“C’mon girls we can do it! We are going to win today! You got it?! Right! Break on three! One! Two! Three! Eagles!” Cat shouted along with the other girls, before leading them out onto the dance floor. Today was the day that the girls versed the hornets. Correctly named they were one of the meanest, smartest teams in the league. Beating them would boost the girls’ confidence through the roof. Something Ellie had known they were lacking in.
The Hornets started first, the music cued up and the girls started moving to some kind of techno beat. They shimmed their yellow and black uniforms and started forming pyramids and dance groups.
The Eagles sat in the wings, watching anxiously, Cat was holding her breath and gripping Ashley’s hand. Ellie crossed her fingers behind her back. Meanwhile the Hornets girls got one of them at the top of the pyramid, ready to jump. At the base drop the small yellow dancer leaped forward. She landed, but Ellie gave a silent smile to the rest of the girls. The dancer had just landed on her arms, that would cost them.
The dance ended and the girls walked off the stage. Then the Eagles were called on. Ellie gave a nervous smile to some of the girls, Cat pecked Ashley’s lips before they all ran forward.
Ellie wanted nothing more than to walk on and kill it, but she felt the urge to just curl up with a blanket and watch terrible TV shows with Cameron.
But the dance music started and Ellie started moving.
Focus, Focus, Focus, know your cues, smile. Ellie repeated these things over and over in her head. So far so good, but the group spins were coming up with Alex. Focus, Focus, Fo…
Ellie’s voice shut down, she was still dancing, but everything else was in slow-motion again.
Because she was beautiful, because Ellie’s heart was hammering so fast in her chest as Alex brushed her fingers. Because everything here, the music, the lighting, seemed magical. And Ellie knew at that moment that Alex was different.
A good different.
Ellie managed to snap out of it just in time for the finale, the music stopped and the judges smiled approvingly. Since they were the last ones the Eagles stayed on staged for the announcement of the first round.
“And the winners are……. THE EAGLES!” Everyone either cheered or screamed at the news. Ellie along with them.
“We did it! We won!” Ashley screamed, sounding slightly surprised. “Party at mine tonight!”
The dance girls yelled again.
‘Ugh!’ Ellie groaned internally. She was sick of going to all these parties and pretending not to be jealous of all the people hooking up. Suddenly an idea popped into her head. She wove through the tightly knit bunch of excited dancers, looking for Grace. Finally Ellie found her standing awkwardly near back of the group, she walked up behind her.
“Hey!” Ellie says, having bent down to say it right in Grace’s ear.
“Aeeh!” Grace quietly squeals. Ellie gives a soft cackle, not moving when Grace uses all of her small frame to try and shove her.
“Never gets old,” Ellie laughs.
“I hate you,” Grace shoots back, trying to punch Ellie.
“Then I guess you won’t want to ditch the party and come to mine and do stupid stereotypical teenage girl stuff like gossip and eat junk food and watch rom-coms or whatever.”
“Wait no, never mind! Love you, Ellie, just don’t make me go to another party,” Grace pleads.
“Hmmmm” Ellie says tapping her chin as if making a big decision, “just kidding, of course you can come” she replies slinging an arm around Grace’s shoulders “as if I would want to make someone go to a party.”
“Kewl” Grace shoots finger guns at Ellie. The girls walked off together in the direction of the locker rooms, going to shower before heading back to Ellie’s.
*****************
Ellie and Grace are watching a rom-com about some girl writing love letters to all the boys she loved.
“I wish I could be as confident as the people in movies” Grace sighs.
“Whadya mean?” Ellie says, slurring her words from tiredness. They had already watched the kissing booth, twilight and love Simon, it was nearly 2 am.
“You know, how the girl’s friends all know who she has a crush on because she told them ages ago and how she has the confidence to flirt and stuff”
Ellie turned to look at her friend quizzically.
“Grace is there something you want to tell me?” she asks pointedly.
Grace blushed and looked away, before looking back at Ellie and visibly steeling herself. Having noticed Grace look so nervous Ellie sits up straighter too, suddenly awake.
Grace takes a deep breath before saying.
“I have a crush.”
“Yeah, no duh.”
“Shut up and let me finish.”
“Alright! Okay! I’ll try not to be sarcastic for the next two minutes. I'm going to be sooo great at it.”
Grace glares at her friend, and Ellie holds her hands up in surrender, before gesturing for Grace to continue
“I have a crush on Alex.”
Ellie didn’t have time to respond as her phone started ringing, making her jump. It was Cat.
Why is Cat calling? I thought she still hated me.
“Hello?” Ellie said cautiously.
“You need to come ASAP to the hospital, it’s Ashley.”
YOU ARE READING
To break girl code
Romancebased on a true-ish story. Just at the start of sophomore year for Ellie, some big secrets are revealed and the sisterhood of the girls dance team is put into Jeopardy as Ellie desides her emotions and if she should take a chance and risk breaking...
