Mini Short Stories: 2020 Volume 1

Coat - Story 27

"Zee! Wear your new coat please! The old one is dirty" "No mum. It's clean! Love you!" yelled Zee as she headed out. Her best friend's mom was picking her up to take them to the recital at Queen's Hall. She and Myaa chatted all the way to the venue. It would be their fifth year performing together at this venue and they were extremely excited about this year's theme: Superhero Mermaids.

As veterans they headed straight for the dressing rooms. She and Myaa of course shared a changing room and quickly put on their practice gear. Rehearsals were always intense but their dance teacher allowed her students to wear whatever made them feel confident. Zee and Myaa would wear matching outfits as usual but they often wore something unique. Myaa already wore a flower crown while Zee would tie her lucky coat around her waist. She wore it to her first recital five years ago and she'd never had a bad performance since. Zee reached into her bag and soon began flinging its contents around the tiny dressing room. Myaa muttered while she dodged objects and kept applying her lip gloss. "I can't find it!" Zee exclaimed. Myaa found Zee's lip gloss and made her sit down so she could apply it. "Try to remember where you last saw it," she advised calmly as she clipped a bow to Zee's braided hair. Zee walked through her morning aloud until she saw her new coat on the ground. Then remembered that her mom's command to wear it. 'OMG! My mom is so horrible!" Zee pulled out her phone and fired off a distraught text to her mom. Back home her mother looked at the text, rolled her eyes and promptly put the dirty jacket in the washing machine. "Teenagers!" she muttered before moving on to her next task.

Zee then poured out all her complaints to Myaa who helped her get ready for their rehearsals. Before Zee knew it she was already in position and wearing the new jacket around her waist. She looked at Myaa who smiled and mouthed, "Pretend!" Zee panicked. Could she pretend without her lucky charm? Her unit was first on stage. She forced herself to release her essence and breathe in the Superhero Mermaid that she would portray. She made herself feel the water sliding over her fins and moved sinuously as if feeling its flow. She donned the mask of her character and smiled brightly. "Gorgeous Zee! She's serious, ladies. Let's go!" shouted the choreographer. She still wanted her old coat, but she was a professional and she wouldn't let anything stop her performance. The music began. She lifted her foot and danced as she was born to do.