Chapter Sixteen
Lexi
Finn slides into a parking space at the Edenbury Dance Studio after school on Tuesday, and the seven of us pile out. As we make our way toward the entrance, my stomach muscles clench with nerves. Because today is the day we’ll find out what role we’ll have in The Nutcracker.
The loud sound of an engine blares in the distance, and I spin around. Is that Brock? I wasn’t sure if he’d join us today. But he’s here!
The guys go on ahead into the studio, but I hang back to say hi to Brock. After sweeping into the empty spot near Finn’s van, he yanks off his helmet, causing his hair to roll out. It’s a little messy, and my hands itch to run through the strands. But I curl them into fists.
He gets off his bike and smiles when he sees me. “Hey.”
“Hey. I didn’t know you were coming to watch us today.”
“Dean told me it’s a big day for you guys, so I figured I’d come here to offer support.”
“Thanks. That’s so sweet of you.”
After tucking his helmet under his arm, he and I head into the studio. The place is louder than it usually is, with dancers yelling, cheering, and do I hear crying?
“Dani must have posted the cast list already,” I squeal before zooming further into the studio. On the bulletin board near Studio A is the cast list, and there are so many dancers crowded around that I can’t make it through.
“Lexi, congrats!” Gael says as he throws his arms around me. “You and me. This is awesome.”
“Wait, what?” I try to ask, but the other guys also launch themselves at me, Dean lifting me a few inches off the floor.
Once I’ve been hugged to death, I gently push through the crowd to get to the cast list. What are the guys so happy about?
Then I see it. The name written down next to Clara.
Lexi West.
But…how? I mean, I know I put my all during the auditions, but I didn’t think I was good enough for the lead role.
My eyes continue down the list. As expected, Gael is cast as The Nutcracker. And Ruby is cast as the Sugar Plum Fairy. I know she’ll love that because it’s considered one of the hardest roles. The rest of the guys have minor roles.
With an excited squeal, I grab Theo and Finn’s hands and do a small victory dance. The rest of the guys cheer along with us.
“You got the role you wanted?” Brock asks.
“She’s Clara, man!” Nate says. “That’s the lead.”
Brock’s face lights up. “That’s amazing! Congrats, Lexi.”
“Thanks,” I say as Cooper once again pulls me into his arms, he, too, spinning me around and around.
After he puts me down, Brock steps closer and encloses me in his arms. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve it.”
I bury my face in his chest, inhaling his unique smell. “Thanks.”
Dani claps her hands, calling for everyone’s attention. The dancers who are part of the ballet are directed to go into Studio A while the rest of the dancers will continue with their regular classes. I’m still totally dumbfounded as I follow everyone else into the studio. Have I really been cast as Clara? Will I be able to pull her off? I know all her dance sequences by heart because I’ve been obsessed with the ballet since I got into dance. But I’ve been raised to believe in myself and chase my dreams, so I’ll try my hardest to be the best Clara I can be.
As I pass Dani on my way into the studio, I throw my arms around her. “Thanks so much to you and Jasmine for casting me as Clara.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie, but you don’t have to thank me. You earned it on your own.”
“Really? I’m not the best dancer here.”
“Of course you’re an amazing dancer, Lexi.” She plays with my curls. “And you know there’s more to Clara than knowing how to dance. Jasmine and I have watched you blossom over the years. You’re one of the most dedicated and hard-working dancers in the class. And you’re always wearing that beautiful, bright, infectious smile. There’s no one more suited for the role than you.”
Every part of me fills with glee. “Thanks. I’ll try my hardest to make you proud.”
She smiles. “I know you will.”
Since we’ll be performing the ballet around mid-December, we have enough time to rehearse. Dani and Jasmine are trying to put a modern spin on it, but they don’t want to deviate too much from the original. Because the ballet is breathtaking just the way it is, and there’s no need to change it. But since we do this ballet almost every year, a few minor changes might add a new flavor to it, which I know the audience will love.
