Free Step Up and Dance by Thalia Kalipsakis

gulp, but I didn’t turn away.
    Jay stood – slow and stiff as if he had been sitting for a while – and started clapping with a big goofy grin on his face.
    Great. He must have been watching all lunchtime.
    I ignored the beetrooty feel in my cheeks and did a gracious curtsey. (Ball in the boob? Clumsy tripping and dribbling? All that had just been for a laugh.)
    â€˜I knew you’d have a go, Saph,’ Jay said. Still grinning.
    â€˜Yeah?’ I put my hand on my waist and pushed a hip out. ‘You didn’t think I’d fake my way out of it?’
    â€˜You can be real when you want to be, Saph. That’s why it’s so annoying when you get sucked in by all the other stuff.’
    I could feel the beetroot deepening so I rushed on. ‘Well, it’s your turn now. I can lend you the pompoms but you’ll have to find your own tights.’
    When I said that, Jay got a funny flushed look on his face that made me laugh.
    â€˜Anyway, the girls are really good,’ I said, trying to sound like I knew what I was talking about. ‘Faith’s a natural with the ball, you know?’
    â€˜Yeah, I know,’ said Jay nodding slowly, with a serious look in his eye.
    Then the bell rang and I found myself walking next to Jay up to the classrooms, talking about teamwork and tactics.
    At my locker I stopped, but kept talking. ‘So, players like Faith hold the whole team together,’ I finished.
    Jay nodded slowly. Then he stood there, looking at me. My skin tingled.
    â€˜You should come and watch us train,’ he said, without shifting his gaze. ‘Bannockburn Bats. Tomorrow night, seven-thirty, at the Sports Centre.’
    â€˜What?’ I crossed my arms and pushed out my hip again. ‘So you can put a whoopee cushion on my seat or use my head instead of a ball? I don’t think so.’
    â€˜No, I mean it,’ Jay said, eyebrows high and face earnest. ‘You should come, Saph.’
    â€˜Maybe,’ I said carelessly, and turned to my locker.
    For the rest of the day, I couldn’t get Jay’s voice out of my head. You should come, Saph. There was something about the way he had said my name that made me want to hear him say it again.

    â€˜It’s another trick,’ said Summer at the bus stop after school.
    â€˜Yeah, probably …’ But I didn’t want it to be.
    â€˜Anyway, he’s got you twice.’ She lifted a finger as she listed each trick. ‘The letter and putting your name down for basketball.’ Then she held up her thumb on the other hand. ‘And you only got him with the rose.’ She rubbed her hands together. ‘You’ve totally got to get him back again. Can we swap his deodorant with something . . . like dog poo?’
    I rolled my eyes, and put on my super-sophisticated-Saph voice. ‘We’re a bit classier than that, aren’t we, darling?’
    â€˜HEY girls!’ From behind me I heard Zoe’s high squealy voice.
    â€˜Hey, Zoe,’ said Summer with a forced smile.
    Zoe bounced up and handed out two mauve envelopes. ‘I’m having the biggest party ever !’ she squealed. ‘Saturday the fourteenth. Everyone will be there …’
    I took my envelope but didn’t open it. I was having Valentine’s Day flashbacks. Bleugh. ‘Thanks, Zoe. But I might have to do cheerleading that night.’
    â€˜Oh.’ Zoe pouted and dropped her head – disappointed for real.
    â€˜But if Magic misses out of the semi-finals, I’ll be there!’ I nodded eagerly. Missing out on parties, even Zoe’s ones, was a bummer side to dancing.
    â€˜And if Magic’s out of the semis, I’ll be there too!’ said Summer and flashed another tight smile.
    â€˜Fingers crossed!’ squealed Zoe, and then bounded away waving her envelopes in the air.
    We watched her go. ‘Zoe was all gaga about Jay last week,’ I said quietly so Zoe