Shooting Star

Chapter 35

"Can we talk?" I asked Ms. Ellis, who was sitting behind the desk at the studio.

"Of course," she said. "What's on your mind?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm quitting."

The look on her face was priceless, except it also unleashed a wave of guilt that was sent coursing through my body.

"Why?" she gasped.

I took out my phone and showed her the picture of my poodle skirt. "Janelle, Natalie, and Aly-G cut up my costume that day of the DQCC finals."

Her eyes widened with fury. "Those girls, they're your friends! They wouldn't!"

I shook my head. "That's why I had to perform my ballet solo. And that's why I didn't win." My voice cracked. "It's why Janelle won."

It had been heartbreaking to see Janelle win, but I knew that she had been counting on me to perform my weaker of the two solos so that I wouldn't even come close to placing first.

Ms. Ellis shook her head. "I'm going to have a talk with those girls."

"Don't bother," I said, shaking my head. "I already did. I said if they weren't going to treat me with the respect and the kindness I deserve, then I wasn't going to stay here and be tortured to death. So I'm taking myself off the competitive team."

"And what did they say?" Ms. Ellis asked.

"We said good, because with her gone then we'd actually have a chance at placing," Natalie said from behind me.

"GIRLS." Ms. Ellis's voice rang with fury. "Did you really do that to Bree's lovely costume?"

"Of course," Janelle said. "It was the only way she wouldn't win."

"Can I leave now?" I whispered to Ms. Ellis.

She nodded. "Does your mother know?"

"Yeah," I said. "She thinks the reason I almost failed one of my exams was because of the stress of everything. After I told her what they did to me she was all for my decision to leave."

Ms. Ellis swallowed. "I'm sorry to hear that you'll be leaving," she said quietly. "Kicks will certainly miss their best dancer."

I laughed bitterly. "Please. DQCC is about who the best dancer is. Apparently it's not me."

"Because someone sabotaged you," Ms. Ellis said sternly. "You're dismissed, Brianna."

I left the studio, but I could still hear Ms. Ellis screaming at my three former friends.

I hopped onto the bus and sat down.

"Bree?" 

"Hey Tanner," I said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I was watching the girls' volleyball tournament," Tanner said. 

"How did we do?"

"Pretty good," he replied. "Kylie got some epic spikes down."

"Sweet," I said.

"We made it to the playoff round, except I had to get home. Mason's still there though."

I shrugged. "Figures. Mason's had a crush on Alyssa in forever."

We both laughed.

"I heard you quit dance," Tanner said.

"How'd you hear that?"

"Your brother told me," he admitted.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Did Adrian go into detail?"