The Accident

I went over the dance steps in my head and then with my feet. I had practiced this so many times before I could do it in my sleep. I looked at the curtain, ready for it to rise, ready for the lights to flash down on me, ready for the clapping of hands afterwards. I smiled to myself and stepped closer to the curtain, I was ready for everything. I knew I'd win, my dance was like nothing else. I would get that prize money and then it was off to a dance academy where I'd prove that the streets are better than ever. I had rythem and I had soul, nothing was stopping me.
I waited for what seemed like hours, but it was only minutes. The curtain was being tugged apart and my name came over the speakers, "Ladies and gentlemen, Alyson Stoner!"
I smiled when the curtains were pulled away and the lights flashed down on me. I heard every hand clapping out in the crowd and people whistling. I looked down at me feet as the light dimmed and the music began to place softly and then boomed through the speakers. My moves were sharp and crisp as I moved to the beat. My feet would twist and my hands were flowing just like I wanted them too. People gasped when I began to spin and jump stop and then backflip back to my possition. People were clapping while I was dancing and yelling my name. I felt... free. It was the normal feeling I got whenevr I danced.
I was ready to end it now. The music was still booming and everyone was on their feet, I had this show in the palm of my hands. And that's where everything went wrong.
My knee popped once on me and I jumped forward to hide it so no one could notice as I buckled it back in place. I twisted around and went to do a backflip, pushing off the ground as hard as I could. I saw the floor disappear from under me and then appear again, but I was at the edge of the stage. My recovery jump had pushed me closer than I intended to be and when I backflipped I was right at the edge. People gasped as I tried to balance myself again, but it was no use. I fumbled around for a few second and felt my feet slip off the stage. I crashed into a table and broke it in half, pain shot up my spine and my head hit hard. I could feel anything, I thought I was paralyzed. Or dying.
People were standing around me, screaming and yelling for each other to call an ambulance. My vision blurred, but I couldn't tell if it was from the hit on my head or tears. I rested my head on someone's hand and closed my eyes... the world around me was covered in darkness. My thoughts were jumbled because I could still hear everything, and then my hearing left. I wanted to scream but I couldn't feel my voice. Only one thought went through my head, So this is what failure feels like.

Chapter 2 
The Tryouts 

"You can't be serious", Taylor asked in a not so friendly voice, "Capital Hills Dance Academy? You can't go!"
I shrugged my shoulders, "I applied and I have half a scholarship now, but my mom thinks it's a good idea if I get a dance scholarship. I have to try out tomorrow morning at ten."
Taylor rolled her eyes, "Aly, I'm like your best friend, I know you better than your mom does. How can you leave us now for some up-tight prep school?
I shrugged again, "I think I want to go."
"What?" Taylor said as she dropped her cell phone and her mouth dropped in her lap. I giggled and shook my head, "Taylor, I don't know why, but a big part of me wants to try out. I can't explain it, but I'm actually excited about it."
Taylor shook her head and strapped on her helmet before pushing off the bench and rolling away. I kicked the ground as I sat there by myself thinking. Was Taylor right? How could I leave to go to some prep school? What was so special about wanting to dance again? Besides, they didn't even have my type of dance. I danced in the streets, not in front o mirrors. My dance is the inner part of me, not something they teach you. My dance was my heart and soul... you can't pay money to learn my heart and soul!
I jumped up and was about to push off my skateboard when I jumped up in someone's face. He grabbed my arm and pulled me down with him and I hit the ground hard, smacking my hand on the concret and making it bleed. I bit my lower lip as my anger clouded in my face, "Watch where you're going!"
The boy rolled over and looked at me, he was smiling and laughing. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes and a smile that took my breath away when I looked at him. He was totally cute!
He stood up and helped me to my feet, "Sorry I didn't see you there."
I smiled for a split second but then frowned again, I was suppose to be mad, "Apparently."
I brushed my hand on my leg, smearing the blood and sending a sharp pain right up my wrist. I held my wrist in my other hand and began to roll away, mummbling to myself the whole time, "I hope this isn't a bad omen."

