Read Online Dancer at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant - Free Book Online

don’t get how my hamstring can be fine one minute but feel painful again the second I stretch my leg.”
    I felt so sorry for her at that moment, but then when Sasha and I saw her in the main library a day or two later, her face was altogether brighter. Sash and I were looking for a book we needed for English and Abi was having a whispered conversation with someone nearby. It was a minute or two before we realized that the girl she was talking to must be the one who was taking Olivia’s place.
    â€œI’m not making any promises, Kate,” Abi was saying. “It just feels so much better this time that I’m certain I’ll be able to manage the extensions in the dance.”
    â€œI can’t tell you how happy that makes me,” Kate replied. “I’m sure Olivia and Maria think I’m rubbish, and it would be great if you were back in the lead role. I told them dancing’s just not my thing any more,” she went on. “That’s why I decided not to come back to ballet club this year.”
    â€œI’m coming to practise in the sports hall after school today to see what Miss Morgan thinks,” Abi replied. “Ignore Olivia and Maria. You are good. I’m telling you!”
    â€œAbi sounds really nice, doesn’t she, Izzy?” said Sasha quietly when we were on our own again.
    I nodded. “I feel sorry for Kate if Olivia and Maria are being unkind to her in rehearsals.”
    â€œHey, why don’t we go to the sports hall after school and ask if we can watch them rehearse?” said Sasha, her eyes shining like a little kid thinking of sneaking into her big sister’s bedroom and taking something.
    Surprisingly it felt safe to be talking like this with Sasha. I suppose it was because it was someone else’s ballet world that we were so interested in, not mine.
    â€œWe’d better not actually go in,” I quickly said. “But we could look through that little window round the corner from the main corridor.”
    So that’s what we decided to do. And Sasha seemed to be just as into it all as I was when we were making our way to the sports hall after lessons had finished.
    â€œI wonder why they’re not rehearsing in the theatre,” she said. “I’m sure Olivia said that’s where the show is.”
    â€œI think the junior play is being rehearsed in there,” I replied.
    Sasha wrinkled her nose. “Well, why aren’t the ballet group using the proper ballet studio, then?”
    I explained that I was pretty sure the reason would be because they wanted a big room so they could imagine the stage better and work out their placings. And Sasha looked at me as though she was really impressed with my answer.
    â€œYou really know a lot about ballet, don’t you, Iz?” she said quietly. And my mind flew back to the last time she’d said that, when the two of us had been sitting up in my bed, looking at photos at two in the morning. I didn’t want that memory getting in the way of this new adventure Sasha and I were sharing, so I was glad we’d reached the side of the hall and I didn’t have to reply.
    A second later we were both peering through the little window that looked right into it. There was another larger window in the main corridor, but we’d chosen this little one because no one ever really came round the corner here, and also when you’re actually in the hall you can’t see if people are looking in at you from this one.
    â€œOh look, everyone’s here. There’s Abi talking to Kate,” Sasha whispered. “And look, you were right about imagining the stage better – see, they’ve chalked out an oblong shape on the floor.”
    â€œIt’s quite a big area, isn’t it?” I murmured, but I was more interested in watching what was going on.
    I’d noticed Olivia and Maria warming up, and then there were four other girls standing