The first rehearsal was after school the next day. Claire was excited about being Juliet. She wore her best white leotard and a long white skirt. She hurried into the dance studio where Mr Jay was waiting.

‘We all know Romeo and Juliet is a story about two teenagers in love,’ said Mr Jay. ‘Their families are always fighting and they aren’t allowed to get together. They get married secretly but then everything goes wrong and it has a very sad ending. No surprises there.’

He stopped talking for a moment and looked at the students.

‘But what I’m going to say next might be a surprise,’ He said. ‘We are going to do Romeo and Juliet as a modern ballet. It’s set on another planet and you are going to be aliens. Your families are still fighting so the story is just the same.’

Aaron started to get more interested. Aliens sounded fun! A lot more fun than a soppy love story!

‘Aliens!’ said Claire. She looked at herself in the mirror. She knew she wouldn’t be wearing a beautiful dress after all.

‘I want to see you dance as if you are aliens,’ said Mr Jay. ‘Use your imagination and give me something new.’

Now Aaron started to get worried. He wasn’t sure what to do. He had enjoyed mixing his martial arts moves with dance, but could he keep on doing that? Mr Jay wanted to see even more new things, and Aaron was running out of ideas.

Claire had made up her mind. Her alien would dance like a ballerina anyway. She danced across the floor using her favourite ballet steps. When she stopped she waited for Mr Jay to say how good she was.

‘That’s not what I want to see, Claire,’ said Mr Jay. ‘I want something new and exciting. Remember, you’re meant to be on another planet. Try and move like an alien.’

Claire didn’t like new and exciting, she was good at ballet, not modern dance. This time she danced like an alien who liked ballet!

Mr Jay still didn’t like what she had done. ‘Claire, watch Aaron’s dance steps,’ he said.

Claire watched Aaron do his silly martial arts jumps and hand chops.

‘I want you to dance more like Aaron,’ said Mr Jay. ‘If you can’t, I may have to give the part of Juliet to another dancer. Aaron, I want you to work out some more new moves and show Claire how to do them.’

Claire couldn’t believe what Mr Jay had said. She was a much better dancer than Aaron, but now she had to copy the silly moves that he was doing. It was so unfair.

Mr Jay left the room and Claire went over to Aaron.

‘Did you hear that?’ she asked.

‘I know you’re cross at Mr Jay,’ said Aaron. ‘But don’t take it out on me.’

But Claire did take it out on Aaron. When Aaron tried to show her how to do his martial arts moves, Claire wouldn’t learn them. She didn’t want to fight with Aaron but she couldn’t help it. Martial arts moves had nothing to do with ballet.

‘You’re so selfish,’ he said. ‘Did you stop and think about me?’

‘Why should I?’ said Claire. ‘Mr Jay thinks you’re great.’

‘I don’t feel great,’ said Aaron. ‘I’m finding this really hard too. It was fun mixing dance with martial arts but now Mr Jay wants some more new moves and I’ve run out of ideas. I’m the lead male dancer, so I need lots of steps. I’ll lose my part too, if I can’t come up with some more ideas.’

‘It seems like we’re both stuck, then,’ said Claire.

Claire knew she had to make up her mind. Would she do what Mr Jay wanted, and try something new, or should she just quit?

Claire really wanted to dance on stage. That was why she did ballet. Did it really matter if it wasn’t normal ballet? Besides, Aaron needed her help with finding new steps. There were other types of modern dance steps she could try. The Gang-Stars didn’t let each other down. Ever. Claire didn’t want to fight with Aaron any more. She knew what she had to do. She looked at Aaron.

‘I think I’ve got an idea,’ she said. ‘What are you doing tonight?’