Chapter 11
I’ve spent over four hours a day at the studio the past three weeks. My body continues to mold into shape and it feels amazing. With all of the practice, our duet is flawless. Ms. Lyndsay feels we can increase the difficulty level and really wow the judges.
When I’m not at dance or school, I soak up every minute I can with Barrick or Daisy. I know it sounds crazy, but that cow stole a piece of my heart. Luckily for me, Barrick understands how important dance is to me and how crazy the schedule is this time of the year. He’s even gone out of his way to pick me up from the studio a few days a week so we can have a conversation without cows mooing in the background. I never thought my life would be like this.
As Jade and I are riding to the studio today, I can tell something is on her mind. “Jade, is everything okay? You look like you have something on your mind,” I say.
She presses her lips together then blurts out, “I got accepted to East Carolina University today.” I feel my stomach drop but quickly recover.
“That’s great! Are you going to go?”
She pauses, then looks my direction. “I don’t know. The dance program at ECU is great, but so is the one at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. What are you going to do next year?” I pause because if she would have asked me this before break, I would have said a company in the city, but now, I have no clue. The only time this has crossed my mind was New Year’s Day, but with Gran’s accident and all the practicing, I haven’t researched any colleges and haven’t talked to any companies in months. Now that I’m here, I’m not sure what I want to do.
“No. I haven’t even thought about it with everything going on. College was never on my agenda, but now that I’m no longer in the city, my chances of getting discovered are slim.”
“Slim? I think not! We’re talking to Ms. Lyndsay. There are plenty of options. Plus, the season is just starting. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of recruiters at Showstopper Regionals and Nationals.”
“Nationals are during the summer. That’s too late, Jade.”
“Good point. Why don’t you apply to ECU and UNCG too? I can see it now, you and me as roomies, kicking everyone’s booty on the dance floor. That would be awesome for us to go there together. We could have matching comforters and everything. I swear I won’t monogram a thing!”
Oh dear Lord, she’s killing me. “Slow down. I’ve probably missed every deadline, and honestly, I don’t know what I want to do.”
“Just promise me you’ll think about it.”
“Maybe,” I say as we arrive at the studio. Ms. Lyndsay is sitting at the front desk when we enter.
“Hey girls!” She looks at us and her smile fades. “What’s going on?” she questions.
Jade looks at me, then back at her. “Cadence hasn’t applied anywhere for next year.”
Ms. Lyndsay takes a look at me, then motions for Jade to get ready for class. Great! I’m about to get a life lesson or an ass chewing.
“Why haven’t you applied to colleges?” she asks, standing and leading me toward her office.
“I didn’t want to go to college. I wanted to dance in the city.”
“What do you mean wanted, Cadence?” she questions as she motions for me to take a seat.
“Since Christmas my life has changed a little. You know that. Now I have no clue what I want to do,” I state.
“I understand that life has changed, but that doesn’t mean that your dreams have. Where’s that girl with attitude? The one that came in here determined to get out? The one that reminds me of myself at your age?”
“Oh, she’s here. I’m definitely getting out. I just don’t know where to go at this point.”
“Cadence, you need to have options. I know there’ll be recruiters at our competitions but apply to the colleges as a backup plan. I’ll do what I can to help, but you have to decide what you want. You can’t sit back and wait. You have to take the initiative. The clock is ticking,” she says as she points to her watch.
“Dancing is all I know. I want whatever I do in the future to revolve around dancing.” At the end of the day, that is all that matters. She stands and tells me to take a seat at her desk. She turns on the desktop, and when the screen appears she tells me to take the next twenty minutes to find the entrance requirements for ECU and UNCG dance programs as well as undergraduate admission. As she leaves me alone, I don’t waste time. This is cutting into my favorite hours of the day. Within ten minutes, I have everything I need. It’s time to dance my ass off.
***
Last week was stressful between checking on Daisy, school and dance practice. All I want right now is for Barrick to calm me down. We only see each other at the barn, and let’s face it, that’s not quality time. He’s offered to pick me up so we can talk, but something has come up at the barn every day. I think Daisy wants him to herself. I’ll have to have a talk with her about stealing my man.
We had an extra practice today to prepare for regionals and by the time it was over, I just wanted to sleep. Barrick came over and we watched TV until I fell asleep.
When I wake up, he’s gone, but I’m covered with a blanket and there is a text on my phone from Barrick letting me know he wished he could have stayed all night. I try to spend time with Mom and Gran on Sundays and attend church with them. It’s not something I’m accustomed to but, apparently, it’s a requirement for the people of Delight. I’ve been going with them since New Year’s and the best part is that I get to sit with Barrick for an hour. Who can resist that? He’s not here this morning and I start to text him, but Gran gives me an evil eye as the choir begins to sing. I quickly set my phone on the pew.