We spend the next hour and a half rehearsing. Because we’re all so familiar with the ballet, our emphasis will be on perfection. Hopefully, we’ll knock this performance out of the park.
Brock, who’s sitting in the same seat as last time, watches us all with admiration. We’re much better than we were four years ago, so I’m sure it’s a big change for him. He seems to be enjoying himself because he hasn’t touched his paperback once.
“Great work, everyone!” Jasmine calls when we’re done with rehearsal. “You were all so…” She does a chef’s kiss.
“Mwa, mwa, mwa!” Dani blows us kisses. “We couldn’t have been prouder of you.”
We all clap and cheer and congratulate each other.
“Have a great evening, everyone!” Dani says.
As everyone leaves the studio, Gael says, “Party at my place to celebrate?”
“Yes!” the rest of the guys say.
“Can’t,” I inform them. “I want to stay here for a bit and rehearse.”
“Aw, bummer,” Theo says.
“We can wait for you to be done rehearsing and then go party,” Finn suggests.
I wave my hand. “I’m sure you guys have a lot of homework. It’s okay, we’ll celebrate another time.”
“You sure?” Dean asks.
“Yes. And don’t worry about giving me a ride. My mom can pick me up.”
The guys try to convince me to reconsider. They claim I was perfect during rehearsal and don’t need extra practice. But I know the areas where I need to improve, and I’ll feel better knowing I put in the extra hours.
“Bye, everyone!” I wave to all seven of them. “See you tomorrow.”
The guys slap my hands or fist bump me as they wish me goodbye. Brock gives me a quick hug before following them out the door.
Zuri has a jazz class for seniors now, so I can’t use Studio A. But Dani tells me I can use Studio C, since there won’t be any classes taking place there. After getting a drink from the water cooler, I grab my backpack and walk toward the end of the hallway, where studio C is located. It’s smaller than the rest of the studios, which makes it perfect for me to use.
After putting on the music, I start working on one of the dance numbers I’m struggling with. I know I have many weeks to perfect it, but I love dancing so much and want to go above and beyond to have a knockout performance.
When I’m about fifteen or twenty minutes into rehearsal, I feel someone watching me. My gaze shoots to the door and I find Brock standing there. I nearly trip over my feet.
His eyes widen as he rushes inside. “Are you okay? Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I wasn’t sure if you were okay with me watching, but I didn’t want to disturb you because you looked like you were really into it.”
I tuck some hair behind my ear. “Yeah, I kind of disappear into my happy place when I dance.”
“I see it.”
We stand quietly, the only sound coming from my phone that’s playing The Nutcracker music.
“Do you want me to go?” Brock asks. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.” He turns around.
“No, you don’t have to go. But um…” I tuck some more hair behind my ear. “I thought you left with the others.”
“Yeah, I was about to mount my bike, but I thought I would hang around and give you a lift home so you wouldn’t have to wait for your mom. I don’t mind waiting. And also, I thought you might like the company.” He pushes his bangs into his eyes. “I mean, sorry. You told the guys you wanted to be alone. I can leave…” He turns around again.
“No, it’s okay.” I put my hand on his arm, preventing him from leaving. “Having a huge audience with all the guys would be a bit too much, but I don’t mind if it’s just you.”
He turns around. “You sure? I really don’t want to bother you. I can wait in the lounge area.”
“I’m sure.” I give him a reassuring smile. “But I’m working on my weakest areas, so no judgment, okay?”
“Of course. I would never judge you. And honestly, I have no idea if you’re doing the dance right. It all looks perfect to me.”
“You’re so uncultured,” I joke.
He chuckles. “I know, right? Tchaikovsky might just haunt me in my dreams tonight.”
My brows fly up. “You know the composer of The Nutcracker?”
“I do read a lot,” he says.
“True.”
