"Her or me?" A tear rolled down Michelle's puffy cheek, "You have to make a decision."
For Michelle, life has always been about control- control in the studio, in her friendships, and even in the secrets she hides. But with an unexpected pregnancy...
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I see the dancers stretching in the foyer area, where I told them to meet me, so I make my way over to them.
Today is the first day of the competition, and it's small groups. I chose Summer, Henry, Kingston, Lily and Kenzie to dance in the small group, and they chose hip-hop as their style.
Truthfully, I left most of the choreography in the hands of Michelle, and it makes me quite nervous. I haven't actually seen the dance full out yet, but I have faith in my dancers.
"Everyone!" I grab their attention. "Could you all look this way, please?"
All of the dancers face me, and I nervously begin to explain how the day is going to go and what I expect from them.
"Okay, so as you all know, today is the first day of Internationals. I want every single one of you to be on your best behaviour because you never know who could be watching. There are scouts here this weekend, and you never know; this could be your big chance. Even when you're not in the auditorium, I want you to act responsibly and professionally."
"Do you all understand what I'm saying?" I ask them.
I'm replied to with a series of nods.
I focus on my breathing as I continue to speak to the dancers. "So, today is small groups. The dancers that are performing are Kenzie, Henry, Kingston, Lily... and Summer."
I meet eyes with Summer when I say her name. She has an unbothered look on her face, and she's chewing gum while pouting her lips. She's being a real bitch right now.
"I haven't seen the dance yet, but from what I've heard, the five of you have it nailed down." I try to be positive. "I booked the rehearsal room for an hour at one, and I want all of you to really focus and spend as much time making sure that you remember your moves and that everyone is on the right timing. Is that clear?"
"Yes," I hear.
"Okay." I gulp. "The rest of you, I want you in the auditorium with me around half an hour before the small group is set to go on stage."
I see Lily's hand go up, so I say, "Yes, Lily?"
"When do we get our costume?"
I tell them where I have their costumes. "I have them in my room, so at some point today, I want every single one of you to come to my room to collect them." Then I remind them how important it is for them to take care of their costumes. "And, please, take them straight to your room and keep them all together and safe. They're not to be messed with, alright? I know they're pretty and sparkly, and it's so exciting because you haven't had costumes in a while, but you need to keep them safe."
"Boys, you can come first to collect them at eleven, and girls, I want you to collect yours at twelve." I see the excitement on their faces at the thought of seeing their costumes.
