Season 3 of Dance Academy left a lot of questions unanswered, it seemed to me that the story was rushed. The ending left me with no closure. This is my attempt to peek at the lives of these characters (mainly Tara and Christian) during the eight months between their graduation and reunion. This is only my second attempt at writing fanfiction, so any and all input from readers are welcome! Please review!
It had been a week since her fall on stage and the surgery. Tara lay on the hospital bed staring outside her window. It was a bright day with clear blue skies as far as the eye could see. She would have spent the whole day outside had she been able to walk, she thought to herself, and tears started welling in her eyes. She had pursued perfection relentlessly these past three years, and just when it was within her grasp, it had slipped right through her fingers. Why wasn't the universe done punishing her? She thought she had successfully re-balanced her karma this year, donating blood, helping old ladies cross the street… She had been the eternal dreamer, and all her dreams were shattering around her. She couldn't even get up to pick up those pieces and put them together again! Sobs racked her body, she felt drained, there was no more fight left in her.
"What's wrong T?" asked a concerned Kat. Tara hadn't heard her best friend come in. Kat rushed to her side and hugged her. "Why did this have to happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? What if I am never able to dance again, let alone walk?" Tara cried. Kat just held her friend till Tara stopped crying.
Kat had visited her every day this past week, trying to fill Tara with her optimism. She believed Tara would not just walk, but dance again for sure. Her best friend had been the one constant that had kept Tara sane, and her comforting presence calmed her down. Not that her other friends hadn't showed. She had steadfastly refused to see anyone or take their calls. She hadn't asked Kat if any of them had made it to the company. She didn't think she would be able to handle that on top of everything else.
"Sorry Kat, just got carried away with self-pity there a bit," Tara said, attempting a smile.
"You are allowed to, you know. I am here whenever you want to talk about it."
"Or not talk about it," she said after a long pause.
"Whether you want to or not T, I am going to talk about this. We have put it off long enough. I am sorry but I can't see you giving up on everything you have dreamed of. You are a fighter, always were and always will be. I am not gonna let you abandon hope, ok? Are you gonna just stop dreaming then? It breaks my heart to see you like this." Kat stopped when she saw Tara's eyes were filling with tears again. "Do you remember there was a complication during your surgery T? I was almost sure that I had lost yet another friend, but then you came back to us. Why don't you use this chance life has given you to start another dream?"
Tara looked out the window once more. She could see a bird land on the windowsill. The bird suddenly looked through the glass straight at Tara and chirped. To her, it was a sound filled with promise, as if the bird was saying, "Come fly with me." Life had tested her before and she hadn't given up. Perfection was out of reach, probably forever, but happiness seemed within reach. She decided Kat was right. She would not quit. As her dad had once said, having a healthy back was something that affected the rest of her life. Whether she became a professional dancer or not, she had to motivate herself to go through rehab and strengthen her back. She turned around to Kat and said, "Sorry Kat, pity party is over. I promise you that I won't talk of giving up again." Kat smiled back at her. "And thank you. For being my rock. I am truly lucky to have a friend like you."
Kat reached out and hugged her again.