Mom turned to face Bianca, folding her arms across her chest. “There’s nothing you can do about it. Not if you want to dance in the winter final.”
I wanted to cheer and proclaim that the score was now Mom—one, Bianca—zero, but decided to keep my mouth clamped shut. I could sense the tone in the room and figured neither parties would be happy with my sudden outburst.
After an iceberg-melting stare from Bianca, she stormed out of Mom’s office, nearlyrunning poor Eve over in the process. I shot Eve a sympathetic smile as she steadied herself and then disappeared around the corner.
Mom’s shoulders were tight when I turned my attention to her. She had her hands pressed down on her desk and I could tell she was stressed. It was the kind of stress that went beyond everyday Bianca drama.
Something else was going on.
“Everything okay, Mom?” I asked. There were very few times I tried to reach Mom on an emotional level, but this felt like a heart to heart was needed.
Mom started and glanced over at me as if she’d forgotten I was even there. She cleared her throat and her moment of emotional weakness had passed. The return of Ice Mom was back. “I’m fine.” She sniffed. “Make sure the locker rooms are tidy. I’ve got work to do.”
I nodded, feeling like a fool to try and give Mom my sympathy. Everything was work first, mother/daughter relationship later with her. I dropped my backpack in the corner. There was no way I was going to need it anytime soon. When Mom said she had work to do, that meant,buckle up, we’re staying the night.
There was no way I was lugging my calculus book throughout the school.
“I’m on it,” I said as I moved to slip from her office.
“Collette?” she asked.
I couldn’t help but pause and turn my focus to her. “Yeah?”
Mom had sunk down into her chair and was rubbingher temples. “Order takeout please. We’re going to be here for a while.”
I saluted her and then stepped out into the hall. Cleaning the locker rooms would only take an hour. After that, I just might be able to sneak into one of the studios for a little R&R time to myself. I could turn on the music and lose myself in the movements.
With the way my shoulders were tight and stress had literally lodged itself into my joints, I needed the release dancing gave me. And for the first time all day, I felt excited.
Once everything was cleaned, I would dance my heart out.
Once everything was cleaned, I was finally going to be me.
THREE
ETHAN
A full twenty-four hours passed and yet I was still sore. Every muscle was screaming at me, and it didn’t help that I’d had no time to rest. Coach still expected us to work our butts off at practice, not caring that we were in severe amounts of pain.
“I can’t move, bro,” Alex groaned as he walked into the locker room. “Somebody send for an ambulance.”
At least I wasn’t the only one suffering.
Cooper hissed as he sank down onto the bench beside me. “This is nuts, man.”
I didn’t try to argue because I agreed.
“How are we supposed to play Deerborn on Friday night if we can’t move?” Ryan asked. He didn’t sound particularly put out about it, more like he was musing over a philosophical question. Sprawled out on the benchacross from me, Ryan stared up at the ceiling, his hands folded across his chest.
His question was a good one. How were we supposed to perform at our best if we were crippled with soreness after that excruciating dance workout? I’d tried to explain that to Coach Reynolds but he’d just given me that hard glare, his bald head glinting in the sun as he’d pointed to the field. “Stop your whining,” he’d barked. “Get back to work.”
I had the feeling any more complaining to Coach and our punishment would only get worse. The others knew it too, but that didn’t stop them from griping to me, expecting me to do something about it. That was the price of being the team leader, I supposed.
One by one the guys finished up and headed out, until it was just me and Ryan in there. I was procrastinating, and I had a hunch Ryan was doing the same. He hated his home almost as much as I dreaded mine.
“Can I grab a ride?” he asked when I was packing up my bag.
Also, he needed a lift home. Unlike me and most of the other seniors on our team, Ryan didn’t have a car.
