Free No One's Watching by Sandy Green

have extra stamps if you need one. You know, for that letter home.” The doors slid shut.
    By the time we reached our floor, little sweat rivers ran down my cheeks from my forehead. Candace unlocked our door. I wiped my face on my towel and tossed my bag on my bed. “What classes do we have this afternoon?”
    Candace opened the schedule she kept on her bureau. “After ballet with Madame Petrova, we have a repertory class.”
    Repertory class. Where they’d probably teach us every ballet solo ever choreographed. Solos I wouldn’t get the chance to perform. I sank into the tangle of sheets on my bed. Suddenly I hated Shelly more than anyone in the world. More than I usually did for making my life miserable, and I had no idea why. For getting the solo and threatening to tell Mom I didn’t get a ballet solo. “Sounds like fun.”
    Candace apparently didn’t catch the sarcasm in my voice. “It does. I wonder what we’ll learn?” She folded the schedule again and set it under her bottle of contact solution. “Maybe the Four Swans or the Cygnets from Swan Lake . Or something from a modern ballet.”
    I crushed my eyes closed and rubbed my temples, pushing a headache back into my brain. The faint smell of cologne from holding hands with Blake wafted down the few inches to my nose. In my imagination, he sauntered down the hall with Shelly, their fingers entwined. Gazing at each other. Music from Romeo and Juliet playing in the background.
    I reached out one hand and rested it on my flute case on my bedside table. I hoped the familiar, faux black leather and the promise of the silver instrument inside would relax me.
    No luck. Instead, another scene shoved the picture of Blake and Shelly out of my mind. A scene of promise and, dare I say , payback.

Chapter Twelve

    The hot tub.
    Usually, I didn’t have time to brew up evil plans of revenge. This plan germinated all by itself, with the help of a little hot tub water, like an alfalfa sprout. Something nutritious and low calorie Mom tried to get me to eat. However, this plan was neither nutritious nor low calorie. If Blake was going to blow off Irish dance rehearsal to be with Shelly, I’d show him I didn’t care about it either. And I’d get to ruin Shelly’s evening with him, too.
    I paused in the middle of my facial massage and opened my eyes. “Did you bring a bathing suit?”
    Candace opened a drawer and dangled a dark blue two-piece with an attached skirt. “Here’s my swimsuit. How about you? Did you pack one?”
    I leaped from my bed and rummaged in my drawer, spotting the bit of hot pink spandex under a T-shirt. “Yup. We should make an unannounced visit to a certain warm water oasis this evening.”
    â€œIf that means a long soak in a hot tub, I’m ready.” Candace put her hands on her hips and arched backward. “My back’s still sore from yesterday.”
    â€œRelaxing my muscles isn’t my only concern.”
    Candace’s eyebrows peaked. “Are we doing a little spying on Shelly and Blake?”
    I nodded.
    She shook her head. “Hmm. I don’t know. Seems like fun, but Shelly’s not my favorite person.”
    Nor mine. Would I be able to pull this off on my own? Candace was a high-ranking sixteen-year-old. My resolve sank in a hot tub puddle of doubt. That, plus the part about it all being so secretive. If we got caught, would the directors tell Mom? I was already in hot water with this lack of solo thing. Hot water. Bad, bad pun.
    â€œHa! You should see your face. Of course I’m in.” Candace shoved her suit back in the drawer.
    â€œHa, yourself.” I laughed and pulled off my damp leotard and tights, exchanging them for a fresh pair. Relief poured over me. “Are you sure we don’t we have a Labanotation class in a few minutes?”
    Candace checked the schedule again. “That’s tomorrow. We have a