The championship

Anastasia James

“Where are my sneakers?” Kaleb shouted, rummaging through the shoe closet in the corner of the room.

“Can someone help me with the zipper on this jacket?” Scott stared at the zipper with some concern.

“Where's my hair gel, Kaleb?” Greg shouted at the other.

Seeing them like this, so agitated, is funny. It feels like the world is ending and so is our only chance for salvation. But, I can understand them, after all, when I had performances with the Classical Ballet Company, the girls were exactly like this. Maybe a little more organized, but just as chaotic.

I let out a long sigh and looked at myself through the mirror. This is the first time in ages that I have put on a tulle skirt and tied my hair into a tight bun. It is almost strange, the fact that I am about to introduce myself to hundreds of people. And even my father has finally come to honor me.

Yes.

After my mother's death, when I insisted and stayed on the same path as her, my father never attended one of my performances. He always made up some excuse, claiming to be too busy with work or too tired. Well, I also never forced him or got upset about it, because I know how difficult it was.

“Everybody, we're next!” Matthew walked into the room, pointing with his thumb at the door behind him.

As soon as he said this, it was like a magic word, as everyone grabbed what they needed and stood up, leaving the room in a line. I took one last look through the mirror and touched up the lip gloss Steph had given me, because, according to her, I couldn't wear red, but some color should be. Well, I love it. It tastes like strawberry.

As I ran my index finger around the edges of my mouth, wiping off the excess lip gloss, I noticed Matthew walking slowly towards me through the mirror, and I don't even need to mention how gorgeous he looks. The olive green pants, the white blouse, and the jacket – customized by Scott's divine hands – fit like a glove on his body. He was gorgeous.

“Are you nervous?” He rested his head on my shoulder, looking at me through the mirror. I smiled and swiveled the chair toward him so that we were face to face.

“A little bit.” I looked deep into his eyes.

“No need.” He gave me a wry smile. “It will be the best of the evening.” Although I disagreed, I preferred not to argue about it. Not would I have the chance, because Matt quickly interrupted me. “You know, regardless of the result tonight, I want you to know something.” He said, rummaging through the inside pockets of his jacket. I stared at him, confused. Matthew pulled a necklace from his pocket, where his chain was silver and very thin, which held a small heart-shaped rose quartz stone. “I like you a lot, Ana. I would say even more than usual.” He laughed nasally and approached me, placing the cord around my neck. “I didn't mean to scare you, but I've been making some plans for the future and…” He pulled away and looked into my eyes. “I want to spend every second with you.”

I opened my mouth, but couldn't say anything at all. My heart was beating so fast inside my chest that it sent electrifying shivers through my entire body. I won't deny it, but since the conversation he and my father had, I had found myself thinking several times about what it would be like to have a future with Matthew. All the possibilities appealed to me. Very much so.

“Although your eyes are telling me everything…” He laughed nasally. “You don't have to answer me now.” He moistened his lips. “Leave it for later.”

“Later?” I frowned in confusion, but all Matthew did was smile and extend his hand to me.

“One thing at a time. First the championship.” He smiled and stared at me. “Then the…” Later.” His smile widened, making me roll my eyes and laugh.

I’m very curious, but if I start thinking about it now, I think I will freak out. And I can't freak out now, can I? We're going to perform in a few minutes and I need total concentration so that I don't forget any steps. Matthew and I had to split up, because we were going to enter through different aisles.

As soon as the previous group passed us, my heart skipped a beat.

This is it.

The announcer's voice echoed through the room, but I didn't even pay attention to what he was saying. I just concentrated on taking deep breaths and staying calm. When the lights dimmed, I walked in long, hasty strides to the center of the room and stood in a croisé devant position, waiting for my cue to start dancing.

Suddenly, the lights came on, and a melody similar to the sound of a spoon hitting glasses, very slow and high, sent a shiver through my body. I started with simple movements, where my arms moved in all five positions, and my feet accompanied them, alternating between one and the other, in rhythm with each tinkle. I finished with a pose in fifth position en arant, with my face subtly turned to the right side – the opposite side from where Matthew and the boys would enter.

Soon a heavy beat echoed through the place, allowing me to hear the boys' heavy footsteps on the wooden floor of the stage. As part of the staging, I stepped out of my position and looked around. There was only the lighting above me, but when the footsteps stopped, another spotlight appeared, illuminating the entire group.

The one leading the dance was Matt. His heavy movements gave off such a strong energy that I could feel my heart beating with the same intensity. I started to pretend to be scared and relatively confused by their presence, so I shook my head negatively, as if that sound was a nuisance to me.

As soon as I did, the heavy rhythm disappeared, leaving only a light beat, which blended with the sound of the glasses at the beginning, allowing me to resume the dance. I began to hop, alternating between one foot and the other, and moving my arms simultaneously. With each tinkle of the music, a jump was made, and my arms changed position. Near the end, I spun on my own foot, approaching Matt and the boys. I looked him in the eye and smiled, finishing with an attitude derrière.

Matt moistened his lips and, standing right in front of me, began to move to the heavy beat, which echoed again through the speakers. We were face to face, the spotlight became one, and the melody became a mixture of the two beats, allowing me to join in the dance as well, as if I were responding to his challenges.

