Chapter 5
The next week came quickly with Sheena and Victoria furiously practicing for Nutcracker tryouts. This year they had decided to change the roles they were hoping for. Instead of Sheena wanting to play the Sugar Plum Fairy and Victoria as Clara, they wanted them to be the other way around for a change. The incident with Sheena and Zach was trying to be pushed out of their minds, and they both tried extremely hard to forget about it. If they could have taken that memory out and chucked it into the trash can, they would've.
After Sheena's situation with Zach, Victoria didn't walk back home anymore. She took her bike with her to the back of the Lakewater Dance Studio, and, after all her classes, she rode home a different route. Even though it was longer, she didn't want to see Zach again. She was afraid that she would get furious with him for hurting Sheena. If things went sideways (and there was a fair chance that they would), she might even push him into the street.
But since it was Nutcracker audition day, Victoria put those thoughts out of her mind. She need to be airy, light, and delicate rather than the crushing and powerful version of herself. Who knew what the judges would think about that.
"Alright, ladies, who's ready for Nutcracker auditions?" Mrs. Fonteyn asked. The girls cheered, laughing and talking.
Victoria, along with Sheena and many other girls, all stood together in the crowded dance studio. Nutcracker auditions! Victoria's heart skipped a beat whenever she thought of it. And now she was here, pinning numbers onto her leotard and getting ready to impress the judges.
There were quite a large number of girls crowded in the commons room. The Lakewater Dance Studio wasn't the only place that offered dance classes in the city. Many of the girls who lived in Lakewater dreamed of being a part of the Lakewater Ballet Nutcracker production. It was an honorable role-- the chance of a lifetime! The ballet was a city tradition, and as far as Victoria knew, if you danced in it, than you were highly respected by the rest of the community. People had been going to watch the ballet for years, and so the art of it ran deep within them.
"Let's go watch the auditions," Sheena suggested after they had both put on their practice tutus that the dance studio supplied. They shoved their duffel bags into random cubbies against the wall and hurried into the hallway, away from the loud chatter of about three dozen girls.
Last year, Victoria had jumped for joy when she heard that she was going to perform the lead role: Clara! She was the girl who recieved the most prized possesion, the nutcracker that would transform into a handsome prince when the clock struck midnight.
Now, Victoria was going to try out for the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Queen of Candy Land! Watching through the classroom veiwing window, she giggled to herself. She found it hilarious that she, a brutal girl, was going to dance as a bouncy, carefree fairy.
"Shh!" Sheena swatted her, intently watching the girl who was auditioning inside.
For auditions, each and every girl had to learn a short section for the role of Clara. They had to perform it the best they could (which for Victoria and Sheena, meant one hundred twenty percent effort). The judges would then see what role fit each person from their performances.
"Aren't you nervous?" Sheena asked. She kept bouncing up and down in her pointe shoes. The effect made Victoria a bit sick looking at her, like she was turned over sideways. Maybe her brain was just playing tricks on her.
"More excited than nervous," Victoria replied, butterflies flitting back and forth in her stomach. Her hands absentmindedly fluffed up her tutu, then smoothed it back down. She kept on repeating this movement until Sheena grabbed her hands.
