Life With the Butlers

Chapter 17 | Familiar Surroundings

Chapter 17

Familiar Surrounding

Olivia

       Since it was the day before competition, it was dress rehearsal. Our first dance was hip-hop. We had actually remixed the Talk Dirty dance and we were using that. The costume was a sports bra type thing, black leggings, high tops, and a denim vest like thing. It was kind of skimpy.

       I knew Logan was enjoying the view from the bleachers.

       I wasn’t too keen on the outfit though. The contrast between the other dancers and me was atrocious. My legs and arms were like sticks, and you could count every one of my ribs. I had been trying to gain weight the past few months, but it wasn’t working.

       “Shimmy Olivia,” Tasha hollered. “Get your head in the dance!”

       “On it!” I called back.

       But I really wasn’t. Logan was making me really nervous. I knew it was silly, but he was watching me shimmy. In a sports bra. It didn’t settle well with me.

       I watched myself in the mirror. I was hitting all the moves, and my flips were alright. Even I could tell I wasn’t in it though. I was the best acrobatic dancer in the class, said Raychel, but I kept stumbling on the landings.

       Natasha called a break when Kia and Dakota tripped over each other.

       “What’s up with you?” Raychel asked, handing me a bottle of water.

       “I don’t know,” I told her honestly.

       “Is it Logan?” she asked. “I was nervous when Devin first started coming.”

       “Partly,” I sighed. “I just have a bad feeling. I don’t know if I really want to go to this competition.”      

       “You won gold for your solo last competition though,” she argued. “And that duet you’re doing with Kyle is amazing. You have to go.”

       “If you say so,” I sighed, taking a huge gulp of water.

       “Olivia,” Kia said, joining the two of us. “Natasha wants you to run through your solo.”

       I nodded.

       I took in a long breath while standing in the middle of the room. I knew this, inside and out. I won gold. Tomorrow, I would win another. Why was I so nervous today?

       Ed Sheeran started blasting through the speakers.

       Run, spin, kick. Jump, step, twirl. Down to the floor, roll. Up. Triple spin through the chorus.

       The prompts all came back to me. The harder I worked, the better I felt. My nerves came out with every beat.

       “Sing!” Cart wheel.

       “Louder!” Straddle.

       I pumped my body harder. I loved the physical strain on my body. Every stretch, every movement was telling a story.

       It was hard not to smile by the end. Dancing was my life. It was what I loved to do. It freed me like no other thing could.

       “Sing!” Drop to the floor, splits.

       The girls clapped. I noticed Natasha had her hands on her hips, a small smile on her lips.

       “So?” I asked. It was rehearsal. If she said I wasn’t ready then I couldn’t dance tomorrow.