Damsel In Distress

“I’m so glad you finally agreed to come out with me.”

Caitlin and I were on our way to one of her popular friend’s parties. The top to her red convertible was down, even though it was already November and somewhat chilly outside. It felt right, though, as though we were finally free. At least, I was. Dad was going to be gone until next Friday on some business trip, and this was the first Saturday in weeks that I hadn’t attended an extra class at the studio.

After Miss Elaine gave me the advice of focusing on something other than dancing, I agreed to come to this party with Caitlin. This wouldn’t be the first party I had been, too, but it was the first popular party I’d be attending. I forced myself to stop worrying if people would like me or not and started thinking about how much fun it would be.

“I am, too,” I responded, smiling at her.

She reached over and took my hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. When I squeezed back, she let go and turned on the radio. One of those dumb pop songs that they always play on the radio blared out of her speakers. Caitlin sang along, singing at the top of her lungs. She kept nudging me to join, and after a while, I did. We sang together, really getting into the song, until we pulled up to the house.

“Wow,” I said quietly to myself. The only party I had been to had been small, with light music and a few beers. From the car, I could see beer bottles scattered all around the yard. Some people were outside, dancing and talking, some lighting Sparklers. The music was clearly audible outside, but lucky for us, the host of the party, a pothead named Todd, didn’t live in a neighborhood. His house was actually secluded in the woods, so there was no chance of us having an issue with neighbors.

“You ready to have some fun?” Caitlin asked, turning off the car and getting out. I got out, too.

“Hell yeah,” I responded.

Caitlin raised her eyebrows at me, smiling proudly. I never used language like that. We started walking up the walkway that led to the house. A few people who were outside said hi to us as we walked up. I was surprised they knew who I was, considering I had no idea who they were.

“How do they know who I am?” I asked, curious.

“Like I tried to tell you before, Sophia,” she started. “A lot of boys in our school have a crush on you, and a lot of girls want to be friends with you. They just don’t think you’re interested.”

They’re right, I thought. I wouldn’t say it aloud; Caitlin would scold me for not giving people chances.

“I wonder if you’re mystery boy is here,” Caitlin said, leaning close to me so I’d be able to hear her. The music got louder as we came closer to the door.

We entered the house, where we were greeted by many people. I spotted Scott, the boy from her English class who she went to the movies with the night before.

“I found your soon-to-be boyfriend,” I told her. Her face lit up at the mention of him. I pointed into the kitchen, where he was laughing with some other boys.

“Come on.” Caitlin took my hand in hers and started leading me into the kitchen.

As soon as Scott saw us, he smiled and waved us over. I took my hand out of Caitlin’s, allowing her to give Scott a hug. He kissed her cheek, and her smile grew even wider.

“Guys, this is the most amazing girl in the world, Caitlin.” Caitlin started blushing at the compliment. “Caitlin, these are my boys. That’s Justin, Teddy, and Chris.”

“And this is my amazing bestfriend, Sophia,” Caitlin introduced me. “Soph, this is Scott and his boys.”

“Hi,” I said. I lifted my hand in a wave and tried my best to give them a warm, friendly smile.

“Now, do we all have the privilege of hanging out with you two beautiful girls?” Teddy, the tall, cute one with curly, brown hair and dark brown eyes, asked.

“This one is already taken.” Scott wrapped his arm around Caitlin’s waist. “Looks like you’re going to have to fight to the death over Sophia.”

“Well,” Teddy started, walking over to me and placing his arm around my shoulders. “She's totally worth the potential ass-kicking.”

We all laughed.

“That’s an odd way to compliment someone,” I said to him. “But thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” He grinned down at me.

We moved our group into the living room, where everyone was dancing. The room was huge, just like the rest of the house. Teddy grabbed my hand, and we led everyone to a relatively-empty spot. When we finally made our way to our destination, he didn’t let go of my hand. I didn’t know how I felt about it.

He leaned down to talk in my ear. “You wanna dance?”

