Chasing you | ✓

Chapter 18 - Competition

When I got to my late morning class on Monday I was confused to see so many people in the studio. The room was packed and it looked like half of the campus was in there. I had no idea what was going on.

Somehow I managed to track down Dani in the chaos of chatter. She was standing and talking to Paula. 

"Hey, what's going on?"

Dani shrugged. "I have no idea, they're about to announce it."

Right when she had spoken, I noticed that there were four teachers standing at the front of the classroom. One of them was Ms. Callahan, our ballet teacher, who blew a whistle that she had around her neck.

"Everybody!" a male teacher standing next to Ms. Callahan called out. "If we could get your attention!"

The chatter in the room died down.

"I guess you're wondering what you're all doing here," the man said. "As you may know, the dance section here at Wattford University works closely with Los Angeles Dance Company, LADC. We have just been informed that they are extending their summer internship program next year to include two freshmen dancers into their assembly. As you may understand, getting picked as a freshman to be part of a major dance company for a summer is a huge opportunity for your future careers. But only two of you will be able to get this opportunity. That's why we are opening up a competition."

"But because this is still school where you are to learn," Ms. Callahan continued, "your performance in the competition will also count toward your grades."

"For those of you who don't know me," the male teacher said, "I am Mr. Black and I teach street and hip hop to all levels. With me here today are Ms. Callahan from ballet and modern, Ms. Nuñez from contemporary and Ms. Cooper from jazz and lyrical."

"The reason all freshman classes are here today," Ms. Callahan said, "is because the theme for the competition is Fusion. We have paired up students from different dance programs to get to know each other's dance styles and create a two minute choreography using both styles!"

"The pairs," Mr. Black finished, "will perform the dance to us teachers at the end of the semester. The performance will qualify for eighty percent of your final grade! And the top five pairs will get to audition for LADC in February!"

Once the teachers finished their presentation, everyone started clapping and cheering. I was one of them. I had been following LADC on YouTube for as long as I could remember, being amazed at all their performances. LADC was what had made me believe that my dreams of becoming a professional dancer could come true one day.

Without thinking too much about what it meant, I knew I had to win one of those audition slots.

As the teachers called out the names of the pairs, a process that was bound to take forever, I finally realized what the teachers had said. Fusion. I wouldn't be dancing with another ballet major, I'd be dancing with someone of a completely different style.

Oh god. What if I was paired with someone who breakdanced or something? How the heck was that supposed to mix? I really hoped I would get someone who did contemporary. I could already see how that could work well. I majored in ballet and minored in modern so I wasn't sure if I could be paired up with someone who did modern. But contemporary would've been a good fit.

"Jessica Wyse, Jazz and Holly Ashford, Modern!" 

The teachers kept calling out the pairs from their lists.

"Jack Wyler, Street and Alice Bailey, Ballet!"

I stared at the teacher who had just called out my name. You have got to be kidding me.

Not only was I paired up with a street dance major (ew) but also Jack? There had to be some sort of cosmic injustice at play. This could not be happening.

When I spotted Jack across the room, he seemed to be looking around in confusion. I quickly  approached him while the teachers kept calling out names.

"Just so you know," I said, startling him, "I will be asking to change partners."

The look of confusion lasted on his face for a moment before realization hit and his eyes widened.

"You're Alice?"

I groaned. "Shut up, no one calls me that."

Jack smirked. "I see. So... how come you wanna change partners, Alice?"

I had to ball my hands into fists in order to not slap him.

"Before anyone says anything," Ms. Callahan called out when they were done, "the answer is no—you may not request to switch partners. We will not consider it unless you can show that your partner is severely unwilling to cooperate."

Now I wanted to slap myself in the face. This was just my darn luck.

With a clenched jaw, I turned back to Jack. He still had the stupid smirk on his face.

"If you mess this up for me," I warned him, "I will end you."

His smile finally faded.

"Likewise. Although, you kind of already have. Ballet?" He shook his head. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Says the guy who dances street".

"Street and modern," he said proudly.

"At least the teachers did us a favor there. I do ballet and modern."

Jack nodded slowly.

"Good. Then we can find common ground." He offered his hand to me. "Right?"

Looking at him, I couldn't stop thinking about our kiss and his rejection afterward. Did he think about it too? His steely eyes locked on mine didn't give me any indication. All they did was make my breath hitch in my chest.

I sighed, shaking his hand. "Right."

~ ~ ~

~A/N~

So excited to share this chapter with you guys! There's going to be more dancing included in the upcoming chapters, which I think will be a lot of fun. After all, they're at college to dance!

Do you think Jack and Allie will manage to work together or will they claw each other's eyes out? SPOILER... there will be a wild card thrown into the mix to complicated things further hehe ;)

Stay tuned, and remember - a vote a day keeps the writer's block away! Love reading your comments and so grateful for your support always <3