Chapter Fourteen

It was the first time they had ever seen me dance, the first time Fang had seen me dance. They had all joked that they'll come to the competition and it would have all been a joke. They would laugh and make up stories of what I was really doing when I claimed to be at dance class.

Getting ready back stage of the competition, in a room full of the other girls in our age group, got me unbelievably nervous. I had been nervous in the weeks leading up to the comp, but as I got ready back stage I felt physically sick. We changed into our costumes that Nudges Mum Melanie had made. We wore the same 'barely there' dresses, as I had called them, Nudges in white and mine in. They came to mid thigh and were made of silk. Nudge had said that everyone wears that kind of thing for dancing. Looking around the room, there were so any amazing dancers. I had started to feel like I shouldn't be in a competition with these people. There were ten competitors in our duos and trios contemporary fifteen to eighteen year's old group.

Amanda called Nudge and I over from where we are sitting on the floor stretching. We go over to a clear space in the corner of the room to practice.

"Use the whole stage... Strong movements… Nudge watch that arm." Amanda yells out as we danced, nick-picking our performance.

Amanda grins at us as we get up from our final positions.

"Nervous?" Nudge asks as we walk down the corridor behind the stage. I nod.

"Don't be." She says grinning excitedly.

'Easy said then done.' I say under my breath.

We stand at the side of the stage and I watch the end of the boy and girl dancing before us.

"And they were amazing. I was hoping they would be bad." Nudge says just as the boy and girl leave the stage. The girl hears and gives Nudge an icy look.

"What? I said you were good." Nudge called out after her.

"Shh." A Stage Manager hisses.

From side stage I tried to see if I could find the gang in the audience, but I can't make out any faces, the lights are too bright.

"All right, girls you're on." One of the stage hands says. She smiles at us encouragingly, and pushes us forward. Nudge and I have to start on stage, her on one side, me on the other.

I get into my starting position, lying on my back on the floor, and I start with floor work. As the music starts I lift my legs up straight then flip over my shoulder, tucking my head in close to my chest, coming up on my knees. I feel relieved that I have that first part over.

I stand up slowly and turn to face Nudge, on the other side of the stage, we run towards each other and do a grand jete' throwing one leg up and away from our bodies, and throwing our body from on foot to the other. We did them so close to each other that I feel Nudges dress brush against my hip, we have never been brave enough to get this close before. We leap and spin and throw ourselves around the stage. I can occasionally hear Nudge's and my name being called.

It's time for my solo. I feel the music and move with it. It's a slower part of the dance, which is harder for me somehow. I begin moving about the stage. I bent over backwards, putting my hands on the floor behind me and kicking my legs flipping over so I'm back in a standing position. I then do four slow pirouettes's and finished them falling down onto my knees.

I take a deep breath as I watch Nudge come back on stage, dancing over to me, and putting her hands on my shoulder's and lifting her leg up behind her until it reaches her head. She smiles at me giving me her hand and pulls me up into a leap. I go higher then I've ever gone before and have to stop myself from grinning in delight.

Nudge and I are giving it our all. I feel like we're dancing better then we have ever danced it before. I forget about my nerves and just dance. I stretch and finish off all my movements, from my fingers to my toes.

I'm dancing with an emotion I didn't know I could channel. I'm dancing for my Mum. I'm dancing for my loss and my survival. It's exhilarating.

For the end Nudge and I do eight pirouettes, spinning down into a sitting position on the floor facing each other.

The crowd irrupted in applause as soon as we hit the ground. I can hear Fang over every body, yelling my name. Nudge and I stand up holding hands and bow once before walking of stage.

Nudge and I jump up and down when we get back stage. Nudge throws herself at me and gives me the biggest hug.

"You two are a force to be reckoned with." Amanda says pulling us into a hug.

"Well done girls." One of the Competition Organizes says as we pass him on our way back to our changing room.

"What were you thinking about while you danced?" He asks me. I look at him confused and shrug.

He smiles. "I wish you luck kid, coz someone who's had an easy life doesn't dance like that" He says, before walking off, I watch his back for a moment.

"Come on." Nudge said pulling my arm. She didn't hear what he said.

I will never forget what that man said to me. It had baffled me at first, later when I told Fang, he had nodded as if he knew exactly what the man had meant, and smiled at me, a honest, true, sweet, smile I had never seen before, and kissed my lips chastely.

We had won the competition. Nudge and I jumped up and down on stage when our names were called. Ella, Angel, Gazzy, Iggy and Fang screamed like crazy from in the audience. We had received the biggest trophy I had ever seen, and both got sashes. We kept the trophy at Nudges house, in her bathroom- that had been her idea.

"NUDGE, MAX!" Angel yelled, and then looked sheepish at the icy stares she received. She ran over to where we are sitting and threw her self at us, knocking me backwards.

"Were we amazing?" Nudge asked oh-so-humblely. Angel nodded enthusiastically.

"That was hands down, the best performance! Congratulations guys" Ella said. Nudge squealed in delight. Ella come up to us sitting down behind me, she pulled me into a hug, and then moved over to hug Nudge.

"You lot aren't allowed back here." Amanda said, coming up to us. "The show's not even finished." She added.

"Oh Amanda, just for a minute, we'll be quiet." Angel begged. As Angel spoke the boys came over and sat down around us. Fang smiled at me, pulling me into a hug. Amanda rolled her eyes, smiled and walked off. "I didn't see you." She said over her shoulder.

"You were incredible." Fang whispered in my eye.

"You should have seen his face." Angel said. "I looked at him when I you started dancing; his eyes were wide, fixed on you the wholeperformance." Nudge huffed in mock offence at hearing this, and smirked at Fang. Fang looked uncomfortable for a second but he nodded his head, agreeing to what Angel said.

"That was an out-fit I never thought I'd see you in." Gazzy said. Fang and I glare at him.

"What? What were you wearing?" Iggy asked.

"Nothing." I say irritated.

"Nothing?" Iggy says, loudly laughing.

"No, I'm meant…oh I don't know what I meant." I say deflated.

"We wore tasteful dresses." Nudge pipes in. I roll my eyes at her, put she misses it as she turns to Ella and starts blabbering on about the dance.

It was the first and only Dance Competition I had entered. Nudge had begged me the next year to do another one with her, but I didn't want to. I loved to dance, but for myself, not in competitions. Nudge and I continued to go to the dance studio, and I continued to have lesson's for awhile, but after some time I pursued other things. Dance took up so much time, and to be really great you need to live and breathe it. As much as I love it I didn't live and breathe it.

I hope this was okay. I really know very little about dance and found it hard to write this scene. Please review and tell me what you thought.