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He tries to hide his smile, but he can’t. It reminds me of the boy I knew all those years ago, behind the middle school.
Our promise.
Best friends forever.
A wave of calm washes over me. This Terence is the same Terence as back then. There’s no need to feel weird. That was just a temporary failure of some system in my brain. This is Terence.
He looks to the Dog’s Paw and back to me. “It’s too bad I can’t be there tonight.”
I wave my hand. “No biggie. It’s nothing. Just a show. There will be others.”
“Besides,” he sets his hands on his hips, “I’m petrified that I might see you tumble and fall like a rolling bag of bricks.”
“Then it’s definitely better you don’t come.”
* * *
Showtime!
Excitement is running through the audience. It’s palpable. I peek my eye through the curtains and see what must be half of all Hampton Falls out there. I had no idea this was such a crowd-draw!
“Layer on that lipstick, girls!” April calls out. “Tonight is the night we’re gonna make it happen!”
“Tonight, we’ll put all other things aside!” we sing out the anthem of the team.
With that, the lights in the audience shut off, and some people squeal in surprise. Next comes the sound of a single spotlight illuminating the middle of the rink.
April salutes us. “Break a leg, girls! Not you, Alli!” She rolls out into the spotlight and takes her position for the first song, our anthem, which blares out with the joy and volume of a worldwide celebration. Or so it feels from backstage.
The audience claps along with the music as April kicks it off, and when the music builds, we all join in—except that I play my part and roll in, waving my arms wide when I knock into the side of the rink and roll backward. My feet flail, and my arms thrash as I land on my backside and skid to the edge of the rink, sliding—head first—into the audience.
The rest of the team rushes to the front in what we choreographed as the “Oh no!” moment, but then I jump up with my arms in a V for “Victory!” The team grabs me and pulls me back onto the rink as the audience goes wild.
Sitting right in front of me and clapping the loudest, with a smile that must reach the east coast… is Terence.
Terence.
I’m not scared of seeing him at all. In fact, I can’t wait for him to see the rest of the show.
I want to share this moment with him. I want him here.
Now to go do that triple turn that will spin me into three of my teammates like bowling pins!
He’s going to love it.
Terence – Monday
The show ends with a magnificent human pyramid which—right on cue—Alli slides into and sends them all tumbling into a heap on the floor.
It’s fantastic.
I always knew Alli was funny, but more than that, she’s a real comedian! I would have said it was just me who thought she’s great, except that the whole place is roaring with laughter at her well-timed clumsy antics.
My Alli is a star.
I mean, that Alli. Alli over there. Alli my… my nothing is a star.
My neck is getting warm. It’s unfair that even my own thoughts can make me blush like a tomato.
