Snap, Crackle, Pop

s e v e n t e e n

2011

The french braid Stephanie had done in her hair that morning bounced up and down.  "Are you sure you want to try this, Richelle?  You look like you might might be tired."  Taking a deal breath she shook her head.  

She had been trying to do her double back handspring into her double back layout the entire class and she had a feeling that this could be it.  Just nine, getting this would be a huge deal.  "Remember not to hesitate between the first and second layout, and bend your elbows in synch like we practiced."  Emily called, as she was helping Ms. Kate with J-troupers tumbling class.

"You got this Rich!  Just be the powerhouse!"  She smiled.  'Be the powerhouse' had become a joke between the girl and Noah when their duet from the past year won a special award at a competition called 'little powerhouses.' 

Richelle ran four steps before hurdling into her double back handspring.  The back handsprings went well, elbows synch.  Then going into her first back layout, she hadn't gotten enough power and land right on top of her right arm.

"Richelle!"  Noah, Ms. Kate, and Emily all called at once.  They ran towards her as she cried out in pain.

"Are you alright sweetheart?"  Ms. Kate asked as Richelle cradled her arm.  She shook her head, no.  Noah sat on the ground with Richelle while Emily rubbed her back.

"You're gonna be okay Rich."  Noah said whispering into her ear.  "Besides, we're powerhouses, nothing can stop us."

2014

"You're gonna get it.  I'm sure of that."

"I'll get geometry when James stops eating shawarma."  Noah and Richelle were sitting in Culture Shock eating popcorn together and trying to study for Richelle's math test.  Noah, who's class had done this unit last month was trying to help her, but Richelle was getting pretty restless. 

"Alright, I'll make a deal with you.  You finish this worksheet before J-troupe rehearsal in twenty-five minutes and I'll help you with the powerpoint you're making to convince Ms. Kate that we should be able to go to nationals with A-troupe after our duet rehearsal."

"Really?  I would love that!"  All Richelle wanted to do was go to nationals with A-troupe.  She didn't even care about dancing with the team anymore.  All she wanted to do was be there.  See the lights and watch all of the incredible dancers there.  She didn't even care about having to pay for her own hotel room.  They were taking a bus anyway, what would two more people do? 

"You better get working on that then."  Noah said, putting his arm around her, pulling her into a side hug.

2017

"Alright one more time from the hand on thigh and arm in the air part then we'll take a water break."  Riley called.  Richelle coughed hoarsely into her arm and took her place in the far left side of the front row.  She saw Amy and Cassie looking at her.

"Do you need something?"  She said, staring back at the girls.  They shook there heads and hurried into there spots.  They were practicing the regionals dance.  Richelle's asthma hadn't been great lately, but she couldn't take a break.  Not when they were so close to regionals.  Riley turned on the music.  The first few seconds weren't to bad.  But once they kicked back, she felt her chest tighten.  When she knelt down in the dance, she coughed quietly into her arm.  She stood up but only lasted a few seconds until she and Amy did their front walkovers against the white platform.  Her cough became loud and noticeable as she slid out of her front walkover.  She saw Noah look over at her.

"Riley, kill the music."  Noah called.  He jogged over to her bag and grabbed her inhaler.  It was in the same pocket she had kept it since she was seven.  

"Noah whats going on?"  Henry asked as he watched Noah run back to Richelle.  

"It's her asthma."  

The whisperers of 'Richelle has asthma,' and 'wow I didn't think she had any weakness,' could be heard.  The dancers watched as Riley and Noah sat down next to the girl.  He pulled off the cap to her inhaler and shook it.  "Okay Rich, why don't we try three deep breathes into the inhaler okay?"  Noah sat down handing the inhaler to the girl.  She took a deep breath into the inhaler.  He watched her chest rise slowly.  "Good job.  Alright two more."  He watched as she did it twice more.  "Feeling better?"  He asked as she took the inhaler out of her mouth for the third time.  She nodded.  "Good work, powerhouse."  He said as the rest of A-troupe stared at them.  

2018

Richelle's coughing woke her up.  She sat up and turned to the side of her bed to reach for her inhaler, taking a three deep breaths from it.  The dream she just had hadn't been a dream, rather a memories from when she was younger.  He had awalys cared so much, she thought to herself.  She sighed, and stood up, grabbing her crutches.  She needed to get water from the kitchen.  She looked around her room.  Her physics textbook was left open on her bed and her phone wasn't plugged into her charger next to her bed.  She mentally slapped herself.  She must have fallen asleep while Noah was over.

She continued coughing and reached for her phone, 1:45 am.  She hopped down the stairs, one by one, till she reached the bottom.  She would start physical therapy tomorrow, or now, today.  Even if now she wasn't trying to get better for dance, just being on crutches made everything such a pain.  She grabbed a water bottle from her fridge and sat down at the island.  She scrolled through the notifications on her phone.  A snapchat from Ozzy, a text from Lola saying if she needed anything to not hesitate to FaceTime her, even if it was the middle of the night.  She also got a text from Noah saying, 'you fell asleep as I was leaving.  I set an alarm on your phone and threw the blanket over you.  I'll tell Emily and Michelle about what you said tomorrow at dance.'  

She put down her phone.  She had almost forgotten about what she told Noah to tell Emily and Michelle.  Maybe it wasn't exactly what she wanted, but she knew deep down it was what she needed.  Right?

Sure, she remembered what her doctors had said about having a support system for after her surgery.  They had told her that having a support system while she was recovering was the biggest step to having a fast recovery.  Then, she hadn't realized how she really felt about dance. She had told the doctors that that wouldn't be an issue.  She had a boyfriend, her mom, Emily, Michelle, Ms. Kate and a team that would support her through every step of the way.

She knew dancing or not, she would see Ozzy, Noah, and Lola at school, and Elliot came over most Monday nights so they could Dancing with the Stars.  She also knew that their was no way, that she wouldn't see Lola out of school.  Between her relationship with Lola's moms and Lola's love for their movie night on Fridays.  But was that enough?

Richelle sighed and opened the text Noah sent her.  Before her injury that last text Noah had sent her was from almost six months ago asking her if she would teach baby ballet because he was going to be out of town for his grandfathers birthday.  That's what their friendship had come down to.  When they were younger they would text for hours about homework questions, new lifts to try, and when they were gonna hangout.  Her eyes glanced upwards to his contact photo.  The two couldn't have been older than nine.  Dressed in all black costumes.  It was from the competition that they had won the 'little powerhouses' award at.  Then, Richelle remembered what Chris had told them before they went on.

No matter what, you dance for yourself.  You will awalys have a team behind you, even if you don't win.  You're never gonna be your happiest if the win isn't for you.