Brock sits on one of the chairs near the wall and I continue my rehearsal. Now that I have a small audience—and it’s Brock—I’m super freakin’ nervous. And I don’t even know why. It’s not like I want to impress him, right? We’re just friends.
Ah, who am I kidding? Of course I want to impress him.
“You’re always so…what’s the right word? Majestic when you dance.”
His words cause warmth to spread through me, as well as confidence. And before I know it, I execute the dance perfectly.
“I did it!” I jump in my place and cheer. “I did it!”
“Awesome!” Brock rushes from his seat and hugs me. “I’m so proud of you. I knew you could do it.”
“I think having an audience helped,” I admit.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He beams. “Glad to help.”
I lock my arms around him. “There’s no end to your awesomeness. Okay, I’m on a roll now. Let me try another dance number I’m struggling with.”
Brock holds up his hands and quickly retreats to his chair.
It takes some practice, but I manage to nail this one, too. Gosh, I can’t believe how much I accomplished today. I’m super proud of myself.
I drop down on the chair next to Brock with a happy sigh. “Ten points to Lexi West for an unbelievable performance.”
“Ten points? More like a hundred. Do you need a drink?” He rummages in his back for a water bottle.
“Thanks.” I gulp down half of it in one go, then give him an apologetic smile. “Sorry for drinking half your bottle. I didn’t realize I was so thirsty. I can refill it at the water cooler.”
“That’s okay. You can drink it all.”
“Thanks.” I take a few long sips and sigh. “I’m so happy.”
“You should be,” Brock gushes with bright eyes. “You were phenomenal.”
I playfully shove his shoulder. “You said you have no idea if I’m doing the dance right.”
“I know. That’s what I thought in the past. But after seeing you dance right now? Perfection.”
My heart skips a beat. “Thanks. I worked really hard.”
“I know. You were amazing.”
My face heats up and I avert my gaze. “Thanks.”
We sit in silence again.
I kick my ballet shoe against the floor.
Brock shifts in his seat.
“So, um, ready to go home?” I ask.
“Sure, if you’re done rehearsing. Because I can wait if you’re not.”
“Brock…”
“Yeah?”
I hesitate for a second before blurting, “You don’t have to always try to make it up to me. I already told you I forgive you.”
He stares at me for a second before shaking his head. “No, that’s not it. I wasn’t even thinking that at all. I just…wanted to.”
“Oh, okay. Sorry.”
He gives me a small smile. “I’m trying to put the past behind me. So if you ever see me being too nice…it’s just me being annoying Brock.”
“What? You’re not annoying! You’ve never been annoying. Now, Theo? He can be really annoying sometimes. And Cooper? Oh my gosh, he won’t stop talking about the girls he’ll never have the courage to approach.”
Brock bursts out laughing. “How true is that? They haven’t changed one bit. Well, other than Coop being more girl crazy than before.”
Still laughing, we gather our things and head toward the exit of the studio. But Dani intercepts us and spends a few minutes hugging the daylights out of Brock and then me.
“The Musketeers sure know how to show a guy how much they missed him,” Brock says with another laugh as we head toward his bike. “Evie and Noah were over at my house with Melly on Saturday night and they also squeezed me like a ketchup bottle.”
“Ooh, they came by? That sounds so fun! How’s the baby?”
“Super cute. She has the Barrington blue eyes.”
“I know. She’s so pretty.”
“Yep. They told me they won’t go on tour until Melly’s older, but they’ll still record music.”
“Nice. I heard some kids discussing the possibility of having them perform for the fall dance, but I don’t know if they’ll be up for it. You know, with the baby and everything.”
He pauses for a second. “Fall dance?”
“They didn’t put up the signs yet, but it’ll probably be sometime in October.”
“Oh, right. I forgot Edenbury High has dances.”
“Didn’t you have them at your old school?”
“Sure, but I didn’t really go to them.”
“Oh. Well, I never had a date or anything. Neither did the guys. We all went together as friends.”
