Being a teenager is a hard time. Especially if you have a commitment like A-troupe. But it's even harder when you, and everyone else on your team have a huge problem, one way or another...
Family issues, peer pressure, eating disorders, and bullying...
Riley's POV "OK everyone! That's our warm up done! And I think Kate wanted to see the trio for the qualifier first so Thalia, me and....where's Amanda?" Giselle says. Everyone looks around the room to see that she's no where. This actually happens quite a lot. No one knows what's going on; if there is she's refusing to tell us. Then we here a running of feet echoing from the corridor. We all turn and see... Amanda. She's panting. "I'm so sorry! I, um...I had to take a bus and it got delayed," she explains. I'm sure we can all tell she's lying. But nobody asks for the truth, as per usual. "OK, that's fine. Kate wants to see our trio now so you'll have to do some quick stretches," Giselle says. Amanda nods as she gets ready, taking her jacket off. As she does, everyone clears the centre of the floor and goes to the back where the barre is. I slump my arms over it and dropped my head. I got no sleep last night. "Tired?" A deep voice says from my right. I groan back. He sniggers. Then there's a pause. "I just wanted to let you know that I won't be at rehearsals from next Wednesday for a week. It's because...you know," he says quietly. I nod. Then I raise my head and look at his deep, brown eyes; filled with pain, "So that means I'm gonna have tell everyone like on Friday or something. So people know before," he explains. "That's a good idea. Are you sure it's not too soon? That's in three days," I whisper. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" He mumbles. I sigh. He has a point. I open my arms and pull him in for a hug. He's hugged me so much tighter since his dad started dying. He's tried to keep it secret, but by now I'm sure the whole of the studio knows something's up. Stuff like this spreads like wildfire. "You do realise that by next Saturday the entire studio will know?" I say, pulling from our embrace. James swallows hard and looks down, turning away from me to face the centre of the floor where Giselle is tumbling. Everyone else is cheering, but I have priorities here. "I know. But they're just gonna have to deal with that," he says. I nod. "OK everyone! Before we see the trio I'd like to introduce Ashlee who has just joined B-troupe!" Kate announces. Everyone turns and looks at her, clapping. The perfect, naturally beautiful girl in the corner, "And Ashlee also agreed to do a solo for us all so would you please take to the floor!" She can't be that good. She's B-troupe. But as the music starts, I was proved wrong. She's amazing. She can tumble multiple times in a row, her extensions are the definition of graceful. And she can do hip hop too. She's everything I'm not. Not just dance wise, but physically. She's tall, blue eyes, blonde hair, slim waist. I can't believe someone like her exists. She's so perfect. When the music stops, she flicks her hair up with an almost seductive smile. Then I realise she's looking at James. And James is looking at her. I start clapping a couple of beats after everyone else does. She was acting weird earlier around him. She can't possibly like James. Can she? No, Riley. Stop thinking about that. James is yours. And he knows that. So does everyone else. I'm so distracted that I missed the beginning of the trio. It's really good. They've done it to Tides, as they didn't get to do that dance at internationals. It's different choreography though. Similar, but different. I'm sure we can win with this trio. When they're done, Kate makes an announcement. "Now some of you might know this already, but there are two more qualifiers if you don't make the first. The next one is a group of five dancers and other is a duet. And I have decided that the five group will be made up of Michelle, Eldon, Thalia, Stephanie and Chloe," she explains. Everyone claps. I can tell what she's going to say next...... "And James and Riley, can we just have a quick word in my office?" She says again, more serious. I know what she's going to say. I look at James and we have an eye contact. I know he's thinking the same thing as me. The whole room is silent. Kate starts to make her way to the office and we go round the other side which is closest to us. I look behind me to see Hunter, Eldon and West nodding and talking to each other. Eldon then makes eye contact with me and nods slowly. I nod back, continuing to walk towards the office. "Riley would you mind closing the door?" Kate asks. I do so, noticing that the other one is shut too. James is sat down on the chair, his head lowered. I sit down on the chair next to him. "Now, based on the success at internationals..." Kate starts, a beaming smile on her face. She's speaking quite quietly. I smile too, looking at James who's doing the same, looking at me. But it's only a