The sound of flutes and clarinets accompanied the melody, and while they reminded me of classical ballet music, they also gave me the feeling of being in a cartoon. Exactly as if the melody corresponded to my movements. The rhythm of our steps increased, and with them, the music also gained more speed.

But suddenly, in a big burst, it stopped, and so did we.

Matthew and I stared at each other, our breaths ragged and our chests rising and falling at short intervals. Less than a minute later, the lights went out again, so I ran back to the aisle, as Matt will be starting alone this time. I mentally counted down, which ended just as the first hints of the music came on and the spotlight shone on him.

Matt raised his face and began a few movements in one place, following the slow beat, with some piano notes mixed in. The purpose of the solo dance in this first moment, is to show that the dancer – Matthew – went on with his life as usual and was good at what he did, until he had his path crossed with a dancer – aka myself.

When the beats softened and became more constant, I raised my arms above my head, stood on my tiptoes, and whirled toward the center of the stage where Matthew was standing. He stood there in the same spot, just watching me. I had a certain prominence in the dance, and as I moved I risked a glance at Matt. There was a glint in his eyes that made me smile.

The speed of the music began to gradually increase, so we joined in and began to dance together. He walked over to me, looking deep into my eyes, and walking around me, I followed him, turning my head every time I lost sight of him. When the music reached its peak, my choreography and Matt's became similar, as everyone joined in to dance with us.

They seemed to be the same steps, but Matt and I each did them in a different style, which surprised me greatly. I never thought that ballet and hip-hop could be so similar.

In the next part came a kind of “freestyle” – even though it was all very well choreographed. After all, our goal was to bring that sense of battle to the stage, as it happens in the dance club. So while Matt was dancing 'hip-hop' with the boys, I ran around and did a triple jump, smiling broadly as I heard the people in the audience clapping in delight.

After the “improvised part”, when the beats became slow and steady, I approached Matthew, dancing around him. We looked at each other intently. It seemed like there was no one else there – even though everyone was around us, just waiting for the time when we would all dance together.

Following the order of the steps, as the music gradually picked up speed, Matt threatened to approach me, so I did a sequenced spin, pulling away from him. I did an arabesque, and as I turned to face the audience, Matt caught up with me, stopping right in front of me.

He grabbed me around the waist and started spinning around the place with me. When my feet hit the ground, I spun around Matt, stopping right behind him, who turned to me just as I threw my arms up in the air and bent backwards into a nice cambré back. One of his hands grabbed my waist, giving me the support I needed to lift my leg as high as possible, mixed with an attitude devant.

Before the song could come to an end, Matthew pulled me in, as I bent my leg and hooked into the side of his body. The song ended and everyone in the audience began to shout and applaud, making Matt laugh, relieved. I reached down, grabbed his face with my hands, and sealed our lips together, not caring how many people were watching. I noticed that Matthew's body tensed up at first, but soon relaxed and reciprocated.

To keep things from getting too much, I ended with a kiss and brought our foreheads together, smiling widely. We all thanked the audience with a bow and ran toward the aisles.

“Did they add a closing step without telling me?” Johnny narrowed his eyes, smiling mischievously.

“Johnny!” I smiled widely and ran to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Looks like you got your cast off.” Matthew commented, causing me to pull away from him and stare at Johnny's leg.

“Yeah, I got it off before I came here.” He smiled without showing his teeth.

“Curious, isn't it?” Matthew said, suspicious. “Just on the day of the championship, right?”

“Yes, it is!” Johnny shrugged and laughed.

“Anastasia James?” I heard my name called, so I turned in the direction of the voice. It was a man with dark hair, very well fixed with gel, wearing a gray suit, with a navy blue blouse. I have never seen this man before in my life. “Could we talk?” He gave me the slightest smile. I glared at Matthew, asking him what I should do. He shrugged and nodded, so I sighed.

“That's fine.” I said and nodded.

The man pointed with one hand, indicating for me to go ahead. I walked to the aisles leading to the dressing room, where it was quieter and quieter. And once I was far enough away from the others, I turned around. I didn't have to ask him to start talking, because as soon as I looked at him, he smiled.

“My name is Ivan Rodriguez.” He nodded briefly. “I’m one of the representatives of the Bolshoi Dance Academy and I must confess that I was delighted with your performance. It was harmoniously lovely. I could feel on my skin the burning passion between the two rhythms, and your technique is…” He took a deep breath. “Admirable.”

“Thank you.” I gave a small smile, not knowing what to do.

“So, I have a proposal.” He stared at me for a while, making me blink a few times. “How would you like to take part in a test?”

“A test?”

“It's a test of knowledge of the Bolshoi Dance Academy.” He said simply. “It used to recruit new dancers.”

My jaw dropped immediately.

“W-What does that mean?” I swallowed hard, feeling my heart beating fast.

He narrowed his eyes, with an amused smile on his lips.

“I want to hire you.”

Anyone looking at me from the outside would see nothing less than an expressionless face, but inside I was letting off fireworks. My dream has always been Juilliard, but the Bolshoi... I couldn't hold back a sigh. The Bolshoi is the same company where my mother was a ballerina, so, yes, it has a great value for me.

