Tutus & Cowboy Boots (Part 2) (8 page)

“It’s a surprise,” I say as Ms. Mae and
Regina approach.

“Everything okay this morning?” Ms. Mae
asks.

“Yes, ma’am. Took me a little longer to get
everything finished up this morning. Is it okay if Cadence goes to
lunch with me today?”

Ms. Mae looks at Cadence then Regina. “What
do you think?”

“That’s fine with me,” Regina approves.
Cadence gives them a hug then we walk toward my truck and meet
Jade.

She excuses herself to go with Aaron, and as
much as I love hanging out with my sister, I’m so glad she’s not
with us. I have wanted to take Cadence to the Buckle store at the
Hickory mall since she bought Jade those Miss Me Jeans. I can’t
wait to see the look on her face when we walk in, but first, we’ve
got to eat. I’m trying to decide where to take her when Cadence
speaks up.

“I want Mexican.”

“Like official or Taco Bell?” I
question.

“Taco Bell is not Mexican! That’s
Ameri-Mexican,” she says as she turns up her nose. “But seriously,
I could handle an upscale one like Moe’s.”

“Gotcha covered,” I say, knowing there’s one
near the mall.

During lunch, I am surprised to see Cadence
eat over half of her nachos before even looking up. She finally
looks up to see me staring and offers me a bite.

“Oh, did you want a bite?”

“Nah, you look like you are enjoying
them.”

“Oh my gosh, all the extra practice for
regionals is making me so hungry.”

“Well, I’m happy to see you enjoying
yourself.”

“Thanks, Barrick. I really needed this time
away.”

“You’re welcome. Now you ready to do some
shopping?”

“Always!”

When we enter the mall, she wants to stop at
all of these high-end stores, but I tell her we’re stopping at my
store first. I really need a new pair of jeans.

Cadence’s eyes grow wide as we walk into the
store. She pauses and looks at me as a salesperson walks our
way.

“Welcome to Buckle. How can I help you
today?”

“I’m looking for a new pair of these,” I
say, motioning toward my jeans.

“No problem,” she says as she walks to a
table and pulls off a pair in exactly my size. I have no idea how
they do that. Cadence still has a shocked look on her face.

“First time here?” the saleswoman asks.
“Hold on, I’ll be right back with something for you.” She returns
with a pair of black skinny jeans, a sequined top, a jacket, ankle
boots and even a necklace. I look at Cadence, who is
speechless.

“Thanks,” I tell her as she opens a dressing
room for Cadence.

“Wow, I think she might be better than the
girls in the New York boutiques. She picked out some great stuff,”
Cadence says.

“I just thought they had some sort of
fashion superpower,” I say. She laughs and grabs a few more items
before going into the dressing room.

I don’t bother trying on my
jeans or shirt because I know they will fit. I wait outside the
dressing room for Cadence, and when she opens the door, I’m
floored. She is smoking hot and the outfit screams
Cadence
but not the
hoity-toity Cadence. I’m amazed by the changes I’m seeing in her
and the outfit justcompletes her.

As we walk to the register, I start to take
her items, but she shakes her head. “I didn’t find anything for you
at home so this is my treat.” I won’t let her pay and when she
realizes she’s not winning this battle, she turns to walk away and
I have no idea what she’s doing. Once I finish paying, I see her
standing there with another pair of jeans and a different shirt.
It’s sort of my style, but has a Cadence twist. I shake my head;
there’s no winning with her.

After we finish paying, we stop to look at
the boots. For kicks, I pick up a pair of awful-looking boots to
see what she says. She shakes her head and we laugh for the next
ten minutes as I pick pair after pair of ridiculous choices. She
stops laughing when she picks up another pair and examines the
design.

“You like those?” I ask her.

“They’re okay. I mean, I don’t wear cowboy
boots, but the intricate detail and the worn look of the leather is
amazing. How do they do that?” she asks.

“I have no clue, but I can tell you that
they are a lot more comfortable than you think. You’ll just have to
see for yourself one day.” She shakes her shoulders and places them
back on the table as we make our way out of the store. Today has
been amazing, but I know that come tomorrow morning, I’ll have to
share her with the cows, school, and dance.

