On Top Of The World (book 3 in the Irish Dance Camp series)

Chapter 2

Julie
***********************************
The music ends and I sit straight down on the floor, panting.

Mom shakes her head. "The toe work in the set part still isn't right. Five minutes and I want to see the whole dance again. Got it?" I nod sheepishly and she leaves the room.

I sigh and lay down all the way. My muscles are on fire, I can feel my blisters popping, and there's sweat dripping down my forehead. I've been in my practice room for the last four hours, at least. If I had my way, I would have been out of here a long time ago, but of course, Mom insists that I keep working since Worlds are in a week...

I look up at the trophy shelf that holds my Worlds globe.

All this hard work for that big, bulky piece of metal that sits here in my practice room.

Of course, I'd like to win again this year, but not for my own personal satisfaction. I only want to win because my Mom wants me to, and I'd be letting her down if I didn't. Not to mention that I feel like I'd be letting down everyone who looks up to me.

I stand up and do ankle circles to wake up my legs again.

I stand in front of the mirror and start to work on the toe work my mom was talking about.

Stamp rock rock hold, and toe slide toe slide turn two three.

I do it a bunch of times before Mom comes back in. She turns on Drunken Gauger and then leans against the wall, arms crossed. I stand in the center of the room and wait for the introduction to end. And then I start.

Step toe treble and a treble, treble and a treble, hop tip one two click click toe toe. Bang treble and a treble up and bang bang and heel slide....

I keep going, trying to hit everything I've been working on so that Mom will let me finish practice soon. I reach the set part, and despite my throbbing muscles, I push to make the toe work right.

Finally, I reach the end of the dance. Struggling to breathe, I ask "Was that better?"

Mom nods. "You are free to go."

Music to my ears.

I grab my phone off the table and head upstairs. I sit down on the floor of my bedroom in a butterfly stretch and open up Instagram.

A lot of Irish dance accounts have been posting Worlds predictions, and a lot of them have me winning again. Some of them have Grace or Ciara beating me, though....

I haven't seen Ciara since Nationals last  year, but from what I've heard, she's been dancing really well and winning just about everything. Except, a few hours ago she texted me saying she got third at a local feis.

Grace had kind of been flying under the radar until recently. She got second at her oireachtas, but people really started noticing her when she won the All Scotland's almost a month ago. She's definitely one to watch out for next week...

I scroll down some more and I see a selfie that some dance account posted of Marie and Taylor. My least favorite two people. A Snapchat banner across the picture reads "ready to take top ten this year😘🌎".

I had to see both of them at the Oireachtas this year. Taylor got second and Marie got fourth, and they are basically best friends now that they go to the same dance school. I guess they unite around their hatred for Ciara and I. I'll bet they're planning to psych us out at worlds...

I get up and go take a shower. Once I'm done, I check my suitcase to make sure I'm done packing. I leave for Worlds tomorrow....