It Just Sort of Happened (On Hold)

Chapter 3- It Just Sort of Happened

   I pulled up my dance tights before slipping into my leotard for my weekly dance class. The bottoms of my tights, which used to cover my whole foot, were now ripped and torn, so I rolled them to my ankles and put on my pair of tan Ugg boots. I headed down the stairs carrying my point shoes, attempting to pull my hair into a bun at the same time. I was running late and now Maisie was beeping her horn outside my house waiting to carpool with me to rehearsal.

        I rushed out the door slamming it shut behind me and scurried into the passenger side of the powder blue Volkswagen beetle. All Time Low by The Wanted was blasting on her radio and I groaned with disgust.

        “Don’t tell me you’re into this stupid boy band along with the rest of the girls in the school now.” I stared at her with a risen eyebrow and she just laughed.

        “Well no, just this one song. It’s really catchy but well these guys are pretty hot.” She winked at me and then raised the volume louder while driving away from my house. The dance studio was just five minutes or so from my house but with Maisie’s crazy driving we got there in three.

        Dizzy from her sharp turns and speeding, I stumbled into the studio and replaced the Uggs I was wearing with my point shoes. I laced them up my tights and walked over to Maisie, Becky, and Sam who were stretching over by the bars. Their faces showed they were talking about some sort of gossip by the way their eyes bulged and mouths hung open while they leaned over the sides of their bodies loosening their muscles whispering to each other.

        “Whacha talking about?” I asked while mirroring their motions.

        Becky responded, “Apparently Harry’s having a party at his place his Friday.”

        My eyes widened, “No-no-no, I was supposed to throw a party this Friday. Who told you that?” Becky motioned to Sam. “Where did you hear that? I asked her.

        She explained, “Well you see I was in gym class and Harry and Marcus are in my class and they were talking about putting one together since Harry’s parents wouldn’t be home.”

        “That’s weird…Usually they always ask me.” My thoughts were muddled as I tried to think of what they could have been planning. “I guess they thought I just wouldn’t throw one so they took it upon themselves for once.” I concluded and straddled my legs releasing my body forward making my muscles ache.

        Our instructor, Miss Danni, walked onto the floor shuffling us all forward to one side of the room into three lines. I lead my line across the floor doing chasses, sautés, and chaine turns. She lectured us on the importance of technic and posture as we plied on the bars and tendued our feet.

      Our recital was a few months away but we started learning the beginning of our routine. There was going to be two solo opportunities and we had to audition for the roles in a few weeks. The class whispered to each other over who would get the parts and Miss Danni had to hush everyone up before teaching us the rest of the work.

     Once she dismissed us, I huffed over to my duffle bag already feeling pains in my lower back and knees. It was a dancer’s curse as they say; your knees weaken first and your body ages faster than normal people, making you prone to breaks and tears in your bones and muscles. But that’s what Advil was for, numbing the pain until it goes away.

     I pulled my hair down from the scrunched up bun, releasing my curls having them fall down past my shoulders. I ran my fingers through them, loosening the tight ringlets and pulled them into a loose ponytail to tame its craziness.

    “Am I bringing you home?” Maisie asked while slinging her bag over her shoulder.

    I replied back, “Yup, the usually. My mom doesn’t get home till late tonight since she has day shift today.” My mom’s work schedule is so messed up she goes from sleeping all day and working all night to working all day and sleeping just a few hours.