Chapter 12

Cadence

This week has been insane getting ready for
regionals. I’ve spoken to Barrick for ten minutes all week and had
a few late night text sessions. Daisy is getting close to delivery,
and I’ve been watching her as much as I can.

Thursday evening Barrick picks me up from
the studio and we stop for a Blizzard at Dairy Queen before going
home. He told me I must have one as a treat for busting my ass for
the past two months. As he drives me home, I tell him I’ll see him
tomorrow around lunch when I get out early for the competition. He
walks me to the front door and gives me a good luck kiss before
saying goodbye. I wish I could stay in his arms all night. I don’t
want him to leave but I have to get a good night’s sleep for the
competition.

When I walk in, Mom and Gran are in the
kitchen talking about tomorrow. I take a seat at the table and Mom
asks for the time sheet from Ms. Lyndsay to see when we need to
arrive. She is going to work from home tomorrow so she’ll be ready
to go when I get home. Gran is going with us, and I know Barrick
will be here to take care of the farm.

As I go to my room to call it a night, I’m
shocked when my phone rings. Looking down I can’t believe it’s
Lauren.

“Hello?” I say hesitantly.

“Hey Cade! How are you?” she says as if
nothing has happened.

“I’m good. How about yourself?”

“Great! I got into NYU!” she squeals. “Have
you got any calls yet?” I shudder.

“Not yet. I’ve applied to a few schools, and
I’m hoping that I’ll get noticed at competition,” I state, trying
to keep my voice upbeat.

“Oh my gosh! I almost forgot to say good
luck tomorrow!” she says and I wonder how she even knew.

“Thanks, but how did you know?” I ask.

“Seriously? Cade, I’m your
best friend. I know these things,” she says and I let out a
laugh.
Best friend?
I was pretty sure the moment I left New York she was never
going to call me again. It’s good to know she has been thinking
about me.

“I can’t believe you remembered!”

“Well, I’ve had it marked on my calendar
since you told me before Christmas. So tell me, how do you
feel?”

“I think we’ve got this. We’ve increased our
difficulty level, and I discovered the heart that I’d been
missing.”

“Heart?”

“Yeah. You know how we dance no matter what
emotion we are going through?”

“Yup.”

“I actually came home early
because Dad and
Barbie
dropped some big news on me. It’s a long story and I don’t
want to talk about it, but when I came home Barrick picked me up
and made me feel better. Lauren, Barrick is what I’ve been missing.
Barrick gives me all of the feels I need to add heart to my
performance.”

She’s quiet. “Are you serious?” she says in
a snarky tone.

“Like a heart attack!” I state.

“Who says that?” I giggle knowing that’s
exactly how I reacted the first time I heard that comment.

“Nevermind, I know you don’t understand and
it’s okay. I’ve decided to live my life how I want to. You should
come visit. Who knows, you might find a good ole country boy too,”
I say with a smile.

“I think I’ll pass. So this is the new
Cadence? You were acting differently when you were here.”

“
No, I’m still Cadence, but I’ve realized life
isn’t about possessions. It’s about the relationships. Especially
the ones that stand beside you when life doesn’t go as planned.
Lauren, you know I love you, but you weren’t there when I needed
you most. I value our friendship, but I’ve realized people
change.”

“Damn, why don’t you tell me how you really
feel,” she says and I know she’s hurt, but maybe she’ll understand
it this time.

“Lauren, you’ve been my friend since I can
remember, but until you realize life is more than a pair of Jimmy
Choos you’re not really living.”

She doesn’t speak for a few moments.
“Cadence, look, I know the move has been hard on you and the stuff
with your dad has been rough. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you but
I like my life the way it is. I still want to be your friend and
keep in touch because I miss you, just don’t expect me to love all
that country stuff like you do now.”

I miss her too, but I don’t know what it’s
going to be like going forward. “I miss you too. Thanks for calling
to tell me about NYU, and good luck. I’ll text you after our
competition this weekend.”

“You better! I’ll talk to you soon.” We
disconnect and it feels good to know we’re on good terms, but I
know we’ll never be as close as we once were.

