A Mile A Minute

Chapter 10

"We're so excited to see you dance sweetheart!" My grandmother says before I go down to my stage. Everyone is up in the bleachers so I'm feeling the pressure. All the other kids in my class had moved into novice and they're right after me so they're all up in the stands. I practiced a lot last night so hopefully everything goes well!

I go line up and I count the people, and there's 17 in my line and 13 in the one behind me. Behind me are the under 11s. We're combined for single jig and Heavy jig.

Our lines go onstage and the musician starts a reel. Once it's my turn I feel everything come right back to me. I feel like my leaps are super high, my toes are super pointed. I'm just so glad I'm dancing again! I finish and bow and I see the judge nodding while writing something down. I'm so determined to win everything... I want it so bad! I want to be in the same level as everyone else again!

I give it my all for all my other dances and then when I come back up into the bleachers everyone is so happy!

"Scarlet you were absolutely Brilliant!" My grandfather says.

"A true star!" My grandmother pipes in with. I change out of my hard shoes and I watch as all my friends go to line up for Novice. I go down to Miss Roisin.

"How did I do?" I say hesitantly, nervous on what the response will be.

"If I didn't know you were out for 6 weeks before then and you told me I would have said you were crazy. It was amazing! You could go out and dance circles around these novice kids with that performance!" She says.

"Thank you!"

"No problem. Now go spend time with your grandparents and let me know how it goes." She says and I walk up back to my family. Mom looks and me and I nod. I hope my results show the work I've been doing!"

The novice kids finish and Zoey comes back up and sits behind me. We watch the Prizewinners and then we go see if the results are up.

"Hey Zo what number were you?" I ask her as we're walking down.

"231. Miss Roisin thinks I did really good! I bet I'll win another dance then! What are you?"

"391. I just hope I do as well as I thought I did!"

We go to our respective spots. I look down for my competition and then I find them...

Competition 205 Advanced Beginner U9 Reel:
1: 391 Scarlet Watt; Maloney Academy

I let out a little scream. I won reel!

I look down at the rest of them and I won every single dance! I run over to Zoey expecting to see her with a smile on her face but instead she's just staring at the sheets in shock. Did she win everything too?

"I didn't place at all... not in one thing..." She says through gritted teeth.

"Aw Zo it's okay. It's just one time, and you still have tomorrow."

"Let me guess you won everything."

"um yeah..."

"oh my god..." She says rolling her eyes then turns around and storms away.

What? I'm so confused? Why is she mad at me? I didn't do anything wrong! I go down to the end of the hall and I get my medals. I go back into the gym and Zoey and her mom are both gone. Miss Roisin is talking to mom about something. I go up the bleachers and they see me with my medals.

"How did it go?" Miss Roisin says.

"I won everything!" I say and her and mom shriek at the same time and hug me.

"See I told you she would be great!" Grandma says to mom.

"So Scarlet I guess you'll be moving into novice for August." Miss Roisin says.

"Really? So soon?"

"I'm confident you'll do great. As long as you keep working hard, you could be a champion some day."