Spotlight on the Mirror

Chapter Seven

The night before the Halloween party at the opening of the Superdome Stadium, Holliday and a few others were trying to get the area set up for the performance. Ms. Dee needed the extra help and Holliday needed the brownie points. She was sad that she couldn't perform but knew that dancing in Giselle was going to be her last moment to shine. Holliday kept that thought in her mind while she prepared for the televised performance. There were already a few TV stations present and interviewing Ms. Cylla. Natasha stood right next to her but looked lost. A smile was on her face but her eyes didn't match the expression of happiness.

Holliday wanted to text Madison but knew that she wouldn't respond. It was getting harder and harder to contact Madison lately. Holliday low key felt that Madison was trying to exit their friendship but wasn't fully ready to approach the situation yet. Holliday knew that she should try to fix their strained relationship but nothing could fix their separate plans for the future. Madison was set on leaving the dance world behind but Holliday wanted nothing more than to perform forever.

While attempting to locate some decorations for the event, Holliday saw her dad's much younger girlfriend across the room speaking with some other city officials. Mendall caught her eye but continued speaking. Holliday definitely didn't want to talk to her so she tried to hurry up and get outside of the Superdome Stadium as soon as possible. Before she could make it outside, she heard her name being called from behind her.

"Not only do I know that you saw me, I know you also heard me calling you," Mendall stated in a plain tone.

Instantly irritated, Holliday slowly turned around and stated, "What do you want? Stalking me now?"

"What's wrong with you? Of course not."

"Then why are you here? I know for a fact that you knew I would be here."

"Umm... Have you forgotten that I work for the city and that I'm required to be at most local events."

"Oh that's right, you're daddy's little helper. Must be nice to have your daddy supporting your dreams without a girl of your same age ruining the father/daughter relationship," Holliday stated with disdain in her voice.

Mendall quickly looked around and stepped right into Holliday's face. In a hushed voice she said, "Listen, no one and I mean no one is to know that Mayor Kaan is my biological father. I did you a favor and all I ask is that you keep my secret."

Holliday backed up and gave her a slow hand clap. "You want me to thank you? Please! I didn't ask you to do anything for me. It's your fault that I'm even in this position so it was your responsibility to fix the situation."

"Excuse me? What type of crazy land do you reside in? I didn't push you on stage and I didn't have to fix anything for you. I did it for your father because he felt really bad."

"Blah, blah, blah! That's all I'm hearing right now so please turn around and leave. I'm not trying to get ignorant in here today."

"I'm disengaging. You're disrespectful and ungrateful."

"And you're a bitch," Holliday replied with a smirk on her face while crossing her arms.

Looking as if she wanted to respond, Mendall just shook her head instead and walked away.

****

Later that day while eating ice cream with her grandma, Holliday noticed that she had a couple of missed calls from her dad. They had just left the movie theater and she had forgot that her cell was still on silent. She was both happy and nervous that he was calling her. Holliday wasn't sure if she was ready to forgive him but she would accept his apology. Satisfied with her decision, she picked up the phone and called her dad.

"Holliday? I've been calling you," Richard immediately said in the phone.

"I know. I've been out with grandma and we just finished watching a movie. What's going on?" Holliday asked curiously.

"I was calling to hear your side of the story from what happened earlier today."

"Wait, wait, wait. After all these weeks, you're calling because of Mendall!?"

"I was giving you time to come to your senses but it's clear that you haven't. I'm really shocked because I've never seen how much you are really like your mother until recently."

"Come to my senses? You're dating a child but I'm wrong!? And I'm nothing like my mom. Nothing!"

Raising his voice Richard stated, "Mendall may be young but she's not a child. Just like you, you're not a child either yet you continue to act like a spoiled brat!"

"See? There you go again. Attacking me but defending your precious Mendall!" Holliday was livid.

"I can't do this. Dealing with you has been very difficult and tiring. You've been selfish and disrespectful. I'm not tolerating it any longer. If you can't sit down and talk to me like a mature young lady then we can't speak. I didn't raise you to be this way and I'm deeply disappointed," her dad said in a sad tone.

"You didn't raise me at all." With that, Holliday hung up the phone on him.

****

Holliday was still fuming later on that evening. It was a Thursday night and she didn't have any plans. Madison was at dress rehearsals for the Halloween Party scheduled for the next night. Her grandma was starting to go to bed earlier than usual and she definitely wasn't talking to either of her parents. She didn't have any other friends or family and had just started to realize how much she made dance her entire life.

She wasn't much of a TV show watcher since she was always doing something dance related. Even her social media consisted mainly of dance topics. For the first time that Holliday could remember, she was bored. She literally had nothing to do. She thought about planning for her future but she didn't know where to start. Holliday still didn't have any plans for after graduation. With the distractions of Mendall and being placed on probation, she had definitely lost focus.

With everything that had happened, Holliday felt that she wouldn't be offered the teaching position at CC's. She still held on to the small amount of hope but knew that without the CC's teaching position, she didn't have any other opportunities. She opened her laptop and started researching dance jobs. Most were teaching positions but Holliday knew that it was based on not what you knew but who you knew. Nepotism at it's finest. And Holliday definitely didn't want to waste her talents at a children's daycare or baby gym.

Holliday was a great soloist and could perform well in group performances but choreographing wasn't something that she was good at. She definitely lacked the experience. With a teaching job, she could just follow a lesson plan and create a dance. She could just use steps that were already taught and add music to whatever theme was being requested. But with choreographing, creating a story with movement to music was hard and Holliday wasn't gifted in that sense.

After about two hours, she turned off the laptop in frustration. She couldn't live with Madison after graduation since Madison was moving on and starting her own life of "freedom." She didn't have any savings and without a steady income, she couldn't afford her own apartment. Luckily, her dad was still paying her car note and insurance but the agreement was that she would take over the payments after graduation. Holliday wasn't sure if she was upset that she didn't have any future plans or that she didn't fully prepare for her future.