I just didn't want to try out for the Bolshoi, for fear of not being accepted. I heard that they are extremely strict in rehearsals and don't tolerate failure. Unlike Juilliard, which embraces everyone and everything.

“You have an edge over the other dancers, Anastasia.” He said, drawing my attention to herself. “I don't know what it is, but I like it.” He gave me a wry smile. “Very much so.”

“I-I…” I stared at him, perplexed, not knowing what to say.

“I can imagine what your head must be like right now, so I'll give you some time to think.” He laughed nasally. “Here.” He held out his right hand to me, and only now did I notice that there was a business card in his hand. “Call me when you make your decision.” He winked and turned on his heels, walking down the hall. I watched him walk away until he completely disappeared from my field of vision.

I must be dreaming. No, please, someone pinches me!

Is this really happening? One of the Bolshoi representatives was in the audience, watched my performance and found it “harmoniously lovely”? I can't believe it. I looked at the business card, which contained all the personal contact information for Ivan, including the company logo.

Maybe I already have my answer…

I can't wait to tell Matthew. Or rather, to everyone! Including Bethany, who has accompanied me for years in the saga of choosing a dance academy to graduate from. I bet they will be happy for me.

At last, my dreams are finally coming true.

***

“Where are you taking me?” I said with a giggle, as Matt was blindly leading me down a gravel path.

“You'll see.” He said in a mysterious tone.

After the championship was over, when we entered the dressing room to take off our clothes and leave, or rather, drink them all away like there was no tomorrow, according to Steph, we were surprised. Everyone was literally facing the door, just waiting for our appearance to interrogate us. Well, what else could we say but the truth?

It took forever to get rid of them – especially Steph, who looked like a protective mother – but we soon ran away. As the guys were getting together for drinks, Matt made it clear that he already had other plans with me. I just nodded, even though I didn't know what that plan was.

After a few more steps, Matthew finally stopped, his hands still covering my eyes, preventing me from seeing anything ahead.

“Are you ready?” He asked, making me even more anxious.

“Let me see!” I stamped my foot, feeling my heart beating faster every second. At my request, Matt removed his hands from my face.

My heart leapt backwards.

We were on a hilltop overlooking Sturgis, which was beginning to light up as the sun exchanged places with the moon. I looked around and noticed a large checkered tablecloth on the ground, with some lit candles and a basket filled with food. I couldn't help a silly smile as I looked at it.

“Surprise!” He raised his eyebrows.

I looked at it all, wondering what to say.

“Beautiful.” I looked up at Matt, feeling my eyes filling with tears.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, where my head rested on his chest, so that I could hear his heartbeat. How I love to feel him so close to me! And also your smell… and your taste and… everything.

“I like you very much, Ana.” He said with a sigh.

“I like you too, Matt.” I smiled and stared at him.

“You're the second-best present Sturgis could give me.” He gave me a wry smile, causing me to frown.

“Second?” I raised my eyebrow.

“Of course!” He chuckled breathlessly. “If it hadn't been for our championship victory, I wouldn't have gotten a full scholarship to Breaker, one of the largest street dance institutions!” He said, smiling broadly.

“Really?” My jaw dropped. “This is amazing!” I hugged him again.

“Yes, it is.” He nodded. “The boys also received it, but they are afraid because of the distance.”

“Distance?” I frowned. “It isn't around here?

“No, it's not.” He denied it. “It's in France.”

“France?” I blinked a few times, trying to assimilate. Matthew nodded and began to speak, but I couldn't pay attention to a word he said.

What do you mean “France”? Actually, why France? Couldn't it be New York, where the United States branch of the Bolshoi Dance Academy is? I swallowed hard and stared at Matt, who was smiling broadly. I need to tell him about my proposal, but I don't know how. Will he react badly? I don't want to upset our relationship – which has barely begun.

“You know, I used to love stargazing when I was younger.” He said simply. I stared at him and noticed that he was admiring the sky. “I used to take my sister to places like this to watch the constellations at certain times of the year.” He laughed nasally. “I liked it very much. But, after she died, I just wanted to forget all about it and closed myself off from everything.” He sighed.

“Yeah, it's not easy to lose someone you love.” I gave a wry smile.

“But, you know what happened?” Matthew turned to face me, holding my hands. I frowned at him. “In the middle of all the darkness in my life, you appeared, brightening everything up.” I couldn't help but smile and looked away. Matt held my chin with his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to face him. “You must be my lucky star, because you shine for me from wherever you are.”

“Matt…” I faltered, swallowing hard.

How can I tell him now that I'm not going with him to France if he is exposing his feelings?

Matt pressed our foreheads together.

“I'm not a perfect guy. I'm always making mistakes. But of one thing, I’m sure: I got it right by choosing you.”

Before I could say anything, Matthew sealed our lips in a slow kiss. I thought about pushing him away, but I would certainly enter the Guinness Book of Records for being the fastest person to break a guy's heart. I sighed and wrapped my hands around his neck, determined not to do it now.

Maybe it wasn't the right time to tell yet.