Chapter 13

Cadence

I wake up the next morning
excited and hurry to the barn to start my chores. I check on Daisy
and tell her I’ll be away this weekend and ask her if she can hold
off having the calf until I’m back home. She moos and I know she’ll
try her best.
As if she can stop
nature
. After all the cows are fed, I walk
out of the barn and see Barrick pulling up in his truck. He’s
smiling from ear to ear when he gets out and I can’t hold back, I
run to him and hug him. As he spins me around, I feel my heart
soar.

As he puts me down, I wrap my arms around
his neck. “Morning,” I say.

“Mornin’ beautiful. You ready for this
afternoon?”

“Hell yes I am. How was Jade this
morning?”

“A dancing ball of nerves.” I must make a
face because he quickly explains. “On competition day she always
dances the moment her feet hit the floor. Every year it never
changes. It’s a way for her to get the nerves out.”

“What’s going to happen when she gets to
school?”

“Oh she’ll do leaps down the hall,” he
states flatly. Before I can say anything he continues. “I’m
kidding. She’ll get it together by then,” he says with a laugh and
I hear Mom calling from the house.

“I guess I better get ready for school,” I
say.

“No worries, I’ll be here when you get home
at lunch,” he says as he kisses my forehead and I walk toward the
house.

The morning drags on but when I finally hear
the lunch bell, I’m out the school doors and on a mission. I’m
ready to take this competition and bring home a crystal. I crank up
the music in my Range Rover and jam out as I make my way to the
farm. Pulling in, I’m shocked to see that Barrick’s truck isn’t
there. I thought he said he’d be here. That’s a bummer.

As I walk toward the house, I send him a
text but don’t get a reply. I eat lunch, pull my hair into a bun,
apply my makeup and fake eyelashes, and double check my dance bag
before we load up the Suburban. When we are on the road, I text
Jade to see if she’s heard from Barrick, and she tells me she
hasn’t. As much as I would have loved to see him before I left, I
can’t let it distract me. I put my ear buds in and focus on what’s
about to happen. Jade and I are about to have a flawless
performance.

Arriving at the convention
center, I make my way up the stairs to the open room. I shake my
head at the makeshift dressing room. Jade is there and already in
her costume stretching. I quickly take the costume from my rolling
rack and slide it on. Then I take my headpiece and look for a
mirror. It’s amazing how the
saturated
black cherry sequin lace forms the sleeves and adorns the leotard
while the black shorts, with a cherry side bustle, give just enough
pop. Taking the black and red feather headpiece, I place it tightly
into my side bun
then begin to stretch with
Jade.

“You ready?” she asks.

“You know it,” I state with confidence as
Ms. Lyndsay appears and takes us to an area outside to rehearse
once more. She tells us to have fun, smile, and give it everything
we have. When we finish, we walk to the auditorium and make our way
backstage. After watching two performances from the side of the
stage, it’s our turn. I take a deep breath as we are called.

“Taking the stage is number
sixty-five, “Beautiful Friends”
.

As Jade and I take our places, we glance at
each other and get into our starting positions. As the cello begins
to play through the speakers, we begin to move in tune with each
other. I can feel the beat beginning to change as the music
switches from a single instrument to an entire rock orchestra and
our movements shift into straight contemporary. I don’t focus on
anything but the music and as the music shifts yet again, Jade and
I break into different cadences ending at opposite ends of the
stage.

When I glance in Jade’s direction, we both
exhale and smile. We know we nailed it when we hear the applause
from the crowd as we exit the stage.

“Oh my gosh! We were on point!” I say as I
hug Jade.

“Girl! That was amazing! You should have
seen the crowd. It was obvious they were expecting a ballet
number.”

“Well, that was definitely not ballet,” I
say as Ms. Lyndsay approaches us.

“I’m so proud of both of you. Cadence, I
didn’t want to tell you before but there’s a recruiter here today.
She liked you a lot.” My eyes go wide as a lady in a trendy outfit
appears from the side.

“Hi Cadence, I’m Natalie James from Boston
Conservatory. You have something special. What are your plans after
graduation?”