Chapter 6
The next afternoon, Marissa didn’t bother going to the ballet studio for class.
They’ll just be practicing for the recital, she thought. There’s no point in going to class. I’ll just go home.
She left school before Rachel could catch up with her. She didn’t even want to talk to her best friend. She knew it might hurt Rachel’s feelings, but she just wanted to get home.
At home, Marissa went straight to her room and closed the door. She lay on her bed and mashed her face into her pillow. She tried not to think of everyone else at ballet practice, dancing and having a good time without her.
The phone next to her bed rang. Marissa picked it up. It was Rachel.
“Marissa!” Rachel almost screamed. “You have to get to the studio right now!”
Marissa sat up. “Why?” she asked. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t say anything more,” Rachel said. “Just get down here right away.” She hung up.
Marissa leapt off her bed and grabbed her dance bag. She pounded down the stairs and ran out the front door.
She jogged all the way to the studio. Why is Rachel so excited? she wondered. Why do I have to get there right away?
After five minutes, Marissa was at the studio. She peeked into the practice room. All of the dancers were gathered around a sheet of paper tacked to the bulletin board at one end of the room.
Rachel pushed her way through the group. She grabbed Marissa by the hand and dragged her over to the bulletin board.
“Look at this!” Rachel said. She pointed at the paper. Marissa leaned closer and peered at it. It was a list of the dancers and their parts for the recital.
The first name on the list was Marissa’s. Next to it was written “Rose Fairy.”