Downhill

Chapter 35

“Ow, wait can we just shuffle my leg round a bit?” I ask Lee. We’re trying a new lift we saw on some American dance programme. It’s hard but we’ll manage it.

“Hang on lets start again” he says, putting me back down. “Now jump” he says. 

I jump and pull my legs to the left making me look like some sort of antelope jumping through grass. He hooks his arm through my legs and his other under my arm. 

“And twist” he says. I tighten my tummy and tuck my legs in for him to twist me over his shoulder. He catches my hand and I’m sitting on his shoulder as if I’m on a horse. 

“Then I need to let go and lean backwards don’t I?” I catch my breath.

“Yeah, I’ll let go of this hand so you can backward flip off my shoulder” he lets go and I take a deep breath before throwing my legs backwards over my head, flipping over his shoulder and landing flat on my feet. 

“Yes!” I exclaim, jumping around a bit in excitement.

“Yes Bex!” Hollie shouts from across the hall where she’s practicing a routine with the other girls.

“Yeah, now we’ve done that we need to get it at ten times the speed” he sighs. 

“One more time then can we have a break” I ask.

“Yeah, I need a drink” 

The woman at the desk told us we could stay as long as we want, there’s nothing going on after our slot so she said we might as well stay. She keeps asking us what we’re rehearsing for, but we’re not doing anything really. Lee has mentioned entering competitions but some people just can’t commit to the rehearsals, either because they have uni or collage or they have their work shifts changed. 

We end up doing the lift three more times before we take a break, its half six and I should probably get home to have a shower before the Xfactor. 

“Has Harry said anything about tonight?” Hollie asks me.

“He’s told me he’s really nervous because he’s the lead in the chorus” I say.

“Oh, I don’t blame him” she replies.

I get my phone out while everyone eats a packet of biscuits someone brought with them. 

I open all the texts from Harry.

*I’m so scared about tonight*

*how’s that new lift thing you’re doing?*

*just done the final run through on stage, I can’t even sing it without feeling sick*

*I’ve been talking to Tara and found out that the only way I can get through it is pretending that you’re singing it with me, cheesy ikr but it works* 

I show Hollie the texts and she tells me that its ‘mega adorable’. I reply telling him that he’ll be brilliant tonight, the lift is ok and that its not cheesy but mega adorable like Hollie said. 

We try to incorporate our new lift into the routine we’re working on, its to that new Kesha song We R Who We R. It’s pretty funky if I do say so myself and the moves in it are fun. 

“Bex it’s nearly time for the Xfactor don’t you want to go home?” Lee says after we finish the routine for the third time. 

“Oh my gosh yeah,” I say checking the time, I have ten minutes to get back before the show starts. 

“I’ll take you and Hollie back.” he offers.

“Oh thank you so much.” I say.

We grab our stuff and leave the community centre, jump into Lee’s car and drive to mine quickly.