Spin City

Chapter 9

Spin City 9

Kyla's POV

The next couple days are stressful. As I sit, surrounded by dance moms, I think of all the many things I would do to get out of this situation and be anywhere else in the world. I knew they, meaning Katherine, would react this way. I guess this is just what I get for wanting to do customized costumes instead of just ordering from the magazine like I was advised. After Ford and I drove from his trailer back to Sal's last night, I followed up with Paige, my usual seamstress, only to be completely let down. Her father is getting heart surgery and there's no way she will be able to finish my costumes by the competition date, which is nearing three weeks away.

I completely understand that she can't do it and I'd never be mad at her, but this does leave me completely screwed and I'd hate to ask Jenny to do something so complex. She has spent nearly two weeks doing my costumes in the past. How can I expect her to do eight of them in just three weeks?

I shut the music off and glance at the girls stretching behind the wall of irritated mothers. Katherine is the only one who genuinely looks fuming, no matter how many times I tell her that I will take care of this. I meet eyes with Emery. Unlike last time I met with the mothers, Emery's mom, Helen is not here. She seems very odd. It's like she really wants to be involved with Emery's dancing some weeks and other weeks, she completely disappears. I can't help but feel like there may be something off with her. I don't judge her, but there's something odd there and I can't ignore that I see the signs in Emery as well. She's been distant, unfocused the past few days. What makes me even more skeptical is that Jeremy has been the same way. During my workouts and training sessions, he seems miles away, lost in a memory or something that is haunting him.

I've been weird too. I'm mainly stressing about this whole thing with Ford. I've told him about my mother, which is something I never expected or planned to do. I've now told him that I needed to go slow, that I didn't want to rush into a relationship. He seemed completely fine with it, so I don't know why it feels so wrong.

It's like I'm in this place of wanting more and simultaneously knowing I'll be comfortable if nothing progresses at all because it's safer that way. It's such a difficult position to be in and I think I'm coming to terms with the fact that I really just don't know what the hell I want.

I tune out the mothers but snap back into reality when Emery approaches me. She looks tired and exhausted and we haven't even started dancing yet. I turn to Katherine and the other mothers.

"Look, I will make this work. I promise. Now, I need to start my class so please see yourselves to the lobby," I say and what I want to do is physically remove them and shove them out the door.

Katherine gives me an unpleased glare but she turns and luckily, the rest of the moms follow her lead out of the studio. I breathe a sigh of relief and look back to Emery. She has her tanned hands intertwined in front of her and she seems nervous.

"Miss Tate?"

I sigh and say, "How many times do I have to tell you, Emery? You can call me Kyla. Now, what is it?"

She frowns and I try to study her brown eyes. She's such a cute girl. Her skin has an olive completion and her features are so dark and beautiful. She looks mostly like her mom. She doesn't seem to take after Jeremy too much. The only similarity that I see is her dark hair.

"I...um..." she says and sighs, running a hand over her slicked back hair, secured in a tight bun. "I was wondering if you could take me home after class today. I don't think my mom will be here to get me. She's really sick and I'm not supposed to be with my dad except during our visits. You're the only person I could think of to ask."