“Good,” he says. Then his eyes widen. “I mean, not good that you didn’t have a date, but good that you and the guys had fun there as friends.”
I playfully hit his shoulder. “I knew you meant that.”
Brock and I stop before his motorcycle. “Sorry I don’t have a spare helmet,” he says. “My dad said to always carry a spare with me in case I’d want to give a girl a ride, but I never thought I would actually do that.”
I gape at him and then the bike. “Wait a sec. We’re riding on your motorcycle?”
“I don’t have a car,” he says. “Sorry, I thought it was obvious when I offered you a ride. I can call for—”
“Are you kidding? This is awesome! Don’t you know it’s every girl’s dream to ride behind a guy on his motorcycle?”
“Well, that’s how it is in romance books, but I have no idea if it’s like that in real life…”
“So uncultured,” I joke again as I move closer to the bike. “I might not be an expert on bikes, but she looks like a beauty.”
“She definitely is. I worked hard for her.”
I step back, narrowing my eyes. “Hold on a minute. You said at my house on Friday that you don’t let anyone touch your bike.”
He winks at me. “I’ll make an exception for Lexi West.”
“Ooh, yay!” I say, my cheeks burning. “I feel so special.”
“You are,” he murmurs.
I laugh awkwardly and move closer to the bike. “Thanks. So can we ride? The anticipation is killing me.”
He chuckles as he puts on his helmet, then raises the visor. “You’re just like my mom. She was so excited to ride on my dad’s bike when they were our age.”
“Your mom knows how to have fun.”
He gets on the bike and then I climb on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. Oh, wow. Since when does he have so many muscles? He’s so much more ripped than I thought.
“Check out these muscles, dude,” I say.
I feel the chuckle overtake his body. “I work out sometimes.”
“Wow, I didn’t expect that,” I say as I shift my hands on his waist.
He laughs again as he squirms. “I’m kind of ticklish.”
“I remember. Brayden used to love tickling you.”
“Just like he did to my mom. Are you ready? Make sure to hold onto me very tightly. And never loosen your hold, okay? This thing moves much faster than you can imagine. And since you don’t have a helmet, I want you to be extra careful.”
“Aye, aye, captain!” I say.
“If you want me to stop, just yell into my ear, okay?”
“Got it, but I doubt I’ll want you to stop.”
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
He revs the engine and off we go.
Oh my gosh! He was definitely right that I couldn’t have imagined how fast this bike goes. Holy heck, this is awesome! The wind feels so good in my hair and the adrenaline is such a boost to my energy. I feel like I’m on an amusement park ride. I don’t want this to ever end.
Brock slows down and then stops by a red light. “You okay?” he calls over his shoulder.
“I’m more than okay. This is sick, dude. No wonder your mom loved it so much and has her own bike. I never want to get off this thing.”
I feel him laugh again. “You think your mom would let you buy one?” he asks.
“I think she’ll kill me if she sees me getting off your bike.”
He goes still. “Oh, really? Sorry, I didn’t know—”
“It’s okay, Brock!” I assure him. “She knows I’m in good hands.”
He nods. “I’d sooner hurt myself than let anything happen to you.”
I don’t have a chance to respond because the light turns green, and Brock warns me to hold on before taking off again. Oh my gosh, this is so, so, awesome. Please don’t let it stop anytime soon.
But unfortunately, it does. Brock slows down before my house and then helps me off the bike.
“This was the best thing in the world!” I say.
“I’m glad you had fun.”
I leap at him and close my arms around him, my cheek hitting his helmeted face. “Thanks so much, Brock. For the ride and for keeping me company today.” I lean back and smile at him. “You’re the sweetest person in the world.”
He lifts his visor, though his gaze is lowered. “I don’t know about that.”
“You are.” I squeeze him again, then step back. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”
“Good night.”
I walk up to the front door of my house, but I don’t go in until after he climbs onto his bike and zooms away.