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secretlifeofachicamuerta · 4 years

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Not every home is one to be thankful for and that was a lesson Arabella was forced to to learn the hard way when she was only six years old. She had the DiMarco to thank for that. They were the very first family to take in the young orphaned Latina. The day she got picked felt like the blessing Sister Josephiña told her would always come in time. Arabella had quite literally waited her entire for this moment. Not only was she gaining a family she was going to get to learn ballet. Mr. DiMarco owned a prestigious ballet school and his beautiful wife was an instructor, they housed young children while training them to be the very best so it was as if she was also getting siblings. Life for the little one was about to get a lot less lonely.

It was embedded in her memory the first time she pulled up to the white, perfectly trimmed estate. It looked like a palace. "¿Puedo vivir aquí?" She squealed with glee and unbelievable excitement. All her years of being alone, not being picked, wishing she had a family was all being made up for. Arabella's niave mind truly believed she had been pulled into a fairytale.

Perfectly manicured red nails tapped Bella's knee lightly, "Now, now Arabella what did Momma DiMarco tell you about speaking Spanish?"

Oh no! She had already messed up with her new parents. "Speaking Spanish is not allowed because it's disrespectful when no one understands." Her tiny chubby fingers folded together in a pleading motion as the biggest sincere pout took over the child's face, "I'm so very, very, very sorry. Please don't send me back. I can do better!"

Amused laughter echoed in the back of the limo from the blonde goddess that was now her mother. "Darling I would never give you back, you're everything I've ever wanted."

The way Mrs. DiMarco's hand cupped thr Latina's cheek was more the most affection she had ever been seen. Not that the nuns were mean at the orphanage but their love had always lacked something and until that moment Bella did not know what. A mother's touch. A touch so tender that it took the right kind of person to deliver it. This was every thing that Arabella had wanted. Or so she thought...

"Move out of my way orphan!" Sneered suzie as she had ran past Arabella shoving her down. "Great now I have cooties!"

Needless to say Arabella had not been very well accepted by the live in students of the DiMarco Ballet Academy. Every since she had moved into Suzie's room the little curly red headed had terrorized her. She called her names and told all the other children if they played with Bella they would catch Orphanidis and their parents would leave them too. She was a very cruel little girl for being nine but Momma DiMarco explained it was just jealously of having to share the spotlight. It would seem the latina had a natural knack for ballet and after just one year of being trained by Momma DiMarco she had been moved up to the intermediate class for young children. All the kids in her class were two years older than her. That seem to upset Suzie in ways that Arabella at seven years old could never understand.

However Bella never cared that she did not make friends with kids her age. The teens at the academy seem to be fond of her but most of Momma DiMarco loved her. She always knew just what to say to make the little dancer shine through the rain. In fact she was the only reason Arabella was as advanced as she was. She worked tiredlessly day and night during the first year to show the beginner the ropes. She had loved dancing so much with her mom that she always asked for more. A bystander might ask if it was ballet Arabella loved or the connection she was building with Momma DiMarco. But did it matter? All the hard work and training was worth making that woman proud.

Daddy DiMarco however was an entirely different story. It wasn't that Bella thought he did not love her but more he was always super serious, a very busy man running a school and making dancers into the perfection to become a Prima at his doing. He had more of a tough love way about parenting. Not that that he was cruel, he was determined to make Arabella strong. Not just physically but emotionally. He did not see her as a child to coddle, her age did not matter. He was shaping her to face the world and the spotlight was a cruel place to be a times. He was honest and raw with her, he did not believe in sparing the truth to protect her feelings or any else's. Especially during the one on one critique dances. He every week all the live ins had to to perform for him personally on Sunday. Not only dance but choreograph a dance to a song he would assign. His eyes never missed a mistake.

"Arabella! We've talked about this again and again. You must pivot when landing a jump or you can blow out your knee." He rubbed his temples in pure annoyance. He did not care if most eight year olds could not do the triple spin jump. She could and he expected her land correctly.

Her dark ravenous curls fell around her face as she looked down at the pink ballet slippers on her feet. They were beginning to tatter now after two years. She had put in so much practice and time. There was no doubt she went above and beyond but she felt like an amateur right now. She did not deserve to be standing before him.

His hand weighed heavy pressing down on the shoulder of the adolescent. "What do we expect here at the DiMarco Academy?" His voice stern, she would hear no graditude from him today. He would not comfort the weak.

"Perfection." Her tiny voice squeaked with sorrow. Don't cry. Don't cry. The voice inside her head whimpered. "If I can not display pure perfection for the art of ballet I do not only not deserve to dance but be a vessel for such a prestige school." Words no one would expect to come from the mouth of a child but those are the exact words he would use. She had them memorized. Every student have. Being his daughter gave her no exceptions if anything she knew he expected more of her.

"Exactly I have no use for a student who is injured not to mention I do not have the patience to wait for recovery." He would bend down on one knee and tuck his callused finger beneath her chin to ensure she was making eye contact before saying what he needed to next."There is someone out there who can replace us all and it is simply why we must be the best. Do not make reckless moves Arabella. Do better. Be the perfection I know you're capable of."

And Bella would do just that. Every single day she worked hard, determined to make Daddy DiMarco proud of her like how momma was. She wanted to be perfection he so ruthlessly taught. She without a doubt had the skills to be just that. Her need to impress her parents, her desire to accepted by her family fed her enthusiasm of shaping herself to be the dancer they both wanted her to be. Such a heavy weight for a child to carry but still at the end of each night she'd thank God in her prayers for blessing her with a family.

