Breaking Pointe (3 page)

Mietta was doing sprints when I arrived at athletics training on Thursday afternoon. I felt bad for her. Because she'd got fifth she was the official substitute if any of us had to pull out of the school carnival. She didn't
have
to come to training, if she didn't want to. But she'd shown up at every one.

I dumped my bag by the side of the oval and stretched my hands over my head. My youngest brother, Heath, was also on the
team. Except for the long distance runs, he was in every event for his age group. He was hanging out over near the shot-put, showing off.

Heath saw me looking and made a face. I rolled my eyes and kept stretching. Heath's in Year Six, so next year he'll move over to the high school campus. I say to him that will be the best moment of my life, but truthfully, I'll miss seeing him around.

My school, St Vitus Shaw College, is private, and it has a reputation for being stuck-up. I'll be the first to admit there are heaps of snobs in it. A lot of girls from Dance Art Academy go here – including Indianna and Daisy, who Ashley warned me about from when she used to go to Dance Art.

Mietta sprinted to the finish line, where she collapsed and rolled over onto the grass, looking up at the sky.

I love the feeling of excitement, calm and relief, after a race. It's like that moment before you go on stage, when the music starts and you can feel it pushing you into performance mode.

‘Everyone knows that you're meant to keep walking around after you finish a sprint,' said a voice to my left.

It was Indianna, who was on the relay team. She'd got third.

‘Her muscles will get shocked by lying down and they'll cramp. Why is she even here?' Indianna looked over. ‘Oh, hi Riley.'

I gave her a smile that was only the corners of my mouth turned up, and I headed over to the sandpits to practise my jumps.

It sounds silly when you think that long jump and triple jump are competitions based around jumping into a pit of sand. Normally
sand in my shoes is something I would avoid at all costs!

But I loved the jumping events, and my strong dancer's legs sure helped. Mr Waters, the head PE teacher, came over for a while to help me and a few others with our run-ups and our landing technique. Then he left to go tell off Heath because he was digging up the oval with the javelins.

Mietta appeared while I was still practising my jumps.

‘You want me to help?' she asked, picking up the rake and nodding at the sandpit dotted with my footprints.

‘Sure, if you want,' I said. ‘How were the sprints?'

‘Okay,' she said.

‘It would be good if Indianna dropped out and you took her place,' I said. ‘You're faster than her anyway.'

‘Yeah, well, it's my fault for tripping over at the start,' Mietta said, pushing the sand around the pit.

‘Stuff like that happens all the time,' I said. ‘A few years ago – in my first athletics competition, actually – I tripped over the second hurdle and messed up the two girls next to me. You know those baby hurdles. They aren't even that high!'

‘I know,' sighed Mietta. ‘I just really wanted to make the team. Maybe next year.'

‘Maybe,' I said.

‘You're so lucky to be good at everything,' she said quietly.

I didn't know what to say to her then, so I did a couple of jumps and she raked the sand smooth every time I landed. It was weird because I knew that she'd come over with some kind of hope that I'd make her feel better. But it wasn't like we were really good friends or
anything. I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

‘Hey,' I finally said. ‘You're really talented. It won't be long until another opportunity comes up.'

Mietta gave me a small smile and we left it at that.

Besides, I had my own problems.

Ms McGlone's face was like the worst storm you've ever seen. Not what I wanted to encounter on a Friday afternoon. Especially not at an extra ballet eisteddfod rehearsal.

‘You missed technique class yesterday,' she said. ‘With a comp coming up, that must not happen.'

Geez. I'd only just walked in the room. Lucky no one else was around or I would have got really embarrassed.

‘I had athletics training,' I said. ‘I'm on the school team.'

‘You have a lead role in the ballet recital, Riley,' Ms McGlone said.

‘I know that,' I said, ‘but I often miss aths training to come to dance class, too.'

‘Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure,' said Ms McGlone.

‘I can't help it,' I said, looking away.

‘Miss Caroline also mentioned that you were late to jazz class the other day,' Ms McGlone went on.

‘I had basketball training,' I said. ‘We're in the grand final.'

I tightened my jaw because I felt really ganged-up on, like I might cry or something. So to make sure I didn't, I got mean instead. ‘It's not very nice to talk about me behind my back.'

I wasn't looking at her directly, but I sensed that Ms McGlone's face changed.

‘Riley,' she said, ‘that is not what we're doing.'

‘Yeah okay,' I said, shifting from foot to foot.

A few girls were entering the room and I didn't want to look like the naughty kid being told off in the corner.

‘Now, your lead role is very well deserved,' Ms McGlone said, ‘but you can't miss classes here and there when you feel like it.'

‘I didn't do it on purpose,' I said. ‘I have other commitments. I just forgot.'

It was half-true.

‘Be that as it may,' said Ms McGlone, ‘perhaps you need to choose one thing to focus on. If you keep this up, we'll have to pull you out of the dance. And to do your end-of-year exams, you have to meet the performance quantity. You need to decide what is important. Do you understand?'

I shrugged. I hate when people ask me if I understand. Of course I do, I've been standing here for five minutes listening!

‘That will be all, then,' she said. ‘You let me know what you want to do.' She paused. ‘Or if you need to talk about anything.'

‘Okay,' I said, and walked to the corner of the room furthest away from her.

Paige came in soon after, picking a wedgie as per usual because her mum always buys leotards that are too tight.

‘Hi Riley,' she said.

‘Hi,' I mumbled.

‘Are you okay?' she asked.

‘Yeah,' I said, looking at the floor.

‘Well, all right,' she said. ‘But I have a jar of snakes in the dressing room if you need some energy!'

