Where Dance Fits In

Chapter 9: Pass the Trophies Please

Reagan

I am waiting backstage.

I run over my steps a million times in my head; my hands trying to mimic what my feet are supposed to do.

I try making small talk with the girls sitting next to me. It starts with the usual 'I like your dress' and the 'What school are from.' One girl won't even respond to me, even though I know she hears me.

Soon the first group is dancing. Then the second group goes. Brooklyn's in the second group and I can see her knees wobbling as she goes up the steps, her face as white as a ghost.

As she's dancing I see her stumble. And then she stops dancing. She runs off the stage, covering her mouth with her cheeks inflated. "She's gonna blow!" I yell and everyone runs out of the way as Brooklyn projectile vomits. "My dress!" one girl screams. And I do understand. Thirteen hundred dollar dresses and barf is hard to get out.

When Brooklyn's finished blowing up, I walk up to her a lead her out of the backstage curtains and send her to her mom and Miss Laurie.

When I return to the backstage, Maeve is cracking up. "Dude!" I say. "It's not funny." She's stops laughing but a smile is still on her face. I jokingly stick my tongue out at her.

Maeve doesn't seems to be too nervous . When she goes she powers through her hornpipe. She looks amazing! I'm so proud of her.

Next thing I know, the group before me is dancing. I shake my nerves out and just breath.

I step on the first step slowly. This is it. This is what I've been working for. I think of the speeches Miss Laurie gives us. I think of the way Kyle looked at me at the airport, I think of how Conner looked when he was laying on the wood chips, his foot covered in blood....

And then I'm dancing.

First step, second step... I power out my half step, trying to make every trick perfect. I bow and walk off the stage. I thought it was pretty good, considering how nervous I was.

Miss Laurie, Maeve, and my mom run up to me. They all have huge grins on their faces. "That was amazing!" Maeve tells me, followed by my mom saying "That was one of the best times you've ever danced!" Miss Laurie just smiles at me. "What?" I say. And then she's giving me a hug.

That was sudden.

I walk over to Brooklyn. "You were awesome." She says. She looks pretty down. She has a glass of water in her hand. "Are you going to re-dance?" I ask her. "I can't!" She replies a little to loudly. "You saw how all the girls looked at me-" she pauses. "I'm afraid they'll look at me like that when I'm dancing." She looks at me, really looks at me, pleading me not to encourage her.

I do it anyway.

I take Brooklyn's hand and lead her backstage. "She would like to re-dance." I gesture to Brooklyn. The lady looks stressed but she puts Brooklyn's number down. "After the second round is finished." She says forcefully, as if she wanted her words to push us out from behind the curtains.