Sequel: I Won't Give Up ›
A Blend of Fear & Passion
Greg
Before we knew it, the school year was coming to an end. A lot of the newbies put their passion to the test, but some still were faltering. Standing in front of the thirty students in my room, Dawson standing next to me, I said, "It's only been a few months since a few of you first walked through my door. For all the newbies, you really put everything on the line, and you've come far. A couple of you, though, didn't seem to really push yourselves."
I stared at the faces of every single one of my students. "I was planning on kicking you two out of my room and possibly out of this school, but thanks to Mr. Andrews here, I was made to consider teaching you over the summer, to really show you what you can really do." I saw the faces of the newbies relax a bit. "So, for the entire summer, the two who will be working with Mr. Andrews and myself are Ginny Reynolds and Wil Mitchell. The rest of you are free to enjoy your summer at home, but remember, don't go for too much time not pushing yourselves. Next year won't be as easy."
Wil and Ginny both stayed after when the rest of the class left, looking worried. "Mr. Phillips?" I heard Ginny say, causing me to look up from my clipboard and into her eyes. "I don't know if I will have a way to get to and from school every day. My parents are going out of the country for the summer and I don't drive. Plus, I'm living five miles out."
"Run it, then," I said, shrugging my shoulders. She looked at me with a look of defeat.
"Run it? I can barely walk after your classes," she said, looking as if she were about to cry. Placing my clipboard on my bag, I sat on my stool and looked at her as I crossed my arms.
"Listen, as you know from this school year, I make my students bust their ass. Why? Not because I have some hatred in me against them, but because each and every single one of them has something to prove to someone. Mostly, though, they have to prove it to themselves." I watched as she nodded her head, tears running down her face. "Mr. Andrews will come by your house and help get you to the point where you'll be running more than a measly five miles. And your dancing with improve much more by the start of next year."
I gripped her shoulders for a moment, causing her to look at me. "Here's something I learned growing up in the field of dance: Find something that hurts you -- whether its something sad, angry, frustrating, or whatever -- grab it, and make it burn in you. Use that as fuel to get you from Point A to Point B. Use that as a stepping stone."
Nodding, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the room, a look of determination set in her eyes. Glancing over at Mr. Mitchell, I raised an eyebrow. "What can I do for you?" I asked, causing him to shift uneasily. "Come on, man. I haven't got all day," I said, snapping my fingers. Letting out a deep sigh, he finally spoke.
"I don't think I can stay for the summer, or for the rest of the year," he said, looking at me with saddened eyes. "My father passed away last month, and a lot of the money we had saved went to his funeral. There won't be money for me to come for another year."
I stared at Wil for a long moment before answering him. "I saw some great potential in you. You have within you the ability to be as good as those on the big stage. I will see what I can do to help keep you on board. More than anything, I hate seeing someone with so much in them get shoved back down and forced to make a whole life change in such a small amount of time." Wil looked at me with a small amount of hope, but I could see the fear of not getting far in life. "I still want you in this room over the summer. At least get some more training in if anything." He nodded, sticking his hand out. I stared at it for a long moment before grasping it. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Six AM."
Wil ran out the door, seeming only slightly powered, but I still saw the slight determination in his eyes. "I never thought he'd leave!" Dawson said, walking into the room and flopping down on the mats. I stared at him with a stern expression, my eyes seeming to yell at him. "Don't give me that look, you piece of shit!" he yelled, standing up and tackling me to the ground. I grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to the mats, holding him down with every fiber of my being.
My hair fell forward a bit, seeing how I haven't cut it in a few months. I then stood up, grabbed the remote for the stereo, and turned on the music. "Let's see how well you keep up!"
"Dude, if I were keeping up with you, I'd be slowing down my pace!" Dawson retorted as we started circling each other. Finding the fire within the music, I let it take me over. I watched Dawson's eyes keep a steady gaze on me as I came to stop. He found the fire within him, and for the first time in three years, he showed me the true depth of his being.
