Dancing for the Lord The Academy - By Emily Goodman Page 0,29
house very slowly, doing her best to drink in the peace of the still, cold air. It wasn’t working. Her thoughts were all in turmoil as she took the stairs back to her room.
“What’s wrong?” Madalyn poked her head through the door, dodging back as Danni slung something past her.
“Huh? Oh, nothing. I just need to do some laundry.” There were coin-operated machines just a few miles down the road. The house had a washer and dryer that could be used for free; but for all Danni knew, there was a schedule for those, too, and if she went downstairs, she’d just be breaking it.
Again.
“Out of leotards?” Madalyn asked sympathetically.
“Not quite.” Danni flashed her a grin that she didn’t really feel—a grin that she knew didn’t meet her eyes. “I’ve got another week’s worth, the way things are going—but I’d rather get them done now so that I’m not frantic along about the middle of the week.”
“I understand,” Madalyn admitted. “I just wish I had your discipline.”
“What discipline?” Danni shrugged. “Actually, I’d be set for an extra week if I could wear colors like I did back home—but I have a feeling people would say something if I showed up in, for example, blue and green.” She was just glad she’d been wearing standard black when Katarina showed up that afternoon. Some of her leotards were downright outrageous. She’d never worn them to teach in; but for her individual practices, or under her clothes at school on days when she and Michael were just going to steal an hour or two together? Yeah, she’d let her creative side show a little then.
“People.” Madalyn’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s said something to you?”
Danni winced. If she had wanted to talk about it, she wouldn’t have brushed Madalyn off when she first poked her head into the room.
“Hey.” Madalyn sighed, easing further into the room with the wary air of someone who knows that they might have something hurled at them at any moment. “What’s going on, Danni? I can tell you’re upset.”
Danni sighed. “Come do laundry with me?” she suggested.
“The washer and dryer downstairs are free,” Madalyn offered hesitantly. “I just came through there, and no one was using them.”
Danni glanced down at her load. If it came right down to it, all she had to do was put the leotards through the washer. They would hang to dry in the shower—would, in fact, probably be dry by tomorrow morning. She nodded reluctantly.
She could always retreat back up here if she had to.
It took Danni a while to be able to tell Madalyn what had happened. She wasn’t even really sure why it had upset her so much—just that it had.
“Katarina is a—“ Madalyn repeated the word she’d called the other girl the first time she and Danni discussed her. “Don’t let her get to you, okay? Anyone else would’ve let you keep the room, especially with no one else there.”
“It’s not really the room,” Danni felt compelled to point out. “It’s just…she was so mean about it. What did I do to her?”
“You came,” Madalyn admitted simply. “And it probably doesn’t help that you’re already in pairs, just like her.” She hesitated. “You know, I heard a rumor that the only reason you got wait-listed was because of your partner,” she admitted.
“A rumor.” Danni tried to shrug it off; but she was intrigued in spite of herself. “But why would they do that?”
“It depends, actually—but mostly, I bet they were afraid you’d insist on dancing just with Michael. They really don’t like it when people come in together. I mean, it happens sometimes; but usually, they’ll make the girl wait a year.” Madalyn shrugged. “That’s what one of the older girls said, anyway.”
Danni wasn’t sure whether to believe it or not; but it certainly gave her something to think about. Wait-listed just because of her partner…and she would’ve had to be at the top of that list, for her to be here now. Only Helen had given up before the Christmas production.
She sighed. “I just wish I knew how to fix things between us. She can’t be that mean to everyone, can she?”
“Sure she can.” Madalyn’s voice was dark. “Have you met her?”
Danni couldn’t help but giggle at that one. Yes, she had met Katarina. In fact, she was dreading pairs class the next day, which would almost certainly include the other girl. If only there was some way to avoid seeing her….