Finding Dance

4

A/N: The video above is the dance Madison does with Zoey.

Dance is not only my life but it is my escape. It's probably the love of my life, it's the only thing that allows me to both express myself and finds happiness. Dancing allows me to connect with the music and my body. Being able to dance allows me to reach cloud nine in ways I thought not possible.

I was still with Zoey in the abandoned warehouse doing dances. I was currently finishing my dance to the song 'The Climb' by Miley Cyrus. I'd been practicing this dance for a while, it's beautiful. I'd finally perfected most of my kicks and tricks which make the dance even more fun to complete.

Once I'd officially finished I took a deep breath of air. "Madison, you look fucking awesome!" Zoey cheered as soon as she ended the video. 

"Thank you, thank you," I said with a big smile. "Want to run it again but this time we dance together?"

"Of course, no recording though because the dance looks fucked with two people and you know it," Zoey said, looking at me with a pointed glare.

"Fine, even though we kill it together," I replied with an easy giggle. We ran the song again with her now by my side. We laughed at the mistakes she made and how we sang the song so off-key. We danced beautifully together and I realized how much fun it is to dance with someone by your side. I realize now more than ever how important it is to have a best friend who supports you and shares your passion. "This is the most fun I've had in such a long time!" I explain to her with the largest smile I could muster. She giggled and pulled me into a tight embrace that allowed our sweating bodies to become one.

"Maddie, this is disgusting!" She shrieked before quickly pushing herself off of me. I laughed at her reddening face. 

"But you want more don't you?" I asked as I began moving closer to her. She quickly took off running to which I followed her knowing that I was faster and had better cardio. I let her run to the other side of the warehouse before quickly catching her and wiping more sweat onto her. 

She made gagging and giggling noises at the same time before speaking. "You're so gross, ugh! I also hate you for being in better shape than me," she said while also panting. 

"I know you love me," I said with a wink as I began to pick up our stuff that was thrown around the empty warehouse.

"I am pretty damn great," she replied sassily. I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see considering I had my back to her. After we'd picked up everything and loaded it back into the car I noticed how different Zoey was being. 

"What's wrong? You haven't said anything since we packed up." 

"I don't want to go home," she whined childishly. "Why can't we just skip school for the rest of the week and go to the beach or something? I wanna travel, I wanna do something with my life." 

"There are so many reasons you know we can't do that. Starting with my father would kill me, second, we have school and the sooner we go, the sooner we graduate. I would love to just go and travel the world with you, Zoe, but we have responsibilities. Every single day of my life I struggle with going to school, I hate it there. The people are mentally disturbed, they act as if they're the only thing in the world that matters and if you're not popular or have sex with everyone then you are horrible. So many people get treated like dirt and it's pathetic bullshit."

"Why do you have to spout the truth?" Zoey whined once again at my long speech. "You're acting like my mom."

I roll my eyes at her response before replying sharply. "Let's just go, you're acting like a child." 

We were quiet the entire drive to her house. It was awkward or tense we just were silent. Once I was in her driveway she got her things and we said a quick goodbye. As I drove back to my own house I let the radio play lightly in the background although it did nothing to quiet the voices screaming in my head.

As soon as I entered my house the voices in my head weren't the only thing screaming.

"Bloody fucking hell! Where have you been?" My father shouted as loudly as he could. "The house is a fucking mess and I had no dinner when I got home." He continued yelling before throwing his empty dinner plate at me. I quickly ducked and it shattered on the wall behind me. I sighed and said nothing before bending down and beginning to pick up the shards of class. "Nothing to say? Slut?" He asked, his tone venomous. 

"What would you like me to say?" I asked, voiding my voice of emotion.

"I'd like to know where the hell you were! I'd like to know why it was more important than taking care of the man who gave you life!" He screamed at me.

"I was out with Zoey, and last time I checked I didn't ask for this fucking life!" I yelled back. I knew it was a mistake the second it came out of my mouth. Before I could comprehend that he'd walked over to me I was being held against the door by my throat, his hand wrapped tightly around it. 

He gripped tighter as he spoke. "I am your father. You made your mother leave so you best be ready to take care of me now. When I get home, you better have a plate on that table with food on it. I expect nothing less than a clean house and a plate of hot food on that table when I get home. I put this roof over your head, you ungrateful whore." 

When he finally let me go my throat burned like nothing I'd ever felt before. I didn't let any tears fall down because I wouldn't allow him the satisfaction. 

"Order me a pizza, or else I'll give you a far worse punishment," my father said as he went back into the kitchen to get another beer. I quickly scrambled upstairs and ordered him a pizza online before getting into bed and fully letting myself realize that he could have killed me the way he had my neck. I let light sobs rack my body until I heard the doorbell for the pizza. I went downstairs after wiping my eyes. A young boy stood at the door with the pizza. I handed him a twenty and slammed the door in his face. Was that rude? Yes. Do I care? No.

I threw the pizza in front of my father before rushing back upstairs. I settled into my bed after brushing my teeth. I just hoped sleep would take over instead of the demons living in my brain. 

The sleep I craved so desperately was short-lived as my father awoke in an angry mood. He woke me up with a kick to the stomach, a mechanical laugh escaped his cruel lips. "Get ready for school, bitch!" His gruff voice shouted. I let out a loud sigh as he left the room. I lifted my shirt to see the red stomp of a footprint on my stomach. This would soon be a bruise. I quickly get together my things and get dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants. I do not feel like making an effort at all.

Even though I'd rather crawl into a ball and die than go to school I make my way to the kitchen. I fry him some eggs and then grab a protein bar for myself. I eat it on my walk to school.

Let's see what this day brings because so far I have no hope for the day. 

Another day, another headache.