I thought about it, then looked for Caitlin. She immediately met my gaze and mouthed "Have fun." Looking back at Teddy, I nodded and let him lead me into the dancing crowd. When he found a nice spot, the song suddenly changed. The music had changed from fast and upbeat to a slow, love song. Teddy looked at me uncertainly. I felt bad; he looked so nervous. I took my hand out of his and wrapped both arms around his neck. He smiled and placed his hands on my waist gently. We swayed back and forth to the music.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Teddy said.

“I’m a dancer,” I replied.

“I thought so.”

“Why?” I asked, curious.

“Uh…” His cheeks started to redden. “Well, you’ve got the, uh, body of a dancer.”

I laughed at his embarrassment. It wasn’t offensive to me at all. In fact, it was actually a compliment. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. It’s actually a good thing for a dancer to have a dancer’s body.”

He chuckled.

“Tell me something about you,” I said.

“I’m a drummer.”

“I thought so,” I copied.

He laughed. “Why?”

“You’re really loud and outgoing. I’ve never met a quiet, shy drummer,” I said. “And your hands are rough and hard. I imagine it’s from your drumsticks.”

“Yeah, probably,” he said thoughtfully, looking at me incredulously.

We danced in silence for the rest of the song. During the middle of it, Teddy pulled me closer so our bodies were touching. I laid my head down on his shoulder and closed my eyes. Surprisingly, I was enjoying myself.

As the song ended, I picked up my head and smiled at Teddy. He smiled back. Suddenly, another fast song started playing. Teddy grinned mischievously, then started dancing on me. I laughed as he playfully grinded on me. I lightly pushed him off me, and when he stood up, I turned around and started dancing in front of him.

Occasionally, I took a hip-hop class, and I started doing some of the moves I had learned right in front of him. One move involved turning around and shaking my hips. When I turned back around, Teddy’s eyebrows were raised and his mouth was hanging open.

I laughed and leaned forward to push his jaw up. I stopped dancing and continued to laugh at his surprised expression.

“Whoa,” Teddy finally said, having to shout a little. “I took you for a ballerina, not Shakira.”

“I am a ballerina, but every ballerina has her Shakira moments,” I replied, giggling.

I placed my arms around his neck again and started shaking my hips. Teddy placed his hands on my waist as I danced. I looked around, not at all surprised to see that mostly everyone else was doing some dirty dancing. Suddenly, Teddy moved one of his hands from my waist to one of my hands. He spun me around, then carefully dipped me. I laughed as he brought me back up.

I leaned into him to talk into his ear. “I’m having a really great time.”

He leaned into me. “So am I.”

Suddenly, Caitlin and Scott popped up out of nowhere. Caitlin jumped onto me and shouted “Hey guys!”

Scott placed his hand on Teddy’s shoulder. “Don’t mind us. We’re just cockblocking.”

Teddy and I both laughed and shook our heads, then we let go of each other. Caitlin grabbed my hand and shouted at the boys, “We’ll be right back, boys!”

“Don’t take too long!” Teddy replied. “We might miss some really good songs!”

I laughed. “Okay!”

Caitlin turned me away from the boys, and we walked back into the kitchen. No one was in here, so she didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing us.

“I saw you and Teddy,” she said, raising her eyebrows as she smiled.

“I’m having so much fun, Cait,” I gushed, my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. “Thank you so much for bringing me.”

“Aw, sweetie.” She gave me a quick hug. “Well, he’s obviously into you. Are you into him?”

That question stumped me. I didn’t think I felt any type of way for him; I was just having a lot of fun. “He’s a nice guy, and he’s really cute and funny.”

“But…”

“But I don’t think I have any feelings for him.”

She didn’t look surprised. “Of course, you don’t have feelings for him. You already have feelings for someone else.”

“What?”

She turned around, looking towards the direction of the door. Caitlin must’ve had some weird sixth sense, because Tyler walked through the door as soon as we looked.

