Dancing Queen

Chapter 15

Frida ran the back of her hand across her forehead to move the strands that had fallen into her eyes and sighed, still bent over the boxes she had been arranging since that morning which she was more than convinced they multiplied every time she went to place one in the van.

She licked her dry lips and looked at the watch on her wrist. Almost 2 hours had passed since she had immersed herself in the dark world of the small warehouse they had at the studio and she still wasn't halfway there.

They necessarily had to make room. In a few days they'd receive brand new equipment and therefore the old one had to take the place of the even older one.

As much as Karen and Karol accused her of never wanting to throw anything away, the reason was because every single thing in there had a memory, a story that she remembered as soon as she saw it.

Frida smiled wistfully as she sealed another box full of battered tutus, all used and worn by beautiful girls who had more or less made their way into the world of ballet. She marked what it contained on the side with a black marker and then stood up, pulling it up and walking slowly towards the back door and the van which was slowly filling up. They'd take everything to the landfill, while donating what was still good.

Frida placed the box on the ground and opened the back door of the van.

"Do you need a hand?".

Frida suddenly turned her face to her left and stared for a few seconds at the owner of the voice "N... No. Thanks" and she turned again to take the heavy box and put it in the van.

"Are you sure?".

Frida bit the inside of her cheek and slammed the door shut, turning around "More than sure".

Benny snorted and nodded a couple of times "Ok".

"What are you doing here?" Frida asked him coldly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I brought in the children and, when I saw that you weren't teaching, I asked where you were" he explained placidly, a slight smile on his lips.

"Yeah. I won't be teaching today" she answered him. That day the girls would have had a new experience, the first hip-hop lesson for a path of contamination of styles that she and Karen had had the idea of pursuing that year.

"I didn't know" Benny told her, breaking the silent atmosphere that had been created between them.

"Now you know" Frida replied and turned to go back inside.

"Do you think..." Benny said, taking a step towards her and seeing her stop at the door "Do you think we could talk?".

Frida turned to him, squinting her eyes "About what?".

Benny snorted and spread his arms slightly "Do you think this is normal?".

Frida raised her eyebrows "What's normal? That you have been missing for two days?" she told him sharply.

"Ah, I have been missing!?" Benny retorted, frowning.

"Oh yeah, you're right! How careless I am, you were too busy with your dance lessons. Excuse me".

Benny chuckled wryly "Or maybe you were the one busy teaching your prince charming how to dance, after all, you've a competition to win, right?".

"Ditto" she retorted angrily.

"No" Benny shook his head, holding up a finger at her "I'm not going to win any competition, I'm not so... childish to even take lessons to win at a charity night!" he told her, annoyed by her guess.

Frida took a few steps towards him "I think that here the childish one is the one who jump to hasty conclusions without even thinking and boast of noble ideals and then show up for private dance lessons secretly!".