Free Black Sheep by Tabatha Vargo Page A

was freezing and exhausted. And as soon as I got to my room, I crashed and slept through the rest of the afternoon and night.
     

     
    THE WINTER PRODUCTION was kind of a kickoff to the winter holidays. It wasn’t a big production. Instead, it was a small performance by the first-year students for families, faculty, and students only. Somehow, I’d managed to get the lead.
    Russell practiced with me every chance we got, which meant a lot of touching on his part since there were several lifts involved. He didn’t seem to mind, and I surely appreciated his help. I’d been working on the choreography for weeks, but somehow, going through the motions with Russell made the performance seem easier.
    I was excited to be on the stage and to see my family again. After the performance, everyone was supposed to leave with their families for winter recess, which I was even more excited about. My schedule was intense, and taking a break was exactly what I needed—that, and some time with my family.
    Being away was getting easier, and New York was slowly starting to feel normal to me, but I still missed my parents like crazy. I missed their guidance and security. It was hard making decisions about things without my dad’s opinion. Many times, I’d text or call just to get his input.
    My dad always answered whether he was at work or at home, and I loved that about him. I wasn’t sure what I’d do without my parents. It had only been a few weeks since I’d last seen them, but it felt like a lifetime.
    If it hadn’t been for Russell occupying my time over the last couple of weeks, I probably would’ve been more homesick than I was. Especially on the nights when all my work was done and all I had to do was sit in the common area of the residential hall and watch re-runs.
    I hadn’t made many friends other than Russell and a few girls from my classes, and while most students went out and took New York by storm, I usually stayed around the residential hall and read a book or watched TV.
    Before long, it was performance night. I didn’t usually get nervous before a show. I’d been dancing since I could walk, and being on the stage was one of my favorite places in the world. But once I found out Tyson was coming to New York with Mom, Dad, and Brian, the nerves surfaced and never went away.
    I didn’t see them before the performance. At first, I looked for them in the crowd while I danced, but I never found them among the many faces. After a while, I kept my eyes pinned on Russell in the front row—his big smile kept me calm and forced me to keep a smile on my own lips.
    The choreography wasn’t too difficult, at least not for me, but I went through it like a professional. I tried not to overthink each step, since Russell said that slowed me down. The strangest part was that even though I couldn’t see him in the blurred faces of the crowd, I could feel Tyson’s eyes all over me.
    The set was an hour long, and I was in about ninety percent of the production. By the time the show was over and we were bowing out and the curtain was dropping, I was exhausted and amped up at the same time. My blood was pumping through my veins, giving me the high that I’d always loved after a show.
    Backstage was chaos—the students running around in excitement from their first official performance and the instructors critiquing each person as they passed. Muscles were being stretched to relieve tension, and laughter filled the space. I loved the ride and excitement after a performance almost as much as I loved dancing.
    I used a towel to wipe away the sweat from my skin and peeled the white and ice blue costume from my body. After I had undressed, I put on my regular clothes and washed away the wintery makeup from my face. I smiled as I passed other students, and thanked those who praised my performance as I made my way from the backstage area and prepared to greet my family.
    As soon as I stepped into the auditorium seating area, Russell