Dancer at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

might still be in the CD player. My legs were suddenly itching to dance.
    â€œOkay,” I said quietly, feeling that any louder might break the spell.
    Sasha’s eyes did their own little dance. “Come on, then.”
    A few moments later, I was moving to the music that we’d just used in gym club, only now it wasn’t a cool-down exercise, it was ballet. I was trying out the steps I’d seen Abi and Olivia dancing the day before, then breaking into my own choreography that I’d worked out. They didn’t quite match the music in the same way, but it still worked.
    Sasha had turned the volume up high. She insisted that no one would be able to hear, since there was no one around anyway, and I was grateful to her because she’d made me relax for the first time in a long time, and it felt good to have Sasha closer to my secret private world. Not so lonely any more.
    Then just when I was doing an échappé sauté, I felt that icy feeling and I knew without looking that Sasha wasn’t the only one watching me. I could see that she was standing tensely and her eyes were big with alarm, so I stopped abruptly and my own eyes flew to the window. There was no one there and I wondered for a second if I was mistaken, but then I remembered the little window, the one I’d used myself only the day before. Of course, I couldn’t see properly, so I immediately turned to Sasha and noticed how pink her cheeks were.
    â€œIs there someone watching me? Why do you look so embarrassed?”
    She bit her lip, and her eyes did the smallest of darts towards the door. A second later the door opened and in came Kate with Miss Morgan. I stared at them, not knowing what to say or do.
    â€œSorry, Iz,” said Sasha faintly, staring at the floor.
    â€œYou mean…you…knew they were watching?” I managed to stutter.
    She didn’t reply, because Miss Morgan was talking hurriedly. “Izzy, I don’t think you did yourself justice the other day, you know. You’re really very, very talented.”
    Suddenly I felt completely trapped, with nowhere to go. Even Sasha had been a traitor. My throat seemed to be closing and I knew I was going to cry. And then I did. I couldn’t help it.
    Kate came rushing across to me and put her arm round my shoulder. “Hey! What’s all this? You’re great. I just had to tell Miss Morgan to come to you , as you wouldn’t come to her .” She patted my arm, then let her hand drop, but she was trying to get me to look at her and I felt pathetic and babyish.
    â€œLook, Izzy,” Miss Morgan cut in. “I know you get very nervous about dancing in front of people, but you shouldn’t, you know. You should be proud of yourself, with all this talent. You really are…exceptional.”
    Was I? Did she mean it? The words were starting to feel as though I ought to be believing them, but how could I? If it was true that I was exceptional then I would have got into The Royal Ballet School, wouldn’t I? The path that led to my dream coming true.
    Miss Morgan was looking at me gravely. “I really would like it if you’d agree to help out the senior ballet club, Izzy, because it looks as though Abi’s strain is something more than that, and I’ve just seen how much of their dance you seem to have absorbed. It’s incredible. I know you’re good enough to join the group and the girls will be delighted. Really.”
    â€œEspecially me!” said Kate. “Say you’ll do it, Izzy. Please!”
    I looked at Sasha. She was silent. No wonder. She must have still been feeling embarrassed. But that was nothing compared to what I was feeling, because something really awful had occurred to me. Maybe it wasn’t just that Sasha knew I was being watched. Maybe it was worse than that, and she’d set me up deliberately. I just hoped and prayed that she hadn’t. Best friends don’t do that to each