I got a funny feeling in my stomach and felt my cheeks redden. Suddenly, I felt embarrassed for dancing with Teddy.

Tyler looked cute, like always. He was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, and some black sneakers. His leather jacket was slung over his shoulder.

I looked down at my own outfit: a sleeveless, black ruffle top, light blue jeans, and plain, black heels. I also had on a silver locket that my father had gotten me for my sixteenth birthday. I picked at the ends of my hair. I had lift it natural, which Caitlin described as “a never-ending sea of brown waves”. She had done my makeup at her house: light purple eye shadow, liquid eyeliner on my top lids, black mascara to emphasize my long eyelashes. I hoped I looked okay.

“Hey, Tyler!” Caitlin called. When he looked over at us, she waved him over. He walked into the kitchen, stuffing his free hand in his pocket. Caitlin said, “I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

He shrugged, looking from Caitlin to me. “I didn’t have anything better to do.”

Caitlin pulled her phone out and looked at the screen. “Sorry, guys. Scott wants to dance, but I’ll see you guys later!”

“Cait-” I started, but she was already gone.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Tyler grinning and shaking his head. He placed his jacket on the counter next to me.

“You want a drink?” he asked, opening the fridge.

“Uh, no,” I said quietly. I didn’t drink. Alcohol could do terrible things to the body and mind.

When he returned back at my side, he was holding two beers anyway. He pulled a stool from underneath the counter and sat down, placing his hands on top of the counter. He looked at me expectantly. I mirrored his actions, but I crossed my arms instead of holding them out in front of me. My bruise had healed and was gone for the most part, but I didn’t want to take my chances.

Tyler took one of the beers and opened it, taking two big gulps of it before placing it back down on the counter. Once again, he looked at me as if he expected me to do something. I didn’t say anything, and I didn’t move a muscle.

“What’s wrong with one drink?” he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“I just…don’t drink,” I answered. After seeing what alcohol did to my father, I promised myself I would never do it. But I couldn’t tell him that. I couldn’t tell anyone that. So instead, I explained the other reason. “And I dance, and I don’t want to mess up my body or anything.”

“Do you like it?” he asked before taking another sip.

“Dancing?” He nodded. “I love it. It’s my favorite thing in the world to do. It’s the only thing that makes me happy.”

He looked at me, his eyes thoughtful. I looked down at the counter, embarrassed. We sat in silence for a few minutes, Tyler’s occasional sips of beer breaking the silence here and there. I thought our conversation was done and just about to get up when he asked, “Does chemistry make you happy?”

I laughed softly. “No, it doesn’t. I’m just good at it.”

“You’re probably really good at dancing, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” I said, honestly. “I am.”

He nodded to himself as he took another mouthful of beer. I watched him carefully, looking for any of the abusive signs my father got when he started drinking. Tyler caught me looking and put the can back down on the counter.

“Does it bother you that I’m drinking?”

“No,” I lied.

“Sophia, you don’t have to lie to me,” he said, serious. “I know you just met me and everything, but you can tell me the truth, about anything.”

I didn’t respond, just looked into his dark green eyes. They showed total honesty and compassion. But why would I see them? Why did he feel the need to assure me that I could be honest with him?

Suddenly, he stood up from the stool and picked up the two cans. He placed the unopened one back into the fridge. The remainder of his beer was poured into the sink and then thrown into the trash can.

When he walked back over, he picked up his jacket and slung it over his shoulder again. I looked down at the counter. Why was I sad he was leaving?

“Come with me somewhere,” he said, causing me to look back up. “This party seems to be boring you as much as it’s boring me.”

“Yeah, sure,” I said, without hesitation, cursing myself mentally afterwards for sounding so eager. Then I thought of how badly Caitlin wanted me to party with her tonight. She wouldn’t mind once she found out I would be with Tyler. “I just have to tell Caitlin I’m leaving.”

He nodded in understanding and followed me into the crowded living room. Caitlin and Scott were in the middle of the room, dancing together. I turned around to look at Tyler. I mouthed “Stay here.” and when he nodded, I made my way through people.