Snakes are our thing. Either me, Ellie, Ash or Paige will always have some lollies to
share before class. Snakes are our favourite, although Ellie thinks it's a crime that hardly any brands make them in pink.

‘We have a few minutes till class starts,' Paige said. ‘Go on. They're in my bag.'

‘Thanks, Paige,' I said and dashed out.

Once I was out of the studio my shoulders loosened up, as I bet Paige knew they would.

The dressing room was empty and I rummaged around in her bag, grabbed a handful of snakes, and sat down on the old velvet couch to eat them.

I was in a real mess. And I was tired. There was only so much energy the snakes could give me!

I was confused about doing the right thing. What was the right thing? All I knew was that I didn't want to slack off at athletics, basketball or dancing, or disappoint anyone.
If Ms McGlone thought missing one technique class was going to affect my dancing, she was wrong.

I never let anyone down.

Fondu
,
fondu
,
fondu
.

Lengthen that arabesque.

Awful
penché
– too sloppy.

More height, Riley, extend your turn-out, soften your arms at the elbow, cover more ground when you travel, lock the knee in
pas de chat,
come out of the jump and through, no no, you sounded like an elephant that time, land on the balls of your feet!

No, that wasn't Ms McGlone yelling at me. That was what was going through my head.

I hadn't done very well at the last rehearsal. At one point I'd even forgotten the leaping sequence I had to do with Jasmine and she'd taken off across the floor while I stood stuck to the spot, getting in the way of the other girls.

Embarrassing.

So I was practising now, while everyone was gone, and the studio was almost dark. I had the music down really low so no one could hear me.

I didn't want anyone to know I was here. They might think I wasn't up to playing a lead role in the ballet eisteddfod. Though I probably wouldn't get in trouble for being in the studio by myself, and if I'd asked I'm sure Miss Caroline would have let me.

Also, I'd kind of taken the CD from the music room, which was off limits to students.

That had been exciting, sneaking through the old church Silver Shoes had been built from. But now it was down to business, and I'd been practising flat out for the past hour.

Things were getting sweaty.

I paused to take a drink from my water bottle. I could hear music coming from the studio out the back of the church.

It was a nice feeling, knowing I wasn't alone. Plus I knew it was Paige and Benji back there. Their ballroom rehearsals were the worst-kept secret in the world.

Paige would rather be at home watching
Dance Academy
or something, but her mum makes her do practically every genre known to dance. She's a bit like me, except that while I'm rushing around trying to go from sport to dance, she's just dance, dance, dance.

Sometimes I wonder if Paige enjoys it at all.

I walked into the middle of the floor and took up second position, ready to go over the Fire Maiden's entrance once again.

Toes hurt, legs hurt, brain hurts, eyes hurt, stomach hurts (it's near dinnertime, and I've been dancing for three hours). Never mind. Do it again.

And then the door to the studio opened and someone poked their head in.

I froze, like that might make me invisible. I watched the head in the doorway take in the scene before a whole body stepped into the studio.

‘Smiley Riley,' Jay said. ‘What are you doing here in the dark, kiddo?'

‘Just practising,' I said, ‘No one said I couldn't.'

‘That's cool,' said Jay. He grinned. ‘Bet no one said you could either, did they?'

‘I'll leave if you want,' I said. ‘I was just going over some steps from ballet.'

‘Nah, that's okay,' said Jay. ‘I'll keep it on the down-low.' He switched his high-tops to the other hand and pretended to look for me even though I was standing right in front of him. ‘Heard of lights?' he teased.

‘Heard of wearing your shoes on your feet, like you're meant to?' I said.

‘They're new,' he said. ‘Giving me mad blisters.'

I could relate. Each of my feet was covered in about twenty.

‘Did you have a class tonight?' I asked.

‘Yep,' he said. ‘Had the junior boys' crew. Just finished up. Good stuff.' He swung the high-tops from his hand. ‘I thought your rehearsal finished over an hour ago. You been here since?'

‘Yes,' I said.

‘You don't wanna go home? I heard your stomach rumbling from the hallway.'

‘Did not,' I said, although it wouldn't have surprised me.

‘Anything up?' he asked.

It was so dark I could barely see his face, but I caught the brim of his cap flash towards me.

‘The roof,' I said.

‘Anything up with
you
?' Jay asked. ‘Or do you just love dancing so much you want to be here all the time?' He paused. ‘Oh no, you're not turning into Ellie, are you?'

‘Haha,' I said. But it did make me giggle.

‘No,' Jay mused. ‘You're not wearing enough pink. Go home, Riles. Pester that big brother Fergus of yours to make you some dinner. Tell him I demanded it!'

‘Fergus can't even make baked beans,' I said. ‘He put the can in the microwave and almost blew it up.'

‘Sounds about right,' said Jay. ‘But seriously, go. I have to lock up the studio, and you need a break.'

I sighed, too tired to argue. ‘Okay.'

‘Your mum's waiting?' Jay asked, going to turn the music off.

‘Yeah, she's just down the street at Nola's,' I said.

‘Cool, cool,' said Jay. He handed over my dance bag and gave my hair a messy ruffle. ‘All right. Go rest up. Your mind and your body, you know what I'm saying?'

‘I never know what you're saying,' I said.

‘You'd be surprised at how well that works for me,' said Jay. ‘You come and talk to me if you need to, okay, Riles?'

‘I'm fine,' I said. ‘See ya later.'

But I wasn't. I was so tired I felt like I needed a whole supermarket of jelly snakes.

And to wake up tomorrow with my decisions made for me.