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Before we could say anything else, a group of the high schoolers burst into song in the corner. I jerked at the sudden rendition of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” A beatboxer joined in, and a Latina girl began to belt out the chorus.
“Do you suddenly feel like you’re in a bad musical?” I asked Isaac.
“Totally. They’re not that bad though.”
“I think that’s the Frenship High School a cappella group. The main girl is wearing their T-shirt.”
He laughed as the crowd cheered the end of the song, and they launched into another one. “You want to get out of here?”
I nodded. “I don’t know if I can take much more of the random bouts of singing.”
We hastened out of Braum’s and back into his truck. I shivered as I waited for the heater to kick on.
“You know, I could call an Uber if you wanted to get back to Aly sooner,” I offered.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not going to abandon you to find your own way home.”
“I’ve lived in New York, Isaac. I think that I can find my own way home.”
“That’s New York. You’re in Texas now.”
He put the truck into drive, and that ended the argument. It was only a ten-minute drive back to Piper’s house.
“Thanks for the ride home,” I said gratefully.
“Anytime, Peyton.”
I flicked the lock and stepped out of the truck. Then, I dipped my head back inside. “It really was good to see you again.”
He smiled, and for a second, I thought about getting back into that truck and being seventeen again. Putting the car in park and making out in the driveway until it was past curfew. But that was a different Peyton and a different Isaac.
“It was great to see you, too, Peyton. Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t. Night.”
I slammed the door shut and began to head up to the front door. But then, before I got there, I jogged back to the driver’s side. He rolled down the window with raised eyebrows.
“Can I help you?”
“Well, there’s an LBC charity event on Wednesday before the first show on Friday night. We’re giving an exclusive sneak peek of the cast, plus drinks and appetizers. I didn’t know if you might be interested in coming. I can get you a ticket.”
“And I’d get to see you dance?”
I nodded once.
“I’ll have to figure out what to do with Aly, but…I’d like that. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you dance.”
I beamed, all the while chiding myself for inviting him at all. “Well, great. I’ll…I’ll see you there.”
“Sounds good. Night, Peyton.”
“Night, Isaac,” I said softly before walking back to the house.
For the first time in a long, long time, I felt as light and airy as the characters I portrayed onstage. I didn’t know what was happening with Isaac and me. I didn’t know if it was even smart to do it. But for once, I didn’t care.7Peyton“Seeing you in a tutu just makes me all teary-eyed,” Kathy said, waving her hand in front of her face. “Or maybe it’s the hormones.”
I chuckled and pulled Kathy in for a quick hug. “You’re just nostalgic.”
The Sugar Plum Fairy tutu had finally been finished and fitted with my measurements yesterday, but we weren’t doing a full-dress rehearsal for the Open Barre charity event tonight. I was currently in a plain white tutu along with the rest of the ensemble cast, who I had been rehearsing with for nearly a week. It wasn’t like dancing with my family back at New York City Ballet, but I fit in just fine.
Thankfully, most of my role was the solo “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and my pas de deux with the Cavalier. Both were the traditional Balanchine choreography, which I had danced hundreds of times. So, the most important part had been extra hours in the studio with my partner, Reginald, to perfect the duet.
Cassidy, the production manager, tittered energetically in the wings. She was a longtime feature in the studio. When I had been dancing at LBC with her daughter, Beth, she had just been a stage mom, but she had worked her way up over the years. She ushered about the high school students, moving them into formation. Kathy waddled after her to talk to the lot. I could see their nerves from here.
Reginald came to my side with a smile. He was fair-skinned with dark hair and eyes. Not as good as the men I was used to performing with, but he was solid. His girlfriend was also in the company, and I knew she was sad that she hadn’t been given the role of Sugar Plum Fairy beside him. Ah, the challenges of dating in a company.
“Ten minutes,” Kathy announced to the crowd of dancers. “They’re all filing into the auditorium now. Places, everyone.”
I bustled into the wings beside Reginald.
