Dance life

Rio

"I'll miss you, mom", I said, pressing my head against her chest. "I'll miss you too, Rose", she stared at the departure scoreboard. "Your plane dear, have a nice time in Rio."

"Thanks, mom...I'll write e-mails."

"Rose!" my dad called.

"Coming!" I shouted back.

I leaned forward and kissed my mom's cheek.

"Bye mom."

She turned away quickly, but I caught a glimpse of the tears which were running down her face. "Bye Rose", she said sobbing quietly. I watched her going slowly back through the airport. She didn't love my father anymore and I knew the only reason for her being here.

She wanted to say goodbye to me.

Then I turned and walked to my dad.

"Hurry up, sweetheart! Our plane is starting!"

Twenty minutes later we were in the plane. I watched Boston getting smaller and smaller and at last vanishing when we flew higher and higher, faster and faster towards Rio de Janeiro. Our new home.

My parents had married very young. My mother was just seventeen, my dad was one year older, eighteen. Hayley Melissa and Gil Crowner, they had bought a flat and just a year after their marriage my mom had born me.

My mom worked for CNN. She was a reporter. My dad played football. He wasn't the worst player, but he wasn't the best either. He had now found a new team in Rio.

And now, I was already sixteen, my mom had got a new boyfriend, Christian. They were working together for some years. So now they were a pair.

When my parents had divorced I had chosen my dad. Maybe I knew my mother wanted to have some time with Christian, maybe it had some other reason...

Earlier I went to a school in Boston. I had friends there. We were ten. Three girls and seven boys: Laura, Juliet, me, Tim, Robert, Mike, Ben, Bill, Eric and Taylor. It was a Clique. Together we were the "Sporty Ten".

We loved sports. Every morning we went jogging together. In the afternoon we played American football, baseball, basketball or football. In the holidays we often went camping. We liked to walk and climb mountains and trees. And we also were a small band. I played the piano and sang the female solo.

It was hard to leave my friends and I knew I wouldn't see them again soon. The tickets were too expensive...

During the flight we didn't speak much with Gil. And then we landed. I had a strange feeling.

So this was my new home. I had learned Portuguese in the Boston High but I was going to an English school in Rio. It was in the city centre. Gil had told me it would be big.

When we came out of the airport a light blue Porsche was waiting for us.

"That's our new car", said Gil.

Oh, I have forgotten that: Gil loves cars.

Gil had been here a month ago. He had bought a house on the edge of town, and a car. And he had logged me in the school.