Dancer at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant Page A

other.
    But mixed in with all that hurt was my confusion. Miss Morgan and Kate were being so kind and complimentary, and Kate looked desperate for me to say yes. And suddenly I just didn’t have the energy to fight any longer.
    â€œOkay,” I managed, in scarcely more than a whisper.
    â€œYessss!” said Kate.
    And Miss Morgan took both my hands in hers and said, “Well done, Izzy. Come to the theatre tomorrow after school and we’ll try out some ideas.”

Chapter Eight

    I went to bed that night feeling miserable because of what had happened when Sasha and I had left the sports hall. Almost as soon as we were out of the door, something had suddenly clicked in my mind about her sock turning up in her skirt pocket. It couldn’t have got there on its own. No, it was definitely all part of a plan. Sasha needed to make sure we were last to leave the changing room. Why? Because she’d set me up. She’d given the game away when she’d said that Mrs. Truman wouldn’t be coming back as there was no senior gym club. How did Sasha know that unless she’d spoken to a senior? And of course, I knew now exactly who that senior was. Kate.
    It didn’t matter that Kate thought I was good. It didn’t even matter that Miss Morgan thought I was good. The Royal Ballet School didn’t. All that mattered was that I’d never get my dream. And Sasha shouldn’t have betrayed me. She shouldn’t.
    As I lay in bed, unable to sleep, I remembered how I’d rushed off down the corridor from the sports hall, calling sarcastically, “Thanks very much, Sasha. What a great friend you turned out to be!” and how Sasha had called after me in a voice that was nearly crying, “Yes, but, Izzy, I didn’t…” Only I’d never turned back to find out what she was going to say. And then I’d deliberately sat on my own in supper, and as far away as possible from her during prep. And even though she’d tried to get me to listen to her twice more before bedtime, I’d told her I didn’t feel like talking. So in the end, she’d had to give up. And that was when I realized how miserable I was. It was awful not being friends with Sasha, and it was also awful seeing the others watching us with big wondering eyes, as though they weren’t sure whether to interfere or not.
    I knew I’d been far too quick to get angry with Sasha, and lying in bed now, going through all that had happened, I knew really that she’d never want to hurt me. Whatever she’d planned with Kate, she probably thought it was for the best. So I made a resolution to say I was sorry first thing in the morning.
    But when the morning came I couldn’t do it, because something had changed overnight. Sasha must have given up on trying to apologize to me and wouldn’t even look at me. It was awful. I never knew how much I relied on her friendship until I didn’t have it.
    So all through the morning I had a miserable time, latching on to Emily and Bryony because Sasha seemed to be going round with Nicole and Antonia. There was an awkward and embarrassing atmosphere whenever all six of us were together, because the other four were trying to pretend that everything was normal and yet it so wasn’t .
    By lunchtime I felt sick with nerves about going to the rehearsal that evening in a theatre I’d never even seen before and having to dance in front of a group of seniors including Olivia and Maria. Then after lunch, I went back to Forest Ash to drop off some books I didn’t need for afternoon school and to collect a top that I thought would do for the ballet rehearsal, and also my tracky bums because I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to wear as it hadn’t even been mentioned. And it was when I was just about to key in the code to open the main front door to the boarding house, that out came Maria and Olivia.
    â€œOh, it’s you. What’s this