Quitters Don't Win

Chapter 1.

"Get those knees straight, girls!" Ms. Sarah called out to us. I looked at myself in the mirror and straightened my leg more than it already had been, then straightened my posture also.

I turned to look at my friend Amy, who made a face and mouthed what Ms. Sarah had said. I muffled my laugh and gripped the barre a bit tighter. Ms. Sarah came over to me and touched my pale hand. "Loosen your grip," she passes me and walks over to Rachel. "Girls, turn to Rachel, please! Look at her posture, and her fantastic turn out!" I could see Amy roll her eyes from my peripheral vision. I knew she was annoyed. Rachel is the most brattiest girl I've met in my life. She gets anything and everything she wants. If she doesn't get her way, she whines like a five year old. An annoying, spoiled brat five year old, I think to myself.

Rachel smiles over mischievously at Jessica, her friend Amy and I like to call, brat number two. I snicker when I think of it. We call both of them the brat twins. They almost could be sisters, both silky, long blonde hair with unnatural bright highlights and vibrant brown eyes. Eccentric, but bratty-looking.

"Alright girls, you are dismissed. Remember to stretch and practice please." Ms. Sarah waves her hand over us and gathers her things. We walk out of the humid dance room and I walk downstairs, searching for Amy. I wipe my sweaty forehead while I gather my bag.

"Ugh," Amy skips over to me, slipping her backpack over her. "She always gets called on by Ms. Sarah. She should notice you for a change!" I chuckle and push the studio door open, letting a cold blast of the night air fill my lungs and slip though my sweaty hair. "We can wish, but we can't demand." She twists her lips to the side, looking at me. "Since when have you become all quote and saying girl?" We had to laugh at that. I just shrug, sitting on the bench outside.

Amy says goodbye to me after we talk a bit and I sit there alone, scrolling through Instagram out of boredom. I put both my legs on the bench, spread out into a middle split and rests my elbows on one of the bench's wood. A truck pulls up and a similar figure steps out.

Cooper.

I can see his silhouette closing the door and noticing me on the bench, and I put my legs down and sit upright. He smiles sweetly and sits beside me.

"How's my Prim?" He asks, swinging his arm around me. "I'm sweaty," I say, biting my lip, holding back the giggles. He makes an odd "ewuh" sound and pulls away. "Sorry," I say, laughing a bit. He chuckles, shaking his brown hair. "Nah, it's cool Prim-la. Not your fault." He kisses me sweetly on the cheek. "C'mon, let's bring you home."

Cooper helps me into his tall Ford truck and puts my bag in the backseat. He gets in and starts the car, then looks at me. "What?" I ask, looking at my shirt and pants, feeling my face. "Something on me?" He smiles. He leans in and cups my chin with one hand. "Nothing. You're perfect." He leans in and kisses me passionately. We pull away, our breath heavy and ragged. I smile. "I love you," I whisper. "Me too." He slides his hand down my cheek and drives down the road.

He stops at my house. I grab my bag from the backseat quickly. "Bye Coop," I say, leaning over and kissing his cheek softly. He wraps his hand around mine. "See you tomorrow at school," he says. I nod, smiling and climbing out of the truck. I shut the door and wave to him as he drives off. I walk up to the house and unlock the door with my keys.

"Hey, ma," I yell through the tall house. "Hey, Prim-la!" She calls from the kitchen. I drop my bag next to the door and walk into the kitchen, an aroma of spices filling my nose. "Smells good," I say as I wrap my skinny arms around her. She smiles and turns. "How was dance?" I nod. "Good." She stirs a pot of thick, orange liquid with a wooden spoon on the hot stove. "I'm making tomato soup," she says as she drops a piece of basil in the soup. "Want to try?" I smile. "Sure." She takes a spoon from the cabinet and dips it into the thick liquid. She hands the spoon to me and I blow on it before trying it. "That's great, ma!" I set the spoon in the sink. "Thank you Prim-la, I always want your approval." She chuckles. I hug her once more and run upstairs to my room.

I set my phone on my vanity and start taking off my makeup. My phone buzzed on my vanity, and I picked it up, swiping the screen.

Amy: Hey, Prim-la! 2morrow, you want to come to the mall at 3?

I bit my lip. I had practice at 3:30. Amy's only in ballet class on Tuesdays with me.
I typed her back.

Sorry Amy-wa, I have dance at 3:30..

I sighed. Poor Amy, she always wants to hang out with me, but dance takes up my calendar.

Amy: Uhm, alright. Have fun.

I set my phone down back on my vanity. I grabbed a black tank top and maroon pj sweatpants and went into the bathroom to take a shower. I set the clothes on the bathroom counter and turned on the water. I thought back to all the times I had to ditch Amy for her ideas to hang out with me. Once, it was her birthday and she was spending the day at the beach with her other friends, and she invited me to come along. Crap, I thought. I had dance an hour before her birthday started to late at night. I was required to come, so I had to turn her down. Another time, She invited me to a Christmas party, but I was at dance at the time she texted me. So it was actually almost a day later I actually saw the text, I had already missed the party. Dance takes up my life, I thought. The same things happen to Cooper.

I got undressed and stepped in the shower, the hot relaxing water pouring onto my face and down my bare back. I smoothed my wet hair with my fingers and washed quickly. I turned to look at the tainted window. Maybe some fresh air from outside would be nice, I thought as I clicked the top and slid it open. A brush of cold air from outside made me shiver. My eyes searched the driveway and saw that a blue truck was pulling in. Who could that be?

Was it my Cooper?

I grabbed my towel quickly and wrapped it around me, running into my room with my clothes. I pulled on the maroon sweatpants and tank top I had picked out and brushed my hair throughly before walking downstairs. Talking from the kitchen filled my ears. We had an open kitchen, from where you could see the living room. No doors. So I listened from here.

"Hey, Ms. Trance, how are you?" That was Cooper's voice alright.
"Oh, I'm doing great, hon! How are you?" "Oh, I'm doing pretty well. Hey, I just came to ask you a question. Is Prim here?" I hear no sound, so I can imagine Ma shaking her head, her dark brown curls bouncing. "She's upstairs taking a shower. What would you like, sweetheart?"

"Well," his voice goes to a whisper, I could barely hear what he was about to say.

"Is it okay if I take your girl to prom?"

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Yes! The first chapter finally done. Please comment if you would
Like me to change anything! I want my readers to have to best =3 it's
Just a little early, but that's good right?

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Tables and chairs,

Carley