Miss Laurie
Well it looks like we can actually show off our amazing sets this year.
I slump behind the wall so that Reagan doesn't see me. She has just kissed the boy who is one of Conner's biggest competitors. Thank goodness, she doesn't see me.
When the coast is clear, I walk slowly because I'm walking in the same direction as they are.
We enter the ballrooms and it smells like hairspray and body oder. There are several kids warming up. There's also a number of girls who are sobbing in the corners, there dark mascara running down their cheeks.
Mark is in the corner stretching. I run up to him. "Mark Peter O'Brien! Do you even want to do well? Get off your butt and get to work!" He looks at me reluctantly, but gets up and walks away.
Reagan and Kyle are laughing and talking and I get their attention. "Hello?! This isn't free time. You deal with your love life outside of dance. For now, you need to practice!" They both are looking at me shocked but at least they listened.
Maeve is eating a candy bar. I snatch it out of her hands. "Hey!" She says. "I wasn't finished." "Well I was." I say. Brooklyn is the only one doing what she's supposed to, practicing. She's working herself so hard she looks green. "Woah, big shot! Slow down." I place her in a seat close by and hand her a cup of water.
"Maybe you should take a break, Brooklyn." I say, but she looks at me sadly. "My, my mom says that if I don't qualify for worlds we-" she pauses and takes a deep breath. "We are switching schools." Now I'm the one who looks sad.
That Denise; always putting so much pressure on her daughter to do well. Brooklyn is such a sweet girl. She has so much time for dancing.
That's when it hits me.
A literal slap in the face. I'm Denise. I tell Mark he has to do well. I tell him he has to recall or I take away his toys for a month. I'm the one who takes candy bars away from little girls, the one who breaks up young love all for what? A trophy? A prize? What ever happened to the most important thing being fun?
"Follow me Brooklyn." I say. And we walk through the ballroom.
YOU ARE READING
Where Dance Fits In
Historia CortaThirteen year old Reagan Smith is an Open championship dancer at the O'Brien school of Irish dance. Her teacher, Ms. Laurie always encourages her students to do well. This story tells of how their two lives compare and how they deal with drama of t...
