Read Online Kat: Breaking Pointe by Sebastian Scott - Free Book Online Page A

in feathers, Karamakov.’
    We walk into the busy backstage area. ‘Thank you, boys, but this is as far as you go. I’m not bringing an entourage to my first day of rehearsal.’
    â€˜Why are you rehearsing here anyway?’ Christian asks, a little sulkily.
    April overhears and answers Christian’s question.
    â€˜Because half our dancers are Australian. We rehearse them here and then ship them over.’ She looks at Ben and Christian, questioningly. ‘And you are?’
    Christian goes to shake April’s hand but I pat it away.
    â€˜Sorry, April. Academy students. Begged for a field trip.’
    â€˜We’ll be like ninjas,’ Ben promises me. ‘Quiet and you won’t see us.’
    April says nothing, and I take her silence to be consent. She rifles through a rack of costumes.She pulls out a ruffled skirt and hands it to me. ‘ Pour vous. See you out there.’
    I squeak and show the skirt to Christian and Ben. ‘This is mine. See, that’s my name.’
    â€˜I thought the skirts would be shorter,’ Ben says, disappointed.
    Â 
    April introduces me to Jade. ‘She’s a Moulin veteran. Watch closely but ignore everything she says.’
    I sit down beside Jade who is lying on her side, languidly stretching her legs above her head.
    â€˜Hi,’ I say, thinking this might be like Lexie and the plastics all over again. But Jade smiles, surprisingly friendly.
    â€˜Welcome to the family,’ she says.
    We’re walked through the routines. When the music starts, I dance, trying to follow Jade, but I’m struggling to keep up. April watches from the audience and the boys sit a few rows behind, scoffing chips. I don’t have to try and forget that they’re there – the rehearsal is the audition on steroids. We don’t stop moving for a second, kicking and spinning and cartwheeling our way around the stage.
    â€˜And cartwheel,’ April calls. ‘ Cartwheel. ’ Everything she shouts seems to be for my benefit.
    â€˜Kat, we need you to get there on three. On three.’
    I race across the stage, at frantic speed.
    Ben whistles. ‘Thunder Kats are go!’ he calls.
    â€˜I thought you were going to be ninjas,’ April snaps, then turns back to me. ‘And that was on five again.’
    â€˜Sorry, April. I’ll get faster.’
    I push myself as hard as I can. I hold Jade around the waist. We hop around with our legs extended high in second position. Jade whispers the counts to me. We weave around each other, and I end up in the right spot, but I’m taken by surprise as everyone goes down on the floor in the splits. I slide slowly down. ‘Sorry,’ I call again. April nods, but her face looks tight and worried. I know that look. I’ve seen that look on dance teachers’ faces all over the world. But usually I only get that look when I’m deliberately goofing off. This time I’m trying my hardest to keep up. A seed of doubt germinates. What if my best isn’t good enough?
    Â 
    Post-rehearsal, Jade and I straggle out behind the other dancers. I’m wincing, hobbling like an old lady.
    â€˜Talia’s got this banker boyfriend so her place is unbelievable. We’re all going to share a taxi over.’
    I smile. I can’t believe how nice she’s being. It’s weird considering it’s all about chicks showing their underwear, but the Moulin Rouge has this cool feminist edge to it, a sort of supportive sisterhood air.
    â€˜Kat. How do you think you went today?’
    â€˜I’m terrible at these questions … It was feeling slightly better by the end?’
    â€˜Tomorrow is massive and you need to have that chorey down so I suggest an early night.’
    â€˜No, absolutely. I think my body would thank me if I went to bed early.’
    â€˜Perfect.’
    April moves off and Jade says, ‘Ignore her, she says that after every rehearsal.’