𝐔𝐩 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝙎𝙊𝙎𝙎 𝙊𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙨

The Sound of Tears

Zoey inhaled deeply. She stepped forward, pointing her toes. Her prep was stunning, with one leg tucked and the other straight. To everyone's astonishment, Zoey did a front Ariel rather than an Ariel. Topher's eyes widened in surprise as Zoey flipped forward in the air. However, a sudden misstep shattered her graceful aerial maneuver. Her delicate balance was lost, causing her weight to crash onto the rim of her foot. With a jarring crack resonating through the air, Zoey succumbed to gravity's merciless pull, meeting the ground with a regretful thud.

Topher's eyes widened in worry as he observed his Mom glancing at the Campbells. The auditorium was hushed as Zoey's music filled the air, prompting Sarah to silently mouth "Are you alright?" to her daughter. Despite feeling a sharp pain in her foot, Zoey gradually rose and continued.

She attempted an illusion but soon realized her ankle couldn't support her weight. Zoey rolled onto the floor and sat in her ending pose, her music still at its chorus. Zoey's chest rose and fell swiftly. Despite her best efforts, tears welled up in her eyes.

The audience applauded when Zoey stood up and bowed shakily to the judges. Zoey limped off stage. Before her daughter vanished into the wings, Sarah caught a glimpse of her face. Zoey's eyes squinted as her mouth trembled open. A rush of emotions consumed her, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

"Oh my god!" Sarah's voice was filled with urgency as she spoke. She dashed out of the row and up the aisle. Her opening and closing the door to the auditorium was accompanied by loud thuds.

Topher couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Worry raced across his mind. He caught a glimpse of his friend, Wyatt who dropped his head into his hands. He was equally concerned about his twin sister. Mr. Campbell, his Mom, and Griffin attempted to remain calm, but he could tell they were straining. Topher leaned back in his seat, tears welling up in his eyes. He prayed she was all right.

...

Once Sarah entered the backstage area, it was easy to spot her daughter. As Zoey sobbed on the floor, her dance team huddled around her. Sarah walked over to her, slipping past the crowd of dancers to reach her daughter. Sarah knelt down beside her.

"I swear I heard my bone crack!" Zoey yelled, sobbing loudly. The excruciating pain pierced through her body, sending waves of anguish cascading down her limbs. Tears streamed down her face, as the chilling realization dawned upon her that her injury might be worse than she thought.

"Sh, Sh, Honey, I know. It's fine." Sarah reassured her 15-year-old, wrapping her arms around her. Zoey sobbed into her Mom's shoulder while holding her hand beneath them. Coach Lotus, Zoey's dance coach, crouched in front of her injured ankle, inspecting it carefully. His gaze was drawn to the results.

"What's wrong?" Sarah queried, pulling away from the hug but still holding Zoey close.

"It's like swelling really fast," Coach said, gently holding Zoey's foot. Her ankle was almost bloodshot, and it was puffy. He examined it further, and rotating it in a certain direction caused his eyes to widen. He noticed her bone poking out, her skin acting as the only barrier.

"Call an ambulance" Coach quickly satiated. Sarah took out her phone while Zoey began to cry even harder. Her teammates quickly jumped into action, sprinting to the doors and requesting additional assistance.

Coach Lotus stepped up and wrapped one of his arms under Zoey's knees and the other around her back. His heart ached as he picked her up, seeing how anxious she appeared.

"It's okay, you're okay," Coach Lotus murmured as he carried Zoey through the backstage doors, Sarah trailing behind with her phone to her ear.

"All right, thank you. "Please hurry," Sarah pleaded as she lowered her phone. As she and Coach Lotus ran down the corridor with Zoey in his arms, she noticed Matt and Harper racing in the opposite direction, looking very frightened.