Worth The Wait

~1

Daya  Powers

"Come on Kimberly Speed it up a bit, hun." The music stopped as madame Nadia turned her back to the wall of mirrors and faced my two best friends. Her face glistened with sweat as she placed her hands on her hips, catching her breath. "Your double pirouettes are off darling. Even if you slip up, keep going. Even if you know you messed up, improvise. The audience won't know and think it's apart of the dance." She says with a thick accent. "Fourth position!" She says, stepping up to Kim and automatically Kim went into that position, putting her left leg infront of her right and positioning her arms.

"Now again! From the top. 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, 8...." she called out, her voice echoing throughout the room. Kim and Alana danced in sync to no music. Most likely they both were playing the melody in their heads and timing it perfectly with their moves. I smiled from the bench. They both looked amazing and graceful. Every step was with stride, every dip and leap was with grace, sharp and articulated, but as well as soft and delicate.

I swayed with the movements from the back of the room and hummed the beat. I couldn't really move much due to my sprained ankle.

It killed me not being able to get up there and dance with them. The last few months have been non-stop on the go, hoping from one dance studio to the other. Auditions, dance competitions, shows every week, constantly on my feet, 4 hours of sleep most nights and barely any sleep for the rest. Some might say it's excessive and unhealthy work, but I loved it. It obviously paid off to get me where I am now. Dancing was my passion. It's what I lived and breathed for. It's what I came to L.A for.

But in the midsts of everything, I haven't seen my family or any other of my friends in 2 years. My mother thought it would be a good idea, since I was immobile for a while, to head back home to Detroit. Back where it all started..

"I'm really gonna miss you boo~" Kim says, walking up to me with Alana as she grabbed a huge water bottle out of her bag and sipped off of it. Kim is such a health freak but it really pays off because her skin was always clear and radiant. "Now who gone binge eat and watch Vampire Brothers with me?" She pouted, jutting out her bottom lip in a pout.

Alana sat next to me on the bench and started putting on sweatpants and a lose crop T-shirt over her dance clothes. "Imma miss you too Day, but I know i AINT gone miss you two crying over that sappy bullshit show." She says rolling her eyes.

"Aye aye you ain't finna talk down on our show." I said, setting her straight. I mean a show about a teenage girl who's stuck between two vampire brothers while battling evil witches, werewolves and ancient doppelgängers? Come on. Immaculate.

"Right. Better check her!" Kim chimed in.

Alana rolled her eyes. "But for real Day, you better not forget about us...you better call us EVERY day and fill us in on the Detroit tea."

"And if you so happen to forget us..."

"We're booking a ticket and beating your ass. Plain and simple." Alana says, finishing Kim's sentence and smirking at their clever word play. I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

"Don't even play me like that. Y'all helped through some real tough shit....I trust y'all with my heart and soul. Through thick and thin, I love y'all." I said wholeheartedly, looking them both in the eyes, letting them know I meant every word. Alana mouth opened as she silently mouthed an 'Aw' and wrapped her arms tightly around my shoulders. Kim's lip quivered as she raised a fist to her mouth and fanned her eyes. "Not her being sentimental.....bout to make a real one cry." She says, using her knuckle to lift her false eyelashes up and going over to me and Alana, joining the hug.

****

After saying goodbye to Kim and Alana, My mama pulled up outside and drove to the airport. I looked out the window and squinted at the blinding yellow sky. I was really gonna miss this city.

"You gone miss L.A ain't you?" My mama asked as she came to complete stop behind a black suburban. Traffic was completely backed up and it was all because a guy decided to run a red light and hit a taxi. The burley taxi drivers face was red as he cursed up a storm.

"Yeah....it hasn't been smooth but it's been a journey..." I said softly. Memories of my first year in L.A resurfaced in my mind. I was fresh out of Detroit so I was used to this cut throat city. I met a lot of backstabbing and trifling people. I've been put under hella pressure, stress, high expectations, had gigs where I had to be a certain weight, had people tell me that if I wasn't this or that then I was never going to be somebody.
There was so many times that I gave up. I fell hard and had been driven into depression and almost overdosed on weight loss pills.

It tore my mama to pieces. That's when I decided to take my career on a completely different path and did what I thought was best for ME and MY life.

I found better opportunities after that. It was the best decision of my life.

We pulled up outside the busy airport after a good 40 minute ride of listening to old r&b music. It took us another 20 minutes to get all the stuff out the car cause mama had so many bags. She damn near had her whole life packed away.

After being checked for weapons and showing the staff our passport we boarded the plane and finally got to relax in first class. I glanced out the window and it was completely dark outside aside from the bright lights of the city. I glanced over at mama and she already had her chair reclined and a blanket over her, fast asleep. I chuckled and did the same. It was gonna be a long flight.