Dancer at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant Page B

we’ve been hearing about you coming to the rehearsal?” Maria said, giving me a cold look.
    There didn’t seem to be an answer to that question, so I just mumbled something about Miss Morgan asking me.
    â€œOr was it Kate?” asked Olivia. “That girl’s got some kind of complex that she isn’t good enough to dance in the show. But she is. Experience counts for a lot in the world of ballet.”
    â€œCounts for everything,” agreed Maria.
    Olivia was still holding the Forest Ash door open for me, because if she let it go, it would shut and I’d have to key in the code to open it again. But she suddenly asked abruptly, “Are you coming in, or what?”
    â€œOh yes…” I hurried inside and realized that that was the end of the conversation. But just from the little they had said, it was obvious that Maria and Olivia didn’t want me at the rehearsal, and basically thought I was far too young and inexperienced.
    Their words kept on coming back to me throughout the afternoon, and by the time lessons finished I was a nervous wreck, wishing and wishing that Sasha and I were friends so I could ask her to come with me to the theatre. It would all seem so much easier with Sasha beside me.
    Usually by the end of French, which is the last lesson, I’m desperate to get out of the classroom and stretch my legs and move my whole body after an afternoon of mainly sitting. But today I didn’t have any urge to go tearing out of the classroom at all.
    I glanced in Sasha’s direction. Her face seemed paler than usual and her eyes looked big and anxious. Madame Poulain, our French teacher, was asking Nicole, who’s a technical wizard as well as being so clever at everything else, if she’d mind helping her with a PowerPoint presentation that she was putting together. Madame Poulain wasn’t sure how to set up the program, and wondered if Nicole might be able to help. Sasha and Antonia asked if they could stay behind too and Madame Poulain seemed really pleased to have so many volunteers. But I was sad, because I’d made another decision to apologize to Sasha, no matter what, as soon as French finished, and now I couldn’t.
    As I wandered off sadly, I turned back just once, and our eyes met for a second before we both looked away. And I know it’s stupid, but at that moment I felt as though Sasha could tell I was sorry for being horrible. I hoped so anyway.
    The walk across to the theatre was awful. My legs felt so shaky, I doubted I’d be able to dance a single step, but I kept reminding myself that Miss Morgan thought I was exceptional. I also tried to hold in my mind a picture of Kate punching the air and saying “Yesss!” I think it was only these memories that stopped me from turning and running away.
    It took all my courage to push the theatre door open, but the moment I stepped into the auditorium, there was Kate flying over to me with her lovely big friendly smile. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me across to the stage. “Here she is, everyone! Here’s the little genius!”
    I felt all squirmy inside when I heard those words and when I’d finished staring around at the incredible theatre, which was so grand and like something out of the West End, I realized that the rest of the seniors were eyeing me as though I was a disgusting wriggly specimen in the science lab that they had to study through their microscopes.
    Miss Morgan didn’t seem to be anywhere around and I so wished she’d quickly appear and give instructions and take control of everything. But she didn’t, and instead it was Olivia who took charge.
    â€œWell, I don’t know what role Miss Morgan thinks Izzy’s going to dance, because if Abi’s leg is still bad, then obviously I’ll be the one taking over her role and someone else will be doing mine.”
    No one else said a word, so Olivia carried on, raising her voice and