The Life of a Teenage Dancer

When those words came out of his mouth I couldn’t help but smile, but none the less I still had doubts.

“Look a got you to smile, I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile since school started” I rolled my eyes but continues to smile. “So you ready for what I have planned?”

“Yeah, I just have to say one thing…This is not a date okay?” he took a deep breath and breathed out

“Okay”

“We’re friends having fun at the beach…as friends”

“Fine, as long as I get to spend time with you…we’ll be friends.” I nodded and he grabbed my hand. “Now lets go I want to show you something.” He pulled me and we took of running. After a while we wound up on a secluded spot on the beach, there was a picnic set up with a towel underneath.

“Cameron…this doesn’t seem very friend like.” I say to him

“Well it is, a friendly picnic okay, we’ll get to know each other eat some of my as I recall ‘amazing’ cooking” I sighed in reluctance.

“Fine, a friendly picnic” he leads me over to the sheet that has already been set up and we sit down. He opens the basket and I see a couple of sandwiches wrapped in foil.

“Sandwiches? You made sandwiches” I laugh and he hands me one.

“That’s not all though, for dessert…” he reaches in the basket and pulls out a fruit platter and a what seems to be cookie.

“You made cookies?” I ask smiling

“Of course I did, a picnic is not complete without my cookies”

“They look amazing, too bad I can’t eat them” I say sighing. It was true, I cannot eat sweets I have a figure to maintain and eating cookies would not help…at all.

“What did you just say?” he looks appalled

“That I cant eat the cookies” I say

“Your kidding” he asks shocked

“I wish I was, I’m on strict diet, I don’t remember the last time I had chocolate.” he gasps.

“You have not lived” he says handing me a cookie

“I can’t” I say putting my hand up

“You have to! Please…for me?” he looked at me with puppy dog eyes and I decided just this once I’ll have one. I grab the cookie from him and take a bite from the cookie. I almost fait it is so good, it taste like an explosion of flavor and it’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“Oh. My. God. This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.” He laughs

“You said that about the pizza”

“That was an understatement. This. Is. Amazing.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He says eating one of his own creations. “So Briana, I think we have some things to discuss.” I took a deep breath, I knew it was coming. “Why haven’t you wanted to talk to me”

“Because it would have been weird” I say honestly

“Yeah, but still…”

“I don’t think you get it Cameron…my life back home where I used to live is nothing like it is here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean back home, I don’t have friends, actually I just didn’t have time for them. My mom is dance obsessed and if I were to do something to mess that up she would talk to me less then she does now…and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that happened.” He stared at me for a minute

“You shouldn’t dance because your mom wants you to, you should dance because you want to. Is it or is it not your life?”

“It is my life but-”

“But nothing, if you ever want to be happy you have to do some thing for you and not care what anyone else thinks.” I knew he was right, I knew that it is my life…but I don’t think I’m ready to make any irrational decisions yet.

“So tell me about you Mr. Singer, Musician, Chef” he laughed “What’s your story?”

“Well I was born in California, but my parents didn’t want me brought up there so they took me and moved to across the country to New Jersey, my sister was born there and we’ve lived there ever since. What about you though…give me a some information about you.”

“I grew up in New York, I’ve lived there my entire life. Before my mom had me she was dancer, and great one. She was dating my dad at the time when she found out she was pregnant. She had to give up everything…she thought she had my dads support, but when I was born, he was gone, haven’t seen him since.” Cameron stayed silent for a minute until he said.

“Not everyone is like that…not everyone leaves” he said

“They do when you push them away.” I say and instantly regret it. I decide change the subject “So about out scene for acting…we should probably start working on it…for the sake of our grade. I’ve started memorizing our script, it looks like it starts with us in the boat and ends with…the kiss.”

“I know, I’m already memorized, so when do you want to work on it?”

“Um tomorrow, around 12:00ish?”

“Perfect”

“Yeah just meet me in the dance studio, Shane and I are working on our totally original non-generic duet”

“Sounds good” We sit in a silence as we eat the rest of our lunch. Its not a tense silence…its comfortable one, one where I don’t feel pressured to say anything. I sit staring at the waves thinking about how great it would be if I could just be a normal teenager and be able to have a normal life. After a while Cameron speaks

“What are you thinking about?”

“How life would have been if I never started dancing”

“That’s the problem with people.” He says quietly “Always thinking about what if I did this, or what if I did that, what about living in the now and just loving life?”

“More people should be like you” I say looking at him seriously

“Well lets just hope one day they will be, c’mon I have another surprise for you.” He says taking my hand. He leads me up the beach to what seems to be a shack. I look around for the sign and when I find one I am shocked. The sign reads ‘Stanley’s Surf Shop’ and below that it read ‘Rentals Available’

“You surf?” I ask and he nods

“Is there anything else I should about you” He laughs

“Well it wouldn’t be fun if I just told you everything” This boy continues to surprise me and you know what it’s a good feeling.

“So what are we doing here. Neither of us have bathing suits”

“That’s not completely true” Cameron says opening the bag I didn’t notice he was carrying, he pulls out what must have been one of Dee’s swimsuits.

“No” I say shaking my head “No, No, No!” Say

“C’mon Bri, I’ll teach you…please! Do it for your friend” He says emphasizing the word friend.

“Fine! But if I die you have some explaining to do”

“I take full responsibility for your well being…now go get changed, I’ll handle the boards” I nod and go to change and as I’m going I think to myself, this could be one of stupidest things I’ve ever done.