Backup

1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, over and over and over. In my head I'm saying don't mess up. Why would it matter though I'm only a backup.

"Good job, everyone!" says the instructor "Remember tomorrow is our Christmas recital, 5:00 sharp don't be late!"

"Hey, great job today, Riley." says my friend Kate.

"Thanks, I guess. Don't you ever get tired of only being a backup and not having the glory of the spotlight in your face, the fame, the tights so small that they almost cut off your blood circulation?”

“No, no, and no. Come on Riley, just live with it.” Kate says.

“I can't! I love to dance and I don't want to waste it on dancing backup for school recitals!” I say as my face turns the color of the red stripes on the candy cane decorations placed around the room “I think I need a vacation.” I say slowly getting back to normal.

“Wait, What?! Y-You can't, we have a recital tomorrow!” says Kate about to have a panic attack.

“Oh, Kate, sweet, sweet Kate. I can leave after, besides who's even gonna realize I'm gone?”

“Your mom, dad, friends, and the teacher to name a few!” she says. I could tell she was about to flip out.

"Listen up girls, this is Mrs Thompson from the International dance institute here to offer us a job dancing for people all over the world!" says my instructor.

"WHAT!" I scream so loud the sound bounces off the walls "I mean woo!" I say quietly.

"Anyway, she wants to see one last performance to make it official!" my teacher says. "5-6-7-8"

In my mind I'm thinking this could be my big break! On tour, maybe even being the lead! don't mess up, don't mess up, don't mess up. Then-I mess up.

"OW!" I scream. I turned too soon and fell on my foot sideways.

"Oh! Riley, what happened?!" says my teacher.

The next thing I know I am in the ER getting X-rays on my foot.

"Well, it's just a minor fracture but I suggest you don't dance for at least 6 weeks." the doctor says.

"Wait, but-" I say in a panic "We are supposed to go on tour in a few days!"

"Well I guess you'll have to miss out. Maybe you can come cheer on the sidelines?" Kate says.

"Oh, I almost forgot you'll have to stay off of it to let it heal. You'll need these."

The doctor hands me a pair of crutches and a cast. I can't believe it, I am going to miss out on the biggest opportunity of a lifetime! I guess I could use this time to go on that vacation I was talking about. After a few days the crew left to go to the first stop on the tour and I was about to go to Hawaii for a holiday vacation.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" says Kate.

"No you are going to have the time of your life!" I reply.

"It will be weird dancing with someone else."

"I know, but I need a vacation to get away from everything that happened." I say.

Once I got to Hawaii I immediately loved it. I decided to extend my stay by a whole month. By the time I got back to Chicago everyone was already back from the tour. I recovered from my injury and the Christmas vacation that I got to take a break and get some peace and quiet really helped a lot.

"Riley you're back!" says Kate.

"Yeah. How was the tour?" I reply.

"Great! We went to California, Oklahoma, Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Oregon..." she says. While she was talking I drowned it out. I'm still sad that I couldn't go even if I only danced backup, While she is naming the states that they went to, I am thinking of reasons why to not be sad. None. I think of none. I start to come back to the real world eventually. After a while I got over the fact that I didn't go but I was still dancing backup even though we were not doing school recitals anymore.

"Riley! I just talk to someone who works for the New York Times and he wants to feature us in an article!" Kate says excitedly.

"What?! Really?" I scream.

"Yes!"

"Really?!"

"Yes!"

Really, Really, Really?!"

For the last time, yes, yes, and yes!"

"That's awesome!" I say.

"I know! The best part is it will be on the front page!" Kate says.

"What?! Really?"

"We're not doing that again." says Kate.

“You’re right.” 

Where is he or she?” I asked.

“Over there.” she says. 

"Hi, are you Riley?" Says the reporter.

"Yes" I say. The inside of my stomach is filled with butterflies, like the inside of a butterfly house. I can hear her talking but all I can think of is what do I say, what do I say, what do I say?

"Why did you start dancing?" Asks the reporter.

"Riley-answer!" whispers Kate.

"U-uh- Yeah, I-uh Dancing is fun..." I say nervously.

“Okay… What about you Kate?”

“Well, to be completely honest I only started because Riley convinced me to dance with her.” says Kate, also nervous.

“Oh, well then I will talk with the editor to see if we can squeeze you in the sports section maybe.” the reporter says with a worried almost confused look on her face.

“I’m so sorry Kate, I didn't mea-” Kate interrupts me

“No, it's fine! At Least we'll maybe be in the sports section!” Kate says 

“Are you sure?”

“Definitely.” Kate says exhaling

At that point that I realized how important dancing is too Kate. So I tried to convince the reporter to let her be in the article.

"Hey! Wait! Miss reporter lady!" I yell, running after her.

"What?!" she says very confused.

"I'm sorry I ruined the interview, but don't let my screwing up ruin Kates chances of stardom." I say panting

"Ok, I will try my best to fit you in somewhere." she says

"Great, thanks." I say in relief. The next day the paper came out and Kate was on the cover of the sports section!

"Kate! Come here!" I scream.

"What is it?!" she says running towards me.

"Look!" I say "Chicago's best backup dancers perform at Chicago Dance academy." Reads the paper.

"What!" Says the instructor "There is no way in the whole wide world that you two made it into the New York Times!"

"It's true see!" Kate says gathering the whole dance team.

I knew that I was destined for greatness even if I was a backup dancer.

THE END.