Fifteen

Chapter 3: This Woman's Work

Be brave, Aria. You can do anything you set your mind to. "Hello...Earth to Aria!" Quincy clapped trying to get her attention. Aria Caldwell was physically choreographing her third routine for the day, but mentally she was checked out trying to subdue the ever-growing anxiety about August.

June was halfway over and she still had so many things to get done before moving to Austin for school. "Yes...yes...what?" Aria laughed, as she finished a pirouette. "Girl, you are gone! You're heading off to the capital, so I know you think you're the Queen and we're the sorry people, but you still have work here with us peasants!" He pouted.

She was going to miss her summer lover. That's what he liked to call himself, even though Quincy was loud, proud and flamingly gay. She, Quincy and Deja, their summer mistress, had all been friends for the past 4 years, but it seemed like they'd known each other forever.

"She isn't MY Queen," Deja shouted from beside the stereo. "Yo soy mi propia reina!" She beamed as she practiced a round of high kicks. They grew closer with each summer despite going to rival high schools. They had weekly dinners and sleepovers that would no longer happen now that she was moving to Austin.

"You still have ALL of July to get it all together! Quit worrying, chica!" Deja warned as if she could read her mind. "You'll get wrinkles and then no hot college guy will want you!" Aria stared blankly at her. The thought of a hot college guy hardly ever crossed her mind. She didn't get to be that girl.

As the oldest of three, Aria had responsibilities that didn't include dating. Her father was gone. Her mother worked two jobs to make ends meet and her twin brothers were starting school at the new charter in August. Aria didn't get the guy, because she was too busy studying or working.

She was the city of San Antonio's dance instructor, baby sitter, dog walker, house sitter, church volunteer, and jack-of-all-trades.  Aria did take pride in her ability to use her talents to help provide for her family.

She wasn't so proud of her love life, or really lack thereof. The fact that she had never had a boyfriend and that her V-card was still intact was appalling to Quincy and Deja. Her first kiss was Richard Matthews at one of her dance camps. He taught her everything she knew and always commented on how great of a kisser she was.

She didn't mind being his beard so that the other kids would stop bullying him and bought the lie that she was his girlfriend. There was no attraction – just practice. What good did the practice do if you never used it? You haven't kissed anyone since then and that was over two years ago! Aria shivered at the realization.

College wasn't going to be much different from high school for her. Aria was there to study, get exceptional grades, and become the best dance student in the program. It was this same academic tenacity and ridiculously strong ability to fight off blossoming hormones that got her a full scholarship to Texas University.

She was the first person in her family to go to college and she wasn't going to let her mom or brothers down. The dance program was nationally ranked and aggressively rigorous. Each year about fifty students were accepted into the program as high school seniors.

Of those selected, five to ten would be given the opportunity to audition for the legendary Madame Boudreaux and join her elite dance team. Aria had been selected and was going to do everything in her power to make the cut.

"Girl, now you know damn well Aria ain't worried about no boys!" Quincy stated matter of fact snapping her back to reality. "She's going to be a nun, despite the fact that she's NOT Catholic. Heck, that or become a cat lady!" Her silent smile quickly turned into a loud tremor. Deja and Quincy laughed aloud as they watched the mental picture form in her mind.