Ryder the Love Expert | Protector 2.1

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Dad dropped me off at the studio since we had a rehearsal. Even though I couldn't dance because of my ankle, I didn't want to stay home all day and mope in my bed. I would rather watch everyone else dance.

When I walked into the studio, I noticed that everyone was warming up, following Mae's lead. When Mae saw me, she stopped and rushed over to me, giving me a hug. "I didn't know you were coming," she said.

"I'm still on the team," I said. "I thought I'd sit in on the practice. Better than sitting at home doing nothing."

"How's your ankle?" she asked, resting her hand on my chest.

"The same as yesterday," I said. "And the day before. And the day before."

"I'm sorry it still hurts," she said. "It must suck."

"Yeah," I said quietly. "It does." And maybe being in the studio while everyone was going to be dancing would only make things worse, but I really didn't want to stay at home all day and do nothing.

Mae went back to leading the warm up and I sat down on one of the benches. I placed my crutches beside me and just watched everyone warm up. When Mae was done leading the warm up, Lilith walked out of her office and told everyone that they would work on the state competition routine while Isla worked on her solo for the upcoming female solo competition.

Isla headed over to the secondary studio and everyone else started working on the routine. It was even harder for me watching the dancing than I thought it would be. It just reminded me even more that I couldn't dance right now.

I was tempted to call my dad to pick me up right now, but I was still part of the team and even if I couldn't dance, I could see how the dance looked from an audience point of view and give feedback.

The dance looked great, at least. It was almost as clean as it could be and I was confident we could win with this piece.

When they finished running through it the second time, Lilith turned to me. "How do you think it's going?" she asked.

"It's great," I said. "It's almost clean, I just think the extensions have to be worked on a bit more, but I think it will definitely be ready in time for the competition."

"Any specific parts?" Lilith asked.

"Um....I think near the ending, the extensions aren't as strong," I said. "So, if they work on that and the timing, the dance will be perfect."

Lilith nodded and turned to the team. "What Ryder said. Work on the extensions. Never let them be weak, especially near the end of the dance because the judges will see and think you're just getting lazy at the end. You'll need every single move to be strong and powerful. Take five, and we'll run it again with Ryder's advice."

Everyone dispersed to get some water and once Mae had her water bottle, she sat down beside me. "How's your poem coming along for the poetry slam?" she asked.

"It's....great...."

"You didn't start, did you?" she asked. "Ryder, it's on Friday."

"I know," I said. "I've been trying, but I can't get words onto the paper."

"It's easy," Mae said. "You pick up a pencil and put the tip on the paper and...."

"That's not what I meant," I said. "I have no idea what I want to say."

"Something will come," Mae said. "You're, like, amazing at basically everything. Writing a poem will be a breeze for you."

I gave her a thin smile that felt somewhat forced. "Thanks for having confidence in me, Mae. Lately, I feel like I've lost a lot of it."

"No way," Mae said. "You, Ryder Prince, feel like you lost your confidence? You're the most confident person I know. You don't let anyone or anything stop you."

"Yeah, well, things change," I said. "People change."

"Ryder, if this is about your ankle...."

"Of course it's about my ankle," I said. "Dance has always been my escape but I can't do that right now."

"You'll be able to dance soon," Mae said. "All you have to do is just let it rest. Things happen. Injuries are common in dancing."

"Thanks for reminding me," I snapped.

"You don't have to snap at me," Mae said. "I was just...."

"Reminding me that my ankle is sprained?" I asked. "Reminding me that I can't dance but you can?"

"What? No," Mae said. "These things happen, Ryder. You have to get over it."

"Get over it? Really?" I asked. "Dance is my life. What can't you understand about that?"

"What are you talking about?" Mae asked. "I completely understand. What you don't understand is that dance comes with the risks of injuries. You can't be this....this invincible person. Nobody is immune to injuries, especially you."

"Especially me?" I asked. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means that you're letting all of this get to your head," Mae said. "You have to understand that every single dancer can get injured. Just because you are an amazing dancer, it doesn't mean you can act like you're better than everyone."

"I can if I am," I said.

Mae scoffed. "I don't have time for this. I should be practicing. You know, if I ever want to get up to your level because you're apparently better than everyone."

When she got up from the bench, I got up as well and picked up my crutches before heading out of the studio. I wasn't going to stay at rehearsal if there was nothing I could do.

I called my dad to pick me up when I was outside of the studio. A few minutes later, his car pulled into the parking lot. I put my crutches in the backseat before getting in the passenger seat and admittedly slammed the door.

"Wow, someone's angry," Dad said as he began driving back home. "I told you that you should have stayed home. Rehearsal isn't even over."

"Yeah, I know."

"Someone's touchy," Dad said. "Maybe your mother's mood swings are rubbing off on you."

"Funny," I said sarcastically.

Dad snorted. "Ryder, stop acting like a moody teenager."

"I am a moody teenager," I pointed out. "I'm allowed to act like one."

"Yeah, but you never act like this without an excuse," Dad said. "What happened?"

"My girlfriend happened," I said. "How were able to keep one?"

"Simple," Dad said. "I was a good boyfriend. I don't know what happened between you and Mae, but a relationship works both way. Usually if an argument breaks out, it's on both parts. Trust me, I should know. You should apologize for whatever happened."

I didn't reply.

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Sorry for taking a long time with the updates. I had a short writer's block, but I think I know what to write now. And I'll just apologize in advance for what might happen. cx

A main reason why I haven't been writing too much on this story because I've been focusing on Surviving the Life of Dax because once that finishes, I can write the crossover between the Protector series and the Smythe series. I can't wait for my two bad boys to clash. cx