Tutus & Cowboy Boots (Part 2) by Casey Peeler Page B

what it’s like to not have
her in my life. I can’t do it. I’ll take her any way I can, but
seeing her half-naked with messy hair did me in. There’s something
about a girl in her natural state.
    As we pull away, I hold on to her. “You’re
absolutely beautiful just like this.”
    “You can’t be serious?”
    “As a heart attack.” I notice a single
strand of hair has fallen from her messy bun and I gently place it
behind her ear then I kiss her forehead. “Cadence, I think this is
my favorite outfit yet,” I say as I take a step back with a
shit-eating grin. I don’t know what came over me just now, but
seeing her smile makes me know she feels it too.

Chapter 11
    Cadence
    I’ve spent over four hours a day at the
studio the past three weeks. My body continues to mold into shape
and it feels amazing. With all of the practice, our duet is
flawless. Ms. Lyndsay feels we can increase the difficulty level
and really wow the judges.
    When I’m not at dance or school, I soak up
every minute I can with Barrick or Daisy. I know it sounds crazy,
but that cow stole a piece of my heart. Luckily for me, Barrick
understands how important dance is to me and how crazy the schedule
is this time of the year. He’s even gone out of his way to pick me
up from the studio a few days a week so we can have a conversation
without cows mooing in the background. I never thought my life
would be like this.
    As Jade and I are riding to the studio
today, I can tell something is on her mind. “Jade, is everything
okay? You look like you have something on your mind,” I say.
    She presses her lips together then blurts
out, “I got accepted to East Carolina University today.” I feel my
stomach drop but quickly recover.
    “That’s great! Are you going to go?”
    She pauses, then looks my direction. “I
don’t know. The dance program at ECU is great, but so is the one at
the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. What are you going
to do next year?” I pause because if she would have asked me this
before break, I would have said a company in the city, but now, I
have no clue. The only time this has crossed my mind was New Year’s
Day, but with Gran’s accident and all the practicing, I haven’t
researched any colleges and haven’t talked to any companies in
months. Now that I’m here, I’m not sure what I want to do.
    “No. I haven’t even thought about it with
everything going on. College was never on my agenda, but now that
I’m no longer in the city, my chances of getting discovered are
slim.”
    “Slim? I think not! We’re talking to Ms.
Lyndsay. There are plenty of options. Plus, the season is just
starting. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of recruiters at Showstopper
Regionals and Nationals.”
    “Nationals are during the summer. That’s too
late, Jade.”
    “Good point. Why don’t you apply to ECU and
UNCG too? I can see it now, you and me as roomies, kicking
everyone’s booty on the dance floor. That would be awesome for us
to go there together. We could have matching comforters and
everything. I swear I won’t monogram a thing!”
    Oh dear Lord, she’s
killing me. “Slow down. I’ve probably
missed every deadline, and honestly, I don’t know what I want to
do.”
    “Just promise me you’ll think about it.”
    “Maybe,” I say as we arrive at the studio.
Ms. Lyndsay is sitting at the front desk when we enter.
    “Hey girls!” She looks at us and her smile
fades. “What’s going on?” she questions.
    Jade looks at me, then back at her. “Cadence
hasn’t applied anywhere for next year.”
    Ms. Lyndsay takes a look at
me, then motions for Jade to get ready for class. Great! I’m about to get a life lesson or an ass
chewing.
    “Why haven’t you applied to colleges?” she
asks, standing and leading me toward her office.
    “I didn’t want to go to college. I wanted to
dance in the city.”
    “What do you mean wanted , Cadence?” she
questions as she motions for me to take a