Irish Dance Camp

Chapter 15

I helped Julie look through her bag, and there was definitely nothing there, which seemed strange since she claimed to have made sure her shoes were there this morning.
What if it was the same person that's been doing all the bad stuff to me? I quickly pushed the thought aside.
"They're probably just in your dorm room or something. Don't worry about it." I said hopefully. "Just wear your sneakers for now." I felt so bad for her!
Julie nodded sadly and stood up with her hot pink sneakers on and we all started with doing sets one at a time. Taylor walked up to me and I groaned.
"Number 40, I forgot to tell you that your fall this morning was hilarious! I can't wait to see you do that at nationals!" I rolled my eyes and Taylor sashayed off happily.
Claire came over to me next. "Hey Ciara, you look upset. What's wrong?"
Make something up! I thought to myself.
"Nothing, I'm just, um, nervous, about nationals." I mumbled.
"Don't be! I'm sure you'll be amazing!" Claire grinned and then sat down next to me in a butterfly stretch. "I, on the other hand, have something to worry about...."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I really want to come in the top seven, I came eighth last year, but I'm worried I set expectations way too high for myself."
"Yeah, I know the feeling..." I said. Niamh called me up to do my set. I stood up and walked to the front of room, but I didn't feel the same buzz when Vanishing Lake came on. I knew I didn't dance my best, I was holding back the whole time. The person trying to sabotage me had officially affected the way I was dancing.
When I finished, Niamh called me over.
"Ciara, that wasn't your best. Are you alright?" I nodded and then apologized.
"Mrs. Palinsky told all the instructors what's been going on. I don't want you to hold yourself back because you are scared. We are going to keep you safe. I promise." She said.
I wondered how she could promise everything was going to be alright when the person had already managed to nearly break my foot before anyone had noticed.
I sighed and walked back to the other side of the room. Eventually, class was over and we had to head out.
The whole day went by in a blur. When we got back to our dorms at the end of the day, Julie went straight to the camp office to tell them about her lost shoes, which weren't in her own dorm. The camp director and some of the volunteers came upstairs to help her look. Most of group six was practically tearing Julie's room apart searching, while the volunteers were going through the other camper's rooms.
Quite suddenly, the camp director came to Julie's dorm.
"Can I have Julie O'Conner and Ciara Sullivan in the camp office please? This is very important." She then left the room.
Julie and I looked at each other nervously and then we stood up and went down to the office.
Mrs.Palinsky and the assistant director were waiting for us. This must be something serious... I thought.
"The good news is, we found your shoes." Mrs. Palinsky said, holding them up.
"Oh my goodness, thank you so much!" Julie cried.
"Ciara, do you have any idea where we found them?" Mrs. Palinsky asked. Why would she be asking me?
"Um, well I was thinking that maybe it was the same person who was, you know, doing all that stuff to me."
"We actually found the shoes under your bed, Ciara."