Riley POV:
When I enter the dance studio I can still feel the steady pulse behind my eyes. I walk over and put my bag and drink bottle in my cubby hole, I feel a hand placed on my shoulder.
"Hey" a confident voice says-its James.
I turn around. "Hi" I reply quietly.
"You alright?" James asks casually.
I nod. "I'm fine." My voice cracks- my throat is killing me.
James tilts his head to one side and looks into my eyes, he knows I'm lying.
James opens his mouth to say something, but Kate's voices rings out instead.
"Alright dancers, there is going to be a short rehearsal today because I have to meet up with the costumes designers for regionals." She informs us, as we gather around her. "So that means that you get to leave early." She continues. A-troupe cheers and I cringe because the noise makes my head throb.
I've never been so thankful that rehearsal has been cut short, even in the first five minutes I already feel like I could collapse. I'm exhausted, I'm sweaty, I'm tired.
"Okay, from the top and this time I want full energy!" Kate announces.
As I walk back to my starting position I hear James say "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine." I insist as I wipe rivulets of sweat from my forehead.
I see Michelle and Daniel steering at me, they both look worried. I give them a small smile, hoping that they would believe I'm okay, but even I don't buy it. I see Michelle open her mouth to say something, but the music starts and she closes it instead.
I feel so horrible it takes ten times the amount of effort to move let alone dance. I feel my movements become smaller and smaller as the dance goes on. Then I see Kate looking at me and our eyes meet. Her words "FULL ENERGY" echo continuously around my head. I'm disappointing her. I feel so sick that I want to cry. I brace myself, knowing that she'll yell at me- but she doesn't.
When the music stops I'm out of breath. I cannot bare to dance again. Kate begins to walk over to me with a concerned look on her face, then the phone rings in her office and she turns on her heels and runs to answer it instead.
"Just take five, guys." She says.
James walks over to me and places his hand on my back and says, "You're sick aren't you?"