Prologue
Lights were flashing, music was blaring, but I was all but too engrossed with the sight in front of me to fully take in my surroundings. They were not only moving to the music I was faintly hearing, they were making art with their bodies.
The dancing, the skills, the technique, the visual effects they make with their bodies...it was all so amazing. I couldn’t help but think, to dream that someday I could be like them. But I was a realist, ‘I could just keep on dreaming,’ I told myself. ‘It’s very unlikely I could ever do something as amazing as what I’m seeing right now, it would never happen.’
“You want to be like them, don’t you?” I heard my mom rather say than ask.
It was only then that I snapped out of my trance. I hardly remembered where we were. We were at a street dance competition. By we, I mean my parents and I. I love my parents. When other parents, I’m not saying all, but some I know, wouldn’t approve letting their daughters go to a street dance competition, let alone be the ones to take them there, my parents would. They understand that I have an interest for these things and they support me.
“It doesn’t matter, I can never be like them, I mean look at them! They’re like...super-people!” As if proving my point, one of the dancers near where we were sitting did a back flip. “I’d just be wasting my time. Thinking I could ever be like them.”
It was then that my mom held me tight, and looked at me straight in the eyes. “Tori, I love you and I love that you can be mature with handling things, but know this, nothing you love so much can ever be a waste of time.”
I knew right then and there that I knew I wanted to pursue dancing, and I knew that my parents would be by my side every step of the way. If I will ever be like the dancers here right now, who knows? At least I would grow up without regrets of not trying to follow my dreams. I couldn’t say anything, so I just hugged my mom tightly. That was I needed to say.
After what seemed like forever, we finally broke apart. We continued to watch the competition, and I couldn’t help but to just stand there in awe.
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‘Cause I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it. S*x in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me...’
We were all moving to the beat of Rihanna’s S&M. Some of us were being thrown in the air, others, like me, were breaking up front. We just finished our routine and now, we’re down to videotaping it. We didn’t really have a competition coming up, but we made it a habit of ours to come up new routines every week. If possible, in less time. We videotape each routine, and add it to our collection. Almost like a compilation of all our routines.
‘S-S-S & M-M-M...S-S-S & M-M-M’
We ended the song with each of us having a partner. One was coming up from the other’s back, and he/she catches their arm and pretends to flip the other one over. Giving the illusion of a wrestling match where they do those cool flips on their opponent. And yes, we got this idea from I aM mE in ABDC.:)
Once the song stopped, we all got up, cheered, and gave each other high fives. I know it’s corny doing it every time we finish a routine, but it just became a habit of ours. We’re practically family already. No matter how corny stuff gets, we still do it, even if it makes up look completely ridiculous. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.
“Alright everyone, great job!” we heard Jon say. We all cheered. Jon, well his real name is Jonathan but we prefer to call him Jon, is kind of the leader of our crew, Vibe LegaZ. Probably one of the reasons being that he is older than the rest of us by around one or two years. I have to admit that he’s pretty good-looking. With a height of 6’2, jet black hair, and baby blue eyes, he could probably wooh any girl he likes. But he’s not like that though, he’s a good guy. That’s what I love about him. He acts like the big brother I wish I had, but never did.
He approached me and I gave him a big bear hug. Normally, I’m not really the touchy type, but it’s different when I’m around people I’m comfortable with.
“Woah, easy there short-stuff!” he said teasingly.
“I’m 5’7. I’m not that short,” I retorted, releasing him from my bear hug. But then added in a whisper, “We have Addy for that,” giving him a wink.
With that being said, he let out a loud laugh, causing me to laugh along with him. Also causing some other people to look our way, but they just laughed it off. We didn’t really question much when some of us would act completely crazy. It’s a pretty common scene here.
“Anyway, I just wanted to tell you, you killed that dance floor today .”
“Don’t I always?” flipping my hair, and batting my eyelashes. Making me look like one of those drama queen/attention wh*res we can’t stand. To strangers, seeing me do this would probably make them think I was one of those. But Jon knows this is totally not me.
“Haha,” he laughed sarcastically, “don’t let it get to your head.” He then smacked me upside the head. It didn’t really hurt. It was one of those smacks that you would give a sibling or friend, just to get your point across.
“I’m kidding!” I said while laughing. We just continued laughing and talking.
“You better go get changed. You smell really bad,” he really emphasized the word bad.
“You’re one to talk, birds will probably drop dead where you pass.”
“Because of my hotness?” he said while putting his hands behind his head, giving his stinky pits a clear path to my face. My face scrunched up so much, it probably got distorted.
“Yeah, that’s why,” sarcasm flooding my voice.
“ Whatever...” he says with a smirk on his face.
After our little exchange, we headed our separate ways to the lockers. I changed into shorts and a simple t-shirt. I was too lazy to ‘dress properly’ as some may say. I don’t have anywhere special to go after this anyway. The crew’s just gonna head to The Juice Bar, another one of our habits. Whenever we feel like getting together, which is almost every day, we go to The Juice Bar, order smoothies, talk, you know, that kind o stuff...
When I got out of the changing room, I was attacked by none other than my best friend, Zane Anderson. She tackled me to the floor and held me there.
“Tori, Tori, Tori!!!” she all but yelled in my face.
“Zane, Zane, Zane!!!” I yelled, copying her crazy behaviour.
“Nothing, I just missed you,” she said as if she hadn’t just tackled me to the floor and yelled at me. Rolling my eyes, she finally let me go.
“Let’s go, I want my Vanilla smoothie!” I said excitedly.
I saw her roll her eyes but let me drag her by the hand, nonetheless. Zane gave me a ride to school this morning, so I’m having her give me a ride back home. We’re next door neighbors so it’s really no big deal. We reached her car, and headed straight for our hang-out place.
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When we reached our destination, we both jumped out of the car as if it were on fire, and raced inside. We’re both fatties at heart. One of the reasons we’re best friends. It’s a good thing we have dance practice as exercise or else we’d probably be one of those people who hang out on their couches all day. Doing absolutely nothing but eat, sleep, and watch TV, all alone in their dark living room... Well, enough of that. Smoothies!!!
We shoved the others out of the way, and they all but just laughed. We reached the counter and was greeted by a familiar face and smile.
“Hey, Danny!” Zane and I chorused.
“Hey, girls! The usuals?”
Yup, we have usuals. I would always order vanilla, Zane would always order strawberry, except on some occasions when we would like to try different flavours.
“Yup!” we chorused yet again. To be honest, this used to freak me out too, but now it’s just as common as seeing a cat by the street.
Once we got our drinks, we sat down in our usual booth. We come here so often, we’re like tattoos on this place. All of us just talked and had a good time. It really isn’t that hard to have a good time when we’re together, as cheesy as it sounds. At around 7:30, we said our goodbyes, and headed home. Zane gave me a ride home, then we went our separate ways. In this case, a few feet away since we’re neighbors.
After taking a hot shower, yup, shower, I hate baths, it’s like swimming in your own dirt, I got dressed and ready for bed.
As I lay down, I just remembered what my mom always said to me as a kid, even now actually. I don’t expect to make it big in the world of dance or anything. I’ve never really liked the spotlight either, which is one of the few things Zane and I don’t have in common. At least I can go on with my life doing something I love.
“You were right mom... ‘Nothing you love so much can ever be a waste of time...’”
And with that, I fell asleep.