Solo

Chapter Sixteen: Dweeb

If I hadn't awakened in Lucas' sweatpants, I would have thought the whole night was a dream. I barely remembered coming in.

I stared at the ceiling focusing on my talent routine. There were only two and a half weeks before the show, meaning absolutely no more procrastination. Prom would be my only reprieve. I should have started working on my performance sooner. In California, I was so disciplined nothing could distract me from practice. Therein lay the problem. I'd never had a distraction like Lucas.

I rolled out of bed and shuffled to my dresser. Grabbing a tank top and shorts, I headed to the bathroom. After showering, I wound my hair into a tight, controlled bun. That hairstyle always seemed to put me into recital mode. Today I was on a mission to choreograph my entire routine. Perfection would come later. First, I had to figure out the direction I wanted to go.

I went back to my room and dug through my box of recital costumes, hoping one would jump out and inspire me. I didn't expect the wave of emotions. Each piece held a distinct memory. Toward the bottom, I had my Eureka moment. My eyes widened when I grabbed my phone to look at the sunset picture. Last year's leotard and tutu had the same radiant colors as the setting of my first kiss. What could be better than that? Inspiration hit. All I needed was my meadow to work on the specifics.

I jammed into my shoes, grabbed my bag off a chair and headed to the kitchen. Mom came in as I loaded three bottles of water in my bag.

"Hiking today?" she asked.

"No, I'm going to work on my routine for the talent show with no distractions. I found a quiet place on my last run."

"Aren't you tired?"

"I'm exhausted, but I can't put this off any longer. I have my phone. Call if you need something. I probably won't be back until evening."

"Well, take something to eat. I'll save your dinner if you're not back by six-thirty."

"I'm hoping to be here by dinner. The sooner I get this routine hashed out, the sooner I'll be back." I grabbed some energy bars to take with me.

"What if Lucas stops by? What do you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him I'm working on my routine and I'll call him tonight." I didn't tell Mom that Lucas knew exactly where to find me. She didn't need to know that.

"All right. Have a good day. Let me rephrase that; have a productive day."

"Thanks. I love you." I gave her a quick hug and rushed out the door.

"Love you too," she hollered.

On the way to my meadow, I put my dance song on repeat. I calculated the counts, determining how much of the song I'd use before it was mixed with the other track. The combination was priceless. I just needed to contact my friend Quinton. He was the best mixer I knew. He had helped me in the past with my recital music. But the real question was, would he get it back to me before the talent show?

Anxious to begin, I made it to the meadow in record time. I started with the most difficult part, my gymnastics' sequence. I only had so much space to perform a composition. It had to be precise.

All afternoon I tumbled, making each pass more difficult than the last. I wouldn't have enough room for a long sequence so it had to be powerful with only a few movements. I narrowed the gymnastics down to six movements. Delighted, I grabbed one of the waters out of my bag and paced back and forth, catching my breath. Unexpectedly, Lucas came through the trees, waving.

"Hey there." I took off my iPod.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"It's going." I shrugged.