For the past few weeks I was working with Natalie. Since she has a back ground in ballet it was a lot easier for her to teach me the routine that Luke was showing her because we moved in similar ways. I didn't tell anyone about it but that one night in the studio with Danny helped significantly too. He helped me look at hip hop in a different way and now I'm finding the transition between the two styles of dance much easier than expected.
The most fun I've had in the past couple weeks was doing back flips in the foam pile with everyone. I don't think I've ever had this much fun, not even while dancing. For the first time I feel like I'm actually progressing into the amazing dancer I've always wanted to be. This crew, these people, they helped me put heart back into my dancing and I don't think I could ever repay them enough for it.
Luke came up beside me and we watched the others for a moment. Right now they were working on their own individual moves and they were all really good. We stood there in silence for a couple moments before he tapped my shoulder and motioned with his head for me to follow him. Only then did I see that he had a camera in his hand.
We walked up onto the roof and I went over to lean against the ledge, my back to the street, "What's the camera for?" I asked.
"If it's okay, I'd like to interview you. Everyone else has done one as well." He replied with a shrug.
"I don't mind. Just get my good side." I winked.
He laughed and lifted his camera to point at me, "You've picked things up pretty fast."
"I had a lot of help, especially from Natalie. Probably because we come from similar dance backgrounds." I smiled.
"Izzy Marshall, why do you dance?" He asked.
I looked up to the sky for a moment before stepping away from the wall, "Ever since I was little it's all I've ever wanted to do." I replied, I held my hands out and did a few pirouettes before looking back at look with a dazed smile, "my mother told me once that I could dance before I could walk."
My smile fell a little at the thought of my mother, "She used to call me Dizzy Izzy because I was always spinning around. I actually hold the record in high school for doing the most spins without falling over or throwing up. It's a talent I have."
I proceeded to demonstrate by lifting my leg and spinning around and around in about ten fouettes. I stopped by jumping and landing both my feet on the ground. I laughed as I turned back to the camera.
"It's the first dance move I've ever learned and it's become a favourite of mine." I said, "Of course, mother thinking I was a prodigy signed me up for ballet right away. My father didn't mind then of course. 'Learning ballet will ensure she grows up into a dignified and cultured young lady' "I mocked in a deep voice then sighed, "Of course, he did eventually expect me to stop once I graduated high school.
"I was supposed to go to Ivy League. I think he wanted me to go to Columbia, maybe it was Yale. It doesn't matter, I put up a fight." I pointed to the camera, "I told him I wanted to be a dancer and it was either that or nothing. I said I'd run away if I had too." Sighing, I crossed my arms and looked to the side, "He couldn't have that of course, so he humoured me. He said that I could come to New York and try to make it as a dancer. Though if I failed, I'd have to come home and work for his company."
I went back over and leaned against the wall again, "I've been in New York for four years now. The first two was spent going to audition after audition. Of course I was always told the same thing. No one would take a second look at me without an agent. That's when I found Aspire Dance Studios." The smile came back to my lips, "They took me right away saying it wouldn't be long until I made it to the big times. That was two years ago of course."
My phone started ring then and I took it out of my sock to look at who was calling, "That's my mom. She keeps calling. She never leaves any messages though." I said quietly, "She wouldn't dare after the message my dad left me when he found me gone."
I looked to the camera once more with a determined gaze, "But that's all in the past. I have a new family now…" I paused, "And we're going to win World Jam!"
Luke looked up from his camera and smiled at me, "You do have a new family now." He said, "And you'll always be welcomed."
"Thank you Luke." I said softly.
He turned off his camera, "That was a great story. Do you mind if I use it?"
I shook my head, "No, go ahead. I'm curious to see your finished product though."
He walked back inside and I turned toward the street, leaning my arms against the edge. I looked down at my phone, and opened up the dial pad. I pressed the button for my voicemail and it started ringing. I typed in the code and pressed speaker phone to listen to the message I've been playing over and over again I practically knew it by heart.
"Isabella, consider your ties severed. There is no longer a place in this family for you. You will not contact anyone and we will not contact you in return. Since you were so burdened by the thought of being my daughter, you are free. I will say this though, when you fail, when you run out of money, when you are starved and begging on the streets, just know that you only did it to yourself. Goodbye Isabella, for your sake, I hope we never meet again."
That's it. No malice, no yelling, no nothing. That's what bothered me. He was cold and detached from his emotions and I could tell he truly meant what he said. I was no longer his daughter and he never wanted to see me again. Behind his voice though, in the background, was something else that tugged at my heart. I could hear my mothers muffled cries.
….
I was walking through Central Park and it was late, about nine-o-clock at night. I love everyone back at The Vault but sometimes I just like to be by myself. Central Park was my most favourite place in the world and I always find myself here when I want to clear my head.
Tomorrow was my first battle and I was nervous. I didn't want to let anyone down so I decided to run through my part once more. There were still a few people in the park so I walked around until I couldn't see anyone any more. I dropped my stuff by a tree and then started through the steps with the beat I heard in my mind.
