Free Dancer at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

now…”
    â€œNo!” I couldn’t help blurting it out and I think I gave Kate a shock, because her eyes filled with alarm at the panic in my voice.
    â€œNo?” She looked at her watch and her expression softened. “No, you’re right. She will have gone home. And actually we should be going to supper. I came back for the CD so I can practise in my boarding house. I’m not very supple…” Kate suddenly stopped mid-sentence and her eyes gleamed. She was staring at me as though she’d seen a ghost, but not a scary ghost – more a ghost she’d been dying to see. She spoke in a breathless whisper. “I’ve had the most amazing idea…”
    Something told me I wasn’t going to like this idea one little bit.
    â€œ You could dance Abi’s part!” The whisper turned to an excited flood of words. “You looked just as good dancing it in flats as Abi did en pointe , so that wouldn’t be a problem. Olivia and Maria can stay in the roles they were originally given, because they look totally balanced like that and neither of them are anywhere near as good as Abi at her part anyway. That means I wouldn’t have to be in the dance at all, so I won’t let everyone down with my substandard dancing, and, hey presto, we have lift off! Woo!”
    Kate’s voice had risen to an excited whoop and then she grabbed both my hands and started dancing me round, sounding a bit like my friends but with a slightly different rhyme. “Izzy, whizzy, let’s get dizzy!”
    I couldn’t help giggling. She was just so funny with her crazy happiness. But another part of me was scared stiff, and I let go of her hands and spoke in a gabble to make sure she really realized she had to forget her idea.
    â€œMiss Morgan doesn’t think I’m very good. I mean, she’s right. I’m not. Abi’s miles better than me. A million miles…obviously… She’s a senior.”
    I broke off, because Kate was shaking her head slowly and staring at me as though I was melting away and she just couldn’t grasp what was going on. “Miss Morgan doesn’t think you’re very good?” she asked, her face wrinkled up with bewilderment. She shook her head again and spoke slowly, emphasizing every word. “She cannot have seen you.”
    â€œShe did. You see, I used to do ballet but I’ve given it up now.”
    Kate blinked, then gave herself a little shake before she fixed me with that same bewildered stare. But a moment later it disappeared. “Oh I get it! It’s the thought of taking over a senior’s part, isn’t it? Listen, you mustn’t worry about what the others think, honestly. Miss Morgan’s the only one that matters.” She glanced at the clock. “I’ve got to shoot back to my dorm before supper, but let’s talk about it on the way.” Now she was rushing over to the CD player and ejecting the CD, and then she was back with me, smiling and ushering me out of the door. “Look, all you have to do is turn up at the theatre after school tomorrow and you can show Miss Morgan and the others how you dance, exactly like you did just then. And I swear they’ll be totally knocked out, and Miss Morgan can decide what’s best!” She turned to me, eyes bright. “How’s that for a plan?”
    I suddenly realized Kate had stopped walking and was waiting for my answer because she was about to go off in another direction from the dining hall. I had to speak. I had to make her understand that there was no way I could just turn up at the theatre the next day. That I’d rather die than do that.
    â€œI’ve…got gym club tomorrow.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter if you miss clubs. Honestly. The teachers always say that if you’ve got something else going on, like a match or a rehearsal or something, you’re allowed to miss clubs.”
    I swallowed.