“Hey, Soph,” Caitlin shouted when I reached them. “What’s going on?”

“I think I’m gonna leave now,” I said. “I’m not really in the party mood.”

“Leave? Already? But-” She looked behind me, and she started grinning. She must’ve seen Tyler. “That’s fine. Don’t even worry about it. Just have fun tonight! I’ll call you when I get home.”

“Thanks. See you later.” I smiled and gave her a quick hug before I made my way back to Tyler.

“Ready?” he asked.

I nodded. Tyler led the way out of the house. He moved to the right of the walkway as we headed towards all the cars, allowing me to walk beside him. Shivering slightly, I wrapped my arms around myself. I cursed at myself for not bringing a jacket.

Without a word, Tyler took his jacket off his shoulder and draped it around me. Looking up at him, I opened my mouth to protest but he stopped me.

“I’m fine, but I can tell you’re cold. You’ll need it anyway,” he said as he led me toward a motorcycle.

It was black as midnight, with silver rims. It looked very new and expensive. It also looked very dangerous.

While I stood studying the motorcycle, Tyler maneuvered around me and lifted up the seat of the bike. He dug down into the whole and pulled out a helmet. He handed it to me, then went back in for another one. He slipped his black helmet over his head and easily tightened it to fit his preference. I put mine on as well, but I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.

He stepped toward me and grabbed the two straps. With quick, agile fingers, he tightened the helmet perfectly. “Is that okay?”

I could feel his breath on my face; the combination of beer, cigarettes, and mint making me feel light-headed. It was a struggle to keep my knees from buckling. I nodded feebly.

“Then let’s ride.” He threw his leg around the bike and kicked the kickstand up with his foot. Balancing the bike, he reached out his hand. I placed my hand in his and placed my right foot on one of the pegs and swung my left leg over, finding the other peg on that side. Tyler turned on the ignition, the motorcycle roaring to life. Many people looked our way at the sound.

“You’re sure you’re ready for this?” he asked loudly, trying to be heard over the engine.

“Yeah,” I shouted back.

The second the word left my mouth, Tyler pulled off. Fast. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms tightly around his torso. My heart was racing, especially feeling his rock-hard 6-pack underneath my hands. Also, I was scared to death. I hoped and prayed that he was a good driver and that we wouldn’t get into an accident. That was the last thing I needed with the recital so soon.

Crap, I thought. I’m not supposed to worry about anything.

So instead of worrying, I did what I had never done before. I stopped worrying and just enjoyed the present. Lucky for us, most of the roads were pretty empty so Tyler went faster and faster but he was still completely in control of the bike. The wind through my hair felt amazing, and seeing all the trees zooming made me think of how birds must see everything. I finally felt free, just like a bird.

***

“We just rode around on his motorcycle,” I told Caitlin later that night while we were on the phone.

Surprisingly, she had gotten home earlier than I had. She had a great time at the party, though. She and Scott had danced, each had one beer, then apparently had a make out session in her car. When she started to describe how soft Scott’s lips were, I gagged into the phone and she laughed. Unfortunately, she then decided to turn the subject to my night.

“That’s really all you guys did?” she asked, sounding a little disappointed. “Just ride around town?”

“And we stopped at McDonald’s to get some fries,” I added. “Then we ate them on a bench in the park and talked.”

“This the lamest date I’ve ever heard of!”

“It wasn’t a date!” I objected. “We were just hanging out. It wasn’t a big deal at all.”

“I give it two more weeks.”

“Two more weeks until what?”

“Two more weeks until you two are in love.”

“Seriously, Cait?” I asked, laughing. “Do you honestly think I’m capable of falling in love in two weeks? Do you think anyone is capable of falling in love in two weeks? This isn’t a Nicholas Sparks book; we’re not John and Savannah.”

She sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. Fine. You’ll at least be in like with each other in two weeks.”

