BROWN SKIN | BOOK 1

|| C H A P T E R . 1 ||

"1...2...3...4...5, 6, 7 , 8!"

That feeling in my system that has no other greater feeling...

"Roll and pop! Hit! Hey!"

Where I am able to move to a piece of music and let the rest of the world disappear...

"Boom! Boom! Ka! Ka, boom, ka! Stay on it. That's your beat!"

It's that feeling when your heart pounds in your chest, the divine bliss moment to guide your feet, arms and legs as they catch each step along the way...

"Get their faces! Get in their faces! Be intimidating! You're. Losing. Your. Facials!

To dance is more than just being yourself and expressing it. It's also being out of yourself.

"Keep up the energy! You look tired!

Dance always completed me and is just my other outer world to escape.

"Stop, stop, stop, cut the music."

The desk assistant who sat cross-legged in the studio chair near the black stereo jumped, startled, by her quick outburst and quickly hit pause. The speakers followed immediately, cutting off the music from each corner of the room. I would be like that too if Ms. Ava was displeased and disappointed with our performance flashing out an outrageous manner.

Each of us caught our breaths, relieved that the music has finally stopped temporarily. I pushed the flying little hairs that stuck out from my coarse disheveled bun and the collected sweat from my forehead away with my fingertips. Exhaustion exhaled passed my lips as I still heard the thumping of the song and counts pulsating in my ears.

Whirling my head around sure enough, one of the dancers hurt an ankle. Her heel lifted off the wooden floor from support, pretending she was fine.

She knows she's hurt and could potentially get kick off the company if the director finds out.

Ms. Ava had an imperious way about her as a dance instructor and director. She was very direct and demanding, her satisfaction level equaled perfect in her terms which we were not. She stalked across the wooden dance floor in wedges, vigilant with each step like she was on the runaway and each foot that lead struck a state of purpose as her heels clicking the boards over the silence. She stopped in the middle of the floor, having everyone's attention dawned on her as she scoped out all of us.

Her eyes scanned the room like a snake ready to attack innocent prey, even though fear was screaming inside our bodies. We remained calm, exhaling through our noses so we wouldn't sound like dying fish gasping for air, referring to how out of shape we were.

"That," Ms. Ava put the last heel down and crossed her lean arms, "Looked like a hot shitty mess."

Disappointment washed over me because I knew I put everything in a really good routine, but when one person is crumbling, all of us has to crumble with them. Sadly the majority of us has to be lectured.

"Ashley."

The red-head with long legs and a perky attitude stood to the corner in the front row and held her hands behind her back trying to look innocent.

"Yes?" she hummed.

"Stop with the one and one individual thing, okay? You are working as a team." Ms. Ava fanned out her hand to the group of dancers in the room. "This is not a fucking solo. If you wanted a solo, you should've asked for one and paid for it so stop wasting my time or I'll move you to the back. Then next time I'll kick you out."

Ashley nodded her head, her legs trembled underneath her knowing Ms. Ava had that type of authority to do as she pleases with no refunds intended once you walk out that door.