‘When is it? I’ll have to come!’

At school the next day, Laura gave Charlie a hug. She seemed even more excited about the concert than Charlie.

‘But there’s more,’ Charlie said over Laura’s shoulder.

Laura pulled away from the hug to look at her. ‘More?’

‘Kathy was the Dancing Queen …’ Charlie trailed off. Poor Kathy. She must be so disappointed. ‘So we all get to try out for her part.’

‘Oooooo!’ Laura’s eyes were wide. ‘They’ll pick you for sure!’

Charlie laughed and shook her head. ‘I knew you would say that, Laura!’

‘Well, it’s true,’ Laura said, grinning. ‘You keep saying how differently you dance.’

The bell rang and they both picked up their bags.

‘That’s what the dance is about, isn’t it?’ Laura said. ‘Being different?’

Charlie just shrugged.

But for the rest of the day, she kept thinking about the part of the Dancing Queen. Laura’s words had given Charlie an idea.

Maybe being different wasn’t so bad after all.

After school, Charlie was back in the lounge room at home. She put ‘Dancing Queen’ on the CD player on repeat.

Then she stood in the centre of the room, listening and swaying to the music.

But this time, Charlie didn’t worry about Kathy’s solo or her gymnastic flips. She didn’t worry about trying to fit in. She didn’t even worry about what she looked like in the window.

Charlie listened to the sweet voice and shut her eyes. She let the tune and rhythm settle inside.

As she swayed to the music, Charlie thought about everything that had happened to her.

Begging her parents to let her start at the new dancing school.

Hiding from the trendy girls on her first day.

Trying to dance like the others and feeling weak, like a butterfly.

Charlie let it all flow through her — feeling so different, learning so much and now loving how the dance made her feel.

Then Charlie started to dance.

As she moved, all her feelings seemed to flow out through her body.

It was like the words hiding inside were now coming out as she danced. Reaching to the side felt like it was for hope and yearning. Charlie pulled in for sadness, and hid safe in her own arms.

Then she leapt in joy.

The soft flow of an arm movement felt like a peaceful dream. Charlie leant back, feeling shy, and then exploded out, just because she was alive.

Slowly, section by section, Charlie felt her way through her new dance. Each time she went through it, she re-lived everything through her body. It was like dancing in her own, private world.

When she was finished, Charlie felt clear and calm. She felt happy.

And feeling the way she did, Charlie stopped worrying about being picked to be the Dancing Queen. Right now, she felt too good to worry about that.

The story of the Dancing Queen became Charlie’s story about being different, and fitting in. After being so shy and scared, Charlie felt like she had finally found her voice.