Sellout Read Free

to the floor. We’d practiced our routines for two months, and I knew every step as well as the others. The show would go smoothly now if only my body would cooperate. I told myself there was nothing to worry about.
    Marcia walked us back to a small, mirrored room off to stage left. The girls whispered excitedly to one another about who had come to watch them. Heather went on and on about something, but I couldn’t even respond. Instead, I snuck a look through the heavy curtain. I found my family sitting in one of the orchestra sections toward the center of the auditorium.
    Tilly looked smothered, like someone heavy was sitting on her lap. She was on the aisle seat in the fourth row, hugging her pocketbook tightly to her chest.
    Once, Tilly and I had made fun of ballet dancers on television, saying they looked like flamingos. Now I was one of them. I would have to make this up to her somehow.
    Only five minutes until showtime. All the seats were filled.
    “Okay, folks, this is it,” Marcia whispered. I dropped the curtain and grabbed Heather’s arm. Marcia had us hold hands in a circle. She didn’t strike me as the praying type, but she bowed her head and so did we. “Let’s make this a great show. Remember your spacing and formations, but most important, have a good time.”
    We pumped our hands down together at the same time and whispered “dance” like we were vying for a championship trophy.
    “Hey, Tash, I just love the hair.” Stephanie Bonner stood with her hands on her hips and smirked at her dance groupie peons. “You finally got the look right. Marcia must be thrilled.”
    Stephanie was the best dancer at Adams Park. She was blond, tiny, perfect, and popular, and she knew how good she was. I felt sick, like she had punched me in the chest. Somehow after a full year of her insults, I still didn’t know how to respond when she lashed out at me.
    “It does look great, doesn’t it, Bones?” Heather stepped in between Stephanie and me like a Secret Service agent and wrapped an arm protectively around my shoulders. “It almost looks better than yours. Hey, break a leg out there tonight, would you?”
    Stephanie looked like she’d been bitch slapped. No one ever talked to her that way. She narrowed her eyes at us and stalked off with a small group of ballerinas stumbling along behind her. Heather giggled and hugged me tight.
    When she pulled away her arm bumped the scarves. I could feel something hanging and motioned frantically for her to fix it. She fiddled with something quickly before we scooted into our places onstage, ten in the front row and ten in the back. “You know one day she’ll come after you,” I whispered.
    “Whatever, I’m not scared of her,” Heather said, raising her arms and settling into position. She balanced perfectly on one pointed toe. “She just likes to bully people. You know she’s harmless.”
    Stephanie had single-handedly alienated an entire grade after starting some rumor about the boys not wearing deodorant. I definitely didn’t want to be on her bad side.
    “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you… Thanks for sticking up for me,” I said.
    “You know it, girl,” Heather said. She smiled brightly. I didn’t know what I’d ever do without my best friend at my side.
    The music started playing. It sounded the same as it had during practices, but now with the curtain seconds away from opening, it seemed different. My head was spinning but I hadn’t even started moving yet. A wave of nausea sped through my system, like I’d just had milk that should have been tossed the week before. The curtain started to open and I held my breath.
    I could see Tilly looking around for me, her purse still held tightly to her chest. The curtain lifted all the way. We were on.
    Hundreds of eyes stared at us, waiting for us to move. We listened for our cue. The music echoed off the walls insurround sound. People lined the walls of the auditorium. Not one seat was open,