The Big Test

     The room was cold and the air was ripe with the foul stench of feet and perspiration. I was sitting still like a statue alongside five other girls. I was waiting for something to transpire. My nerves were practically jumping out of my skin. I looked to my friend, Alice, who was sitting next to me. She gave me a small, forced smile as an attempt to hide her true emotions. "Liv Ryder", a female voice bellowed across the waiting room. My turn had come. My stomach suddenly felt queasy. I was about to take one of the biggest tests in a ballerina's life. The pointe shoe test. This is an exam that a ballerina must complete if she wants to pursue ballet en pointe. Slowly, I entered the studio. "Ready"? asked the examiner. "Yes, Mrs. Krabapple," I answered nervously. Mrs. Krabapple had been my teacher for almost a year. "Okay, let's begin.", Mrs. Krabapple sang. Before I knew it, the music rang through the studio. I went through the motions which all felt like a blur. It all was over in an instant. Mrs.Krabapple handed me an envelope as the exam concluded. I walked out of the room, grabbed my dance bag and hastily rushed home.

Once I arrived home, I swung open the front door and pulled out the envelope. There was no hesitation. I ripped open the envelope as quickly as I could. I grabbed hold of a small rectangular sheet of paper. "How did it go?", my mom asked from the kitchen. I put the sheet of paper back into the envelope, then I walked into the kitchen. "Umm... it didn't go that well. I didn't pass.", I answered my mom. I couldn't have been more disappointed in myself. "I am so sorry! You worked so hard!" my mom exclaimed. "I didn't work hard enough.", I replied with a shaky voice. As I exited the room, tears began welling up. I wiped them away. Melancholy invaded my mind. I entered my room, closing the door behind me.

The next day, I acknowledged the fact that I might have been a little melodramatic. If I was going to earn pointe shoes, I would have to put in more effort. After school, I had ballet class. I walked into the studio and greeted a few friends. I could hear the faint chattering of the other girls secretly sharing their exam results. I was not eager to share my exam result. "Hey", Alice said cheerfully distracting me from my thoughts. "Hey", I said cheerfully back. "So how did it go?", she asked curiously. "It's a secret.", I said attempting to avoid the subject. "Fine be like that", Alice said jokingly. Class began a few minutes later. We ran through all of our exercises with ease. I made sure to absorb every correction Mrs. Krabapple was sharing. I tried to apply the corrections myself. The remainder of class proceeded as usual. After the class, I approached Mrs.Krabapple to have a discussion with her. "Excuse me, Mrs. Krabapple", I said to grab her attention. She turned around to meet my gaze. "Yes, Ms. Ryder. What can I help you with?", She asked with a smile. "Do you have any corrections for me that will help me earn my pointe shoes?", I asked confidently. "The only thing you need to improve on is your ankle strength. I could show you a few strength exercises.", She answered. "That would be great! Thank you!", I said bursting with enthusiasm. She demonstrated a wide variety of exercises.

When I emerged outdoors, it was a bright, beautiful, blithesome day. Things were looking up. I took Mrs. Krabapple's correction to heart. When I arrived home, I had a newfound hope. I began to work on the exercises immediately. The anticipation for my next ballet class was unbearable. Finally, the next day arrived. I walked into the studio but something was different. I could hear excited cheers and shrieks. I rushed over to see what was going on. To my dismay, the other girls were showing off their new pointe shoes to each other. I noticed only two other girls didn't pass the pointe shoe exam. I was eager to start class and work hard to achieve my goal. Class began and it was going well. I could already visually see an improvement. "Liv point your feet!", Mrs.Krabapple shouted. Or at least I thought it was going well. "Liv, watch your posture. What's wrong with you?", Mrs. Krabapple asked angrily. At this point, I was extremely confused. She rarely gives me corrections. "Fix your hip alignment, Liv!", Mrs.Krabapple yelled. I could feel my patience wearing thinner every time she yelled at me. "What are you doing, Liv? You are dancing like you have two left feet!", Mrs. Krabapple hollered. I could not believe this was happening! She had never been this rude to me before. I was drawing close to my breaking point. She was diminishing my confidence.

After class, I walked right up to Mrs. Krabapple. I was not going to let her get away with treating me like gum stuck underneath a desk. "Mrs. Krabapple, may I have a word with you?", I asked calmly. She looked at me for a split second. "What do you want?", Mrs. Krabapple snapped. I didn't let her sudden outburst shake me. "Why were you so rude to me during class today?", I asked confidently. She just rolled her eyes. " I wasn't being rude, I was being honest.", Mrs. Krabapple said with a snarky attitude. I was stunned by her response. "I thought I was improving.", replying uncertain. I shifted my weight uncomfortably. "Well, you're not! You should give up!", she yelled. I was furious now. My blood boiled with rage. That was not how a teacher should act. "I will not give up!" I snapped and stormed out of the studio. I will prove her wrong I thought to myself.

The next day, I walked into the studio and prepared for class without saying a word. Class started and I felt that I am performing beyond adequate. I was confident and enjoying myself. We moved through all of the exercises one by one and Mrs. Krabapple was mute towards me. I felt pure, utter joy and loving dance again. The class came to an end. I head for the door but before I could walk out, Mrs. Krabapple called my name. "Great", I thought sarcastically to myself. I walked over to Mrs. Krabapple. "Yes?" I asked. There was a long pause of silence between us. It left an awkward and uncomfortable vibe in the air. " I hate to say this, but I feel you have earned your pointe shoes today." I could hear the frustration in Mrs. Krabapple's voice when she spoke those words. I was ecstatic! I bolted out of the studio so Mrs. Krabapple wouldn't have a chance to change her mind. I rushed home like a little child on Christmas morning. My hard work paid off.

When I arrived home, I delivered the good news to my parents. They were extremely happy for me! After dinner, we ventured out to buy my pointe shoes. There were so many shoes in the store, I didn't know where to start. A nice woman named Mia helped me find the perfect shoes for me. I tried on eight pairs before we found the best match for me. I couldn't even begin to describe all of the emotions flowing through my mind at that moment. All I could say was " I did it!" Mia went over to the counter so we could pay for the shoes. I handed the shoes to her. " What is your name dear?" Mia asked. " Liv Ryder", I answered. I waited as Mia typed something into to the store computer. "It looks like someone has already made a payment for you! Therefore your shoes are free today!" Mia said chipperly. I was so grateful! I wasn't expecting anything like this." The person left a note for you", she said while handing me a piece of paper. I took it and slid it into my pocket. I thanked Mia for her help, then joined my parents in the car. I took out the piece of paper to read it. It had elegant handwriting on it. The paper stated "Don't trust a perfect person and don't trust a song that's flawless. People who always strive for more achieve great things, just like you did and will continue to do". Mrs. K.