Chapter 1
Madam Lumuire on Faye and Lena as Romeo and Juliet (Chapter 5)
Madam Lumière watched them carefully, her sharp eyes missing nothing. She had been in this profession long enough to recognize when a partnership was more than just skill and practice.
She had seen dancers who were technically flawless but lacked connection, pairs who could execute the most intricate pas de deux but never truly breathed together. But Faye and Lena—oh, they were different.
There was something in the way they moved, something unspoken but deeply felt.
Lena’s body reacted to Faye’s like second nature, instinctive and effortless. And Faye—so composed, so controlled—let herself break only when Lena was near, her movements softening, her precision turning into something almost tender.
Madam Lumière had observed them for years, watching the way their partnership had evolved, watching how they anticipated each other’s next move before it even happened. It was the kind of chemistry that couldn’t be taught, the kind that could make an audience feel.
And so, she had made her decision.
“I want you two to dance together for the gala,” she said, keeping her voice measured, though she already knew what their answer would be.
Lena straightened beside her, and Faye, always so quick to commit, answered without hesitation.
“Okay.”
A small smile touched Lumière’s lips, but she wasn’t finished yet.
“This won’t be just any duet,” she continued. “I want it to be… intimate.”
She didn’t miss the way Faye’s posture shifted, the slight inhale, the way Lena’s fingers twitched like she was already bracing for the next movement. Good.
“We’ll be reimagining Romeo and Juliet—but with a twist.” She let the weight of her words settle before she spoke again. “Faye, you’ll be Romeo. Lena, you’ll be Juliet.”
—
The reaction was immediate.
Faye’s fingers curled slightly, as if gripping an invisible partner. Lena’s lips parted, her shoulders tensing.
Madam Lumière allowed a brief pause, letting them feel it before she spoke again.
“Faye, you’ll lead the lifts, the turns, the catches. You’ll have to trust each other in ways you haven’t before.” Her gaze flicked between them, reading everything in the silence that stretched between them. “This is not just a love story—it is desperation, passion, fate itself pulling you together.”
She took a step closer, lowering her voice.
“You two already have something that most dancers spend years trying to find. I see it when you dance. I see it when you don’t dance. And I know that if you trust it—if you trust each other—you’ll create something unforgettable.”
She let the words linger for a moment before stepping back, clapping her hands once.
“Rehearsals start tomorrow. Be ready.”
—
And as she turned away, a knowing smile ghosted across her lips.
Because if there was one thing she was sure of, it was this—
Faye and Lena had been dancing this story long before they ever set foot on stage.