Dancaholic

7. Best Friend

"Okay, do you really expect me to believe that just an hour ago you went to America and back to pick up the Southern accent?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup," Tessa grins.

"Within the space of a few minutes?"

"Yup."

"With neither my mum nor I noticing?"

"I told you I'm a ninja."

"You are not a ninja."

"Did you see me do that?"

"Do what?"

"Exactly," Tessa says, sticking out her tongue.

I had to admit, that made me laugh like a lunatic. I swear that I would have laughed my socks off if I had been wearing them. But as you may tell, I am not. Instead I'm wearing a pair of black dance shorts which say "Dance" on the butt, a tank top and no shoes. We're taking a few minutes break from dancing and Tessa and I are sitting on the dance floor chatting away like we're old friends who haven't seen each other in years.

"You're really something," I say, repeating what I had said only an hour earlier.

"Thanks, thanks very much," Tessa said in her best Elvis Presley voice.

"Girls, back to your positions!" Ms Fernandez claps. "Now, let's start from the beginning and we'll go from the first verse through to the chorus one more time."

The class wasn't that big; there were around 15 girls here. All of them were great dancers and I was wrong to doubt Tessa - she's one of the best dancers I've seen here! She might even be better at dancing then me.

"Start the music... And... Begin!"

We were dancing to P!nk's song, Perfect. Once she began singing, we began dancing the routine.

Made a wrong turn

I stepped onto my right foot and swung my left foot behind my right in a full turn.

Once or twice

I rose my right arm, then my left arm, forming a V.

Dug my way out

I stepped onto my left foot and swing my right foot behind my left in a full turn.

Blood and fire

I rose my left arm, then my right arm, forming a V.

Bad decisions

I placed my right foot behind me, bending at the waist which allowed me to move my torso behind my legs.

That’s alright

I swing to the left side, leaning back.

Welcome to my silly life

I extended my arms in front of me, welcoming the audience, then I swung my hips on ‘silly life’.

Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood

I jumped from both feet to the right, landing on my right foot and kicking my left foot out to the side, bringing my left foot down next to my right one, then stomping my right foot, then my left one.

Miss, no way it’s all good

I jumped from both feet to the right, landing on my right foot and kicking out my left foot to the side, then stepped on my left foot behind my right one, turning, then I completed the turn by stepping through it onto my right foot.

It didn’t slow me down

I swung my hips and shook my head.

Mistaken

I jumped from both feet to the left, kicking my right foot to the right side.

Always second guessing

I stepped putting my right foot behind my left one, turning, then completed the turn by stepping through it onto my left foot.

Underestimated

Jump from both feet to the left, kicking the right foot out to the side.

Look, I’m still around…

I ran in place.

Pretty, pretty please

I did two chaîné turns to the right.

Don’t you ever, ever feel

I hopped onto my right foot, bending my right knee and pointing my left toes at my right knee, then I did a grand développé to the left.

Like you’re less than

I did a balancé to the left.

Less than perfect

I stepped onto my right foot and whipped my left foot around for a single rotation turn.

Pretty, pretty please

I did two chaîné turns to the right.

If you ever, ever feel

I hopped onto the right foot, bending my right knee and pointing my left toes at my right knee, then I did a grand développé to the left.

Like you’re nothing

I did a balancé to the left.

You are perfect to me

I rose onto the balls of my feet and put my arms straight up in the air over my head. On ‘to me’ I stepped onto my right foot to the side, and, bending both knees, pointed my left foot behind my right foot, head towards the ground, and arms bent at the elbows with elbows at my sides and lower arms forming a V from the two sides of my body.

"Excellent job girls! Executed perfectly!" Ms Fernandez cheered. "That is all for today. See you all next week."

"And you said I couldn't dance," Tessa teased.

"What, no, I never said that," I said, defending myself.

"You didn't need to. Sometimes you don't need to say anything and people still know what you're going to say."

"Huh?"

"It's called women's intuition... Or something like that."

"Ohh I getcha. So you're a mind reader now, are you?"

"Pfft no, I'm a ninja remember. Not a mind reader," Tessa chuckled.

"Oh yeah, right."

We walked out of the dance studio into the warm Autumn heat. I still didn't really know Tessa that well but for some reason I've felt like I've known her for years. We can laugh and chat as if we're old friends and for that reason, I think that I may now officially have a new best friend. Her name is Tessa Hall.