Life in A Dance Routine

Reunion

We're at competition. We head over to floor. I walk on to it and wait for my judges okay. They don't give it. They give it. The doors open to the gym. I stop. And I just hit the ground in tears. I run and scream.
"ANTHONY!"
Anthony is my older brother. He's been in the Marines for 3 years now. And I haven't seen him in about a year.
"Hey you crazy kid." I hug him.
"Your back!"
"Yeah. And I'm staying back."
"Yay!"
"Now go dance your heart out. I'll be here."
The judges must have known. They let me start again with no effect to my score.
I nail it. I go sit by Anthony and my mom.

Anthony and I ride home together.
"What level are you in now?"
"7."
"Wow."
"My tryouts for 8 are in two weeks."
"You'll make it."
"Thanks."
"Now, down to business. Any boys I need to beat up from something when I was gone. Or one right now?"
"No!"
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"I saw that guy looking at you. Something going on?"
"No!"
"Only kidding. But I will beat up a guy if I need to."
"Yeah. You probably will."
"So, how's dad?"
The smile disappears from my face.
"He still hasn't talked to us."
"Are you kidding me? So what, he just got up and left and hasn't talked to you guys?"
"Yeah."
"Why did he even leave?"
"My dance stuff."
"What?" He looks at me. His face soft.
"He said mom was spending too much money on me for dance. And he yelled at me for not paying for it myself and that all I do is dance."
"That's it. He still live over by the park?"
"Yeah why?"
"You'll see."
He pulls down the street by the park. My dad hasn't seen Anthony since he left. Let alone me. Anthony parks on the road.
"Stay here."
What is he doing?
He walks to the door and knocks. My dad opens it.
"Anthony?"
"I've been told that you left because Callie is dancing."
"Your point?"
"That's ridiculous."
They keep talking. But my dad, he left my mom and I a week or so after Anthony left for the Marines. I haven't seen him in a while. Nor do I want to. He screamed at me. I was 11. He screamed and yelled at me because all I wanted to do was dance. And everything was about dance. Dance dance dance dance.
Anthony waves me over. I slowly get out of the truck. I walk over. I don't look at my dad.
"Something you want to say?" Anthony asks my dad.
"No."
For some reason I just snap.
"For your information my life isn't all dance! Family, friends are in it too! I'm a straight A student! I have a 4.0 for God's sakes. And you wouldn't know because you don't care about me or my mom. You could care less. Someday I will be in the Olympics and you will see why I dance so hard. And I'm just going to run it in your face! And no, it is not a waste of my time like you said it is! Someday I'll be big! And you'll be sitting here and not giving a crap like you always did!" Anthony grabs my shoulder.
"You told her it was a waste if time!"
"It is!"
"Well, baseball was a waste of time for me."
"Sure it was. You loved baseball!"
"I loved basketball and football. Not baseball."
"That's a lie! You didn't go to Callie's performances because of it."
"Because I had no choice!"
"You did to!"
"No! Because if I didn't I would get screamed my butt off by you!"
"Because baseball is more important that a stupid competition."
I could see a flicker in Anthony's eyes.
"Not true!"
"It is."
"Baseball all you do is run around bases and blah blah blah. Dance your doing everything!"
"Sticking up for your sister that you left? Really nice. Trying to make up for it."
"No. Because I got screamed at by you! And when I found out you were screaming at her and mom I had had it!"
"Sure. Still glad you left?"
"Yeah. I am actually."
I look at Anthony.
"Because I sorted out my head. What I need to do. And I have it sorted now."
"Sure you do. Leaving your family. Smart."
"I didn't leave my family. I left because of you."
Anthony wraps his arm around me and walks to the truck.
"Your the reason I left!"