun shine again so we can play foosball?" "I don't know, Dad." "But foosball was an indoor sport." "And we can always play it after dinner." "It's set up in the garage." "No, I want to play badminton now." "We can't play badminton now." "The rain's finally stopped, but it's a bit muddy out there, and we just can't play." "Ria." "Hi." "No, no, no." "Stop, stop." "It's me." "It's your little girl." "You're not the little sweet precious Ria that we raised." "Your mother would be so disappointed." "She would be sick to her stomach." "An officer just left not more than 20 minutes ago." "You're a wanted criminal." "You're no daughter of mine." "Won't my own father believe the honest truth?" "I had nothing to do with this." "Can you please help me, Daddy?" "Can't I just have a full night's sleep in the crawl space?" "I'll be on the run again in the morning." "No, I don't want it." "What'd you do, microwave it?" "All right, then." "You can stay the night." "But in the morning, you have to decide whether you're going to turn yourself in or leave." "OK." "And I'll say I haven't seen you." "Now, go play some foosball with Papa." "Put him to bed." "And don't you dare go upstairs unless you have something really urgent to discuss." "OK." "Thank you, Daddy." "Thank you." "You're welcome, pumpkin." "Hey, Papa." "Who are you?" "Your grand-daughter, Ria." "Do you not recognize me?" "Shut your hole." "My grand-daughter is a ballet dancer." "She's a fine one, too." "I am a ballet dancer." "Do you not remember coming to my recitals?" "If you're a ballet dancer, where's your leotard and your tutu?" "Silly Papa, that's all just a matter of changing into." "Why don't you wait here, I'll change and put on a show for you of aggrandized proportions." "Me and the boys will all be waiting for you." "Ria opens her music box and admires the tiny ballerina that swivels in perfect harmony with the little classical music that flows from the jewel encrusted ornamental gift." "Suddenly, Nisa is reflected in its mirror." "Nisa, how'd you get in here?" "It's OK." "We just need to have a girl-to-girl." "We're still besties, aren't we?" "Or did my episode change that?" "You fucking got me locked up, you bitch!" "They're fucking after me now." "How can you just show up here like this?" "I'm sorry." "I just..." "I just freaked out, OK?" "I don't understand why they're trying to involve you in all of this." "That's real fucking sweet." "Why don't you tell them that?" "You ruined everything for me." "I'm going to get held back because of you, not to mention lose my scholarship with the company and probably get dragged back to solitary confinement at St." "Helen's." "I'm here because I care about you." "And I want to make things right." "So why can't we just take these mollies like old times?" "You know I love molly." "I guess life sucks and there's no point in dealing with it sober at this point." "So... so you broke out?" "Yeah." "They didn't just let me go." "Maybe they would have if you turned yourself in." "Well, you know, I think that you should hit the streets with me and get rid of shit." "You dealing again?" "I need to get the fuck out of here." "It's going to take some money." "Where are you trying to go?" "Anywhere non-USA." "Mexico or Brazil, I don't know." "They'd never let either of us across the border." "Well, Don Elsoroy's cousin is going to charter a plane, and you're coming." "Get real." "Do you not trust me?" "Ria, it's time we start a new life for ourselves." "South America isn't going to give a shit if we disrespected some prissy ballet school." "I don't speak Portuguese or..." "Spanish or..." "This molly is strong." "Are you feeling it?" "Yeah." "Already." "It's good." "Ria, I..." "I need your help." "Because I have the perfect plan." "Ria, will you just look at me for a second, please?" "Listen, don't you want to dance again?" "Nothing ever stopped me." "What the hell is going on?" "I never cared for that kid anyway." "Nisa!" "Nisa, you missed it!" "You're my grand-daughter, but nobody's perfect." "I don't know if people are going to go for this stuff." "Well, I don't know what to write about anymore." "I take from real life and people who dump on me." "I try to be creative, but it's just as bad." "I didn't say trash it." "I'm just trying to say it's probably not good for young audiences." "I can't believe you just ripped up that chapter." "It means I've put up with all that pecking for nothing." "Don't worry about it." "I scanned it already to have a backup." "I just wanted to see your reaction." "You're psycho." "Yeah, I am." "So any more criticism about my book before I start chapter 10?" "Just that maybe you should bulk up the male characters." "What's going on with Conway?" "It's too late for that." "He has nothing to do with how the story unfolds anyways." "Ria rises in a gown alone in a strange blue atmosphere." "Remember, girls, adagio in no way means allegro." "And by the way, since we have no one to play the dancing noble, which one you girls is going to volunteer to play the duke?" "All right, I'll just have to pick the most masculine one." "All right, you little daughters of bitches." "This is how it's going to work." "Everyone's going to back up against the wall." "Yeah, lick the wall, you little bitches." "Turn around." "Ria, so which one of these little bitches do you think we should end first?" "I..." "Ria, don't you think you're appearing weak?" "We had such a lovely entrance, so don't fade out on me now." "OK." "Ainsley." "Ainsley, get the fuck over here." "Good." "Go