What shocked me most, though, was the fact that I wasn't scared, but I was starting to see in him the type of person I would want to be. I saw my fears and anger intensified in him, burning through him with such heat that nothing seem real. Before I could stop myself, I took this one person dance to a two person tango, and in the midst of it all, I found my true self.
I stared at the faces of every single one of my students. "I was planning on kicking you two out of my room and possibly out of this school, but thanks to Mr. Andrews here, I was made to consider teaching you over the summer, to really show you what you can really do." I saw the faces of the newbies relax a bit. "So, for the entire summer, the two who will be working with Mr. Andrews and myself are Ginny Reynolds and Wil Mitchell. The rest of you are free to enjoy your summer at home, but remember, don't go for too much time not pushing yourselves. Next year won't be as easy."
Wil and Ginny both stayed after when the rest of the class left, looking worried. "Mr. Phillips?" I heard Ginny say, causing me to look up from my clipboard and into her eyes. "I don't know if I will have a way to get to and from school every day. My parents are going out of the country for the summer and I don't drive. Plus, I'm living five miles out."
"Run it, then," I said, shrugging my shoulders. She looked at me with a look of defeat.
"Run it? I can barely walk after your classes," she said, looking as if she were about to cry. Placing my clipboard on my bag, I sat on my stool and looked at her as I crossed my arms.
"Listen, as you know from this school year, I make my students bust their ass. Why? Not because I have some hatred in me against them, but because each and every single one of them has something to prove to someone. Mostly, though, they have to prove it to themselves." I watched as she nodded her head, tears running down her face. "Mr. Andrews will come by your house and help get you to the point where you'll be running more than a measly five miles. And your dancing with improve much more by the start of next year."
I gripped her shoulders for a moment, causing her to look at me. "Here's something I learned growing up in the field of dance: Find something that hurts you -- whether its something sad, angry, frustrating, or whatever -- grab it, and make it burn in you. Use that as fuel to get you from Point A to Point B. Use that as a stepping stone."
Nodding, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the room, a look of determination set in her eyes. Glancing over at Mr. Mitchell, I raised an eyebrow. "What can I do for you?" I asked, causing him to shift uneasily. "Come on, man. I haven't got all day," I said, snapping my fingers. Letting out a deep sigh, he finally spoke.
"I don't think I can stay for the summer, or for the rest of the year," he said, looking at me with saddened eyes. "My father passed away last month, and a lot of the money we had saved went to his funeral. There won't be money for me to come for another year."
I stared at Wil for a long moment before answering him. "I saw some great potential in you. You have within you the ability to be as good as those on the big stage. I will see what I can do to help keep you on board. More than anything, I hate seeing someone with so much in them get shoved back down and forced to make a whole life change in such a small amount of time." Wil looked at me with a small amount of hope, but I could see the fear of not getting far in life. "I still want you in this room over the summer. At least get some more training in if anything." He nodded, sticking his hand out. I stared at it for a long moment before grasping it. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Six AM."
Wil ran out the door, seeming only slightly powered, but I still saw the slight determination in his eyes. "I never thought he'd leave!" Dawson said, walking into the room and flopping down on the mats. I stared at him with a stern expression, my eyes seeming to yell at him. "Don't give me that look, you piece of shit!" he yelled, standing up and tackling me to the ground. I grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to the mats, holding him down with every fiber of my being.
My hair fell forward a bit, seeing how I haven't cut it in a few months. I then stood up, grabbed the remote for the stereo, and turned on the music. "Let's see how well you keep up!"
"Dude, if I were keeping up with you, I'd be slowing down my pace!" Dawson retorted as we started circling each other. Finding the fire within the music, I let it take me over. I watched Dawson's eyes keep a steady gaze on me as I came to stop. He found the fire within him, and for the first time in three years, he showed me the true depth of his being.
What shocked me most, though, was the fact that I wasn't scared, but I was starting to see in him the type of person I would want to be. I saw my fears and anger intensified in him, burning through him with such heat that nothing seem real. Before I could stop myself, I took this one person dance to a two person tango, and in the midst of it all, I found my true self.