Rhythm and Blues by Samantha-Ellen Bound Page B

said.
    Paige nodded. ‘Go and get a glass of water,’ she said, squeezing my arm. ‘I’ll take over from here.’
    I swallowed and stumbled out.
    â€˜Okay, cuties,’ I heard Paige say, ‘Riley is just going to check in on Miss Billie, so Miss Paige is going to help you today. Now, who can show me a nice second position?’
    I legged it to the drama studio as fast as my injured ankle would take me. Once I was there, I sat near the mirror in silence for a very long time, thinking all my bad thoughts and feeling my chest get bigger and bigger, and hotter and hotter.
    Then I cried: about my ankle and my friends, and all the unfairness of the last twoweeks. About all the mean things I’d done just because I was frustrated, about the ache in my heart because I couldn’t dance, and when all that was out, I swiped at my tears and pushed my hair back and got up to face the mirror.
    And then I started jumping and leaping about, and throwing myself into some crazy kind of Riley dance because I thought that was the only way I could truly get my feelings out. I pushed through the pain in my ankle and I beat away my rasping breath, and I fought for the feelings that dance had always given me – power, beauty, focus, strength.
    I didn’t stop until three girls appeared in the doorway.
    Ellie, Ashley, and Paige.

Chapter Eighteen
    â€˜Riley, what are you doing?’ cried Paige, rushing over to me. ‘You know you’re not meant to be dancing on your ankle.’
    Ashley and Ellie shuffled in after her slowly.
    I collapsed on the floor and took in some big, heaving breaths. My ankle tingled a little, like it was scolding me. But my chest was wonderfully light and cool – all the flames had gone. There was perhaps a small piece of coalin there, barely warm. But my head, and my heart, felt clear.
    â€˜Sorry for dumping the tinies class on you,’ I said to Paige.
    â€˜That’s fine,’ said Paige, kneeling down next to me. ‘I’m more worried about you. You looked terrible back there.’
    â€˜It’s been a rough couple of weeks,’ I said, avoiding the desire to look at Ellie and Ash. But then I decided that, no, it wasn’t doing me any good to keep everything all bottled up, so I pushed on.
    â€˜Miss Caroline made me her personal assistant and I thought that was really cool,’ I said, poking softly at my bad ankle, ‘because it let me be at Silver Shoes and stay in-the-know. I only ever wanted to do a good job. But some people thought I was being mean and bossy when I was just trying to help.’
    â€˜You were being mean and bossy,’ Ellie muttered. But then she sighed, and slumped down on the floor next to me. ‘But I guess I can be too when something’s bothering me.’ She tossed her hair and plucked at her pink tights. ‘Also, you were right about what you said, you know, about my back arching and not finishing off movements and stuff. Miss Caroline mentioned something about it today.’
    â€˜Oh?’ I said, trying to look surprised.
    â€˜Yeah,’ said Ellie. ‘I know you were just trying to help when you told me.’
    I pulled on my braids. ‘But I probably could have told you in a nicer way,’ I admitted, before turning to Paige. ‘Also, that time in the studio. I could have said those things too without being mean. Or, like, not in front of the whole class. I never wanted to embarrass you.’
    â€˜I know you didn’t,’ said Paige. ‘Also I do rely too much on other people in the exams.I just needed to be told because I was fooling myself that I was fine. But I’ve been trying really hard this week to remember everything on my own.’
    â€˜And you’re doing great,’ Ellie added, smiling at her. ‘You always need to trust yourself more, Paige. You’re just as good as everyone else.’
    â€˜I’m working on