Finding My True Self | Protector 5.1

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

       Now that I was actually on the dance team, I was able to enjoy going to the studio after school a lot more than when I wasn't on the team. Before, I just had to sit around doing nothing but now, I was actually able to be part of the dances.

       I had to admit, the practices were a lot more intense than I thought they were when I was just watching it. When it was just me and Echo choreographing our duet, it wasn't that intense but when we were working on the dances for the semi-finals and finals if we made it that far, it was intense.

       I was already dead within fifteen minutes of practicing. And to make things worse, we still weren't getting a break.

       This was way too cruel for me. I wasn't used to rehearsing for this long, and full-out too. It seriously did not look that hard, but I was so wrong.

       Dad, thankfully, noticed I was having a hard time keeping up because I was already so exhausted, so after we were done the current run-through, he told everyone to go for a five minute break.

       I immediately went to where I kept my water bottle and took a long sip out of it as Dad walked over. "It's exhausting, isn't it?" he asked.

       I pulled my water bottle away from my lips and nodded. "I don't know how they do it," I said, still out of breath.

       Dad chuckled. "A lot of practice. Just remember, these people have been coming here almost every day for years to practice. This is one of your first times practicing like this. You'll get the hang of it."

       "I hope," I said. "It's exhausting."

       "Yeah, I know," Dad said. "How's the duet coming along?"

       "Good," I said. "We have rough choreo right now, so we may end up modifying a few things as we practice."

       "Can I see it after practice?" Dad asked.

       "Are you finding an excuse to make us dance together even more?"

       "Rhys, come on," Dad said. "Not everything I do is to push you and Echo together. I'll let you ask her out on your own time."

       "Right, which was why you paired us up for the duet," I said. 

       "No, I paired you up because you two did so well in the duet qualifier," Dad said. "And you'd probably do a lot better now that you'll be the one practicing all the time. And part of it is because you like her."

       I sighed. "You couldn't have just left it alone?"

       "Uh, no," Dad said. "I can't just not let romance happen. That isn't who I am."

       "I can see that," I said. 

       We shortly got back to practicing and by the time the rehearsal was over, I felt like dropping out of the studio. Not really, but I was way too tried to function right now, and I was going to have to show Dad the duet with Echo.

       He let us take a short break to catch our breath and to drink some water while everyone else was allowed to leave. Dad told Zayden that he would drive me home afterwards so Zayden didn't have to wait for us.

       After a few minutes for a break, Echo hooked her phone up to the speaker and asked Dad if he could start it once we were ready. 

       We stood in the middle of the studio facing each other just a few feet apart from each other. I looked at Dad and gave him a nod to start the music, so he did, then we began our dance. Again, it was just rough choreo and we were most likely going to change things the more we worked on it, but I really liked what we had so far.