for it." "Shoot!" "Damn it!" "You missed them." "Go!" "You're both dead." "Why does no one obey the ballerina with the gun?" "Ria, you're not well." "You don't want to do this." "So?" "Just put the gun down, and I won't be mad at you." "I won't be mad." "It's not... it's not me." "Get up." "Face the wall." "I don't want to look at you." "Please, I'll do whatever you want." "It's too late for that." "What have we done to deserve this?" "Deserve what?" "I haven't done anything to you yet." "Hold us against our will." "It's 1:30." "Class ain't even over yet." "You're making us witness evil." "You better hope you live long enough to be a witness." "You're a terrorist." "A terrorist?" "I'm pretty cute for a terrorist, aren't I?" "Aren't I?" "Yes." "Yes." "We could have been friends, but you laughed at Gab's jokes." "I'm sorry." "They weren't..." "They weren't funny." "Did you know that when Eve ate the forbidden fruit, humanity was doomed." "And therefore, you're meant to suffer." "Now, where's Gab?" "She run out the back door?" "No." "She couldn't have." "It's locked always." "Clever girl." "Then where does she hide?" "She has to be in the prop room." "That's the only other place that she could be." "Please don't hurt me." "Do you know what happens when you don't play by my rules?" "Certain death." "That's all that happens." "What do you want from me?" "My dad will give you whatever it is that you want." "I'm sorry, Nisa." "I was a bitch." "You still are one." "No." "Your face has bitch written all over it." "Dump it out." "Anything good?" "I have $500 in gift cards." "Hey!" "Any last words?" "Fainting spoils all the fun." "Open up, you little slut." "I want to play with you." "You know you're in there." "This door is never locked or even shut." "Gab's panic worsens as the pounding continues and grows more violent, coupled with Nisa's increasing demonic rage." "Gaby." "Hide and seek is for little kids, not big girls." "It seems we have a little birdie loose in the attic." "The only one with half a brain, making me work to kill." "Ria..." "Ria, bring Delphine in here." "All right." "Come on, let's go." "Go!" "Where's that weasel?" "What?" "She's up in the ceiling." "How should I know where she is?" "I've never been up there or had any reason to study the blueprints of this building." "We have business to attend to." "You're right." "We do." "Ria!" "I don't really want to kill the sisters." "Can you do it." "You need to kill to avenge your mother's death." "They had nothing to do with that." "Maren, tell me, beautiful, how does it end?" "I don't know." "I haven't gotten that far." "I know, but you're the writer." "What were you thinking?" "There's a few twists I'm thinking of." "Does it involve the sisters surviving?" "There's a massacre." "No one gets out alive." "Why would you Not let yourself live?" "Why would you seal your own fate?" "I'd look selfish if you died and I didn't go down with the sinking ship." "Better selfish than dead." "Why would the reader want me to live?" "I like your character." "It's better than mine." "If I die... when I die..." "It's just another ballerina." "But when you die, people might shed a tear." "Well, I haven't gotten that far in the story yet." "I suppose we could rewrite what hasn't been written." "What do you say we make a beeline to the door?" "No." "Saren, I'm afraid." "I'm afraid too, but we have to try." "The getaway driver is waiting outside." "He'll kill anyone who flees." "There's a chance he misses." "You're the writer." "Why can't you get us out of this?" "Whether people paid or didn't pay, they expect a horror." "As much as you and I want to live, the kill count doesn't go uncounted, and Ainsley is next on the list." "I want you to go back in there and penetrate every orifice of their bodies with your Uzi lead now." "They're not worth my bullets." "They're, like, $0.50 a load." "Then just make them choke each other at gunpoint." "Then in some sick way, they all take part in this." "Yeah." "Like Santa's little helpers." "Drink?" "No." "Come on." "We're alone now." "Put the sword down." "You know, Ria could come back in any minute, and wouldn't that be funny?" "If we're all cutesy all of a sudden." "What?" "Having a tea party." "She doesn't know about our plan?" "I didn't see much sense in telling her." "She could have shot me." "You know, honestly, I figured she would have chickened out by now anyway." "No." "She's even more psychotic than you are." "The drugs are helping her." "What did you give her?" "A mix of things." "Methamphetamines, PCP." "My, with any luck, she'll turn the gun on herself." "Then we'll have nothing to worry about." "They're her father's weapons." "I guess it's better she doesn't know anything." "That way, if she's caught, there'll be nothing about me in her testimony." "Here." "Here's 5,500, a token of my appreciation." "No." "I need the cash." "I deposited the contents of the safe yesterday." "Check's no good to me." "It's OK." "You can deposit that anywhere for a $5 fee." "So you're just going to flee with the rest?" "20 grand, that won't last long in Mexico with my shopping habit." "20 grand?" "You and I agreed to split the till 50/50." "That was your idea." "I never agreed." "I'm a woman." "Women require bigger salaries than little girls who are wanted by the FBI." "You should be thanking me." "OK." "Well, this kid is greedy." "I want double." "It's bad enough I gotta split this shit with Ria and tip out Don Elsoroy 650." "Put your sword down." "I'll cover Don Elsoroy's fee in cash, but