The Girl They Sold to the Moon by Chris Stevenson

and carbohydrates didn’t contain excess calories, so one could pig-out and still remain slim and fit. Her two friends loaded up on everything, piling high portions.
    At the table, Sue Lin pointed a fork at Tilly. “So where in the hell did you learn to dance like that? We like to say it comes natural. But it’s a long road of practice and discipline that drives one to master the craft.”
    â€œMind if I join you?” asked a voice behind Tilly’s shoulder.
    Tilly turned in her seat to see Buddy Bell holding a tray and grinning at her. “Go ahead, unless somebody minds.”
    No one objected. Buddy took a seat next to her and said, “Not to worry. I’ll keep my mouth shut. Go on with whatever.”
    â€œWhat happened to your tooth?” asked Tilly. She saw a gap in Buddy’s smile that hadn’t been there before.
    Buddy hunched his shoulders. “Got it chipped. Somebody threw something at me last night—a coin. Hit me square in the face.”
    Tilly cringed. “Damn hard luck.” She looked at Sue Lin. “Okay, ever since I was tiny. Mom used to play music for me and swing me around. I never really knew my birth mother. Anyway, I was never without music playing some tune in the house. My mother used to dance for me and I always tried to follow the steps. She had all kinds of moves, loved just about every style and form. That’s where the natural rhythm comes from. Mom said I was a dancer before I was born.”
    â€œHmmm…she used to hold speakers to her tummy, then,” said Sue Lin. “You were being served in the womb.”
    â€œThat’s funny,” said Fia. “I used to do that too. Lots of pregnant moms did.”
    â€œThat’s about it,” said Tilly. “But she confessed later that I was adopted, and that it was just a story so I would feel better about myself. Anyway, Mom started taking me to contests when I turned about six. Talent shows. I didn’t like the competition too much because there were always a lot of hurt feelings or screaming parents. I was shy, too. Still am, a little bit.”
    â€œYou started winning contests, then,” said Sue Lin.
    â€œYeah, that happened a lot. Especially when I got older. At fourteen I won the Let’s Find a Superstar contest in Los Angeles. That was just about the time I found my mother’s old tape collection, which had some of the old superstars. I became obsessed with M-J and started practicing all of his dance moves. High School got in the way, but I kept practicing and auditioning when I could.”
    â€œHow did you end up at FTALC?” asked Fia.
    â€œMy dad applied when I turned seventeen. He knew from a brochure that wards who had special talents could work the high-paying acts that would give him a higher loan-out. He got in trouble with back taxes, wrote some bad checks. They threatened him with a jail sentence if he didn’t make an effort to pay.” Tilly speared some salad and went on. “Mom passed away from ovarian cancer. We didn’t have the medical insurance or money to pay for the treatments. We…couldn’t save her.”
    Fia dabbed her mouth. “Well, the big stock market crash got us. It just took longer to bring me and my husband down to poverty level. Our internet movie rental business went bust after two years. We lost our home after a fourth mortgage and ended up on Public Assistance. Tom had to file bankruptcy. Since I was the only household dependent, we decided to loan me out for two years, so we could make a new start. The only skill I had was waitress jobs at the local restaurants. That’s how I got my assignment here. Tom wrote lots of letters to me over the network at first. I heard it through channels that he’d filed divorce proceedings against me and picked up with another gal. He paid his bills but skipped on the FTALC loan. I guess he has that new life, hiding out somewhere. I’ve