What Ever It Takes
1st
Patricia was standing in front of the grand mirror in the dance studio, stretching her long leg.
“Little Pat didn’t get a job yet did she?” she heard the voice of Jonathan, Miriam had to be with him too, she found them in the mirror.
“Is it any of your business?” she moaned, letting go of her leg, standing upright. She turned around, stretching her back, looking into the eyes of her worst enemy, Miriam, Queen Miriam, who always got the jobs Patricia was looking for.
“I’ll get one” she did a quick spin.
“Sure…” Miriam chewed on her gum “if you got what it takes…. Jonathan!” and they were out of there, Patricia was all alone.
She turned on the music, a song from Michael Jackson’s latest album started playing: Jam.
She closed her eyes and started her routine, highly concentrated not to miss a step and at the same time follow the music perfectly. She was on another planet every time she danced, nothing else mattered just, the dance…
When she opened her eyes again the song had just ended, but she wasn’t alone anymore, a stranger stood, watching her.
She blushed; she hated being surprised like that.
She made sure to stretch, not even muttering a word to the stranger; she was not in the mood for socialites.
“So, have you booked?” she asked, reaching for a towel.
“Just liked the music” he grinned “I’m a Michael Jackson fan” he said proudly
“Yeah sure” she rolled her eyes, what did he think he was playing?
“The music really drags me, you gotta feel it when you dance… it’s magic!” the young guy exclaimed enthusiastically, his dark skin shining from the spotlight
“Sure mister, but I have booked this, I have the room another 20 minutes” she had started to get irritated
“Bye…. White lady” he called when she had pushed him out the door, she shook her head.
She changed the song to Black or White, she didn’t have a routine for this one but she made up the moves as she went along, singing the lyrics out loud.
She went out into the hall and read the bulletin board, there was a rehearsal in another studio on Monday… but as she read the notice through her look stifled ‘We are seeking young, talented MEN’
She clinched her fists so her knuckles turned white, what was that all about? Men??? Couldn’t she be as good as any man? She knew she had what it took; all she lacked was the baby face that Miriam so gracefully had been blessed with.
Patricia knew she was born a dancer, and even if her parents were against it, it was all she wanted to do. She never wanted to serve dinner at a restaurant or any kind of job, she was a dancer, and that was it!
She went home to her shared flat; Rosetta sat in front of the TV, watching MTV.
“Had a good day girl?” she called out as Patricia reached into the fridge for the milk. She drank out of the carton but had to spit it right out
“Eeew!” she cried, waving about her hands, it had gone sour.
She poured herself a huge glass of water and swallowed it in few gulps
“I’ll kill you! You promised me you’d be buying milk!” she screamed.
“Oh yeah…. I forgot” the young woman now stood in the door way, her huge curled red hair shining in the light “I really am sorry” she giggled.
“And yeah, I had an okay day… I’m going to an audition Monday” Patricia beamed.
“You are?” Rosetta squealed happily “That’s great!”
“They’re seeking men, though” Patricia explained blankly
“How does that all fit together?” she asked sweetly
“I go, dressed as a guy” she opened the fridge again “I’m starved!”
“Little Pat didn’t get a job yet did she?” she heard the voice of Jonathan, Miriam had to be with him too, she found them in the mirror.
“Is it any of your business?” she moaned, letting go of her leg, standing upright. She turned around, stretching her back, looking into the eyes of her worst enemy, Miriam, Queen Miriam, who always got the jobs Patricia was looking for.
“I’ll get one” she did a quick spin.
“Sure…” Miriam chewed on her gum “if you got what it takes…. Jonathan!” and they were out of there, Patricia was all alone.
She turned on the music, a song from Michael Jackson’s latest album started playing: Jam.
She closed her eyes and started her routine, highly concentrated not to miss a step and at the same time follow the music perfectly. She was on another planet every time she danced, nothing else mattered just, the dance…
When she opened her eyes again the song had just ended, but she wasn’t alone anymore, a stranger stood, watching her.
She blushed; she hated being surprised like that.
She made sure to stretch, not even muttering a word to the stranger; she was not in the mood for socialites.
“So, have you booked?” she asked, reaching for a towel.
“Just liked the music” he grinned “I’m a Michael Jackson fan” he said proudly
“Yeah sure” she rolled her eyes, what did he think he was playing?
“The music really drags me, you gotta feel it when you dance… it’s magic!” the young guy exclaimed enthusiastically, his dark skin shining from the spotlight
“Sure mister, but I have booked this, I have the room another 20 minutes” she had started to get irritated
“Bye…. White lady” he called when she had pushed him out the door, she shook her head.
She changed the song to Black or White, she didn’t have a routine for this one but she made up the moves as she went along, singing the lyrics out loud.
She went out into the hall and read the bulletin board, there was a rehearsal in another studio on Monday… but as she read the notice through her look stifled ‘We are seeking young, talented MEN’
She clinched her fists so her knuckles turned white, what was that all about? Men??? Couldn’t she be as good as any man? She knew she had what it took; all she lacked was the baby face that Miriam so gracefully had been blessed with.
Patricia knew she was born a dancer, and even if her parents were against it, it was all she wanted to do. She never wanted to serve dinner at a restaurant or any kind of job, she was a dancer, and that was it!
She went home to her shared flat; Rosetta sat in front of the TV, watching MTV.
“Had a good day girl?” she called out as Patricia reached into the fridge for the milk. She drank out of the carton but had to spit it right out
“Eeew!” she cried, waving about her hands, it had gone sour.
She poured herself a huge glass of water and swallowed it in few gulps
“I’ll kill you! You promised me you’d be buying milk!” she screamed.
“Oh yeah…. I forgot” the young woman now stood in the door way, her huge curled red hair shining in the light “I really am sorry” she giggled.
“And yeah, I had an okay day… I’m going to an audition Monday” Patricia beamed.
“You are?” Rosetta squealed happily “That’s great!”
“They’re seeking men, though” Patricia explained blankly
“How does that all fit together?” she asked sweetly
“I go, dressed as a guy” she opened the fridge again “I’m starved!”