Chapter Nine
Carly
The video Addie made is amazing! It features the two of us dancing many different styles with the perfect music tracks. We have the largest smiles on our faces and look like we’re having the most fun in the entire universe. Just watching it makes me want to get up and join them—well, us.
I have no idea how much attention it’s received since she posted it last night because the school app doesn’t show, and it doesn’t allow for comments, either, but I know it’s a lot. I mean, the video is just too awesome.
“Maybe you should have a career in videography,” I tell Addie as she, Caleb, Sophie, Raven and I make our way to the gym after school. “You’re really good at it.”
“Thanks. The project I did in business class a few weeks ago made me realize I’d like to run a business that helps middle-class and low-income people. Maybe I can do both.”
“You totally can,” Sophie says, reading while walking with us to the gym.
Every so often, one of us has to pull her slightly to the right or to the left so she doesn’t bump into anyone or anything.
The fact that she can walk, read, and talk to us all at the same time is pretty impressive.
“You can do anything you put your mind to.”
“I’m already pitching some ideas to my grandfather,” she tells us. “He wants me to be more involved in the business because he hopes I’ll inherit it one day. I’m still not sure if I want to, but I like keeping all options open.”
“Look at you!” I fling my arm around her, hugging her to my side. “Only sixteen and already a businesswoman.”
She laughs lightly. “Well, not yet. But the thought of it doesn’t sound so bad if I can help people and make a difference in the world.”
“That sounds like the dream job,” Raven tells her.
“And we all believe in you,” Caleb tells her with a loving smile.
“Thanks.”
We reach the gym, and I’m shocked to find some kids already here. I exchange an excited grin with my friends. The video was a great idea.
“Thanks for coming!” I call to them. “It’s still a bit early, so you can do some stretches.”
Instead of walking off to do so, they all huddle together and giggle.
Coach Moreno isn’t here yet, so I join my friends at the bleachers, where we chat about different things. Slowly and slowly, more kids start to arrive. My neck snaps to the door when I catch a group of like five girls. Wow! I can’t believe how much of a difference a video can make.
“Your brain is like magic,” I tell Addie.
With her cheeks red, she laughs. “All of your brains are magic, too.”
I twist my nose. “Nah. Not me.”
“You kidding?” Raven says. “Where do you think all of your awesome choreography comes from?”
“Well, er…I don’t know.”
“Your brain, duh,” Sophie says as she turns another page.
“Hmm…I guess so. I never really thought about it.”
“What book are you reading this time?” Addie asks as she closes Sophie’s book for a second to look at the cover. “Is that another fantasy?”
“Of course! But this one is a pirate romance. It has sea monsters and sirens and everything. It’s really cool.”
A girl who I recognize from the senior class heads over to us. “Is this the dance tryouts?”
I beam. “You’re at the right place. We’re still waiting for more people to arrive. You can stretch.” She’s about to leave, but I say, “Hey, did you find out about the tryouts from the video?”
She turns around and gives me a confused look. “Video?”
“Yeah, the one that was posted on the school app.”
She shrugs and walks away.
I turn to my friends with creased brows. “How is she here if she didn’t see the video?”
“The flyers and posters?” Caleb suggests.
“I guess so. Good to know those are effective, too.”
More and more students arrive, all of them girls. I was hoping that if we had more male dancers, we could incorporate a bit of pair dancing into our routine, but no luck.
I catch a few girls filming social media videos. Getting up from the bleachers, I head over and say, “Hey. It’s cool that you’re making videos, but can you stop as soon as the tryouts begin? I don’t want anyone to be upset or feel insecure if their tryout ends up online.”
They give me these half-nods as they focus on their video, which makes me wonder if they even heard a word I said.
“Did you hear about the tryouts from the video that was posted on the school app?” I ask them.
Some of them give me puzzled looks while the rest ignore me.
“The video of Addie and me dancing?” I ask. “Or did you find out about the tryouts from the posters?”
“Where’s Ryder?” one of them says. Then she giggles to her friends. “You think he’ll want to be in our video?”
“Why are you asking about Ryder?” I say.
“Three, two, one, go!” another shouts, and then they focus on the video. I quickly run away because I don’t want to be in it.
I hear Ryder’s name mentioned again. I don’t get it. Why are they talking about him? It’s not like he’s even here.
“There he is!” someone shouts.
At once, a stampede of girls bolts to him, some of them practically running him over. They all beg him to be part of their social media videos.
Wait a sec. Are the girls here because of him ?
“Excuse me!” I say as I push through them. “Temporary team captain coming through.”
Some of them part for me, but most of them ignore me.
Ryder notices me trying to push through the crowd and he grins. “Hey, kid! Let the captain through, guys.”
I grab hold of his arm and pull him aside.
“One-on-one time?” He has that annoying lazy grin again. “I like it.”
“Did you share the video on your social media or something?” I demand.
His eyebrows lower. “Video?”
I slip my phone from my pocket and tap on the school app, showing him the video. He watches it with intrigue, his eyes smiling as Addie and I pick up our tempo and add more intense moves.
“That was sick,” he says. “Too bad I didn’t see it until now. It would have helped me convince the students to show up.”
“Show up?”
“To your tryouts.”
My stomach feels heavy. “Are you saying these kids are only here because you told them to come?”
