Causing The Unknown To Be Known

Chapter 6

My team and I hurry past the clump of fans waving their hands frantically in the air as we enter the hotel. Our dressing room was on the second floor. As I lug my large suitcase up the steps, my mother holding the other one, my nerves kick in. No. Karate chop in. A bead of sweat drips down my face as I make my way up to the top of the staircase. Not because of my suitcase. It was because if my ankle. Keep it together, Nia, I tell myself. Today was the big day! I have been waiting for this chance for years. Waiting for the opportunity to show Gianna and Abby that I am no nineteenth place dancer wannabe. My friends and I quickly settle down in the black plastic chairs that are set out in the room, makeup tables with lights planted right in front. I slip open my makeup bag to reveal a black tube of eyeliner. Just as I am slipping a coat of black substance across my eyelid, I spot Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee rehearsing their duet in the corner. I take a deep breath and continue with my hair and makeup. I was NOT going to let those two ruin my chances of winning my crown today. Before long, I am doing exactly what Maddie and Kendall were doing. Rehearsing. And rehearsing. And rehearsing. A throb of pain shot through my damaged ankle just as I got up from my ending pose on the floor. It was so bad I fell back over to my knees. The pain was excruciating and began swimming upwards through my leg. Luckily nobody saw little Nia in the corner of the room. One benefit of being the unknown. The wooden door of the small, stuffy room creaked open and in came a tall, brunette haired lady holding a clipboard in her hand. She pulled her glasses from her head and onto her face before scrutinising the sheet attached to the board. "Miss...Nia Frazier for a solo in the junior solo division?" I glance at everybody else in the room before hobbling over to my mother and embracing her in a warm hug. "Good luck, honey," she coos. I pull her in tighter before releasing and following the lady out of the room. It is happening. I am on my way to perform at In10sity Dance National Competition 2015, and I was going to kill it. I remember the distant chimes of my friends' voices before I left the dressing room. Everyone was wishing me the best of luck. Suddenly, I don't feel worried or anxious anymore. I was just going to have fun. And win.
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I sign in backstage and wait for my number to be summoned to the stage. "Please welcome Nia Frazier performing One Star!" I remember back to when I was told by Abby in private that I was getting a solo. Before she walked out. I was so happy and I still am. I am going to make her proud. I slowly step out on stage and take my starting place. The music begins playing and I start to perform my long awaited solo. They say that dancing is dreaming with your feet. I say that they call it dancing, we call it breathing. My solo was going well, but just as I approached the Russian Switch Leap in the choreography, the throb of familiar pain returned to my injured body part. I couldn't stop now! I was on stage! I continue to dance through the pain. When I pushed the ground away and formed a large leap, I heard a massive thud, almost as if someone had fallen down. Then the inky blackness also returned.