Dance Colors Our Life and Makes It Bright Again

"Go to hell you ugly bitch." I hear his voice say. I look up at my father. He towers over me like a skyscraper to a tree and starts walking towards me. It doesn't take me long to realize he's actually trying to kill me. I start to run but I go nowhere. It's as if an invisible treadmill appears from underneath me. I'm trapped.

I keep trying as hard as I can but my dad's two steps away from his goal. Out of options, I try to call out to Taylor and Ethan. And as I do I awake.

My voice is below a whisper and I'm straining to be heard, but to no avail. I try to move but I can't and my skin pricks at the realization of what's going on.

Sleep Paralysis.

I've been suffering from this for years. It'd happen anywhere from two or three times a night to twice a week. It'd started slowing down since then, occurring less often like once or twice ever to weeks to a month but now that my return to my parents house drew closer, it started happening again.

I lay in my bed struggling to get my limbs working when I think I hear something shuffling on the ground beside my bed.

My heart sinks. The worst part about sleep paralysis had always been the hallucinations. I frantically tried to move, but nothing was working. I closed my eyes and tried to keep my mind off of what was going on. When I opened the I thought I saw a shadow floating over my bed.

My heart was beating out of my chest. It'd be an understatement to say I was terrified but I knew I had to calm down. The sooner I did, the sooner my brain would wake up and then I'd be able to move again. I closed my eyes and concentrated on controlling my breathing. Within a few minutes the pressure lifted from my chest and I could move again. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and rolled back onto my stomach.

The clock on my bedside table read 4:38 am. I groaned. I don't care if I have to play sick but I'm not going to school today. I pull the blankets over my head and think about the snow and dance. Within minutes I was in restful sleep.

When I woke up a couple hours later, I'd told Ethan I wasn't feeling well. He'd allowed me to stay here while the two of them went to work and I fell back asleep almost immediately.

The next time I wake up, the clock reads four-thirty in the afternoon. I check my phone to see a bunch of messages. Three from the studio owner, two from Calliah, one from my sister and one from my brother.

I sat up and stretched my tired muscles and started reading the messages:

Gabby: Hey Dani, a couple of our chaperones for the Lock-In tonight cancelled. We go one volunteer and I wanted to know if you'd be interested.

Gabby: You eat/get in free since you work here

Gabby: Well give you an extra $50 for this week. Let me know --Gabby

Didn't give me a choice there, did ya Gabby,

Me:Yea, I'll work

I almost forgot about that lock-in. They were canceling classes so the students could bring friends and stay up all night and all that stuff.

I wanted to go but my brother literally hunted me down at school everyday just to beg me to come to his game since I had a day off. I got a Popsicle from the freezer and started nibbling on in as I sat on the couch and read the next message.

Cal: Are you coming tonight? Please come!!

Me: I'm going Cal, I'm chaperoning

The only messages left were from Taylor and Sam. I figure Tay just wanted to know how I was feeling so I quickly reply to her before calling my younger brother.

"Hello?" He says as I lounge on the couch. I perk up instantly. Sam and I were really close. Not just in age, him being 15 and me bring 19, but we just bond really well. He's my best friend and I'm his best chick friend. He usually comes to me with girl advice, and whenever he's sad or needs help on his homework. But he also tells me everything, and I mean everything. Lets just say I'm the only one who still has her virginity.

"Hey Sammy, how are ya?"

"I'm fine. Just sitting in the weight room. I'd go outside, but ya know."

"Yea the snow. So the game starts at 7 right?"

"Yea, you're coming?!" I could hear the excitement in his voice and couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course I'm coming! I wouldn't miss one of your games on my day off for the world."

"Awesome! So what's new?"

"What do you mean?"

"Taylor said something a guy or whatever." I hear him eating something and imagine it's probably Cheez-Its. The boy lives off those things.

"Ehh, that's nothing. Just this jerk I'm stuck with. Chase Fuller?

"Oh yea, I think I have PE with him. He's pretty cool."

"Sure he is... How's Jasey?"

"She's fine, she says hi actually"

"Well tell her I said hey next time you see her."

"I will."

"Anything new between you two? You haven't proposed yet?"

He scoffed and I giggled before sipping up the last piece of my Popsicle.

