Hidden Talents

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Holy crap, JJ can eat. Her plate is piled high with 2 cheeseburgers, fries, a brownie, cookie, AND a cupcake. Not to mention she is washing all of this down with a strawberry milkshake. I can't help but stare. I take a glance at Tess and see her staring also. JJ looks up at us while shoving her face with some fries and the sputters, "What?"

"How can someone as tiny as you, eat as much as someone who entered an eating contest and remain as tiny as you are?" Tess asked what we we're both thinking.

"Eh, I was blessed with a gift. What can I say?" She replied with a shrug and returned her focus back on the food.

Deciding to letJJ enjoy her food, I turn to Tessa, "So what is your major?"

"I'm here to study dance!"

"That's awesome, what kind of dance is your main focus?" For skating I had to take a lot of dance classes so I'm glad we have some type of common ground that will be easy for me to converse about.

"Contemporary is my main focus, but I am studying lyrical as well." I can tell she likes to talk about dancing because her eyes light up with excitement.

"That's awesome. I studied ballet for 13 years and contemporary ballet for 6 years."

"Are you majoring in dance too?! That would be awesome I could tell you all the teachers that are great and which ones to stay away from!"

"No, sorry. I am just studying music. I haven't really chosen a direction of where I want to go with it."

"That's cool. There are a lot of people who don't know what they want to do. So by just going with music you made the right choice. Do you play any instruments?"

"Yeah, I've studied the piano since I was about 7."

"Are you any good at it?"

I played at Carnegie Hall once for a youth benefits concert, but I don't like to broadcast that. "I'm alright."

"Well you'll have to play for us sometime! Right, JJ?"

JJ not even paying attention to us was finishing up the last of her food when she looked over to us and replied with two thumbs up.

Wanting this conversation to be directed off of me I look back at JJ, "Are you ready to head out? I think the pep thing is going to start soon."

"Yeah, let's go. I'm ready to be amazed," JJ says giving Tess a smirk.

"Joke all you want, but once you are a part of it. You will be thanking me later," she said as she threw her purse onto her shoulder.

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There were a lot more people gathered in The Square than I thought there would be. So many people in fact, it was getting really hot and claustrophobic. I was linked between JJ and Tess, who was elbowing her way through to get us to the front. The sky was pitch black and the only light came from the light posts surrounding the square and the big stage that I hadn't noticed before. We were near the front when I hear a familiar, "Hey Charlie!" I turn to my right and sure enough, there's Matt with his band of merry men. I give him half a wave with my hand since I am linked with Tessa and JJ, but am quickly tugged forward again by Tess. After a few more shoves we reach the front of the pack and the suddenly all the lights turn off.

Music begins to blast from the speakers on the stage, but nothing happens. Suddenly one lone Tron-like illuminated figure begins walking onto the stage and in a flash he's gone and another figure appears on the opposite end of the stage in the same get-up. In another second another figure appears next to the already present person and they begin circling one another and as one disappears another appears walking towards the dancer remaining. The dancer remaining fades out and another dancer appears following behind the dancer that is walking towards where the one dancer had just stood. And then another dancer appears behind that dancer all of them walking towards the side of the stage and then one by one their lights flicker out and the stage is black again. The music changes and then begins a light show like I have never seen. Flashing white lights, strobe lights, blue and green spot lights. All circling and flashing around the stage. All of the sudden the first dancer reappears and begins dancing again. As the dance goes on more dancers join in and continue doing this awesome routine and then all their lights go out once again and the music fades into another beat and these two new dancers both ballerinas light up on their tutus and soft light in the background gives a shadow effect on their face. They begin doing their dance and it's so beautiful, yet so different. It's definitely not your classic ballet, it has a contemporary and electronic feel to it that makes it so unique. But as quickly as they came their lights went out and another light up dancer only with a reddish orange warrior head showed up and began doing this crazy hip hop/ animation routine that just completely blows my mind. And all the original Tron-like dancers join him on the stage for the remainder of the routine. When it was over, the applause was thunderous. All the lights came back on at once blinding me. And then all the dancers came on stage and among them was Tess as one of the ballerinas. I look to my left and see she is not where I had left her. I hadn't even noticed she was gone.