have extra stamps if you need one. You know, for that letter home.â 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. âWhat classes do we have this afternoon?â
Candace opened the schedule she kept on her bureau. âAfter ballet with Madame Petrova, we have a repertory class.â
Repertory class. Where theyâd probably teach us every ballet solo ever choreographed. Solos I wouldnât 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 didnât get a ballet solo. âSounds like fun.â
Candace apparently didnât catch the sarcasm in my voice. âIt does. I wonder what weâll learn?â She folded the schedule again and set it under her bottle of contact solution. âMaybe the Four Swans or the Cygnets from Swan Lake . Or something from a modern ballet.â
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 didnât 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, Iâd show him I didnât care about it either. And Iâd get to ruin Shellyâs evening with him, too.
I paused in the middle of my facial massage and opened my eyes. âDid you bring a bathing suit?â
Candace opened a drawer and dangled a dark blue two-piece with an attached skirt. âHereâs my swimsuit. How about you? Did you pack one?â
I leaped from my bed and rummaged in my drawer, spotting the bit of hot pink spandex under a T-shirt. âYup. We should make an unannounced visit to a certain warm water oasis this evening.â
âIf that means a long soak in a hot tub, Iâm ready.â Candace put her hands on her hips and arched backward. âMy backâs still sore from yesterday.â
âRelaxing my muscles isnât my only concern.â
Candaceâs eyebrows peaked. âAre we doing a little spying on Shelly and Blake?â
I nodded.
She shook her head. âHmm. I donât know. Seems like fun, but Shellyâs not my favorite person.â
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.
âHa! You should see your face. Of course Iâm in.â Candace shoved her suit back in the drawer.
âHa, yourself.â I laughed and pulled off my damp leotard and tights, exchanging them for a fresh pair. Relief poured over me. âAre you sure we donât we have a Labanotation class in a few minutes?â
Candace checked the schedule again. âThatâs tomorrow. We have a