I walked through the huge oak doors and stepped into the theater room. There were dancers from everywhere trying out, all of them with different dances. There were flamingo dancers, techno dancers, tap dancers, but most of all there were so many ballet dancers. I had taken ballet before when I was really little, that's how I fell in love with dancing. All those years I was taught to point my toes straight and have the perfect posture lead me to my street dance. I was sick of being kept in a room and strictly do as I was told, I wanted to dance how I felt. I wanted to be able to spin on me head and flip, not spin on me toes til the wooden toes were dulled down and splintered my feet. I still had scars from then. And I think my mom liked the fact I wasn't doing ballet any more.
But the only thing I didn't see were street dancers. None of them looked like me, they were all in rich and expensive clothing and had bells wrapped around their ankles and ballet shoes strapped on. I looked down at my baggy pants and black tank top. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and twisted my hat backwards, I either get this scholarship or I find a job to help pay for it all.
I sat down in a chair all by myself, listening to my iPod as everyone else tried out. No even noticed me until I popped my gum and everyone turned to me. I waved a hand, "Sorry."
Everyone glared at me with evil eyes and then turned back around. I shrugged my shoulders and looked back at my iPod. I couldn't help but feel like someone was still looking at me. I looked up once and I saw him. The boy who ran into at the park yesterday. He was sitting at the table with all te dance teachers, an iPod in his ear and his hood thrown over his hat. I starightened in my seat as we made eye contact and he smiled at me. I started to smile but then looked back down at my iPod, going over the steps in my head and then moving my feet along with it. People were being called on the stage and dancing and the I looked to see the teachers faces. They would smile, frown, bite their lower lips, shake their head, and one of them even began to cry. I rolled my eyes, "Great."
One man stood up and held his clipboard in his hand. He was quiet cute with his short hair cut and styled into a mohawk. His eyes were a dark blue and he fixed his highly expesive suit as he called out the next name, "Alyson Stoner."
I jumped in my seat as everyone looked around. There was a man at the far end of the table were all the teachers sat. He sat staright up in his seat and turned, looking right at me. He looked me over with his eyes and smiled, he was an older man with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. I had no idea who he was but it was kind of creeping me out the way he looked at me.
"Alyson Stoner?" the man repeated. I walked down towards the table and waved a hand in his face, "Uh... here."
He jumped where he stood and frowned, "Oh, forgive me. I was... uh... expecting..."
"Some pink totoo wearing girl with a tight bun and light steps? Flawless face and pretty features? Hate to break it to you, but you're stuck with me."
The boy from yesterday laughed in his seat. The man standing up looked down at him and slapped his shoulder. He smiled up at him and popped a bud out of his ear, "When something is funny, I laugh."
The man rolled his eyes, "Please take your possition on the stage."I nodded my head and placed a CD on the table. The boy placed it in the CD player as I walked down to the stage. I walked slowly thinking about everything. My heart was pounding and my head was throbbing, I couldn't do this!
I almost turned and ran out when I looked down and saw myself standing on the stage. I looked up and nodded my head for him to start the music. He pushed play and the loud music from my CD came booming into my ears. I let my body flow with it and danced how I had practiced. My moves were sharp and crisp like they've always been and I smiled to myself, I could do this. Suddenly the music stopped and I looked at the table. All of them had their mouthes open and a look of horror on their faces, all except the old man at the far end and the boy from the park. Both of them were smiling with enjoyment and I bit my lower lip, this wasn't a good sign.
"Thank you Miss Stoner", the man with the clipboard said, "we'll call you when we've come to a conclusion."
I frowned and felt my shoulder slump, I didn't get the scholarship. I slowly walked off stage and back up to the table to get my CD and my jacket. The boy handed it to me and smilied up at me. I grinned and turned to walk away, not before listening to what the teachers had to say.
"That was most disturbing."
"A real train wreck, I'll say."
"I thought she was good", the boy from the park said. The man with the clipboard laughed, "We can't have those kind of dancers in our academy..."
"Why not?" the old man asked, "She's expressing herself, we should do that more often. Besides, Caleb, wasn't it you who claimed he can teach a monkey to dance?"
I walked out of the theater, I had heard enough. I packed all my stuff and ran outside to meet my mom. She smiled and I shook my head, "Don't ask."
The whole ride home was quiet and when we finally pulled in the drive way I ran right up to my room. I threw myself on my bed and looked up at the ceiling, I had failed again. I laid there like that for a long time until I heard my phone ring, it was the academy. I hesitated to answer, "Hello?"
"Miss Stoner", a woman's voice said. I breathed quickly, "This is she."
"I was just calling to tell you that you have a full scholarship to Capital Hills. Congratulations and we'll be seeing you monday at eight sharp..."