Chapter FOUR
Over the next week or so, Olivia gradually settled into the school’s routine. At first, she found two dance classes a day a real challenge. But the exercises designed to strengthen her feet and ankles, which Miss Frances gave her, helped a lot.
Olivia sat near Tamsin during normal school classes and at lunchtimes. Miss Frances often chose them to partner each other. As the tallest girls in the class, they danced together well. Olivia was starting to enjoy herself much more now that she and Tamsin were becoming good friends.
But as Tamsin wasn’t living at Yew Lodge, she went home before dinner every night. Olivia would have missed her a lot more if she hadn’t had Flame. She wished like crazy that she could tell Tamsin about the magic kitten, but a promise was a promise.
A week of wet weather kept Olivia and Flame indoors in the evenings. As she didn’t like watching TV or playing computer games, Olivia began going to the studio for another practice session. With Flame beside her, she worked harder at her dancing than she had ever done before.
“I will help you, Olivia,” Flame said one evening, raising a tiny paw.
A cloud of sparks shot towards Olivia, who was working on her leg extensions. Suddenly her outstretched leg shot straight up in front of her and almost banged into her nose.
“Flame!” she said reprovingly, trying not to giggle. “Stop that! I have to do this by myself!”
“I am sorry,” Flame purred, looking crestfallen. “I did not mean to interfere.”
“That’s okay. I know you meant well,” she said, picking him up and giving him a cuddle. “Come on. I’m finished for tonight, anyway.”
On her way up to the dorm, she passed Lucy and Mariko who ignored her as they usually did now—which was fine with Olivia.
“I think you really taught Lucy a lesson,” she said to Flame later, as he curled up beside her on the duvet.
Flame blinked at her. “Maybe, but I would not be too sure of that,” he purred sleepily.
At the end of class the following day, Tamsin joined Olivia as they filed out of the studio. “Miss Frances is really happy with you,” she told her.
Olivia blinked at her. “How can you tell? She hardly says anything to me.”
Tamsin grinned. “I know the signs,” she said. “She watches you when you’re not looking and I even caught her smiling once!”
“Really?” Olivia felt a glow of pride. Maybe all her extra hard work was starting to pay off. She looked down at her feet where Flame was padding alongside her, invisible to everyone else, and smiled as she thought about how much fun she was having at ballet school now.
Miss Frances raised her voice. “Olivia! After you get changed, I want you to come to the shoe department with me.”
Olivia’s heart beat fast. This could only mean one thing. She was going to get her very first pair of pointe shoes!
“I knew it! Congratulations!” Tamsin said, giving her a hug back in the changing rooms. “I got my pointe shoes last year. I remember feeling like a real dancer for the first time!”
Olivia waited until everyone had left and then lifted Flame into her school bag. “Let’s go and find Miss Frances. This is so exciting!” she whispered to him.
Flame was fascinated by the shoe department. He jumped up on to the counters and sniffed at the rows of shoes, which were being dyed to match some brightly colored costumes.
Miss Frances supervised while Olivia’s feet were measured. Then came the wonderful moment when a cardboard shoebox was lifted down from a shelf. Olivia’s heart beat fast as she held the box in her hand. She opened it slowly and took out the beautiful, pale peach, satin shoes, with their printed gold labels and blunt tips.
“You have done very well. It’s a special time for a young dancer when she gets her first pair of pointe shoes. Enjoy this moment, Olivia,” Miss Frances said, smiling.
“Thank you. I will,” Olivia said, her eyes pricking with tears of pride and happiness.
After checking them for the correct fit, Olivia was allowed to take her new shoes away. She sat on her bed in the dorm to sew ribbons into them. Flame sat nearby on the window sill, watching her with pricked ears.
Olivia finished sewing and held up a shoe. “Isn’t it the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen?” she said admiringly.
Flame leaped on to the bed. He tapped the hard, satin-covered tips with a tiny paw, his bright emerald eyes looking puzzled. “Why do they make you strap these on to your feet? Is it a punishment?”
Olivia laughed and lifted him into her lap. “No! They let us dance on the very tips of our toes, en pointe, and make us look light and delicate.”
“Humans do some very odd things!” Flame lifted a blue-gray paw and flexed his sharp, little claws. “I would never cover my paws!”
“I think that’s very sensible!” Olivia said, grinning to herself as a cute picture of Flame wearing tiny ballet shoes filled her head!
The following day, when she wore her new shoes in class and began simple exercises at the barre, Olivia felt very grown-up. It would be a long time before she could dance en pointefor any length of time, but this was definitely a major step toward her dream of becoming a ballerina!
