I Love You No Matter What

Chapter 15: Hope

Today is the last day of the auditions. Daphne, Derek, and I have done our best to prepare them for the performance. Luckily, moving out didn't mean my mom would cancel the event. She got the word out about the performance. Some major people in the dance world have come to see what Derek is creating. We're hoping this brings in choreographers for the company.

The performance is at the studio. Derek was smart enough to have a small dance floor for performances. Chairs face the dance floor. Carpet covers the entire room.

"Listen up. I understand all of you must be nervous. That's why we are doing this. This is to test you on your performance ability. We know you can dance, but can you entertain? Remember, we are taking forty dancers. Twenty of you are going home. I wish the best to you," Derek says to the dancers.

They all look nervous. I feel bad for them. I recall the first time I performed in front of a crowd. It wasn't anything official. Only in front of friends and teachers.

Derek and I move out of the temporary dressing rooms. The house is full. This is really good for us. "You ready to judge?" Derek asks me.

"Yeah. I think those dancers aren't ready to be judged," I say.

Derek shrugs. "This is to take care of the weak ones. Mostly it is for promoting."

"Then, I won't mess up," I promise.

"Doubt you will mess up. You're the one thing I'm sure about tonight," he says.

"Derek! Hope!"

We turn around to see Daphne coming up to us. Her blonde hair is curly down her back and her pink dress shows her bony figure. I've only seen her dressed down when she's nervous. "Hey, Daphne. Everything alright with music and lights?" I ask her.

"Everything is working," she confirms.

"We just checked the dancers and costumes," Derek says.

"Now we can only pray for a good night," Daphne says.

I am about to say a sarcastic comment until a group of people catches my eye. Derek turns towards my gaze and smiles. "And you thought they weren't going to come," he says.

I smile as I walk over to my family. Ben is the first to notice me. "What are you doing here?" I ask him, already knowing his answer.

"To see my little sister doing her job," he says. By then, the rest of the family turns around to face me. I give them all hugs, except for Mom. I will not forgive her for her hurtful comments.

"Faith, I heard you moved out to Hollywood," I say.

"I have, but I came back for a weekend to see you," she explains.

"Looks like you have a big turnout," Dad comments.

"Yeah. I'm surprised too since we are still in the audition stage," I say.

"That says something then," Miracle says with her arm around my shoulders.

Derek walks over to us. "I hate to pull you away, but we have a situation in costumes," he says.

"I will talk to you later," I tell my family.

Derek leads me back into the dressing room. We stop in front of the costume rack. Derek pulls out a dress. It's a blue two piece. The skirt is long and has a slit in the front that shows my sparkling shorts. The top is a sparkling high neck. "What's the problem?" I ask.

"The shorts have a small tear in the back," Derek says. He turns it around and I see what he's talking about.

"I can sew it," I say calmly. I take the dress from his hands.

"So handy," Derek says with a smile.

"Afraid I'll take your place as the man?" I tease.

"Sewing is not considered the role of a man in a relationship," he says.

"In a dancer's world.."

                                                                                   *

"Welcome everyone to Derek Thompson's Performing Arts Company auditions! Over the past three weeks, the dancers have been choreographing their own routines to show us their full potential. This performance will determine who our forty dancers will be. With that in mind, let's start off with the first dance," Daphne announces. The first group comes out.

Daphne sits down next to me in the front row. We have clipboards in our laps. As the dances continue, the other judges and I write down our forty spots. The guests move around the studio. Derek makes the final list of the forty dancers. He turns to me. "Would you like to do the honors?" he asks.

I take the list happily. I go over to the bulletin board and stick the list to it. Dancers crowd around it. I'm pushed out the circle into Derek's arms by the swarm of dancers. Some dancers begin to cry and others cheer in joy.

"This went well," I state.

"I had ten choreographers ask for a job here," Derek agrees. And we did it without my mom.