"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."- Wayne Dryer
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I snapped my phone shut and floored down the street until I realized I was going the wrong direction of the hospital. I turned around and blasted the radio as loud as possible with the windows down. The quiet was too loud to handle.
I arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later. I handed my purse to the vallet gentleman instead of my keys on accident. Gosh, I really need to keep it together. My phone went off twice in the last five minutes. I realized it had been twenty minutes already into the last school day. I'm sure Kate was worried. Oh sweet, safe, Kate. We had been friends since second grade. We told eachother everything so that's probably why she's left ten texts and two voicemails on my phone.
I couldn't handle her right now so I put my phone into my pocket, grabbed my bag from the Vallet, and moved my butt down the hall to find the front desk.
"I'm looking for Shaw. Jessica Shaw." The nurse pointed down to the left. "Third room on the right, Miss. You must be immediate family, I assume?" She sneered at me.
"I'm her daughter. Thank you." I took a handful of mints off her desk before I walked away. I swear, I hate hospitals more than I hate math and I really despise math. I found the room. It was number sixty-seven. Why couldn't the nurse just given me the room number? Dumb dumb.
There she was, my beautiful Nana. Her blonde curls rested right above her shoulders. Her blue eyes twinkled with watery tears as she turned to look at me. She rushed over to hug me the second the door snatched shut. I always loved her hugs; not too tight but not to loose.
"She's been out since she got in. They took her in for tests and X-Rays to make sure everything on the inside was okay."
"What happened to her?" I said as I looked at her for the first time since I had entered the room. For once in her life she looked at peace. Maybe she should pass out more often. With her work as being a personal assistant, the men in her life and me, she's never still. My mother has always been going ever since my dad left us when I was two.
"Another car ran a redlight and smacked right into her. By the looks of the car it's a miracle she's only broken her left leg."
"She broke her leg?"
"Yes, the left one. She has also sprained both wrists along with a major bruise to the skull."
I cringe at the thought. Ouch. What did she do to deserve that? I turned my gaze back to my Nana.
"Nana, it's okay. She's a tough lady. She'll wake up soon enough! There isn't any need to cry!" I laugh a little. Nana always worried about every little thing.
My phone buzzed. Gosh I totally forgot that it was still on. I took it out of my pocket. It was Kate again. The text read: Uh hello, Earth to Olivia, WHERE ARE YOU. I think Kate was just a little too worried. I texted back with a quick "I'm fine, be there later" and put my phone back in my pocket.
"Oh sweetie! Do you need to be at school? It's your last day! Of course you need to be! Go, go, go! I'll call you when she wakes up and I'll make sure she's ready for tonight."
"Thanks Nana buuu---"
"No, get out of here. I have it under control." She smiled and gave me a thumbs up. There was a little bit of a stir in the bed. We looked over and Jessica was slowly moving her feet. Nana shoo'd me out, I kissed her on the cheek and took off before my mom fully woke.
I waited outside while the same Vallet gentleman went and got my car. I texted Kate real quick to give her a heads up that I was on my way. No response. I guess someone is feeling sassy today.
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I arrived at school and slouched out of my car. I was exhausted already. I just wanted to skip going to the attendence office. Then I remebered that I needed excused tardies to walk acrossed stage. After contemplating walking tonight, going to the attendence office won.
The ladies that worked in the office are always so grumpy whenever I'm in there. Which is a surprise because I have made their lives so much more organzied in the last two years. They should be happy to have me as an Aid.
"Good morning, Olivia, and why are you late?" Mrs. Shepard looked at me.
"Mom's in the hopsital. Here's my note." I didn't have any paper to write my excused note on. I found a Taco Bell reciept from the other day and used that with a pink glitter gel pen that I found shoved in my glove box. They hate it when students come in with colored ink. Oops!
"Here's your pass." Mrs. Shepard looks at the clock, "We're ten minutes into second period, Miss Shaw."
Miss Shaw? She must be upset with me now.She never calls me that. I guess she didn't get her extra coffee fix this morning. I didn't see her usual Dutch Bros. to go cup on her desk. I roll my eyes and start walking across campus to Economics.
I walk in and all heads turn. Kate stands up.
"Where have you been? I was about to call Search and Rescue." I laugh, and sit down nex to her. I tell her everything that happened and she listened with her mouth wide open in horror.
"A car accident?! Oh my word! She's alright though? Poor Jessica! She'll be at the ceremony tonight, right?" She's on a roll today. Way too much energy for my taste today but what's new? Kate always has energy. I don't know where she gets it. Both her and my mom. I need to find out their secrets. I'm going to need all the energy I can get for school in New York.
Then I remembered. I'm supposed to be leaving in twenty days for New York. At least I was before Mom got into the accident. . . .
I trailed off and apparently Kate noticed since she was snapping her fingers in my face.
"So for tonight, are you getting ready after you rehearse or coming home with me?"
"I think I'll get ready after rehearsal. The theater has great dressing rooms." I loved the feeling of getting ready for a performance backstage. The bright lights, pounds of makeup painted onto my face, a fellow performer doing your hair...it was my peace and dancing was my flow.
I didn't have a huge piece in the ceremony, nothing big either. I'm on stage for about a minute dancing to some stupid Third Eye Blind song about growing up. It's no big deal but it's also the last time I'm dancing with my school mates. I want to really embrace it.
"If you say so, no pre-gumption party favors."
"Oh and since when did Miss Kate starting sipping the fizzy drink?"
"Since when did you get such an attitude? Its a special occasion."
"Whatever. Enjoy yoursef. I'll just sneak a few bottles in after rehearsal. How about that?" The bell rang and it was time for my first rehearsal of the day.
"Whatever, Olivia."
I loved Kate but sometimes I just needed the girls who went a little wild sometimes. Perfect example, my dance girls. They weren't afaid to have fun. It's going to be weird leaving them. Some of us have danced together since preschool. I guess that's the good thing about small towns. We all know eachother's movement styles . Then it also just leads to drama. Tons and tons of drama.
Once I got into the studio it was empty. Perfect. I turned on an Imagine Dragons playlist and pourned my heart out to the mirror facing me. That mirror knows me more than I know myself and right this second, I'l say goodbye to it.
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Hello readers! How did you like chapter two? There's a bit more there to get you into the mix of Olivia's crazy hectic life.
So her mom is decent and woken up. Now all Olivia needs to do is graduate? Will anything else happen before? What will happen to her plans in New York?
KEEP READING AND YOU'LL FIND OUT
- xoxo, Haley Marie