“I didn’t ‘tell them to come,’” he clarifies. “I informed them that my good friend Carly Simmons is putting together a dance team and that they should check it out because it looks like a lot of fun.”
Disappointment crashes over me. It wasn’t the video Addie and I worked so hard to put together. It wasn’t our mad dancing skills or our music choices. It was Ryder Bennett.
The smile vanishes from his face. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks in a gentle tone I’m not used to hearing.
I shake my head and step away. “Nothing. Everything’s cool.”
“I’m a little hurt,” he says. “I thought you would be more appreciative that I helped get the word out.”
He’s saying it in a light and breezy tone, but I see the emotions he’s trying to hide in his eyes. He is hurt that I’m not grateful to him. I have no idea why he would try to help me, but it’s not his fault that the girls only flocked here because of him and not the video.
“Thanks,” I mutter before walking back to my friends.
“What happened?” Raven asks. “You look really upset.”
“Turns out they’re not here because of the video,” I tell Addie with an apologetic look. “Ryder asked them all to come. We worked hard on it for nothing.”
“No you didn’t!” Sophie insists. “The video was amazing and the two of you were, too. I’m sure some kids turned up because of it.”
“And even if they didn’t, you two should be really proud of yourselves,” Caleb says. “You created something wonderful.”
“Listen to the smart man,” Sophie says. “He knows what he’s talking about.”
“Thanks,” Addie says as she lowers her head on his shoulder. “I’m not upset or anything. It just sucks that it didn’t work.”
When my gaze moves to Ryder, I see that he’s once again surrounded by girls. But his eyes are pasted on me only, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Well,” I say, putting on a hopeful smile. “Ryder or not, the point is that the people are here. I’m sure we’ll find lots of potential recruits.”
Raven nods. “Definitely.”
I lower myself on one of the chairs before the table and take out the paper where I wrote down my notes yesterday. There are a lot of kids here, so it may take a while to get through them all. But I want each and every one of them to have a chance to show us what they’ve got.
Someone sits down next to me. I assume it’s Coach Moreno, but then I smell his familiar cologne or soap or shampoo, or whatever it is.
“So did I make the team?” Ryder asks.
I give him a look. “I told you yesterday that you’ll find out with everyone else when we post the results.”
“I know. But if I made the cut, I can offer some of my input on these hopefuls.”
My brows shoot up. “You want to take my job?”
“Carly, do you actually hear what I say when I talk or do you just hear what you want to hear? I never said anything about taking your job. I’m offering my input.”
“I don’t need your input,” I snap. When his face falls, I regret it.
It’s not my intention to be a jerk to him, but I’m feeling so many emotions.
Disappointment in myself because I couldn’t get students to try out for my dance team, worry that none of these girls will be good because they’re only here for Ryder, stressed because there are so many kids here and I want to give all of them a shot despite it all.
And then there’s a whole basket of emotions when it comes to Ryder.
Why would he convince kids to try out for the team?
I kind of hate him for managing to do it when I couldn’t, but I’m also thankful because there’s a chance we might find some really good dancers.
Maybe they themselves don’t know how good they are.
A few of them seem very shy to try out, but here they are.
If not for Ryder, the majority of them wouldn’t even be here. But then again, they’re only here because of him and not the team. That hurts. But it’s not really his fault.
It looks like Ryder wants to snap back at me, but he shakes his head and says, “Got it. My offer is retracted.” He gets up and is about to leave, but he glances at me and says, “Good luck with the tryouts. I’ll get out of your hair.”
I don’t know why he sounds disappointed. And I don’t know why I feel bad. Ugh, again, too many emotions. Why did he have to do something kind to me? It’s so much easier to hate him.
Some of the kids complain when he leaves, and I worry half of them will leave along with him. But they stay.
It’s not long before Coach Moreno arrives and the tryouts begin.
Like I expected, the majority of them are nowhere good enough for the team.
Some don’t have even an ounce of rhythm and some of them barely even attempt to dance.
A few didn’t even bother with a routine and are just basically prancing around the gym.
I’m tempted to ask everyone who is only here for Ryder to leave, but like I said before, I want to give every single person here a chance.
Then there are a few surprises. A couple are really great dancers and know it, but there are about three who completely shock even themselves. I love seeing the stunned smiles on their faces when they realize they actually are good at dancing. It makes all of this worth it.
“Nice,” I tell Coach Moreno when a sophomore shows her raw talent. “There’s hope yet.”
“Pardon?”
“I thought today would be a total failure, but one should always hold on to hope.”
“Agreed,” she says. “There is some really great talent out there. We may have a dream team soon.”
And some of that is due to Ryder Bennet, number one enemy of yours truly. I don’t know what to make of that.
Speaking of which, I catch him standing in the doorway halfway through the tryouts.
Maybe I’m seeing things, but it seems like he came back to check if his efforts bore any fruit.
His eyes light up when a few hopefuls do a good job, and it looks like his body sags with relief.
What exactly was he worried about? Letting me down? Yeah, right.
When his eyes meet mine, he offers me a small smile.
I know I should return it, but I can’t bring myself to.
I’ve always behaved a certain way around him, and he did as well.
He annoyed me and I got ticked off at him.
That’s how it’s been for years. It made sense.
And now he’s being nice to me and I have no idea how to react.
He shakes his head and walks out of the gym.