Maya's feet pattered across the floor as she bustled around the apartment. Flying left and right, trying to get herself ready for the day. As Maya shuffled around the kitchen, grabbing her toast as it popped up, she nearly ran into her mother.
"Whoa!" Katy Hart exclaimed as she nearly spilled her scalding hot coffee.
Maya stopped in the midst of her frenzy and turned to look back at her mother. "Sorry," she apologized.
Katy laughed and hugged her daughter quickly. "Better watch yourself now baby girl. Before you run into a wall."
Maya laughed and rolled her eyes before diving back into her frenzy. "I have yet to run into a wall!" She called out as she ran back into her room.
Katy just shook her head, sat down and took a sip of her coffee. "Where are you going anyways? It's eight o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. You would usually be in bed right now."
Maya ran back into the kitchen while throwing her hair up in a ponytail. "Over at Lincoln Center Blair West is holding a free seminar and I-"
"Have to go," Katy finished. Nodding she gestured towards the door. "I know. Even if I said you couldn't go, which I wouldn't by the way, you just wouldn't be able to keep yourself away."
Maya smiled and jogged over to her mother. "Thanks mom," she kissed her head and sped out of the apartment, towards the one thing that would get her out of bed.
"Joshua Gabriel Matthews!"
Josh let out an audible groan as he rolled over on his bed. Dragging his pillow over his head in an effort to drown out his mother's calls. "Josh!" He ignored her. "Josh don't make me come up there!"
Josh let out another groan and dragged himself up out of bed. "Josh!"
"I'm up!" Josh screamed.
Looking into the mirror, Josh lazily fixed his messy hair and grabbed his bag. Bounding down the stairs, he walked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple out of his fathers hand.
Alan Matthews rolled his eyes and sighed. "Good morning to you too Josh."
Josh took a bite out of his apple with a smug look on his face. "Mornin' pops."
Alan sighed and opened up his newspaper. "Your mom is waiting for you outside."
Josh nodded. "Alright. See you later and stay off your feet okay?"
Josh walked over and patted his father's shoulder before heading outside.
Outside, Amy waited impatiently. As Josh walked through the door to go outside, she scurried over. Fixing his hair and straightening his shirt, Amy started berating him. "You are going to be late for work. I told you to set your alarm. Now you know that we need the money, so go on."
Amy turned him around pushed him out the gate. As he walked away from her she called out, "And don't be late for dinner!"
Maya's blonde ponytail whipped behind her as she ran through the crowds of people at Lincoln Center. Trying so desperately to get there before the doors closed, she ran and ran. Out of breath and tired, Maya ran to the door to see it shut closed. "You have to be kidding me!" She screamed aloud in frustration. Maya gave the door one hard hit and walked off down the street in anger.
Katy jumped out of her skin as she heard the slamming of the apartment door. "Oh my goodness," she mumbled. Getting up from their used couch she walked over towards her daughter's room. Seeing the door slightly ajar, she pushed gently on the old wood and peeked inside. Maya lay on top of her bed, face down, with her limbs sprawled everywhere. Katy frowned. "I take it that things didn't go well."
Maya lifted her head up long enough to reply with a sarcastic remark. "What gave it away? My being home only a mere forty-five minutes later? Or the slam of the door?"
Katy raised her hands in surrender. "Don't get mad at me. You're the one who wanted to go there and didn't make it in time."
Maya only emitted a groan. Katy sighed and leaned against the door frame. "Look baby girl, as much as I want to be able to pay for you to take classes- I can't. And I'm sorry that you missed that class, I really am but you need to not take your attitude out on me, alright?"
Katy turned to leave the room and stopped for a moment. "And don't forget you have school tomorrow. My baby is getting ready to graduate high school!"
Josh walked down the street, away from his Philadelphia home and towards the black car that was waiting for him. Stepping into the black vehicle he closed the door and set his bag down between his feet. "I hate lying to them," he whispered.
The girl who sat in the drivers seat, Bianca, looked over at him and frowned. "Don't think of it as lying babe," she coaxed. She took her right hand and ran it through his hair. "Think of it as a temporary decision. One that I decided would be best for you. Alright?"
Josh opened his mouth to talk but was cut off by the feeling of her lips pressed on his own. "Don't even try to argue with me on this, okay?" She rolled her eyes and switched gears on the car. "Don't get any ideas either. I know you like to think you can do stuff sometimes, but you can't remember? I dance. You just watch and tell me I did amazing. That's how we work."
Bianca sat back in her seat without another word and drove off feeling like she won.
Josh often wondered why he was with Bianca. She obviously treated him horribly, and encouraged him to lie to his parents. It was like they used each other almost. Except Josh wasn't getting his fix anymore. Hers was the way he treated her. Like she was a queen. His was the attention, the physical side of the relationship. Yet, he was done. Just looking for an excuse to get out.
After she went inside her studio to practice for the day, Josh usually sat around and waited for her like a lost puppy. Today, he decided to do something different. Taking his phone and letting a random song play, he laced up his sneakers and started to let the music overtake him. Feeling the rhythm and music, Josh just let his body move. He did that for hours that day and was brought out of his trance by Bianca's angry stare. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.
Josh stopped dancing, face beat red and panting heavily. "Bianca-"
"No," she deadpanned. "You don't dance remember? Now I'll forget about this little incident, but this can't happen again. Okay? Now come on. I have to drop you off at your place."
They've been dating for three months. Three months. Three months of lying to his parents, three months of just true unhappiness. Three months of lying to himself. He was done. Done.
Josh shook his head and backed away from her. "No."
