Perfect by Design

2: Aaliyah James

                                 Aaliyah
My phone dings, and I run to quickly check the notification, hoping it's him.

"Ahem." Auntie K clears her throat, and I turn to her with an innocent, not at all conspicuous, smile on my face.

"Sorry, I'm ready. Promise!" I type out my response, heat creeping up on my cheeks.

"Actually, can we film this run through? I, uh, I wanna be able to look back at it to see what I need to fix." Yeah, that sounds reasonable.

"You've been a little distracted lately, girly! Anything fun?"

"Just juggling school and dance. Nothing new." My mom tells auntie K everything. I know she knows about Trevor. Still, that doesn't mean I'm ready to hear the "boys are stupid" talk from yet another adult in my life.

"Whatever you say." She playfully smirks before reaching out her hand for my phone.

The music begins, and it's like nothing else exists. These movements are muscle memory at this point. For all of my mom's strengths as a dancer, it's actually auntie K who trains me the hardest.

Maybe it's because she doesn't care as much if I get mad at her. Maybe it's because she can be more objective when it comes to me than mom can. Either way, I needed all the tough love to prepare me for my audition for this summer intensive in New York, and much to my mom and Auntie Capri's disappointment, I knew auntie K was the perfect person for the job.

The music comes to an end, and I prepare myself for the onslaught of critiques coming. Hopefully, she will stop recording before that.

"Your technique looks sloppy, Leah. Your technique never looks sloppy. I also didn't believe for a second the story you were telling. This dance is about a girl who's lost everything. You looked more like a girl who's just won the lottery."

Great. Sounds like she loved it.

"I know we're pretending you're not distracted, but I perfectly crafted this piece for you in all its complexities because I know you can do it. However, not if your head isn't in it." She holds my phone back out to me.

I start to play back the video, and she's right. If I dance like this come audition day, I'm screwed. Looks like I won't be sending this to Trevor after all.

"You're right. My head isn't in it today. I'll be ready tomorrow." I can't even look at my aunt right now because filling people with disappointment is starting to be a talent of mine.

I grab up my bag and head for the door.

"Where are you going?" Auntie K asks.

"To clear my head. It's like you said, I'm not focused."

"Leah, I know you're grounded, and I know what the terms of that punishment are." She frowns at me. She doesn't want to play my parent any more than I want her to.

"Perfect. I didn't know I'd been promoted to prisoner." I snap, and I can't believe the words the moment they leave my mouth.

"I— I'm so sorr–"

"Mommmmmy!" One half of M&M comes rushing in before I can finish my apology.

Mason and Melanie are Uncle Jordan and Aunt Kia's surprise twins.