Don't let me fall (Lesbian story)

Behind the mask

Alaska was right, the doctor said two to three months, and lucky me I was able to start doing sports again after two months and one week. I only have three weeks left to learn the dance and practice it with the others. After a few weeks of training, they all decided that if I wasn't able to dance with them, they wouldn't do it, which kinda made sense. The others have now mastered the dance, the costumes are ready, the music is on point. There is a lot of small changes of costumes during the dance, but all of them are work up and ready to go. The only thing missing is, well, me! I work everyday for three hours, sometimes even during the night when I can't sleep. I know the dance in my head, it's my muscles that need to learn it. Sometimes, when I practice during the night, Alaska comes dancing with me. We have a lot of duo's together, so it's easier when she's with me. But sometimes, when she puts her hands on my waist, I get distracted. At group rehearsal, we practice the parts in group, then we dance the choreography over and over and over and over again. They all leave exhausted and sweaty, and I stay, practicing some more. It's while I dance the choreography that I know I have to do it. I have to get on that stage and dance, and tell this story. It's an important story, it needs to be heard. Not because it's mine, no. But because it's almost the same for all these dancers who will dance before and after me on that same stage. I know I won't get anything out of this performance, but if this dance talks to even one person, then I've archived my goal. The music ends, I open my eyes and look at Alaska, who's arms are around me, and I smile.

-I think I'm ready. We're ready.

-Good thing, cause we perform tomorrow, she says with a wink.

***

We took the bus to get to New York, with suitcases filled with costumes. We are 11 to dance, which is a lot. As I look at my city growing in front of me, the tall buildings, I feel the stress building up.

-I'm not sure anymore guys, I say without looking at them.

-What are you talking about! We've worked so hard! Plus your dance is amazing, these people need to see it.

-What if something goes extremely wrong? Can I go to jail for something like that?

-Everything will be fine, don't worry.

They all look at me with the same confident smile on their faces, and I feel better.

-Ok, let's do this.

We push open the doors of the backstage area. The plan is to act like we all belong here, like we're all individual concurrent. We sit in the big room, stretching far away from each other, glancing at one another from times to times. Then my name is called up, which means there are still three dancers before me. I get up, and slowly they follow. We're all wearing black. The boys are in suit, the girls are in dresses, and mine is slightly different. I their hands, they carry their masks. They have a few each, but I only have one. Backstage, I glance at all the people in the audience. I know my mom and Brad and Blaze are their somewhere, and Kate and Frank and Miss Nolen. I haven't told them what I have prepared, I want them as surprised as anyone else. Alaska's hand on my arm brings me back to reality.

-You'll be great, she whispers.

-I don't know.

-Well, if nobody understand any of this dance, just remember that it did talk to someone, me.

-You only say that because you're my girlfriend, I answer.

-No, Olivia. It did. You're very talented, and I say that from dancer to dancer.

I can see in her eyes that she believes it. She believes in me. I lean in and kiss her passionately.

-Olivia Rowen.

The calls shakes me and I get ready, taking places. When the music starts, I run out alone on stage. I stop right in the middle and stare at everybody. Then, the music explode and they all come running toward me and when they're next to me, we all run together on stage. It's a very organized chaos. Then we all stop and stand in front of the crowd, silence surrounding us, all of us heavy breathing. I start this solo part as they dance behind me. We're all wearing our white empty mask to create a false anonymity. They create a formation, with Flore and Cain both on top. I look up at them, like a small child. Cain puts on a man's mask, and act like a father scolding his child, then Flore put's on a girl masks and pretend like she gossiping behind my back. The formation break and we all stand in a row, with Luke walking between us, wearing a different men's mask. He pretends he's the teacher, correcting me, taping on my arms to make them straighter pretending he's screaming. All the other's are laughing silently behind me. And that's when I scream. I break out in a big exhausted scream, and throw my mask off. For a moment it silent on the stage and I just look in the blinding light. Then music comes back, soft and slow, and we all dance together. Marcos catch me in his arm and pushes me back right away, and Cain catches me, and throws me to Axel, who let's me slide on the floor pass him. Paul picks me up, slow dance with me for a second and then throws me back again. I stumble and right when I'm about to fall, Alaska catches me. She helps me up, looks at me, then throws away her mask. She goes dancing with the others, but she's not wearing her mask anymore. As they dance behind me, I dance along, but I turn around again and again to look at Alaska. Then I trip and she catches me, again. She hugs me and all the other's start laughing, real, hard laughs. I push her away, running for my mask, but she catches me and we dance together for a moment while the others don't move. We're getting closer and closer to the end of the stage, which is perfect. The choreography accelerate, every movement is fast, stiff, panicky. There's only a few seconds left to the song and the others gets moving. Four of them are coming on my right, four on my left, and I see Marcos get down and in the front of the stage, in case I fall, which would ruin everything. And on the final note, I throw myself back. Alaska's hand catches mine, the others are supporting my legs and back, and I'm half suspended in the air, looking at the auditorium upside down. People start cheering like crazy and I get back on my own foot, ready to leave the stage. We run for the back of the curtains. As I pass by the women with a headphone set on her head and a clipboard with name son them in her hand, she grabs my arm and stops me. I panic for a split second, but when I meet her eyes, I see she's not furious. Actually, she's smiling.

-You must be crazy, she says, but also very brave. Thank you for that.

On those last words, she nods toward the stage and I smile shyly. I meet the other's in the group room, and when I walk in all the dancers start clapping. Some are looking happy, other's have pure surprise on their faces, and other's don't really look like they care but they still clap. That's when I realise there's a TV on the wall, showing what's happening on stage. I smile and get my stuff. Since my category is the last one and my last name starts with an R, we only have six dance left to wait until we can leave, and then in a few hours they'll announce the winners. When the last dancer finishes her dance, the door to the backstage open for the people in the audience, like teachers and parents. It takes only a half second for Kate to come running to me. At first, I interpret her red face as being mad, but then I realize she's been crying.

-Were you referring to me? She asks while throws her arms around me.

-When?

-The teacher thing, before the scream.

-No, I was referring to...Hey Frank!

Frank appears behind Kate right when I was going to say his name.

-Who made that choreography? He asks with an angry voice.

-I did, I answer with as much pride and confidence that I can pull in front of his mad eyes.

Then, out of nowhere, something that looks kinda like a smile spreads on his lips.

-I didn't knew you had that in you, kid!

He leaves and I stare at the back of his head with my mouth open, not believing what just happened.

-I told you you were awesome, Alaska whispers in myear while putting her arms around my middle. She gives me a small kiss on thecheek and I feel myself blushing.