But her story would not be one of parents who pressured her too much or set a life plan for her. That would have been a far nicer ending than the one fate has in store for her. The journey with the DiMarco's would take a heartbreaking turn shortly after Arabella turned nine. The older she got the better she became at her control and balance making her even more advanced. While Momma DiMarco finally had switched up the rooms so she did not have have share with Suzie it did not stop the girl from hating Bella. By now Suzie was eleven, in her tweens and full of herself. Until Arabella the red head had never experienced true competition, she had always simply been the best at everything and did not handle not getting her way so well.

Pasty white finger jabbed into Arabella's shoulder angrily, "The only reason you got lead in the recital is because Mrs. DiMarco feels bad for you but I can see why your parents did not want you! You stink!" She plugged her nose being the dramatic show she was as Suzie.

"Mentirosa!" She'd shout, over the past three years she learned when to correctly use her Spanish and since her parents were not around she could. "We both know they would not. They have standards they hold to. I got it because I worked hard and perfected the whipped throw."

Arms presented crossing over her chest with the most snoody look to appear upon her face while turning her nose up at the pathetic orphan before her. "Well they picked you for a daughter so maybe their standards are not ones to be sought after."

The audicity! Suzie's words hit her deep, anger and hurt filled the soul of Arabella. The girl's tone made such remark as if something was wrong with the young Latina as if she was not worthy to picked to be loved. She bawled her fist beside her as her dark brows furrowed glaring at the hateful girl standing before her. "You're just mad because you'll never be more than my understudy!"

Her comeback must have hit Suzie in a way that she would never expect because next thing Bella knew she was tumbling down the large staircase after being pushed. Each step of the marble stairs smacking some part of her body landing her with a loud thud at the end of the bottom of the staircase knocked unconscious by the fall. She had finally won a battle words against Suzie. But at what cost? A broken ankle and shifted growth plate that would leave her with the inability to dance for at least six months if not longer. Daddy DiMarco was gonna be so angry.

"I know I'm not allowed to dance and have to stay off my feet but I was thinking maybe I could help you train some of the beginner classes momma." Arabella was excited to finally be going home after three days in the hospital. "Make myself useful while I'm recovering. Plus I have a feeling that everyone in the house might be mad at me for getting Suzie kicked out and..."

"Suzie did not get kicked out. She will remain in the house." Father DiMarco quickly interrupting his daughter's rant.

"Oh..." Disappointment rang in her voice but she would force herself to understand after all Suzie was an incredible dancer, she was good for the academy. "I just thought with the zero violence policy she'd be asked to leave."

A sigh of annoyance hissed in his voice as his full attention was now directed to Arabella. "Why would we get ride of a student with her talents that can actually still dance. It is you who will not be returning."

A sense of panic rushed over the young Latina, blood rushing from her face. It was clear she did not understand what her father meant exactly."But I'm the best dancer at the academy..."

"You were the best dancer and now you are useless to me. Have you learned nothing in all this time Arabella? The show must go on." His facial expression would lack any care or comfort that child might be searching for. He had done nothing but warn her if anything prevented her from dancing what would happen.

Tears swelled in Momma DiMarcos eyes as she clutched her child's hand, "I'm so sorry." She brushed Bella's dark hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek once more like she had done the very first day.

Arabella tried to be strong and understand something as harsh as the truth before her but at least she had her mother to comfort her. "It's okay I can go to regular school and once I get better I'll still practice every day with your help..."

An insidious laugh belted from her father, he found amusement in the pathetic plea she was making, "Arabella you've clearly misunderstood the dire situation presented before you. It's not just the academy you will not be returning to but our home. Your bed could be better suited for a child who can dance. We've already spoken to Sister Josephiña..."

Arabella to present day still had no idea what Mr. DiMarco said after Sister Josephiña as a child she zoned out. She had zero understanding to how her parents could give her back. She had never believed the seriousness or extent to what he meant all the times he had told her an injury would make her useless. They were giving her back and seem to not be a sight of care in his face as if it was normal to return a child to an orphanage for a refund. Mrs.DiMarco just sat there in silence as Arabella screamed and pleaded not to go back. But remorse was at least written across her face. While it was clear she was no one to the man she believed was her father she had in fact been the world to her mother.

"Momma please don't let him send me back, I promise I'm not useless." She blubbered as crocodile tears steamed from her hazel eyes. "Please momma tell him! Tell him you love me, tell him I'm worth keeping."

No mercy would be shown to the nine year old, in fact all it led to was Mrs. DiMarco retrieving her shades from the top of her head to place over eyes. It did not matter the promises she made, the begging to be kept there was nothing but silence in the back of the limo. Mr. DiMarco had made up his mind and there was no changing it. It had become clear the only reason he had agreed to taking in Arabella was the promise his wife had made to train the child they chose into the most magnificent prodigy the DiMarco's were incapable of birthing due to her sterile womb. Though tears could be seen steaming down the face of the woman who once was her mother she did not speak a word of protest against her husband she just sat there while her child's heart broke.

Arabella had to be forcefully removed from the car by the driver upon return. Though she might have been a small injured nine year old she did not make it easy. She squirmed and tossed, screaming as she would clutch to anything she could hold on to trying to reach for her mom in hopes she'd reach back. But she did not. She had to watch the people who were once her parents drive away once again leaving her an unwanted orphan. The DiMarcos were not a blessing, they were a lesson.

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