The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker

Author:Ali Stroker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abrams
Published: 2021-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I’m Here

“FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT,” Calvin called out during their gazillionth run-through of “Dancing Through Life.” On the moves that were supposed to pop, he extended his arms so fast and intensely, they looked like they would burst out of their sockets. “BAH-PAH!”

From her boring, still corner, Nat could see that it was challenging for her castmates to move freely onstage with half a dozen scattered buckets collecting raindrop leakage from the storm. The rain hadn’t let up since the retreat, and Saddle Stream’s streets had never been so flooded. Nat’s dad couldn’t believe rehearsal hadn’t been canceled. He’d actually tried to convince Nat to skip it, but he didn’t understand the whirling world of theater, even weeks away from opening night.

He also didn’t know about today’s plan: Nat would prove to Calvin that she was capable of dancing in the group numbers just like the rest of the ensemble. It was the first rehearsal following the retreat, and Calvin had asked Nat to stay for the full day of choreography since they were drilling the musical numbers—the singing, acting, and dancing all together. Hudson was confident she was ready. Nat would have liked a few more days of rehearsal. She really couldn’t blow this.

“FOCUS!” Calvin shouted. “Remember, everyone has different circles of concentration, but one of them must be our star couple! In other words, EYES ON MALIK AND SAVANNAH!”

Nat stayed stationed in the corner, listening to the downpour slam against the windows and watching Malik’s hand move to the small of Savannah’s back. They were swaying and dipping, giggling and flirting, and, every once in a while, Savannah would snap her head to Nat for a quick girl-gossip smile that said, You see? We’re perfect together.

Nat felt dizzy. Savannah might not be acting her feelings, but Malik is, she tried to tell herself. He’s in character. Or at least I hope he is. Ugh. She gladly shifted her eyes from Malik to the clock at the back of the theater. 2:07 PM. How had they only been rehearsing for four hours?!

During what had felt like twenty torturous hours, Nat had flip-flopped between feeling bored watching everyone else in the ensemble dance and anxious over finding the right time to face Calvin. She and Hudson had psyched themselves up to confront him first thing in the morning—they’d rip it off like a Band-Aid! But Nat had said, “Excuse me? Calvin?” and he’d looked over her and shouted at the kids in the audience, “A LITTLE RAINFALL, AND HALF OF YOU HAVE ARRIVED FIVE MINUTES LATE?!” So, Nat and Hudson had gotten out of the way.

They’d later tried to approach Calvin at the start of the midmorning break, but before either of them could get a word in, he and Cora had scrambled past them for a Starbucks run. They’d returned to the lobby ten minutes later, totally wet and reeking of cigarette smoke, and when Hudson went to say something to Calvin then, Calvin had barged past him

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