about it.” Mlle Kirby looked sympathetic. “Well, the offer remains on the table, all right? Don’t worry that it will disappear just because you aren’t sure right now. If you keep up the good work, I’ll even write you a recommendation personally.”
Danni nodded noncommittally. The truth was, what she wanted more than anything was to go home for the summer. Yeah, she’d spend it dancing, probably volunteer to help Carolyn with whatever she was doing for the summer; but she would do it at home , with her parents, and her friends, and the people she had known since she was just a kid.
She would do it with Michael .
Funny how much he meant to her now that she was away. Danni hadn’t realized how important her partner really was until all these miles had separated them.
Suddenly, she was desperate just to hear his voice—to hear him telling her that no matter how bad things might have seemed, she was still where she was supposed to be, doing exactly what she was supposed to do.
In spite of the heavy load that both her books and her dance bag made—a load that, she had been assured, she wouldn’t have to carry all the time, since for the most part, her books would stay back in her room—Danni hurried back to the dorm. Her cell phone was exactly where she had left it, sitting beside her bed. She hadn’t wanted any distractions this morning; and anyway, if Michael got caught texting in class one more time, he was going to end up getting his phone taken away.
He wasn’t in school anymore.
Danni pressed the speed dial button that would get her her best friend, half praying in impatience until he picked up.
“Hey, Dragonfly.” The familiar voice rang over the line, cool, calm, and confident—Michael all over.
Danni bit her lip, suddenly unable to speak. What was she going to say to him? Hey, Michael, my first day was completely lousy. Wish you were here.
But it hadn’t all been bad…had it? After all, Mlle Kirby seemed to like her. And Madalyn was going to be a pretty good friend, if Danni could ever get past her tendency to gossip about everyone she knew.
“Hi, Michael,” she managed to get out, aware that the silence had stretched on for far too long. “How are you doing?”
“Missing you already.” But he said it so cheerfully that she knew he was all right. “How was your first day of classes? I was just thinking about calling you, but we hadn’t talked all weekend, so I wasn’t sure when you would be free. Wouldn’t want to interrupt dance practice or anything.”
“It’s over.” That was probably the best thing she could say for it: she would never have to go through this terrible first day again.
No, there was just tomorrow, with a whole new set of classes that she would have to scurry to find. At least tomorrow, she wouldn’t have to worry about the dance classes. She knew where those were.
Somehow, that wasn’t as comforting as it could have been.
“That bad, huh?” She could almost hear Michael slouching down on whatever piece of furniture was handy—and if she closed her eyes, she could picture it. He would have the phone propped between his ear and his shoulder, completely comfortable and at ease no matter where he was. As long as the conversation went on, he would be completely focused on the person on the other end of the phone.
Or, at least, he would be as long as it was her. If she had been beside him and it had been one of his girlfriends, on the other hand, she probably would have been teasing him—tickling his sides; running her fingers up his arm; anything that might distract him and get him to break the so-serious tone of the conversation.
“It…I just wish you were here.” She felt safer admitting that to him than she would have with anyone else. Michael understood her better than anyone else in the world. He would know that she wasn’t coming on to him, or making a pass.
Danni nodded noncommittally. The truth was, what she wanted more than anything was to go home for the summer. Yeah, she’d spend it dancing, probably volunteer to help Carolyn with whatever she was doing for the summer; but she would do it at home , with her parents, and her friends, and the people she had known since she was just a kid.
She would do it with Michael .
Funny how much he meant to her now that she was away. Danni hadn’t realized how important her partner really was until all these miles had separated them.
Suddenly, she was desperate just to hear his voice—to hear him telling her that no matter how bad things might have seemed, she was still where she was supposed to be, doing exactly what she was supposed to do.
In spite of the heavy load that both her books and her dance bag made—a load that, she had been assured, she wouldn’t have to carry all the time, since for the most part, her books would stay back in her room—Danni hurried back to the dorm. Her cell phone was exactly where she had left it, sitting beside her bed. She hadn’t wanted any distractions this morning; and anyway, if Michael got caught texting in class one more time, he was going to end up getting his phone taken away.
He wasn’t in school anymore.
Danni pressed the speed dial button that would get her her best friend, half praying in impatience until he picked up.
“Hey, Dragonfly.” The familiar voice rang over the line, cool, calm, and confident—Michael all over.
Danni bit her lip, suddenly unable to speak. What was she going to say to him? Hey, Michael, my first day was completely lousy. Wish you were here.
But it hadn’t all been bad…had it? After all, Mlle Kirby seemed to like her. And Madalyn was going to be a pretty good friend, if Danni could ever get past her tendency to gossip about everyone she knew.
“Hi, Michael,” she managed to get out, aware that the silence had stretched on for far too long. “How are you doing?”
“Missing you already.” But he said it so cheerfully that she knew he was all right. “How was your first day of classes? I was just thinking about calling you, but we hadn’t talked all weekend, so I wasn’t sure when you would be free. Wouldn’t want to interrupt dance practice or anything.”
“It’s over.” That was probably the best thing she could say for it: she would never have to go through this terrible first day again.
No, there was just tomorrow, with a whole new set of classes that she would have to scurry to find. At least tomorrow, she wouldn’t have to worry about the dance classes. She knew where those were.
Somehow, that wasn’t as comforting as it could have been.
“That bad, huh?” She could almost hear Michael slouching down on whatever piece of furniture was handy—and if she closed her eyes, she could picture it. He would have the phone propped between his ear and his shoulder, completely comfortable and at ease no matter where he was. As long as the conversation went on, he would be completely focused on the person on the other end of the phone.
Or, at least, he would be as long as it was her. If she had been beside him and it had been one of his girlfriends, on the other hand, she probably would have been teasing him—tickling his sides; running her fingers up his arm; anything that might distract him and get him to break the so-serious tone of the conversation.
“It…I just wish you were here.” She felt safer admitting that to him than she would have with anyone else. Michael understood her better than anyone else in the world. He would know that she wasn’t coming on to him, or making a pass.
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