short one. He knows what she's going to say next. And he's right, "I would love you two to prepare a duet for the qualifier in case we need it, " She braces herself and her smile disappears, faster than James's did, "But, I am aware that with the situation around your father, James, it may be that you would prefer not to do the duet. So I just wanted to check if it that was the case. It's perfectly fine if you don't want to do it," she finishes. I bite my bottom lip and look my boyfriend. He's thinking about it. He stays like that for ten or so seconds and then he speaks: "I can do it," he says. "Are you sure it's OK? It's not too much?" Kate asks kindly. I really hope he's making the right decision. "Yeah. I can do it," he assures. He looks at me so I smile, just to let him know I'm with him. Knowing James's chilled attitude to everything, he should be fine. I hope he is. "And are you happy to do the duet as well, Riley?" She asks. I nod. "That's great! I'll tell the rest of the team. I'd like it if you can start to work something out before Wednesday," Kate says, just as kindly. We both get up and leave the office, the whole troupes heads turning round at the sound of the doors opening. Kate goes back to her place in front of the mirrors and we go back to the barre. "And also James and Riley will be doing a duet," she says. There's a pause. Them everyone claps. That means Emily and Hunter will be alternates then. I guess Emily has just gotten off injury and Hunter just must be one of the weaker dancers in Miss Kate's eye. "So you five," she starts, pointing to those in the five-group, "I want you to start working on something now in case we have to use it. It has to be perfect. James, Riley I want to same. Ashlee, you can see what you want. Also Emily and Hunter I think we should talk in my office real quick," she finishes. Everyone disperses into different rooms. "Can we go in here? There are more of us after all," Thalia asks James and I as we start to leave the room. "Um, yep! We can have B studio and you three are gonna have to go in the music room," I say, now the whole team has joined in on the conversation. Everybody nods and we go to our appropriate rehearsal room. "Hey can I see you practice?" A bubbly voice says from behind. I groan. It's Ashlee. "Yeah, sure!" I say, trying to hide my reluctant tone. James doesn't say anything.
As we rehearse, Ashlee doesn't say anything. She just watches. By that I mean she just watches James. People would accuse me of being jealous girlfriend. But I can't help it when someone as perfect as her is staring at my boyfriend. By the time our three hour rehearsal is done, James and I have a duet. It needs a lot of work, but at least we know what we're doing. Kate comes in and says we can go home so we go and grab our stuff from studio. "Do you wanna come to Java Junction with us?" James asks Ashlee. "Yeah I'd love to!" Ashlee replies. I groan on the inside. Could this day get any worse? We order our juices: I get blueberry and a (well deserved) chocolate muffin, James gets strawberry and Ashlee gets grape. We take our places on the bench. And James actually doesn't sit next to her. He goes next to me so we're touching. It feels good to be next to him. After about ten minutes of Ashlee telling us about her old studio, James has to go. He's trying to spend as much time with his dad as possible before next weekend, when he's expected to die. He gives me a quick peck on the lips as he gets up. I watch him leave. Then I turn to Ashlee. But something's up with her. She's not smiling anymore. She looks...agitated. "You do realise someone like James would never choose someone like you. He's just lying to you," she blurts out. I don't know how to feel. I'm kinda confused. "What do you mean by that?" I ask, trying to keep my ground. "You're not attractive enough. You're tiny! No one likes short girls!" She scoffs. Part of me thinks she's right. No, Riley she's wrong. I need to say something back, but she's already throwing more insults at me. "And are you sure you should be eating that chocolate muffin? You know how many calories are in that? You don't wanna get any fatter than you already are." I just sit there in complete shock. I don't know what to think. I just pick up my bag and leave, muffin and all. Chicken, I know. But I just want to leave. I walk home, quickly. As I do, I don't even bother to greet my parents or Em, or my brother Matty. (thethingsyoulearnfromtnstoursouvenirbook:) thisisurproof):
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I run up to my room, dumping my bag by the door. I slip my shoes off and stand in front of the mirror. I sigh before taking my leggings and light purple leotard with swirly designs stitched on off. I'm standing in my navy sports bra and navy panties, staring at myself. I rub my hands on my waist, in between my thighs. I look at myself in the mirror again. I'm just a fat short girl. Nothing good or interesting.
