The Call to Rise

Dancing to the Beat Of My Own Drum Part 2: The Weekend Whip

Uuuuuuugh, this chapter did NOT want to get written. But, I did it. I managed to finish writing it. It's almost 6,500 words long, but I did it. Yay~ *flops onto a nearby couch* I'm so tired...

But hey, look on the bright side. Just a few days ago, this story turned one year old. *blows a noisemaker* Couldn't have gotten this far without all of you guys. :)

Alright, enough outta me. On with the story!

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As expected, Cole's words brought on a surge of protests.

"You don't suck at dancing Cole!" Jay exclaimed. "You're an amazing dancer!"

"Did someone tell you that you sucked at dancing?" Kai demanded, eyes flashing red. "And if so, who are they and where can I set their butt on fire?"

"Guys, stop, STOP." Cole commanded, holding his hands up. When everyone had fallen silent, he sighed and softly said, "While I appreciate all of you guys saying that, the dancing that you see me doing...isn't real dancing. At least, not in my dad's world."

The black ninja huffed angrily, crossing his arms. "My dad's group does all kinds of dancing. Salsa, waltz, cha-cha, swing, tap, jazz. More classical kind of dancing. The dancing that I do, it's not like that. It's like a mix of hip-hop, mixed martial arts, breakdancing, and parkour. It's more modern. My dad wants me to do the kind of dancing he does. But..." he huffed again. "I can't do it. I spent a good portion of my life at the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts trying to do the dances that my dad wants me to do, but I couldn't do any of them. I tripped over my own two feet more times than I care to count. My teachers hated me, I was bullied everyday, and I couldn't catch a break. The minute I got home, my dad forced me to take lessons from him, which led to more failures." Cole sighed. "Then, there was this accident while I was walking home. A bus had turned over and I had to use my powers to save the people trapped. My dad...wasn't happy. We fought, things changed to me learning to dance so that way I would one day be a Royal Blacksmith, I told him I hated dancing the way he danced, I showed him the way that I danced, and he..." Cole sniffed, and his teammates abruptly realized that Cole was on the verge of tears. "He told me that my dancing wasn't proper dancing. He said...he said that I could never dance like that ever again. I got pissed, told him that he was being unfair, he told me to go to my room, and I...I told him I hated him." Cole sank to his knees, burying his face in his hands."I-I packed up my stuff and wrote him an apology letter a few hours later. Then...then I left..."

"Awww, Cole," Jay whimpered, kneeling down and hugging his friend. "I-I'm so sorry."

"That stinks, Cole," Kai added, a look of sympathy and slight fury crossing over his face. His amber eyes had a red undertone to them. "That honestly, truly sucks. I-I just can't believe--why would your father say that?! You obviously love dancing the way you dance, why would he not let you dance like that?!"

Cole shrugged helplessly. "That's just the way he is. Nothing will stop him from thinking that I'm a dancer like he is. Believe me, I've tried to change his mind for years. No luck."

Zane shook his head sadly. "No wonder you left," he said softly, kneeling on Cole's other side and gently squeezing his shoulder. "I am truly sorry, brother."

Cole sighed and looked up, wiping at his eyes. "It's-It's okay, guys," he whispered hoarsely, hugging his knees close to him. "I just...I just wish that my dad would accept me for being...me. I'm not this carbon copy of him; my name is not Lou Brookstone. I'm Cole Brookstone. I don't have to be exactly like him."

Cole abruptly stood up, startling everyone. "Well," he said with false cheer, dusting himself off. "There's no use dwelling on it now. We've got more pressing matters to attend to. I think I've figured out why those thugs are raiding jewelry stores."