“You sure do have high hopes for me and Tyler.”

“How could I not? You guys would be so cute together!” I rolled my eyes. Caitlin seriously needed to stop reading so many romance books. “Emily, what do you want? You got gum in your hair, again? Ugh, okay, I’ll right there. Sorry, Soph, I have to go help Em get this gum out her hair again. She’s such an idiot. Why does she keep sleeping with it in her mouth when she knows she sleeps with her mouth open? Okay, I’m coming! I’ll call you tomorrow, Soph. Love you, bye!”

My phone beeped quietly as she hung up. I laughed out loud. Caitlin had a twelve-year-old sister, Emily, and Emily was always asking for Caitlin’s help, with everything from boy problems to getting gum out of her hair. She also had an older sister, Haley, who was a sophomore in college. Whenever she came home, Caitlin would try to stay out of the house because all Haley would do was ask Caitlin why she couldn't find a boyfriend, even though she was going to one of the biggest party schools in the state.

“She’s too desperate,” Caitlin had said to me once. Haley was home, so Caitlin was sleeping over my house. “She thinks if she doesn’t find a boyfriend in college, she’ll never get married. Can you believe how dumb she is?”

Sometimes, I wished I had a sibling. It got really lonely, being an only child, especially when you didn’t have a mother and your father used you as his personal punching bag. At least I could go until Friday without having to worry about suddenly getting hit from behind. I looked down at my arm, the bruise was only visible if you knew exactly where it was and looked close enough. Looking at it made me long for my mother.

Setting my phone on my bed, I got up and went over to my large closet. I stood on my tip-toes and grabbed the shoe box my ballet shoes had come in. I brought it over to my bed and sat back down, taking the lid off the box. Inside the box were all things that reminded me of my mother. There were photographs, letters, and even one of her hair ribbons she wore when she was a dancer.

“If Dad knew I had these, he’d kill me,” I said aloud to myself.

Picking up the small pile of photographs, I looked through them. Most of them were just of my mother and I; my father only appeared in one. My mother was breathtakingly beautiful. She had a dark, olive-toned complexion, with a beauty mark right above her lip. Her silky, dark brown hair reached down the middle of her back. I remember when I was around four and had just started dancing, she showed me how to make a ballerina bun. It always took her a long time since her hair was so long. Her dark brown eyes always showed love and kindness, besides when she was looking at my father. Her body was small and petite, perfect for a dancer. I was a spitting image of her.

My favorite picture was taken on the best day of my life. It was my first dance class, and my mother was a guest instructor. When my parents were still together and my mother lived with us, she was a dance instructor at a local performing arts high school, but she helped out the studio near our neighborhood whenever she could. The picture was taken before the class started, so we weren’t all sweaty and gross-looking. We were standing side-by-side, in the first position. We were matching with our black leotards and white ballet tights. Our ballet shoes were white, and we had black ribbons wrapped around our buns. We smiled brightly at the camera, my mother’s teeth straight and perfect, my teeth missing and crooked from early childhood years. This picture could make me smile in an instant.

I moved on to the letters, skimming through all of them briefly. I had already read every single one at least three times. When my mother first moved out, when I was nine-years-old, she sent me a letter every other week, telling me how she was doing. I wrote back too, and this continued for about six months, until my father found out I was contacting her. That was the first time he ever hit me, the day he found the letters. Then, he went back to his friend who was the judge for our case and asked if he could make it clear in the custody agreement that my mother could not contact me in any way. I cried for days, but my father pretended like he didn’t notice.

I picked up the ribbon and ran my fingers along the silky texture. My mother’s initials were sewn onto the fabric: A. L. M. Her maiden name was Aria Lauren Morris, but once she married my father, her initials remained the same. My father’s name was John Matthew Manson, so she got lucky that she didn’t have to sew her new initials on a new ribbon. I wished I could wear it, but people might believe that I stole it or something. My initials were S. M. M. for Sophia Marie Manson. Even though I couldn’t wear it while I performed, I would put it in the inside pocket of my dance jacket right before I went on stage to perform. It was the best way to get myself excited, and it made my mother’s presence feel even stronger.

