We watch the rehearsal for a while, until Jeremy says, “Let’s get out of here. We’ve got an afternoon off. What do you want to do?”
Cam’s eyes light up. “Let’s go skateboarding!”
We knock fists. He’s unbelievable on a skateboard. Half my size, Cam is kind of like a rubber ball, flexible and fast. He’s only marking time here at the ballet school. What he really wants is to be an aerial-silk performer in the circus, and dance is kind of like cross-training for him. Jeremy’s different. He comes from a ballet family. Everybody in his family dances, so it’s like his birthright or something.
Me? I don’t have to dance, I just want to. It was a tough sell in my family at first, considering I have two older brothers who are heavy into sports. But Mom’s the law in our house, and she was on my side right from the day I announced I wanted to dance. It’s all her fault anyway, since she was the one who dragged us boys to see The Nutcracker one Christmas. She thought we needed to get cultured. After that, my brothers teased me about being a girl, but it didn’t last long. Turns out that even though I’m the youngest and a “sissy dancer,” I’m the strongest. Now that I can take either one of them, nobody’s laughing. Dancing makes me feel strong. Not Incredible Hulk strong, like my football-star brothers. More like Superman strong, as if I could leap off tall buildings. What could be cooler? And anyway, I’m good at it. Even my brothers get that.
“Skateboarding? Not me,” says Jeremy. “My mom will kill me if I break my ankle.”
Well, he’s right about that. Jeremy’s mom is kind of fierce, like a grown-up Odette. Poor guy. I can’t even imagine it.
“Let’s go downtown and act like real people for a change. Get a coffee. Go to a store or something,” says Charis.
“Oh yeah, shopping. I’m so excited! Let’s go, boys!” I say in a high falsetto voice. “You’re kidding me, right? Waste an afternoon on shopping?”
“Then how about the movies?” Sybille suggests. “I love the movies!”
“Yeah, why not?” agrees Jeremy quickly.
Really? The movies? Then I get it. Jeremy, as usual, is looking like a basset hound as he casts his sad, lovesick eyes Sybille’s way. It’s unbelievable that a girl who so badly wants to be in love can never see the guy right in front of her. The same guy who manhandles her body, touches her in very personal places and sees her half naked day in and day out. I don’t get it, but then, I don’t get Jeremy on this one either. Sybille’s just plain flaky. But a friend’s a friend, so the movies it is. I’ll do a little maneuvering to make sure Jeremy gets to sit next to her. Give them a dark theater, and who knows what might happen? Cam clearly knows what I’m thinking and looks my way, shaking his head. Jer is useless when it comes to women.
“Well, have fun, kiddies,” Odette calls over her shoulder as she sweeps off down the hall. “Charis, I know you and your little friends need to have your playtime.”
Charis responds by staring heavenward as if asking for patience.
We leave the school grounds so seldom it’s almost an adventure to take the bus. It’s crowded, so we have to stand. The swaying of the bus feels interesting. I close my eyes and sway with it, feeling the transfer of weight and the way my core takes over when the bus turns a corner. I pick up the motion in my shoulders, exaggerate it a bit, then…
Charis digs me in the ribs. “Try to act normal,” she hisses.
“Hey!” My eyes snap open. “What about him?” I nod to where Cam is standing, holding on to a pole and humming. Loudly.
“He’s got headphones on—people will think he’s singing to the music. You…you look weird. And you’re tall. You stand out more.”
“Sorry for living,” I drawl.
It’s true that when we’re out in the real world, we dancers look a little odd, especially when we walk. My brothers remind me of this regularly. They call it the duck walk. Dancers tend to walk as if they’re in first position—hips turned out, heels together, toes out. But I don’t think we look like ducks. I prefer to think we’re noticeable because we’re the only people who are standing up straight.
Piling off the bus, we argue about which movie to see, but Cam and I know Jer is going to pick whatever Sybille wants, so we’ll be outnumbered. Whatever. Mavis slows as we pass the popcorn stand, and Johanna and Charis have to grab her by the arms and steer her past the temptation. Popcorn bloats. We shuffle into the theater, and I try, I really do, but in the end, all the maneuvering in the world can’t help Jeremy if he refuses to be helped. He ends up sitting behind, not beside, Sybille.
“Why don’t you just tell her you like her?” I whisper as the lights dim.
“And be shot down?” he replies. “The girls will all gang up on me.”
Unfortunately, he’s right about that. They’re so close, dating one would be like dating them all, which is a really good reason not to date anybody.
On the way home, we get off the bus a couple of stops before the school to check out the skate park. Cam can hardly bear to watch without getting antsy, so in no time he’s negotiated the loan of a board. We’re not his only cheering section. Pretty much everybody stops to watch. He’s that good.
“Thanks, man,” Cam says as he hands back the board. “I needed that.”
“Honestly, what are you doing in ballet school?” I have to ask.
“Apparently, I need to improve my flexibility and body awareness,” he replies with a grin. “At least, that’s what my coach said. Jer’s my model for that. And if I’m going to fly through the air while dangling from an itty-bitty piece of fabric, I have to work on my confidence. That’s what you’re for. So when I’m a circus star, you can say it’s all because of you.”
* * *
Back at school, it’s fish and veggies for dinner in the cafeteria. Mavis gets there first and nails down our table. She waves to show us where she is, and we all settle in with our trays.
“Rumor has it there’s going to be a big announcement tonight at the gala. I bet they’re going to tell us what the next production will be,” says Charis. “I’m taking bets, a dollar a guess. Who’s in?”
“I heard that the artistic director wants to do something modern, maybe even something completely new,” replies Mavis. “No way we can guess that.”
“Your guess can be ‘new and modern.’ You’re in for a dollar. Who else?”
“Something with props,” guesses Cam. “Props are all the rage. Remember the company that danced with crutches and canes and wheelchairs?”
Sybille frowns. “But our company is pretty traditional. Surely they’ll do a story ballet. Maybe Giselle?”
“I guess Sleeping Beauty,” says Johanna.
“Peter Pan.”
“Coppélia.”
It turns out they’re all wrong.