Free Dancing for the Lord: The Academy by Emily Goodman

demanded. 
    “Ah, that we should.”  Logan winked.  “But Mlle Kirby was called away to the phone, and we were dismissed early today.  Thanks to that, we have no choice but to practice on our own—and Josh, here, is having the worst time with part of this sequence.”
    “And you think I can help you with that?”  She was frankly skeptical. 
    “I think you’re better equipped for it than I am.  Look.”  Quickly, Logan outlined the steps he wanted her to do—nothing so complicated, really, but difficult enough that Josh was having trouble absorbing them.  Actually, it was similar to what she had danced in The Nutcracker a couple of years ago—part of the duet between Clara and her prince. 
    “And you can’t practice this with your partner because?”
    Josh sighed; and now he was the one who was being overly dramatic as he dropped to one knee, pleading.  “You don’t understand, Danni,” he told her pathetically.  “If I admit to Allie that I’m having this kind of trouble, she’ll never let me live it down.  She’s vindictive, you see.  Before the day was over, everyone in the Academy would know.  So I beg of you, please, please, won’t you help me?”
    Danni sighed.  They’d already used up five minutes whining at her.  Fifteen minutes—what could it hurt?  “All right,” she said grudgingly.  “But I’m still not sure what help I’ll be.” 
    Fifteen minutes.  It was no time at all to learn a complicated dance; but with Logan calling the steps, Danni discovered that, as always, her feet took over and her mind completely let go of all the worries of the mundane world.  She just danced, and gave herself over to it. 
    If she had stopped to critique, she would have realized immediately that Josh wasn’t half the partner Michael was—and there was a great deal lost due to the fact that they had never danced with one another before, not to mention the simple reality that there was no music.  Still, Logan kept fairly good time with the simple use of a heavy foot on the floor; and before she knew it, they were simply dancing—no, practically flying. 
    He lowered her to the ground, and she gasped, breathless with the exhilaration of it.  Dancing with a partner…there was nothing like it.  She had forgotten how much she hated to be alone out there, never touching anyone else, never going through that simple exchange of cues that told her when she was supposed to shift her weight a certain way. 
    “Bravo.”  Applause from the door startled her, and she spun, staring, as Mlle Kirby moved toward them.  “ Much better, Josh.  I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it to The Nutcracker, the way things were going.”
    Josh blushed a brilliant shade of red. 
    “Now, you’re still going to need some practice,” Mlle Kirby cautioned him.  “And I do want you and Allie to take to the practice rooms for a few hours—though you do realize that you’re going to have to accept a new partner for the performance, don’t you?”
    Josh frowned. 
    She sighed.  “She didn’t tell you,” she guessed.
    The frown deepened.  “Tell me what?” he demanded. 
    “Josh…Allie’s been selected as Clara,” Mlle Kirby said quietly.
    He muttered something under his breath that wasn’t entirely polite.  Danni stepped away from him, disapproving. 
    “Well, at least you have warning now.”  Mlle Kirby ignored his muttering—prudent, Danni thought, since it apparently went on a lot around here.  “Now, boys, I have a class in this room shortly, so if you don’t mind….”  She gestured them to do the door.
    Danni turned, intending to gather her things and change from her pointe shoes to her slippers, but a gesture from Mlle Kirby stopped her. 
    “I want you in the pairs class that meets just before this,” she said flatly.
    Danni stared at her.  “But—but juniors never get to do pairs class.  I mean, not junior girls.”
    “There are exceptions,” Mlle