Jasey was Sam's girlfriend they've been dating for about 4 years. She's a sweetheart. She's a cheerleader, the only cheerleader I liked. She has long auburn hair and freckles sprinkled her pretty face. She 's tall? Almost as tall as me and almost as thin too.

"Nope, that hasn't quite happened yet."

"Well you might as well!" I throw the stick away and hop up onto the counter. I know he's rolling his eyes. I always tease him about how they should just get married. I mean, they've had a crush on each other since they were 3. "Well anyway, I have to chaperone this lock in tonight--"

"I thought you were coming to my game!"

"Let me finish! I'm going when the game is over. I wanted to ask if you wanna go."

"Sure! But I don't think I can stay all night cause Jasey has her state band competition tomorrow. And we have to be back at the school by 2"

"In the morning?!"

"Yup. Sucks right?"

"Yea, it does. I could nev.. Wait why are you going?"

"They need people to help lift the heavy stuff." I know he shrugs and I roll my eyes.

"I should've known." He chuckles into the phone.

"Yea you should've. Well hey, coach is calling for us to get dressed. So we'll talk more later."

"Okay."

"Start getting ready or something. It's already gonna take you like 2 hours to find an outfit and change and shit."

"You know what Sammy--"

"Love you bye!" And he hangs up.

"Dumb ass." I laugh to myself.

It's five o'clock so I go up to my room to get ready for the game an pack a pillow and a blanket for the lock-in

I stand in front of my mirror trying to choose what to wear but quickly decide on just a random sweater and a pair of jeans. It's winter. I'll be wearing a hat and coat either way.

The clock strikes six-fourty-five when I grab my keys and head out the door.

We end up winning the game 58-21
And apparently it was the regional championship so the team's supposed to move on to like state or something. Thanks for the heads up Sam.

After arriving late and sticking around for a couple hours, I excuse myself to drop off Sam back at the school and return in time for a round of Apples to Apples.

I politely ask to sit out and retire to the room where Tron: Legacy is playing on the monitor.

"Having fun?"

My phone nearly flips out of my hands. I hate when people sneak up on me.

"Wouldn't you like to know. "

"Oh give me a break. I haven't even done anything this time."

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"Volunteer hours."

"Chase, some people are trying to watch a movie."

"Fine, sorry."

We sit in silence for a couple minutes before I sigh and pull him with me out of the room.

"Did you want to talk?"

"Yes, I was actually kinda wondering if I could get to know you a little. If we're gonna hate each other, we should probably know a little bit about each other, right?"

I sit on the counter and he seats himself on the big office chair opposite me. I don't exactly know what to make of this since he's still being so confusing so I plan on just rolling with it.

"So what kinda music do you like?"

"Christian Rock I guess." He nods, taking note of my answer.

"Anything specific? Like any specific bands or singers or anything?"

"I really like Colton Dixon. I guess love would sorta be an understatement."

"Colton Dixon?! Do you really now?"

I'm not exactly sure if he's mocking but I choose to believe he's just genuinely interested. "Yea, why?"

"Nothing.. I like Punk rock. Y'know like Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, that kinda stuff."

"That's cool.. You ever been to a concert before?"

"Hell yea, like all the time. I actually just saw Green Day last weekend, if you've heard if them."

"Yea, I have. They're pretty good."

"Mhmm. You been to any concerts?"

"Nah, but I really want to. I heard Colton Dixon has a concert coming up sometime soon and I really wanna go." I shrug,"So what exactly is BMX?"

He gawks at me and I try my hardest not to laugh at his expression. "You're kidding right?" I shake my head. "BMX... I guess, it's.. You've seen like guys skateboard on half pipes or free skate, right?"

"Yea."

"It's like that, only I'm using a bike."

"Oh, that's kinda cool."

"Yea. I do some Moto stuff too. Like, I did Motocross when I was younger."

"So what do you practice for?"

"Just competitions. I wanna get to the X Games someday. That's my dream pretty much."

"Really? You should let me watch you skate someday."

He chuckles lightly as he spins himself. "Maybe. We'll see."

We keep talking about whatever subjects come to mind before turning in somewhere around 3 am.

Maybe Chase isn't so bad after all.