Never Fall
August 04, 1995
”Caleb, why can’t you just sit still?” Kimberly scolded her son. She was waving a magazine in front of his face in attempts to cool him down. He was agitated, his face glistening with sweat and his hair a mess. He continued to twist and turn, trying to find a more comfortable sitting position.
He leaned into his mother, wiping the sweat off his forehead and onto her arm. I don’t want to be here,” he mumbled, laying there. His eyes wandered around the room, scanning over all of the girls there in leotards. He spotted Kayla sitting in a corner, tying up her shoes with help from her mother. He quickly diverted his sight back to the image of himself.
“But don’t you want to watch Kayla dance?” Kimberly looked down at him, watching as he continued to frown at himself in the mirror.
“No,” she heard him mumble, his arms crossed across his small chest.
“But isn’t that what best friends do?” She nudged him. “Aren’t best friends supposed to be there to support each other?” Caleb stayed quiet.
Is that really what best friends do? He didn’t know that it included being stuck inside a hot dance studio with a bunch of girls when he could be at home, playing outside and enjoying his last month of summer. He didn’t know that it included having to sit through something so boring for hours, since his mother refused to leave early.
“But it’s hot and boring here.”
“No, it’s not - look at how excited she is!” She pointed over to Kayla who was now standing, staring up at her mother with a cheeky grin. “She must be so happy - you finally get to see her dance.”
Caleb rolled his eyes and refrained from saying anything else. It wasn’t really that interesting, nor was it that big of a deal. It was only a class lesson and rehearsal. It didn’t mean anything unless it was an actual show, right?
.
Kayla looked over at Caleb. She was anxious for class to start, but yet, she was nervous. She was a shy girl at times - most of the time, but dance has always been that one thing that broke her out of that shell every time. That was her mother’s intentions when she decided to enroll Kayla into the Dance academy’s toddler program, after witnessing her reluctance to enter a public school with the other kids.
“Alright sweetie.” Her mother got up. “Class doesn’t start for another ten minutes so why don’t we go over and hangout with Caleb and Mrs. Turman?” Kayla nodded and ran over to where he sat on the floor.
“Hi Caleb,” she greeted him in a small voice, sitting down next to him. He waved back and crossed his legs, sitting up straight. Finally, someone to talk to.
“Why do you like to do this?” He asked and she smiled.
“Because it’s fun and I like it.” She shrugged. “You should try it!” she suggested with a laugh.
“I’m a boy!” he exclaimed. “Boys don’t dance like ballerinas.”
“Yes, they do,” she argued. “Jackson’s mom brings him here every lesson.” She pointed a finger over to a boy in the corner. He was at least ten years old, one of the few boys enrolled in the school’s youth program.
Caleb made a sound of distaste. “Well, that doesn’t mean I’ll do it.”
Kimberly laughed. “Caleb,” she lightly scolded before she turned her attention back to Analeigh. “How long has Kayla been taking lessons again?”
Analeigh thought about it for a moment. “Well, I registered her when she was four so about... three years now.” Kimberly nodded her head, impressed. “It has really helped her open up. I thought it was a bad idea at first but I’m glad I did it.” She smiled over at her daughter, feeling a bit sad. “It’s making her grow up faster than I thought though.”
Kimberly smiled. “I can’t believe they’re already going into the second grade. I remember when they only first met in preschool.”
“I’m surprised they still want to hang around each other.” She chuckled.
“I know. He’s always making her cry of something.”
“Maybe when they get older,” Analeigh thought, “the friendship would turn around.”
“I would hope!” Kimberly laughed. “He needs to learn to stop picking on girls.”
He leaned into his mother, wiping the sweat off his forehead and onto her arm. I don’t want to be here,” he mumbled, laying there. His eyes wandered around the room, scanning over all of the girls there in leotards. He spotted Kayla sitting in a corner, tying up her shoes with help from her mother. He quickly diverted his sight back to the image of himself.
“But don’t you want to watch Kayla dance?” Kimberly looked down at him, watching as he continued to frown at himself in the mirror.
“No,” she heard him mumble, his arms crossed across his small chest.
“But isn’t that what best friends do?” She nudged him. “Aren’t best friends supposed to be there to support each other?” Caleb stayed quiet.
Is that really what best friends do? He didn’t know that it included being stuck inside a hot dance studio with a bunch of girls when he could be at home, playing outside and enjoying his last month of summer. He didn’t know that it included having to sit through something so boring for hours, since his mother refused to leave early.
“But it’s hot and boring here.”
“No, it’s not - look at how excited she is!” She pointed over to Kayla who was now standing, staring up at her mother with a cheeky grin. “She must be so happy - you finally get to see her dance.”
Caleb rolled his eyes and refrained from saying anything else. It wasn’t really that interesting, nor was it that big of a deal. It was only a class lesson and rehearsal. It didn’t mean anything unless it was an actual show, right?
.
Kayla looked over at Caleb. She was anxious for class to start, but yet, she was nervous. She was a shy girl at times - most of the time, but dance has always been that one thing that broke her out of that shell every time. That was her mother’s intentions when she decided to enroll Kayla into the Dance academy’s toddler program, after witnessing her reluctance to enter a public school with the other kids.
“Alright sweetie.” Her mother got up. “Class doesn’t start for another ten minutes so why don’t we go over and hangout with Caleb and Mrs. Turman?” Kayla nodded and ran over to where he sat on the floor.
“Hi Caleb,” she greeted him in a small voice, sitting down next to him. He waved back and crossed his legs, sitting up straight. Finally, someone to talk to.
“Why do you like to do this?” He asked and she smiled.
“Because it’s fun and I like it.” She shrugged. “You should try it!” she suggested with a laugh.
“I’m a boy!” he exclaimed. “Boys don’t dance like ballerinas.”
“Yes, they do,” she argued. “Jackson’s mom brings him here every lesson.” She pointed a finger over to a boy in the corner. He was at least ten years old, one of the few boys enrolled in the school’s youth program.
Caleb made a sound of distaste. “Well, that doesn’t mean I’ll do it.”
Kimberly laughed. “Caleb,” she lightly scolded before she turned her attention back to Analeigh. “How long has Kayla been taking lessons again?”
Analeigh thought about it for a moment. “Well, I registered her when she was four so about... three years now.” Kimberly nodded her head, impressed. “It has really helped her open up. I thought it was a bad idea at first but I’m glad I did it.” She smiled over at her daughter, feeling a bit sad. “It’s making her grow up faster than I thought though.”
Kimberly smiled. “I can’t believe they’re already going into the second grade. I remember when they only first met in preschool.”
“I’m surprised they still want to hang around each other.” She chuckled.
“I know. He’s always making her cry of something.”
“Maybe when they get older,” Analeigh thought, “the friendship would turn around.”
“I would hope!” Kimberly laughed. “He needs to learn to stop picking on girls.”
♠ ♠ ♠
I know this was really late, but for some reason I had some real trouble with this chapter.But I've gotten some real inspiration to write lately, so the next two chapters that I have planned out should be easy to write (:
Thank you to old and new subscribers/commenters <3