Sitting in morning worship, I try my best to follow along with the preacher. It’s amazing what I’ve learned over the past few months. I’m starting to understand what Gran means by faith and giving everything to Him. As the children leave for Children’s Church, I feel my phone vibrate. Glancing down, it’s a text from Barrick.
Barrick: Want to grab lunch?
Me: Where are you?
Barrick: Back row.
Glancing over my shoulder, I see him sitting in the back row with the ushers.
Me: Hell yes!
I quickly cover my mouth and stifle a giggle, realizing where I am. If looks could kill, I’d be at my funeral. Gran is ready to kill me. Taking a quiet but deep breath, I pull myself together.
As the service comes to a close, I quickly exit to meet Barrick. As I close the distance between us, a smile spreads across his face.
Barrick
As Cadence walks toward me, I’m amazed by her beauty. I saw her every day last week, but only at the barn. She’s always beautiful, but this is the first time I’ve seen her dressed up in a while.
“Hey there,” she says with a smile as her arms embrace me in a hug.
“Hey to you too.”
“So where are we going?” she questions as she steps back and weaves her left hand in mine.
“It’s a surprise,” I say as Ms. Mae and Regina approach.
“Everything okay this morning?” Ms. Mae asks.
“Yes, ma’am. Took me a little longer to get everything finished up this morning. Is it okay if Cadence goes to lunch with me today?”
Ms. Mae looks at Cadence then Regina. “What do you think?”
“That’s fine with me,” Regina approves. Cadence gives them a hug then we walk toward my truck and meet Jade.
She excuses herself to go with Aaron, and as much as I love hanging out with my sister, I’m so glad she’s not with us. I have wanted to take Cadence to the Buckle store at the Hickory mall since she bought Jade those Miss Me Jeans. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when we walk in, but first, we’ve got to eat. I’m trying to decide where to take her when Cadence speaks up.
“I want Mexican.”
“Like official or Taco Bell?” I question.
“Taco Bell is not Mexican! That’s Ameri-Mexican,” she says as she turns up her nose. “But seriously, I could handle an upscale one like Moe’s.”
“Gotcha covered,” I say, knowing there’s one near the mall.
During lunch, I am surprised to see Cadence eat over half of her nachos before even looking up. She finally looks up to see me staring and offers me a bite.
“Oh, did you want a bite?”
“Nah, you look like you are enjoying them.”
“Oh my gosh, all the extra practice for regionals is making me so hungry.”
“Well, I’m happy to see you enjoying yourself.”
“Thanks, Barrick. I really needed this time away.”
“You’re welcome. Now you ready to do some shopping?”
“Always!”
When we enter the mall, she wants to stop at all of these high-end stores, but I tell her we’re stopping at my store first. I really need a new pair of jeans.
Cadence’s eyes grow wide as we walk into the store. She pauses and looks at me as a salesperson walks our way.
“Welcome to Buckle. How can I help you today?”
“I’m looking for a new pair of these,” I say, motioning toward my jeans.
“No problem,” she says as she walks to a table and pulls off a pair in exactly my size. I have no idea how they do that. Cadence still has a shocked look on her face.
“First time here?” the saleswoman asks. “Hold on, I’ll be right back with something for you.” She returns with a pair of black skinny jeans, a sequined top, a jacket, ankle boots and even a necklace. I look at Cadence, who is speechless.
“Thanks,” I tell her as she opens a dressing room for Cadence.
“Wow, I think she might be better than the girls in the New York boutiques. She picked out some great stuff,” Cadence says.
“I just thought they had some sort of fashion superpower,” I say. She laughs and grabs a few more items before going into the dressing room.
I don’t bother trying on my jeans or shirt because I know they will fit. I wait outside the dressing room for Cadence, and when she opens the door, I’m floored. She is smoking hot and the outfit screams Cadence but not the hoity-toity Cadence. I’m amazed by the changes I’m seeing in her and the outfit justcompletes her.
As we walk to the register, I start to take her items, but she shakes her head. “I didn’t find anything for you at home so this is my treat.” I won’t let her pay and when she realizes she’s not winning this battle, she turns to walk away and I have no idea what she’s doing. Once I finish paying, I see her standing there with another pair of jeans and a different shirt. It’s sort of my style, but has a Cadence twist. I shake my head; there’s no winning with her.
After we finish paying, we stop to look at the boots. For kicks, I pick up a pair of awful-looking boots to see what she says. She shakes her head and we laugh for the next ten minutes as I pick pair after pair of ridiculous choices. She stops laughing when she picks up another pair and examines the design.
“You like those?” I ask her.
“They’re okay. I mean, I don’t wear cowboy boots, but the intricate detail and the worn look of the leather is amazing. How do they do that?” she asks.
“I have no clue, but I can tell you that they are a lot more comfortable than you think. You’ll just have to see for yourself one day.” She shakes her shoulders and places them back on the table as we make our way out of the store. Today has been amazing, but I know that come tomorrow morning, I’ll have to share her with the cows, school, and dance.