Where Dance Fits In

Chapter 7: Confessions

Reagan

I am stoked for Oirachtas.

After the Halloween feis I am sure that we will all do amazing.

Regionals is in just three days, but we have to skip school on Thursday because we fly to Colorado in the morning and I dance on Friday.

I'm just trying to make it through school.

I continue to hang out with Molly and Abbey, and I even talk Kyle at gym. He tells me that I am pretty speedy.

Conner's not doing so well though. It's only been a couple of months since the incident and he still really hasn't cheered up.

We are assigned new lab partners in science. Molly and Abbey are together and I have no idea who to go with; everyone seems to have one. Turns out there's an odd number in the class until Kyle shows up. That automatically means that he's my lab partner.

He sighs and sits down next to me.

Our teacher, Ms. Higgins is telling us that we need to come up with a science fair project with our partners. It is due on the day we come back from Thanksgiving break.

During class we talk about ideas and Kyle and I come up with the idea to test the affect of video games on the body: our subjects are Conner and Joe.

Kyle comes over after school and I learn that he's actually super nice. He told me that the reason he always ignored me was that he thought I never wanted to talk to him.

He also says that he think Irish dancing is pretty cool; SINCE WHEN?

Then I walk him home because he lives right by me.

Driving to class, I see an Irish dance sticker on the back of someone's car. I tell my mom to speed up so we can see who it is.

We are getting close when I see him on the front seat: it's Kyle.

How did I not know this? No wonder he thinks Irish dancing is "pretty cool". He has to say that because he does it too!

He looks at our car window and at first he doesn't see me, but then he does, and his eyes are so wide it's unbelievable.

At school the next day he avoids me. When science class comes around he sits next to me because he has to, but he looks away.

After school, I stop him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask him. He replies "Because if you knew then everyone would find out." "What's so bad about that?" "I'll tell you at your house." And we get on the bus.

The bus drops us off at our house and Kyle, Conner, and I all go inside. Conner goes upstairs so I whisper to Kyle "Will you tell me now?" I say to him. "Fine." He replies. "Okay. When people found out that you Irish danced, they didn't make a big deal out of it, but when they found out that Conner danced too, they were saying that he was gay. I didn't want to be called gay."

I look at him. I still can't believe that he Irish Dances. Kyle Gray. The most popular kid in school. Then I tell him "There is an instructor at my dance school. He always tells us the story of the time the kids found out that he irish danced. They called him gay, but he didn't care. He new he wasn't. He blocked out the negativity and focused on the most important thing in Irish dance: having fun."

"Wow." Kyle says. "I'll tell them tomorrow.

On Wednesday Kyle tells everyone and the kids all think that Irish dance is the coolest thing in the world now.

So much for my pep talk.

I don't have practice tonight. I pack and stretch and do some ab-workouts. Then I fall asleep and dream of dance. We wake up at 4:15 a.m because our flight is at 6:00 and it takes about an hour to get to the airport.

We're waiting for the people to call our flight and I see some of the competitors from my area. There's Jenna Whibbs. She's crazy good. And there's Maggie Talpash. She got fourth at worlds this year.

I see a few boys from my competition and they talk to Conner, asking him about his foot.

Then I see Kyle.

Well it makes sense. He lives by me, he dances on friday. Why I thought I wouldn't see him, I don't know. I walk to where he's sitting. He looks up and smiles. "Hey Reagan. Thought I might see you here." He says. "Hey." I say. "Are you nervous?" "Not really." He replies."I'm actually really excited." "That's good." "How many people are in your competition?" He says. "One hundred and ninety seven. How many are in yours?" "Twelve." He says and we laugh.

I go back over to where my family's sitting right in time for us to board the plane. Conner and I sit next to each other and our mom and dad sit across from us. I get the window seat.

We play cards, listen to music, and sleep on our three hour flight to Colorado. I see that Kyle is a few rows behind us. He's sleeping.

Finally we arrive. The air is so crisp compared to California's. I breath in and can't wait to go up on the stage tomorrow.

We meet Miss Laurie and everyone for dinner. It's just her and Mark on this trip.

I wake up and find that I'm in the hotel room. I look on the floor and find that Conner has emerged from his sleeping bag. I here someone sniffle outside.

I uncover myself and tiptoe across the room. Conner is outside on the balcony, gazing at the sky. The balcony overlooks the pool.

"Conner," I whisper. My voice is raspy since I just woke up. "It's the middle of the night! What are doing?" He doesn't respond so I I join him outside but I grab a blanket.

"Conner." I say again. This time he does respond. "Remember that one time at dance? We were really little and the older kids had just gotten back from worlds. Nathan had gotten first. I knew from that moment that I would try my very hardest to win worlds. Now that chance is gone."

I put my arm around him and say "Come here I want to show you something." I take him back inside. "Wait here." I whisper and I find a bag that I brought. I take it back to where Conner is standing. I kneel down and unzip the bag. "Reagan you didn't." I pull out the shirt, waistcoat, and pants. "I was going to bring it if your foot healed and it did. Conner your chance is now." I say.

He hugs me. He hasn't hugged me since we were little kids but I hug him back. "I love you." He says to me and I start to tear up. I go back in bed and he goes into his sleeping bag and we dream through the night.