Skinny by Laura L Smith Page A

but she felt like she was spinning. The music lost its beat and sounded like a roar.
    “And stag leeeeap!” Todd stretched out the word to fill the space in the music.
    Melissa jumped and popped her hands, one up high and one to the side. The flecks took over until the silver swarmed into black.
    Thud!
    “Stacey, get the music!” Todd barked, trotting to the spot on the floor where Melissa had gone down.
    Melissa heard Todd talking to her. She heard girls whispering.
    “Is she okay?”
    “What happened?”
    “Did anybody see?”
    Her eyelids pressed down as if they were taped shut. Melissa didn’t want to open them. It was so much easier to lie still. She didn’t want to face them—all the thin, bright-eyed dancers who were staring at her. She didn’t want to take her Chem test tomorrow or explain all of this to her parents or face Beau in class yet another day. If only she could keep her eyes closed.
    “Melissa, girl.” Todd shook her gently. “Melissa, girl, time to get up.”
    Melissa lay there, the cold, hard floor enveloping her body. She squeezed her eyes tighter.
    “You won’t get away with that,” Todd scolded. She could smell his spicy deodorant activated by his sweat. He placed his warm hand behind her back and lifted her to sitting.
    “I’m okay,” Melissa blurted, suddenly aware of her error. She realized how urgent it was for her to get up and dance. This was the second time she’d passed out at practice. Captains don’t pass out.
    “Everyone take five, except you, Lindsey,” Todd called out. “Girls, get a drink, stretch those legs, rest up. I’m not done with you yet.”
    Melissa smiled as she leaned to stand. Todd gently pushed her back to sitting.
    “I don’t know what’s up, Mel. But you’ve fainted twice in two weeks. Skipping breakfast might have done it the first time, but there’s more to it. You’re one of my best dancers. I need you the rest of the season and the next couple of seasons too.” His face was only inches from hers, so she couldn’t dodge his stern gaze.
    “I’m fine, really. I promise I’ll take it easy tonight after practice.” Melissa nodded.
    “Practice is over for you, honey. And I can’t let you perform tomorrow night.”
    A cold, clammy sweat oozed from Melissa’s pores, like garlic through a press. This couldn’t be happening! She scrunched her eyebrows and shook her head so vehemently her ponytail slapped her face.
    “It’s not a punishment, Melissa. It’s just reality. You need to take care of you. You need to see a doctor. What if there’s something to all of this?” Todd turned to Lindsey. “Call her mom, Linds. You know the number?”
    “Sure!” Lindsey trotted to her gym bag to retrieve her cell phone.
    Todd stood and extended his hand. “Let me know what the doc says, and then we can put you back in.”
    “What about Saturday morning?” Melissa croaked.
    “See the doctor, then we’ll talk.” Todd squeezed her hand and motioned her toward the bleachers.
    “Okay, girls. That’s more rest than you deserve. Now let’s see if you remember what we worked on.” Todd flicked on the music, and the team, minus Melissa, went to their places. Lindsey ran over to Melissa.
    “Your mom’s on the way.” She gave Melissa a kiss on the cheek and ran to join the squad.
    Melissa now felt like that empty M&M’S bag crumpled into the bottom of a stinky garbage can.

Chapter Twenty
    “A re you okay, honey?” Instead of waiting in the car like usual, Mom came trotting to the side door of the church with her arms stretched out toward Melissa. Melissa flashed back to falling off the jungle gym on her first day at preschool and Mom running toward her. As much as Melissa wanted to turn into her mom’s arms and have her problems go away with a kiss and a Band-Aid, she was also embarrassed by Mom’s gushing emotion.
    She fell down. She was fine. Period. Well, she wasn’t completely fine, but what was she going to say? Melissa climbed into