"Oh, I didn't order this"
"It's from that guy over there"
☕☕☕
One blueberry milkshake, a stranger sitting next to her, a cheerful waitress. The play begins.
Wott, the coffee shop close to Avery's school, is the stage for the act she plays, again and...
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I dreamt of a show.
I was right in the middle of a stage, all eyes on me. I was blinded by the lights, but I could see a crowd of shadowy people sitting in front of me, rows and rows of people, every single one of them cheering me on.
The skintight blue suit I wore was just like the ones I saw gymnasts wear on TV, some from the Olympics, others from smaller competitions. My hair was pushed back in a tight bun on the back of my head.
Then the music started.
Unaware of my body, I started dancing. I had no control over my arms and legs as they spun around and took me to the front and back again. It was contemporary, that much I knew, but the choreography was a mystery to me, even if I performed flawlessly.
My heart beat faster and faster as the music grew louder. I was the centre of attention, a feather being blown by the wind in their eyes. Weightless.
I could hear the voice of my former teacher in my eardrums telling me to do better and better.
All seemed so distant now... I should be over five back then. It all started with ballet, soon moved on to contemporary and all similar styles. Dancing with a partner never worked for me. The idea of depending on someone always bothered me, so I refused to try. I was eight when I watched Step Up for the first time. Andy had me mesmerised, so I learned to breakdance and anything that looked like it. All my life, I wanted to be a street dancer, just like her.
The music ended. I stopped in the middle of the stage and bowed artistically. The crowd went wild, some yelling and whistling.
My parents were in the front, holding hands, smiles plastered on their faces. They looked proud.
The front row was also occupied by Courtney, Chris, Jade, and Reed. They were all cheering for me.
My heart was throbbing in my chest. I was so happy.
I was about to get down and hug my parents when the most horrifying sound made it all blur away, melting into my conscience and turning black.
Someone was shaking me.
I opened one eye and saw the commotion in the dark. I stuffed my head into the pillow again, but whoever was trying to wake me up was persistent.
My head now facing the ceiling, I turned around and looked at Jade. "What?" I snapped.
"Calm down. We're going now. Care to join us?" she asked as she placed a towel over her shoulder.
I sat up and took in the disorder of girls, grabbing things and lights being turned on. We were not supposed to draw any attention, so everything was done as silently as possible and in the dim lights. Only the corridors lamps remained on at these late hours and they were close enough to the washrooms to be confused together, so it was safe to change into our swimsuits in its safety.