When I stopped I heard clapping a whipped around. Luke would kill me if I gave anything away. It was Danny. Of course it was Danny. He always seems to catch me when I least expect him to show up. It's a big city; it shouldn't be that easy to find me. Luke's going to kill me double time if he finds out that it was a member of House of Samurai that saw me.
"You've improved since the last time that I saw you." He said he made his way over to me.
"I found a good teacher." I replied.
He smirked, "If I didn't know any better I'd say that you were getting ready for a battle."
"If you didn't know any better?" I asked.
He shrugged as he stopped about two feet away from me. He looked down into my eyes, seeming to be searching for something. I swallowed hard hoping I wasn't letting him see anything I didn't want him to see. I wasn't sure if I was trying to hide the way he makes me feel when he's close or the fact that I missed him these passed weeks. Maybe I was trying to hide both. It's ridiculous that he can evoke these feelings in me when we barely even know each other.
"What brings you to the Park this late at night anyway?" He asked.
I shrugged and briefly looked around, "I like to come here to walk around."
"At night?" He repeated.
"Whenever the mood strikes me." I reply, "I used to walk through here all the time but now that I live further away I don't come here as often."
Just when I was about to open my mouth to say something else he leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips against mine. I froze, not expecting him to just go for it. There wasn't even a moment! I've always read about or watched on TV how the chemistry crackles between two people as they both lean in for the sweetest first kiss. This was nothing like that. I can't even put into words how unexpected and unprepared I was.
He pulled his lips away from mine but stayed close enough that our noses remained grazing each other. When my mind finally caught up to the moment I closed my eyes and kissed him just as lightly. I pulled away and opened my eyes to look at him. When our eyes met he lifted his hand and pulled on a strand of hair that was in front of my face. Realising that my hair was still all over the place from all the dancing I just did, I pushed it all back with my hands.
I took a large step away from Danny and sighed, "I better go. I have a lot to do tomorrow."
"Let me walk you." He said as he went over and picked up my stuff by the tree.
I smiled as he handed it to me, "How about I let you walk me to the subway?"
"I'll take what I can get."
It was a short walk filled with silence but it was comfortable. He didn't have his arm around me and we didn't hold hands. He didn't seem like that type of person but that's okay because whatever this was, needed to be taken slowly anyway.
When we got to the subway I took out my card to go through the gate and turned to him, "Thank you for walking me."
"Goodnight Izzy." He said and gave me another soft kiss before going back the way we came.
…
It was loud and it was crowded. I've never been to one of these things before so I didn't know what to expect but it definitely wasn't this. It was round one of the World Jam and it was the Battle of Red Hook. The louder the crowd got the faster the adrenaline started pumping through my body. I have danced in front of an audience before but they were quiet, respectable, and relatively small compared to this. I could feel the energy coming from this crowd and I wanted to give them a show. Now all I had to do was wait.
I was wearing a navy t-shirt that was tied up at my bellybutton with black mid-thigh shorts. I didn't exactly have the proper footwear when I came to live at The Vault and when Luke noticed this he gave me the sparkly pink vans I fell in love with my first day there. I was wearing these shoes how and frowned as I saw the floor covered in chalk; poor shoes.
"Red Hook! Are you ready!" The announcer asked and the crowd went wild. "Pirates! You ready? Let's do it!"
Red Hook started out first. They were pretty good, there dance was a little animalistic though. Unless you looked closely you wouldn't be able to tell that their crew wasn't in sync with each other either. Soon enough if was The Pirates turn and I went up with Anala and B. The ticks in front of us. I tried to put as much as attitude into my moves as possible while trying not to smile at the rush I was feeling.
It went back and forth between the Red Hooks and The Pirates a few more times but we were eventually able to push the Red Hooks off the floor. The rush of the battle got to me toward the end and I winked at the Red Hooks before linking arms with Natalie who blew them a kiss.
The Announcer banged his staff on the floor to grab everyone's attention and shouted, "And the winner is? THE PIRATES!"
"WHOOOOAHOOOO!" I screamed as I jumped up and down. I hugged Natalie before jumping at Luke and hugging him. Realising he seemed to want to hug a certain someone else I giggled and let go before jumping on Jason's back, "We won!" The whole crowd started chanting our name and I chanted with them, "PIRATES! PIRATES! PIRATES!"
Feeling someone ruffle my hair I turned to see Luke came back over to me, "You did good!"
"Hell ya I did!" I shouted as I hopped around a little more. I stole Moose's hat and slipped it on my head smiling cheekily.
I turned around and caught a pair of dark eyes in the crowd and my smile fell. Danny was here and he did not look pleased. I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to talk to me and I'm sure I would see him soon enough. He always seemed to be able to find me.
"Yoink!" Moose took his hat back, "It just doesn't suit you Iz." He laughed as I attempted to glare at him, he pointed at me with both hands though and said, "But winning does." He then started wobbling his legs with the balls of his feet as he 'stirred the pot'. I couldn't help but join in.
