Dancer at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant

know where to look, so in the end I wandered off the stage with my head down.
    But that was when Abi walked in, and everyone fell on her.
    â€œWhat did the specialist say?”
    â€œIs your leg okay now?”
    â€œCan you dance?”
    I knew what Abi was going to say before she spoke a word, because she looked so sad. “Apparently I’ll really damage my hamstring if I do any of the extensions. So I’ve promised I won’t dance until after the holidays, unless the choreography is completely changed so there aren’t any extensions at all for my left leg.” Then Abi noticed me. “Oh good! Kate said you’d agreed to come along.” But she only managed the smallest of smiles.
    â€œBad luck, Abi,” said Miss Morgan. She patted Abi’s back and kept her hand there for a moment. “You’ll be back to fighting fitness next term.”
    â€œI just feel as though I’m letting you down,” said Abi.
    â€œDon’t be silly. It’s not your fault.”
    Olivia got up out of her seat and went across to Abi. “It won’t be half as good without you,” she said in her forthright voice. Then she strolled back to Maria, flinging a horrible look in my direction as though to make quite sure that I knew what she meant about it not being half so good without Abi. But I understood all too well what she was trying to say. And it hurt.

Chapter Nine

    After the rehearsal, Sasha and I talked and talked. I thanked her like mad for coming to the theatre and told her I was really sorry I’d been so horrible to her.
    â€œI hated that you were so upset about what I did, Izzy,” she said softly. “I just wanted to help. I knew something was wrong and I didn’t know what, but I really wanted to make things right for you. It’s so obvious that you love ballet, because whenever you talk about it, you kind of light up.”
    I was really grateful to Sasha and I felt as though this was the moment when I should be trying to explain to her about my past. But I couldn’t do it. I would have had to say the “fail” word, and I wasn’t ready for that. I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready. So I just nodded and said, “Thank you.”
    Then when we walked back from supper that evening, Sasha said, “Everyone thought you were great at the rehearsal today, it was obvious!”
    â€œOlivia and Maria didn’t.” I sighed. “They want either Olivia or Miss Morgan to do it.”
    â€œJust ignore Olivia and Maria.” Then Sasha reminded me what had happened after Abi’s announcement. Olivia and Maria had actually suggested the idea of Miss Morgan taking the lead role permanently, but Miss Morgan had insisted she definitely wasn’t going to be in the dance and that rehearsals should continue with me. Then Abi had sat down to watch the rest of the rehearsal. “I was right next to Abi in the audience, Izzy, and she told me she really loved the way you danced the role. And so did I. You just got better and better. You’d learned the whole thing by the end of the session.”
    â€œBut I still don’t feel right about dancing with the seniors.” I remembered that I’d be seeing Miss Morgan on my own after lunch the next day, because she’d asked me to go to a special extra practice. “Maybe I should tell Miss Morgan that I feel out of place with the seniors, and see what she says.”
    â€œNo,” said Sasha firmly. “Just leave everything as it is. It’ll be fine.”
    Poor Sasha. She was probably getting fed up with me and my silly anxieties. “Sorry, Sash. I won’t mention it again.”
    She linked her arm through mine. “If only Maria and Olivia weren’t so mean.”
    â€œI know.”
    After prep, the others went up to the dorm, but I went along to the internet room to e-mail Mum. I suddenly felt like pouring out the whole story to someone who