Where Dance Fits In

Chapter 5: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

Reagan

"Happy birthday Jackson!" I say in a baby tone.

If only the kids at my school could me now.

The party starts off with some games: hot potato, pin the tail on the donkey, and the other usuals.

Conner has finally gotten better, let's just hope the cake won't start a volcano.

Maeve runs up to me, looking and sounding very urgent.

"Playground. Conner. Now." She pants between her words.

Oh no, what's wrong with Conner this time, but then I see it.

There's Conner, sprawled out on the wood chips with Maeve, Joe, and Miss Laurie's son Mark hovering over him.

"Oh my gosh!" I say, running over to everyone.

I can see that Conners foot is drowning in a pool of blood, and there is a very thick piece of glass wedged very deep into his foot.

And he's just laying there, eyes wide with shock.

"Miss Laurie!" I call.

I feel like I'm about to vomit.

I see Conner's foot swelling up like a big purple balloon and the blood just never seems to run out.

Miss Laurie comes over and looks and Conner's foot and calls an ambulance.

Poor Conner. First the food poisoning and now this? What's next?

The ambulance finally arrives in what seems like forever.

The paramedics lay Conner down on a stretcher and we all load into Miss Laurie's car. I call my mom.

When we arrive at the hospital, we rush inside and ask where Conner is.

Miss Laurie and I are the only ones that go into his room and when my mom gets there she joins us.

Conner is laying on the hospital bed and watching some T.V.

The doctor comes in and tells us that he has broken his foot and the glass has punctured some veins. A piece of the glass is still inside his foot. He says that they will have to take his into immediate surgery but it would be quick and they could do it tonight.

Later on Maeve tells me what happened. "We were just horsing around on the zip line thingy. Mark and I were pushing Conner really fast and really hard and Conner thought it would be fun if he swung his legs. Next thing I knew he was falling and there happens to be a piece of glass right where foot landed. The pain of the glass going into his foot must have caused his ankle to twist. I'm sorry Reagan, we should've been more careful! I'm sorry!" And then she starts to cry. "Maeve! Maeve! It's fine." I try to comfort her bit she just keeps crying.

Finally Conner's surgery is finished but he'll have to stay over night for observation and we all go home. Maeve sleeps over at my house that night.

In the morning we go to the hospital and check on Conner. He's absolutely fine! In fact he's watching cartoons and full out laughing and eating pudding!

That little booger.

On Monday I take was Miss Laurie said to me and put it to my best ability.

In History I notice that Molly James is wearing a One Direction shirt and I tell her how much I like them too.

At lunch we discuss all of our favorite songs by them.

In gym I tell Abby Arnold that her running shoes were super cute and I asked her where she got them. I sat next to her on the bus and we talked about our favorite brands of fashion.

Fortunately, Abbey and Molly are super good friends.

On Wednesday I actually had lunch in the cafeteria...with people!

Dance had been good that week, too, until Friday.

Conner was back at school but his foot was hurting all week. We went to the doctor to see if it was normal and it was worse.

Conner had a disease in his foot that broke down his bones over time.

Conner would never dance again.

He cried all the way home and all night. I even heard him crying in the middle of the night and I went to comfort him.

On Sunday at dance, we told Miss Laurie and she was crushed. Everyone was except for Joe.

When Conner told everyone butJoe smiled but I was the only one to see it.

After class I took him behind the studio.

"How could you be so selfish? Conner is your best friend?" I yelled.

"Conner always gets all the credit and he never lets anyone ever takes his spotlight away for one second! This will be a good reality check for him."

That's when I punched him.

I don't know how it came out but it just did.

"What the heck, Reagan!"

"I think you need a reality check buddy!"

And I walked away.