Dance Team

“O

kay, cut! Get some water!”

Whew. I had never been so grateful for a water break.

We'd been rehearsing nonstop for nearly an hour, and I was drenched in sweat. Camilla was a great dance team captain, but she didn't go easy on anyone. If she hadn't driven herself even harder than she drove the rest of us, I don't think we'd have been able to stand her.

Maybe I just felt so overworked because I was so new. New to the dance team and new to Southside High. Until the summer before freshman year, my family had lived in the Northside High School district. I always assumed I'd go to Northside with my middle school friends. But my dad switched jobs that spring, and my parents decided it made sense to move closer to his new office. We'd be closer to my grandparents that way too, and my aunt and uncle, which made my mom happy.

I had been shocked.
How can Mom and Dad do this to me?
I wondered.
Who wants to move between middle school and high school?

I argued as hard as I could, but in the end parents have the final say. And life wasn't all bad after that. For one thing, our new house was a lot nicer than our old one. I liked being close to my Gran and Gramps and cousins. And I was lucky enough to make a new friend my very first day.

Olivia lived three houses down from our new place, in a big, pretty home on the corner. She and her mom came over with lemonade and a cooler of sandwiches on the day we moved—the hottest day in the middle of the longest heat wave of the summer—and Olivia instantly made me feel welcome.

“I'm so glad you're a girl,” she said.

I almost snorted lemonade out my nose. What else would I be?

Olivia laughed. “I mean, I'm glad you're a girl my age, so we can be friends. There's nothing but boys on this block. Little boys, not even high school guys. I haven't had a girlfriend within walking distance since, well, forever.”

I could appreciate how Olivia felt. Back home on the north side, my best friend had lived right next door.

Later that afternoon, Olivia helped me unpack my room. That's when she saw all my dance stuff.

“You're a dancer!” she said. “So am I! Oh, this is perfect. I want to try out for Southside's dance team this fall, but I'm too scared to do it by myself. Freshmen hardly ever make the team. Now you can audition with me!”

And that's exactly what happened.

When Olivia found out I'd taken tap and jazz since I was little, she didn't let up. She actually didn't have to work too hard—I'd always wanted to try out for the Northside dance team, but the competition was super tough at my old school. Southside's dance team was newer, and I had a better shot at making it. Plus, Olivia convinced me that joining dance team would be the perfect way to meet other Southside kids.

No one was more surprised than I was when I actually made the team. Olivia made it too. The two of us supported each other through the fall and winter, and then there we were. Halfway into spring term, with regionals less than a month away.

I chugged some water and slid down to the gym floor. Olivia collapsed next to me.

“Camilla's brutal today,” Olivia said. “Look—my legs are actually twitching!”

“I know,” I agreed. “But we're getting better. Aren't we?”

Even though this was just my first year on dance team, I thought we looked pretty good.

Apparently Camilla didn't agree. “Listen up, everyone!” she called in a sharp voice. I swear she wasn't even breathing hard. “Regionals are in less than a month, and frankly, we're not ready. Northside's won the last three years, and I'm damned if they're going to walk away with that trophy again this time. This is
our
year!”

Then Camilla got specific. Painfully specific. “Ana, your air splits are sloppy—clean them up. Berit, your switch leaps are getting better, but they're still not good enough to win us that trophy. Cate, you're half a beat off when we go into the second V-formation. Trez, fantastic jazz layout!”

Camilla paused, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I was off the hook this practice.

But no. Camilla looked straight at me and shook her head. “Izzy, I don't know where you learned to do triple pirouettes, but they're pathetic. I took a chance by bringing you on as a freshman, but I'll tell you one thing right now. I'm not taking you to regionals with those pirouettes!”

My cheeks burned. I'd always had trouble with triple pirouettes, but surely they weren't that bad?

Olivia patted my shoulder as Camilla went on to point out the weaknesses of other team members. “Don't worry,” she whispered. “Pirouette turns are hard. We'll practice together. You'll be fine!”

I felt a rush of gratitude. Olivia's the only other freshman on the dance team, and we stick together. She's a much better dancer than I am, but she never holds it over me or makes me feel bad. She's a good friend inside and outside of dance team.

I turned my attention back to what Camilla was saying. “Okay, one last thing. I don't think our regular after-school practices are going to be enough. From now on, I'm adding before-school practices on Mondays and Wednesdays to help you guys shape up. Be here at 6:45
A.M.
sharp!”

Groans echoed all around. Camilla ignored them. “See you tomorrow morning!” she said sweetly as she headed to the gym door. “Bye!”