Bianca raised an angry eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "No?" She questioned.
Josh began to nod his head frequently now. "I'm done Bianca. This just isn't good for either of us anymore."
"Think about what you're doing Josh," Bianca warned. "After you end this, there is no going back." Josh just stared at her and waited for her response. "Fine. I was sleeping with my instructor on the side anyways."
Josh scoffed and watched her stomp away angrily. "Glad I didn't sleep with her," he mumbled.
Sighing, he took out his phone and dialed his friend Andrew's number. "Hello?" Andrew's smooth tone entered Josh's ear.
"Hey man," Josh greeted. "Are you near the studio? I kind of need a ride back home."
Josh heard shuffling on the other side of the line. "Be there in ten."
Katy walked into Maya's room and peered over at her daughter. Maya seemed to have a change in attitude after Maya left. Suddenly, she was stretching to her heart's content on the old carpet. Katy smiled and leaned against the doorway. "Had a change in heart?" she questioned.
Maya looked up from her split stretch and nodded. "Yeah. I thought that Blair West would tell me to just keep going. So I decided to continue to enhance my ability. If that means stretching until I'm taffy then so be it."
Maya leaned in to her middle split stretch some more as her mother fished around in her pocket for a piece of paper. Katy walked over towards Maya and held out the folded piece of paper. "Here," she sighed.
Maya looked up and frowned. "What's that?"
"Just open it!" Katy urged.
Maya looked up at her skeptically and took the paper. Unfolding it, she adjusted herself so that she was now sitting on the floor with her legs crossed. As her eyes scanned the paper they became increasingly large. "Oh my god," she gasped. She stood abruptly and jumped up and down. "Oh my god!" she screamed.
Katy smiled and laughed. "So I take it you'll go?"
Maya stared at her wide eyed for a moment. "Of course I'll go!" She hugged her mom and squealed. "A chance to audition for season ten of America's Best Dancer!" Maya clapped her hands together. "Thanks mom!"
Katy laughed. "Don't thank me. Thank the grocery store around the corner. They were putting flyers in the grocery bags. Besides, I know my baby girl is talented," Maya blushed. "And of legal age to audition. Never thought that you turning eighteen would be such a good thing or you. You always seemed to love being a kid."
"I'll always love being a kid mom," she said. "Now I'm just a kid who knows when auditions are!" Maya looked down at the flyer and frowned as she looked at the date of the auditions. "Mom wait," she said with her excitement dying down. "Did you see the date on the flyer? Its the same day as graduation. You always talked about seeing me graduate. Are you sure you want to let me do this?"
Katy nodded. "What matters is that you graduated, but this Maya? This is your dream. I'm not about to take that away from you."
Maya wrapped her arms around her mom again. "I love you mom."
"Love you too baby girl."
Josh quietly opened the door to the kitchen as he walked in from outside. Sighing, he closed the door shut softly and turned slightly. As he turned he was met face to face with his mother. Josh jumped in surprise and looked at Amy. "Jesus! Mom what are you doing?"
Amy raised her eyebrows and palced her hands on her hips. "The question is where were you? You never sweat at work. What's different today? What about the time you got home? Notice that its thirty minutes later than usual."
Josh felt his cheeks heat up. "Mom," he began.
"I want the truth Joshua."
"Please don't be mad," he began. He gestured over towards the table and they sat quietly. Amy nodded at him to continue once they both were situated. "I haven't been working." Amy's eyes widened tremendously. "At least not in the way that you think," he defended.
"Explain," Amy hissed.
"I've been dancing to pay for dad's bills. Well, not every day but sometimes!"
Josh opened his mouth to speak but Amy held up a trembling hand. "Wait," she breathed. "So you're telling me that you've been lying blatantly to not only my face but your father's face as well?" Josh nodded hesitantly. Amy huffed and balled up her fists. "Josh," she whispered.
Josh looked at her with remorse in his eyes. "Yeah?"
"Why wouldn't you just tell me?" Amy asked with pain in her eyes.
"Because!" Josh exclaimed. "Every time I tried to play it out in my head, I ended up disappointing you guys. I couldn't face you guys knowing what I did," he explained.
Amy sighed and rubbed her hands down her jean covered thighs. "Sweetie you should have just told us," she said in a calm tone.
"Mom," Josh groaned.
"No," Amy interrupted. "You should have told us so that you could be happy Josh. Why would you think that you couldn't tell us?"
Josh let out a large sigh and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. "Because," he expressed. "Your eldest son is a senator, your other son is teacher, and your daughter is a graphic designer and what am I? Your twenty-one year old who can't seem to get a halfway decent job."
Amy reached out and held Josh's hand with a loving touch. "Tell me something Josh," she began. "Would you ever think of dance as a profession?"
Josh smiled to himself and nodded. "I would," he admitted.
Amy smiled. "You know you used to dance around the living room when you were younger? You always had this sparkle in your eye when you did so. It really did warm my heart." They both shared a smile. "I haven't seen that sparkle in your eye for a long time."
"Well I guess that's what happens when you have to grow up," Josh laughed.
Amy frowned at his words, got up, and walked over towards a kitchen drawer. After fishing through it for a while she pulled out a neatly pressed flyer. She walked back over to her youngest child and handed him the flyer. "Here." Josh took it and quickly read over it. "Here's your chance. Your one and only chance Josh. if this doesn't work out, you have to consider going to school. Because I will not watch you do nothing with your life. Understand?"
Josh simply stood and hugged Amy. "Thank you," he whispered into her shoulder. "Thank you so much."
Hope you enjoyed! I just want to see the reaction for this. If its positive, I will continue!
