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After that, time had no meaning. Closing her eyes, she simply let her body do what it had been trained to do her whole life. She started slowly, with some passés with dynamic arm movements, pirouettes, and leg extensions before letting the music completely consume her.
Sweat was pouring off of her and as much as she didn’t want to stop, she desperately needed a towel and water break. When she walked over to her bag and saw the time on her phone, she was shocked. She’d been dancing for ninety minutes, and she felt so invigorated and alive! Grabbing her towel, she wiped off her face and neck and then opened a bottle of water and drank half of it down. She used her phone to find a bluesy and soulful playlist that would help her move slower and with more control. There was a time when she loved doing it, but as she matured, she tended to favor the livelier choreography. Finishing her water, she toweled off one more time before starting the playlist and taking her position in the center of the room. After her countdown, she moved to the floor and concentrated on her floorwork, really stretching her body as she danced.
During the third song, Kiki Carter, her teacher and mentor, appeared at the door and smiled at her. She instantly walked over to lower the music before going over and hugging her.
“What you were doing was so beautiful, I was practically in tears,” Kiki said before cupping Lily’s face. “Your talent always blew me away.”
She felt herself blush at the praise. “Thank you. I was so excited when I saw you had studio space for rent. I’ve been home for a few weeks after three months of intensive PT and was just itching to really stretch myself and work a room.”
Nodding, Kiki walked farther into the room and pulled out a couple of chairs that were in the corner. “Tell me what’s going on. Why were you doing intensive PT?”
Sitting down, Lily went into the whole story about what happened the day she injured herself and what kind of dance she’d been doing in the years leading up to it before going into detail about her recovery. It was actually a huge relief to talk to someone who knew exactly what she was talking about. Chatting with Jax the other night was fine, but dancing and playing football, while both very athletic, were very different.
“Why a cheer squad? That doesn’t seem like you. That’s a lot more…stompy,” she said as her expression scrunched up slightly. “You’ve always been smoother and more lyrical.”
“They’re really a dance squad who also happens to cheer,” Lily clarified. “And they cover a lot of styles that I love—jazz, contemporary, hip-hop…it’s just a lot of fun and a bit more challenging than I was expecting.”
“I can understand that. We all like to be challenged.” Then she paused before asking, “Are you going to have the surgery?”
Shrugging, she let out a soft sigh. “I’d like to avoid it. The recovery time is long and I think it’s going to be hard to have that much downtime and then try to come back to where I am now.”
“That’s true, but where you are now is four months after an injury and you’re just dipping your toe back into the studio. That feels like the same amount of time. Imagine where you’d be right now if the surgery was over and done with. Now you’re looking at missing out on multiple opportunities because auditions are all right around the corner. What’s your goal here? Where do you want to be when you’re finally healed and cleared to dance?”
“Um…”
“Do you plan to go back to re-audition in Miami or with another team?”
“A friend who plays for Wichita said he’d help me if I wanted to try out for their squad, so I was considering that…”
“You don’t need favors to help you get hired, Lily,” Kiki admonished. “You know you’re talented enough to do that on your own. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you can’t.” Pausing, she stared at Lily—hard. “What made you want to go the cheerleading dance squad route?”
Another shrug. “It was just something I haven’t done. I was on the dance squad and did kickline in high school and enjoyed it. I thought it might be a nice addition to my resume.”
“Would you go back to Broadway or doing another traveling show?”
“I’m not opposed to it…”
“But…?”
Laughing softly, she shook her head. “Living out of a suitcase or in temporary housing isn’t as fun as it used to be. I’m still not settled anywhere, but I’m looking forward to my parents getting home from their trip and the renovations on their place being done so I can finally unpack for a while.”
“Okay…then why not look for something local?”
This time her laugh was a little more of a snort. “Kiki, come on. I get that Charlotte’s a big city with a lot to offer, but it’s not like there are a ton of opportunities here for me to do what I want to do. It’s not New York.”
“And what is it you want to do? I want you to take a minute and really think about it. You can dance anywhere, Lily. Even here in your hometown. But if you’re looking for more—if this is about traveling or not living here—then you need to admit that.” Leaning back in her chair, Kiki looked both relaxed and stern and so much like the teacher she’d known for most of her life.
Did she want to stay here in Charlotte? This was where her family was—her parents, her sisters, her grandparents, cousins…everyone she loved.
And Noah.
But if she were being honest, she was afraid to stay. What if she couldn’t find any dance positions? What if she went for a long stretch of time without getting hired and then had to find another job? What if she ended up settling and working at her mother’s bakery or Montgomerys? Everyone would know that she failed, and that was something she couldn’t handle. She was from a family of overachievers and it would genuinely suck if she was the first Montgomery to fail hard.
Inwardly, she groaned while outwardly she was giving Kiki a serene smile. “My whole life I took classes and learned different dance styles and I love them all. Once I turned eighteen and did my time in college and performed with the dance team there, I just felt like there had to be more. Does that make sense?”
Kiki nodded.
“I always feel like the productions could be better, the choreography is repetitive, and I believe I'll find what I'm searching for if I keep looking.”