you still haven't killed everyone." "It's not that easy on the psyche." "Now, Saren, for your last performance." "Please." "Yes." "You should be thrilled." "None of the other girls got a proper last performance." "But this movement requires another dancer." "Imagine she's there." "Like everything else, this is all made up." "But can't my little sister join me?" "No, Saren." "This is your last performance." "Maren and Saren watch Ria lose herself in her own mind." "It is Gab, dead Gab, bound with strings, dancing haggardly." "She glides through an atmosphere of nothingness." "Feels out for someone, anyone." "She looks up, imagining rain upon her face." "I can hear your fear, you little bitch." "Wakey wakey." "What's going..." "On?" "Yeah." "You have successfully proven yourself to be the biggest pussy in this ballet school." "Did I faint?" "I guess you fucking fainted." "Bad dream?" "Yeah." "Night terrors?" "It's a shame you came to, because this might hurt less." "Stop it." "Why?" "Are you jealous?" "Jealous of what?" "Gabriella and me." "You mean Ainsley." "I hate them both." "Why can't I have a doll?" "You can." "Just wish it." "But you're too practical." "Just let me play with yours." "Why?" "Just what's the matter?" "Well, why should I share my toys when you don't share your boys?" "Just watch." "You got her all tangled." "You're not doing it right." "I want to orchestrate it, Nisa." "No." "Let me control it." "You control everything." "Let me do the ballet." "Your mommy didn't teach you how to share?" "You had it all wrong." "Nisa holds the controls of the marionette puppet, which is much larger now." "Get up!" "It's time for your last dance, prima ballerina." "Do your last dance." "Dance!" "Dance!" "You're a prima ballerina." "Stop!" "Dance!" "Stop!" "Ainsley takes a few graceful steps and ends in a." "Poor Ainsley." "Her tears and sad expression dissolves into pleasure as she moans and delightfully runs her fingers across her lips." "A blood lust victim, a broken doll." "As smoke clears, Ria turns back to Maren and Saren." "Maren!" "What's happening?" "They're onto us next." "We have to make a run for it." "No." "No, Saren." "We can't." "Maren, I love you." "You're the best sister anyone could ever ask for." "But staying here is suicide." "Running is just the same, suicide in motion." "Don't make me do it alone." "Don't leave me yet." "It isn't time." "You're going against everything." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "No!" "Saren!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Ria watches with pleasure as Saren drags her bleeding body slowly across the carnage-laden floor." "Saren!" "I'm sorry." "Saren." "Saren, no." "Saren, you're fine." "You're fine." "You're fine." "You're great." "Saren, Saren." "The daydream is prolonged, but not too long, as soon Ria realizes that her high-stakes delusion is inappropriate and a sick, deep-rooted fantasy." "Nisa dances her big close as the song fades and the voices echo around her, symbolizing the." "Conway, dance with me." "I've got you, Nisa." "Let me take you in my arms." "Yes, Conway." "My charming danseur noble." "Soon, we will make love again, forever." "Kiss me, Conway." "I don't care for dancing." "Hold me." "Hold me like you held her." "There is no one else." "Just you and I, together at last." "All that's left to do is love." "Yes, Conway." "Make love to me." "Here?" "Now?" "Here." "Now." "I can't wait any longer." "No, Nisa." "Save yourself." "No." "Conway, come back." "Die with me." "Let us become dust together." "Nisa, go get Ria." "Take her to the bath and wait for me there." "I'll handle the rest." "OK." "You guys are fucked up." "Saren?" "Ria, drop the gun." "Come get in the tub with me." "Well, well, well." "Look at Ria's accomplishments." "Get it over with." "I want to be with my sister." "Maren, if I kill you, who will live to tell the tale?" "I'm not leaving until everyone is dead." "And some of us are still breathing." "Killing your mentor has life-long damaging effects." "I made you who you are today." "And I hate myself for creating this madness." "Yes." "I am left to wonder why all of this is happening." "I don't know." "There's usually no reason for a massacre." "Delphine comes in with the Uzi." "Sorry, girls." "This time I've been chosen." "Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Juliet, and all the rest." "I'm the perfect prima." "A happy death." "Alex, honey, get me another glass of wine." "It's empty, like always." "Well, open another one, like always." "Yes, this is Wren Hayward." "And my security monitors are showing me there's rapid gunfire happening right now at the building I co-own." "The ballet school." "Yes, yes." "That's the one." "It's happened before." "I think it's the same damn ballerina." "Should I meet the police and paramedics down there?" "The local news is going to want an interview, and I'm practically ready." "Bravo, Maren." "Well done, darling." "You did it." "You overcame your fears and delusions without breaking a single mirror." "You wrote all 12 chapters and survived all three acts in the ballet of blood." "I'm proud of you." "I did it." "I'm the baroness." "The baroness of blood." "And I'm the baroness, the baroness of blood." "The end." "Whoever wrote this book is seriously disturbed." "We have a recital coming up." "We should go practice." "I thought we were having a party." "I guess these children have a bedtime." "I hate all you ballerinas!" "You ruined my career." "Everything." "Maren, you're the one, you fucking bitch!"