Life in A Dance Routine

Meeting

Nikki tells us Sammy is here. We walk downstairs with her. Sammy stands by two haulers. A bigger one connected to a white truck. And a smaller one connected to a red truck. Both Rams. I love the look of Rams! And Nikki was right. Sammy does have perfect posture. Long blonde hair in a high braided ponytail. Nikki goes behind her.
"Nice to see someone I can relate to."
"Nikki." They hug.
"No Faith?"
"Oh, just wait."
"Should I prepare myself?"
"May want to."
A girl a few years younger then is gets out of the truck. Must be Faith.
"And you didn't believe me."
"Well, you make up things to get me to go places."
"That was one time."
"Still." She cartwheels to us.
"Hi."
"Hey. Your actually pretty good. Doing ten perfect cartwheels in skinny jeans and boots. Nice job."
"Thanks."
"Want to come in and do some fun stuff?"
"Sure."
We walk in with her.
-Nikki-
"It's so good to see you again."
"Same for you."
"So, how's everything going for you?"
"Great. Having a great racing season. Great times in Wisconsin."
"That's good. I haven't see you in like forever."
"You were what, five."
"I think seven."
"Yeah. That seems about right. Because I would have been, 13."
"Wow. That was a long time ago!"
"Yeah. I know."
"So, how was the last like thirty years of life?"
"Uhhh."
"Not good?"
"There's good. And bad."
"Like?"
"You don't want to know."
"I do though."
"You been on Instagram in like the last 10 years?"
"Very little. I have a life with dance not social media." She laughs at that.
"It wasn't good. It still isn't the best, but not like it was."
She seems down. I turn to her.
"What's the worst?"
"Ehh. Probably trying to kill myself." She says slowly and quiet.
"What?!"
"Just don't tell anyone. When I was 13 remember when I had been gone so much at school?"
"Yeah."
"That's because I didn't want to go to school. And my parents didn't care. Well, my dad didn't. And at the end of that year, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. So...."
"Wow!"
"Yeah."
"I can't believe that!"
"I know. I regret it all. But luckily I had my dad and Noah."
"I heard my name." A guy jumps out of the truck. Must be Noah.
"Nikki, this is Noah. Noah, this is Nikki."
"Your who Faith freaked about aren't you?"
"Guess so."
"Well it's nice to meet you."
"Same to you."
"Where's Ben?"
"Texting Leah."
"Should have guessed." She laughs.
"So, you want to come in?"
"Sure."
We walk in. Sammy sees the vault. The girls are on the floor.
"I know what you want to do. Go vault." I say.
She runs to the runway and goes over it.
I can't help but laugh. She should have totally been a dancer. But she chose racing instead. No idea why but I guess that's her thing.
-Callie-
A guy walks in. Maybe a few years older then us. Strong.
"He's cute!" Bethany whispers to me.
"I think that's Ben. Mom has showed me pictures."
"Mom, stop going all gymnast would you? It's race season."
I laugh quietly. He's right, but there's nothing wrong with going gymnast.
Just then Ben runs on the vault and flips over it.
"That is like a trampoline. Dear lord." Bethany and I laugh.
Faith is over on bars. She is actually really good. We walk to her.
"Your really good Faith."
"Thanks. I love the arts. Music, art, dance."
"That's a good thing."
I walk to Sammy.
"Hey Callie. Mind if I give you a ride home?"
"Sure. But Bethany too."
"Well duh. I'm not going to leave your step sister here. That's just rude."
"You know about that?"
"Mothers." She rolls her eyes.
"Yeah." She laughs.

