Attitude by Robin Stevenson

hands makes us both look up. Diana is standing in the doorway, her expression serious. “Girls, I’m caught up in a meeting at the moment, so you’ll be joining another class this morning. Melissa, can you come with me, please?”
    * * *
    Everyone is buzzing with questions as we head down the hallway to the other studio. “Why did she want Melissa?” Danika asks. “And where’s Edie?”
    â€œI bet they both got the part of Clara,” Julie says enviously. “I bet that’s what they’re meeting about.” She holds the door for me, and I hop through.
    â€œYeah,” I say. “Maybe.” Or maybe Edie told on Melissa. I find a chair and watch my classmates join the older girls at the barre, but my mind isn’t on the dancing.
    Then Diana pops her head in the door. “Cassandra? Can you come with me, please?”
    My cheeks heat up. Am I in trouble? Maybe Edie and Melissa have made up some story about me… My heart is jackhammering in my chest as I hobble down the hallway behind Diana. She gestures me to go into the office ahead of her.
    Edie and Melissa are sitting on the couch. Edie is red-eyed and teary, Melissa pale and defiant. Neither of them meets my eyes.
    Diana pulls up a chair for me, and I sit down awkwardly. “I want to start by apologizing to you,” Diana says. “You told me that you weren’t responsible for the Facebook post, and I didn’t believe you. And now Edie has told me that she made the post. I am sorry, Cassandra.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” I say, embarrassed. “I mean, I guess it looked pretty bad.”
    â€œEdie?” Diana prompts.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Edie says.
    â€œI know.” I look at Diana. “She already apologized to me. At home, I mean. But I’m glad you know. I hated having you think I would do that.”
    Diana clears her throat. “There’s one other thing we have to talk about. Edie thinks that Melissa pushed you at the audition. Cassandra, I want you to tell me the truth. Were you pushed? Is that why you fell?”
    I hesitate. It is so tempting to say yes…but I don’t know. Not for sure. “I didn’t see,” I admit. “I think someone crashed into me, but I don’t know who. And it might not have been on purpose.”
    â€œSee?” Melissa says. “Edie’s just trying to put the blame on me so she doesn’t look so bad.”
    â€œThat’s enough, Melissa.” Diana looks weary. “You and Edie had better go on to your next class. Cassandra, please stay for a few minutes.”
    Melissa marches out of the office without a backward glance, but Edie meets my eyes as she gets up, and something—a flash of sympathy or understanding—passes between us.
    Diana closes the door behind them and sits back down. “I am so sorry about all of this, Cassandra.”
    â€œIt’s not your fault.”
    â€œNo, but…I want you to know that we will be keeping a very close eye on things from now on.”
    It’s a bit late, if you ask me .
    I don’t say it out loud, but Diana reads my thoughts. “I personally will be keeping a close eye on Melissa,” she says. “There’s no proof that she pushed you, so I don’t think we can do anything about that, but from what Edie has told me, Melissa has been something of a bully with not just you but all the new girls.”
    I nod. “Yeah, you could say that.”
    There is a long silence. Finally, Diana sighs. “Melissa has been with us since she was four years old. I don’t think she’s always had an easy time.” She looks at me. “Not that there’s an excuse for bullying.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” I ask.
    Diana presses one polished fingertip against her lips. “I’m not sure how much I should say. Has Edie told you anything about Melissa’s family?”
    â€œJust that her mother