Suddenly, my phone started ringing beside me. The caller ID told me it was my father. Why was he calling me at one in the morning? I took a deep breath before answering it.

“Hey, Dad.” I was grateful that my voice sounded normal.

“Hi, honey.” He’s only nice when he’s sober, and for once, he actually sounded like he was. “Sorry to call so late, but I wanted to check up on you. What time is it over there?”

“It’s one in the morning.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! It's only ten here." Dad was in California, which was a three-hour time difference from Florida. "Were you sleeping?”

“No, I was just talking to Caitlin on the phone.”

“Oh, okay. How are things?”

“Everything’s great, Dad,” I answered. “I’m fine.”

“That’s good to hear,” he replied. He took a deep breath before he continued, “Look, honey, I have some bad news.”

I should’ve figured. He never called me while he was away on business; he just texted me when he was about to get on his plane to come home. I didn’t respond.

“I won’t be able to make it to your recital,” he announced. I closed my eyes, already feeling the tears. This recital was going to be my most important performance yet, and my own father wasn’t going to be there. “One of the guys flight got delayed because of a storm, and he won’t get here until Friday so they pushed the meeting back to Saturday. I’m so sorry, honey. I really wanted to make it.”

“It’s fine, Dad,” I lied. “Look, I’m really tired so I’m going to go to bed. I’ll see you when you get back. Love you, bye.”

I hung up before he could get another word. I threw my phone on the other side of the bed, then I let the tears fall. I cried because I missed my mother. I cried because I wanted my father to love me and not hurt me. I cried because I felt weak. And I cried because only one person had made me feel whole and like myself. This was the first time I had ever admitted to myself that I needed someone, and the person I felt like needed was Tyler.

***

The light that shined brightly into my room made me feel much better when I awoke in the morning. My tears had dried on my cheeks, leaving them feeling rough and coarse. I got out of bed and stretched, popping some joints. The first thing I did was put all the memories of my mother back in the shoe box and returned it to the top shelf of my closet. Then I went into the bathroom and got into the shower. The warm water felt great on my skin, the steam seeming to clear my mind. I was content.

When the water started to turn cold, I turned off the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. I went back into my room and put on underwear, a brassiere, a camisole, and some baggy sweatpants. I put my hair up in a loose ponytail.

I went downstairs and into the kitchen. The only breakfast food we had was bagels, so I took one out and placed it in the toaster oven. While that was heating up, I started a pot of coffee.

“Knock! Knock! Knock!” someone called, knocking on the door each time they said it.

I quickly took out my bagel and set it on a plate, then I went over to the door. As soon as I opened it, Caitlin smiled and gave me a hug.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as she walked in. I closed the door behind her.

“Love you, too, bestfriend,” she replied. “I don’t know. I was bored at home, and I just wanted to get out of there.”

I nodded. She always came over when she was tired of her crazy household, but she usually called first. I walked back into the kitchen, and she followed me, sitting down at the table.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, opening the fridge. I grabbed the cream cheese but left the door open so she could look inside.

“No, I’m okay.” I closed the door, then took my bagel and cream cheese over to the table. I sat down beside her and started spreading the cream cheese on the bagel. “Em made me breakfast since I helped her with the gum in her hair.”

“That was nice of her,” I commented before taking a bite.

“Yeah, I know. I was surprised,” she said. “Hopefully she didn’t poison my eggs or anything like that.”

I laughed, but Caitlin just shook her head. According to her, Emily would do something nice for her and then a few days later, something would turn up missing or there’d be mustard in her shampoo bottle.

“But anyway,” she started, suddenly smiling brightly. “I have some greats news for you!”

“Spill it,” I said, excited.

“You know how Mia’s graduating this year, right?”

I nodded. Mia was one of friends from dance. She was a senior.

