Brynn's POV
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"Okay mom, I'll call you after.... No I have to go backstage now... Yes... okay... I know... Love you too... Bye." I hang up my phone and give it to my teacher Brenda. My mom kept texting me while I was backstage so I had to call her before I went backstage for my lights round. My teachers said that my heavies were really good! I'm feeling really good about this year! I'm already late to be lining up because mom was talking on the phone so much. I rush backstage and go with the girls I was with last round. We're all chatting until we get closer to backstage. Then it becomes focus time... I'm running through my steps in my head. I'm just super excited to get back on the stage again! The girls before us go onstage and I'm starting to get a bit nervous.
"Don't freak out Brynn..." I think to myself. "When you freak out you mess up, fall or stop. You gotta stay calm, cool and collected..." We hear the music end and then we walk onstage.
"Now dancing onstage are competitors 255 and 256."
Deep Breaths...
5... 6... 7 2 3 off we go...
I sail through my lead around, feeling like a fairy with the flowing slip jig the musicians are playing.
"And slide and slide one two change step birdie down..."
And then I'm going down... down... down...
The judge rings the bell and I stand up and a sharp burning pain goes through my ankle. I let out a little cry and we walk, well I limp, back to the Xs, bow then we walk off backstage.
"Sweetie are you okay?" The stage manager asks.
"I... I don't know..." I say, trying not to cry out in pain. Then Brenda comes through the door.
"Brynn you can't dance again..."
"Why not!"
"I could hear the crack from my seat..."
"I have to dance!"
"Brynn it's fine. You can withdraw and try again next year."
"No I have to dance again."
"Brynn..."
"I'm finishing this. If I don't recall, fine. But I'm not withdrawing from the round."
"Brynn I'm not letting you risk your health to dance!"
"I'm already hurt. So what would a step and a half do?"
"You won't dance your best."
"Miss, are you going to redance? We have to inform the Adjudicators." The stage manager says.
"Yes I am." I say to her. I have to dance this. Even if it wasn't because of the movie, I still would do it.
"I hope this isn't a mistake." Brenda says, gives me a quick hug then heads back out.
"You girls will redance in 3 sets of girls." the stage manager says.
We walk back into line and every step I take is like a knife going through my foot. I don't know how I'm going to get through this round, But I can't withdraw now... I've worked too hard for this year. Befote I know it we're waiting to go on.
"Now onstage are competitors 255 and 256, redancing."
We walk onstage and I'm gritting my teeth with every step. The musician starts a slip jig, we wait the 8 bars then we start dancing. I know I'm dancing awful... I can feel it... I'm biting the inside of my cheek to not cry. Every movement is harder than the last. I know it. The judges know it. The entire audience knows it.
We finish and I could not be more happy to finish a round in my life... I limp offstage and the girl I danced with gives me a hug once we get off.
"Let me help you back to your seat." She says. I don't hesitate to put my arm around her shoulders and let my weight go onto her and off of that foot. We get back to my seat.
"Thank you!" I call out after her as she walks away.
"Oh Brynn what are we going to do with you..." Brenda said, sighing and shaking her head. And that's when I lost it. I don't care that my foot is broken. All that matters is that I let down my teacher. She's disappointed in me. I let down my family, Who spent so much time and money to get me here. I let down all my dance friends rooting for me back at home.
I'm not gonna recall now... Everything has been for nothing... Why did I think that I would be able to do this? To do a movie about dancing? To get the top 10 in such a hard competition? That fall probably cost me the recall.
Brenda gives me an ice pack and I take it without complaint and put it on my already throbbing foot. I sit back in my chair and watch the rest of the girls. The girls that had great, seamless rounds...
I wish that could have been me...
