My Future or Their Future for Me

It was almost summer. I could feel my heart beating in the heat and rays of the bright sun. I looked at the tall buildings surrounding the park and thought about how they would look in the future. Speaking of the future what about mine? Did I have one or did my parents have one for me. They said they were going to send me to the same medical college that my dad went to. Is that I want? All I want to do is dance! It is the only way I can express me by the way I want to. Through movement.

All my life I have wanted to change something. I guess it was time to do it now. Only this time to change my parents’ perspective on dance. I just don’t understand. My parents were the nations top dancers. They love to dance then why can’t I? It is hard to understand why people say they are protecting you from something but how do you know they mean it?

Oh no! I’m late for school. I take my lunch and head for my new sports car. The moment I had been dreading. Just as I was walking up the Plastics appeared. They were the meanest yet most popular girls in the school. The only thing in their way was me. Their ring leader Abby hated me. That’s for only one reason. I was better than her at everything. My family and hers lived right across. Abby was one of the richest girls in the town. There was only one who was richer, me. I don’t understand why she’s against me even though we had the same lifestyle. The only difference was I was good at dance and I was the star of every show of the school while she was second.

Anyways, as we arrived at school their were all these people dancing around. I knew they weren’t people from school so who were they? I walked up closer to see a huge banner saying “Come join the NYC dance team for the national competition!”. This was my only chance. I took a step closer and saw a sign up sheet for auditions. Here I go. My mind is whirring with worries about mom and dad on what they would say. Then and there I knew I had to do it. So I picked up my pen and wrote my name down. Holy macaroni! The audition was today! I better finish all my studying before!

It was exactly 4:02 in the afternoon. There was exactly 7 minutes and 38 seconds before my audition. My heart was racing. I was so nervous I went to the bathroom at least a hundred times. Finally it was time. Audition time. I stepped onto the stage where the bright spotlight was glaring at me as if it wanted to make me blind. There were three people in front of me staring at me as if I was some type

of freak show. The music started to play and I took my first move. It was a great feeling as if I had wings. I kept dancing until the music stopped. They stopped writing on their papers and said “Congratulations you are officially on the dance team!”. I was thrilled and then I froze.

What about my mom and dad? What were they going to say about me being on the dance team? Anyways it was my choice and I think I made the right one. There was only one problem. How was I meant to get to practice for the team when I had regular classes. Oh well, I guess i’ll skip my math class.

It was my first dance team practice. There were about 18 people who were on the team in total. They were all so flexible. I practiced my splits, flips and routine to get my body worked up. Then a lady in red said “Welcome! I would just like to tell you that the dance competition is tomorrow!”. We all halted. We were all excepting a couple of weeks before the competition but the competition was in less than 24 hours! The lady in red then said “Form a group and think of a name. Then start thinking of new steps to do in Improv and your routines.”.

We formed a group and introduced ourselves. Then we started. Each one of us thought of one new move each and then we all perfected it. We practiced our routines which were looking good because of all the splits and flips that are in it. There was loud music playing so we started a mini competition trying to do Improv at the same time. I enjoyed my practice right until Lady Red came and said “Great job. Meet me at The Stage at 1:00 tomorrow!”. That was during school!

I had to tell my mom and dad something so I just told them that I had a field trip. They didn’t buy it. They kept asking questions like wouldn’t they tell us if you had a field trip. I said it was a last minute thing that couldn’t be changed. They still didn’t believe me so I asked my friend to act like Mrs. Gillian my school teacher and she called my parents up and told them. Sometimes I’m glad that my parents are gullible. Then they bought it and luckilyI had just enough time to get my things ready for the next day. My hairbrush, net, pins, hairspray and gel. Tomorrow was a big day!

I woke up the next day with a worried look on my face. I couldn’t believe I was doing this! I lied to my parents and now was skipping school! It was so exciting yet I felt very guilty. I took the taxi and stared at the tall buildings hovering me. I felt so tiny against them but I still had a chance against them. Finally I saw The Stage with its bright lights shining at the people below. I walked in and saw at least a hundred people in groups with different dance uniforms. I looked at my own plain clothes and felt invisible. I walked over to my dance team who were also wearing really professional uniforms.

Did I miss something?

Suddenly Lady Red said “Katie come on! Here is your uniform!”. I took it and quickly put it on. Our group was next to dance our routine for the judges. We headed back stage to get ready and then it happened. I stepped on to the stage and looked at the bright spotlight glaring at me and then and there I wanted to evaporate. The music started playing. I slid into my splits and then I closed my eyes for which felt like hours and then boom! We did it! We did the dance perfectly! The only that kept me going was the love for my passion.

The rest of the competition went pretty well until my stomach flipped and I threw up because the announcements for the winners were going to start. The dance team for third place was called. Then second and finally first. There was a long pause and suddenly they exclaimed our dance team. I stood there in shock. I looked around at my dance team and looked at their shocked faces as well. I looked around the big auditorium and saw my parents staring at me from the back of the room. My heart started beating. I could hear it going thump, thump, thump. Sweat trickled down my back as I stood there while the walls were closing in on me. Then I fainted.

Was I dead? I didn’t even want to find out. I could hear voices around me and the sound of an ambulance’s sound. I saw myself in the darkness with spirits floating around me. I had to be dead but then someone splashed cold water on my face making me come back from the dead. My parents were staring at me looking worried but all the same angry. They said in unison “What did you think you were doing? Why didn’t you tell us?”. I did not feel like talking at the moment so I just shrugged.

My parents took me home and gave me a lecture about lying and losing the privilege but at that point I just lost it. I said “How could you be so selfish? Just because you didn’t make your dream happen does not mean your making mine disappear!”. They froze looking angry but then relaxed. They sat down next to me and said “ All we wanted for you was for you to be happy and successful. We just didn’t want you to end up like your sister.”. My sister? What were they talking about? I am the only child in this family. Or am I?

That’s when they let the cat out of the hat. They told me that I had a sister who ran away when I was born because she her self wanted to be a dancer. One day she had an accident and was found dead. That scared me. Then I said “This may have happened to my sister but it

is certainly not going to happen to me.”. I told them that that was the past but I was focusing on the future. I just left it at that and hoped that I was for once right!