“Well, when she goes off to college, she won’t be able to student teach the class for the little girls anymore. So, she’s looking for someone to replace her and I thought you’d be perfect for it!”

I was smiling from ear-to-ear. That would be perfect! I could do what I love and help people at the same time.

“Ohmygod, I’d love to do that!” I put down my bagel and turned off the pot of coffee. I didn’t bother to pour a cup, just went into the foyer and grabbed a sweatshirt. I slipped my feet into some nearby flip flops, even though it was too cold for them. “Come on, Cait. We’re going to the studio!”

I was already in my silver Mazda by the time Caitlin closed the door behind her. I turned the car on as she slid into the passenger seat.

“Well, damn,” she said as I pulled out of our driveway. “I didn’t think you’d be this excited.”

I didn’t bother to respond, just drove. I pulled into a spot in the parking lot and quickly turned off the car and go out. Caitlin had to jog a little to keep up with me. The receptionist, Mary, waved to us as we walked in.

“Hey, Mary,” I said, approaching the desk. “Do you know if Mia’s here?”

“Yes, she is. She’s in room D.”

“Thanks!” I said before making my way down the hallway. When this place was built, it
was requested that they made four small studios, so four classes could go on at once. Caitlin and I walked to the second door on the right, room D.

I knocked, and someone called, “Come in!”

I opened the door, and Mia and Miss Elaine were sitting in the two chairs right beside the door. Caitlin and I entered the room, closing the door behind us.

Miss Elaine stood up. “Sophia, didn’t I tell you not to come to the studio this weekend?”

“Yes, but I’m not here to practice,” I said. Her eyebrows raised a little in surprise. “I’m here to talk to Mia.”

“To me?” Mia asked incredulously, standing up and standing beside Miss Elaine. “What’s up, Soph?”

“I heard you’re looking for a replacement for your classes. And I’m interested, very interested.”

“Seriously?” she asked, smiling. “I was going to ask you, but I know you’ve been busy with all your routines and everything. But I’d love for you to take my spot. I’d think you’d do great with the kids.”

I smiled at the compliment. Then I smiled even wider when I realized that I had just gotten a job.

“But you have to promise me one thing, Sophia,” Miss Elaine said.

“Anything.”

“Promise me you won’t stress out over this,” she requested. “And you’re not allowed to start your training with Mia until after the recital. I think that’d be best for your nerves.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, unable to stop smiling. “I promise I won’t stress out over this. I’ll stay calm, cool, and collected.”

“Then congratulations on your new job.” She smiled and gave me a quick hug.

I hugged Mia, too, then Caitlin and I left the room. As we walked into the lobby, we waved goodbye to Mary. Once we were outside, we both stopped. We grinned at each other, then started jumping up and down and dancing.

“I just got a job! I just got a job!” I repeated, over and over again.

“You just got a job! You just got a job!” she said.

We would’ve continued our chants, but a couple was walking up the sidewalk with a little girl. She looked at us with her eyebrows furrowed. I could only imagine how strange we looked to them. We apologized for being in the way, then quickly got into my car and continued our chant, ignoring the strange looks we received from people.

“I can’t wait to tell-” I started but quickly caught myself.

Clearly, I was too late. Caitlin was already wiggling her eyebrows and smirking. “Can’t wait to tell who? Tyler?”

I turned on the car and checked to make sure no one was coming before I pulled out. Caitlin was still grinning; I could feel her eyes on me. I tried my best not to smile.

“In like already, huh?”

My lips betrayed me, and the corners of my mouth turned up against my will. Caitlin let out a small yelp, just as she had after I talked to Tyler for the first time. She grabbed my arm and squeezed it gently.

“I’m trying to drive, Cait!” I said, laughing as I lightly pushed her away.

“Sorry, I’m just so happy!” she gushed. “But it’s okay. I won’t tell anyone that Miss Ballerina is in like with Mister Bad Boy, not even him. I’ll leave that up to you.”

I groaned, and Caitlin giggled.