Dance is my life

Champion

The week goes by fast. Mom decides to take me dress shopping the Friday before nationals. First they are doing solo categories, then duets, trios, small groups, and lastly large group dances. Mom takes me in to this beautiful dress shop to get my mind off of everything.

"Alright Grace what color do you want?"

"I don't know." I say as he sales lady walks up.

"Is there anything I can help you find?"

"We are looking for a formal dress." My mother says to the sales lady. She wants me to have it for grad so I decided that there was no better time than now. I swear I try on fifty dresses because mom wants me to try all the different styles. We don't find a dress and leave the store. 

"Mom can I pick some dresses next time?" 

"Oh course dear I just want you to be one hundred percent ready for this. Graduation is sneaking up fast, same with final exams." I knew it would turn into this type of conversation. I got my grades up to a solid 85% average but mom still wants me to get it higher. We step into another dress shop and I start picking out dresses I like. My mother grabs the most innocent looking dresses. I mean they are beautiful and all but I want to look my age not 10.

I try on almost ten dresses before mom convinces me to try on one of hers. Its a ugly yellow with long lace sleeves and a giant puff. I see it and reject it crinkling my nose in disgust. "No mom." 

"Fine but actually try this one on." She hands it to me. It's a light pink dress. I hate to admit it but it's gorgeous. I test to see if I would be able to dance with it on and I actually can. I don't leave the dressing room with it. I put it in the maybe pile. I try on some more dresses. 

When we finish I have the sales lady put the maybes in the back. We go to a couple more shops even on the other side of town but every time I put a dress on I compare it to the pink dress that mom picked out. I tell mom which dress I picked and we go to get it. Mom takes the dress home along with her and then drops me off at my dorm. I feel my phone vibrate.

From: Miss kim

Practice in 2 hours please be there.

I roll my eyes still kind of mad at her. I text her saying I'll be there. I change into some leggings and a dance top. I go to the studios to stretch out knowing I have at least an hour and a half before someone shows up. When I get into the studio I start stretching out. But not even 5 minutes later Miss Kim shows up. 

"Grace." She nods at me. 

"Miss Kim." Is all I say back. We sit in silence for almost ten minutes. 

"Grace I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pressured you into kissing Justin. I just thought it would tie the whole piece together. We would win by a land slide." 

"Why didn't you trust in our dancing?" I ask her a little annoyed. 

"I don't know." She tells me. I don't know whether to believe her or not. "All I knew was that you two had to win. 

"And we did." 

"I know." She says softly. 

"You know what its like, you were in the company for 3 years." 

"I know." 

"Why would even you leave the company? You still have a whole career ahead of you!"

"Grace don't. I left because I had to, it wasn't as simple as staying or leaving." She snaps at me. I quiet down for a little. She calms herself down again and I continue stretching. After almost 20 minutes of silence I break it.