We head to my house. I'm in the front. Whenever Sammy turns left, it's like she wants to turn more. Probably racing instinct.
"Mom. Someone wants to say hi." Bethany and I walk in with Sammy behind us.
"Who?" She looks at Sammy. "Sammy." She walks and hugs her. "It seems like forever."
"I know."
"How's that family of yours?"
"Crazy. They're outside. Told them to come in but they take they're time. Well, Ben is usually fast but new girlfriend and all." My mom laughs.
"There are two haulers in front of our house. Looks like racing haulers. Want to know who!"
"Oh God. Anthony. He is one crazy kid."
He runs down. He looks at me and Bethany, then my mom. And he sees Sammy. His eyes go wide.
"Your, your, your."
I walk over there and whack him across the head.
"Ow!"
He goes back upstairs.
"Yeah. That's Anthony. God knows what he's doing."
"She's not kidding. He might be getting his poster that he keeps in his room waiting to go to WIR or you to mysteriously show up. And oh look." I say.
"That may be true."
"That's not creepy." She says laughing. "Something you get used to."
"This has happened before?"
"Uh. There was a boy maybe like 13. And he has this huge cardboard cut out of me and Ben. And he told me that he keeps it in his room and hugs it everyday. And he was really awkward. And he was just we-"
"What, you talking about cut out boy. Cause he is weird." Ben walks in the house.
"Oh, Karen Ben. Ben, Karen."
"Nice to meet you."
Anthony runs down the stairs.
"Heard a new-" He screams. And runs up the stairs again.
"Uh. No idea what is with him."
He runs back downstairs.
"Am I seeing this correctly?"
"Anthony. Chill out." Mom says.
"But, it's her. And him. Do you know who these people are?"
"Since Sammy was be bestfriend in middle school, yes."
"Uh, what?"
"Sammy, friend. Ben, her son. I know who these people are."
"They are related to Randy Anderson mother!"
"Hold on." Anthony just stares at them. "Here." Mom slaps a picture to his chest.
"Oh that's cool." Sammy laughs at his voice. He looks at it. "No."
"Yeah."
"That's impossible."
"He's just a person who decided to race and was a good one. There not holy or something."
"But, but, how?!"
"There's this place called WIR Anthony. And people go there to watch racing. And they go down and talk to the drivers."
"I know that! But your like, 10 in this picture."
She laughs.
"I was 12!"
"Oh."
"Hated the age 12. Absolutely hated it."
"Well I would too if I were you." Mom says.
I have so many questions. Who is this, Randy person. And how did my mom know him and how does Anthony know what and who he is?
"Why exactly?" Mom turns and looks at him.
"So, you claim to know all about Randy. Add the years bucko. It will all make sense." Sammy laughs.
"Ohhhhh."
Noah peeks his head in.
"Hey, Sam. Your dad just called wanted me to tell you that the race is cancelled tomorrow."
"Thank God!" Ben says.
"I have not seen any races from last year or this year yet."
"There in YouTube."
"Yeah I know. I just haven't had the time to watch it yet."
"If you still want to like me don't watch August 3rd's of last years then."
"Why?"
"No reason."
"For Gods sake mom. It wasn't all your fault."
"For God's sake Ben shut up!" We all laugh at that.
"But seriously, why am I not watching?"
"Turn 1 wall, not a good time to go up when not enough room for second."
"What'd you do? Roll?"
"Oh, and don't watch July 20th. I rolled then. But not that time."
"Then what'd you do?"
"Killed a guy." Anthony laughs. She's serious though.
"Wait your serious?"
"Totally going to lie about killing my friend JJ. Totally. Yes I'm serious." Sammy is funny.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Mom. I have told you so many times! It wasn't your fault!"
"I have told you so many times I was the one that went up, causing him to hit me and T-bone the wall which caused it to happen."
"It would have happened sometime or another. Be glad it was in a race not somewhere else."
"The worst place is at a race!"
"Oh."
"Did I raise you right?" We laugh.
"No."
"Probably true. Like I said, you are your dads kid, not mine."
"That is not true." Noah and Faith walk in together. We have to laugh. This will get interesting.
"Then what is true?"
"Uh, well first of all he is your kid. Obviously. And that he is more like you then me. You don't see me racing every week now do ya?" We laugh. Even Sammy.
"I think your forgetting some things."