Read Online Step Up and Dance by Thalia Kalipsakis - Free Book Online

the path, wondering if anyone was waiting up for me inside.

    The first thing that hit me was the quiet. Not silence, but a stillness in the house, that I was disturbing. I clicked the door shut, keenly aware of its creak and dull thud, then I switched off the outside light.
    Even when I go to parties, Dad always picks me up. This was the first time that I had come home late without him. Perhaps, I suddenly hoped, the first of many . . .
    I dropped my collection of bags – school, dance and pompoms – yawned and stretched my neck. It was late, but I wasn’t ready for bed. Not after school, two and a half new time-outs, and becoming a sex goddess for the opener. After all that, it was definitely time for a bonding session with the fridge. Cheese slices here I come!
    With tiptoe steps, I headed up the hall, feeling like the house was all my own. The kitchen light was still on. Thanks, Dad! He must have known I would be famished.
    But just inside the kitchen, I stopped and sank down from tiptoes. Sitting at either end of the table were Mum and Dad.
    â€˜Saph!’ Mum’s chair scraped on the tiles as she stood and gave me a hug. ‘Do you want a hot chocolate? Cheese sandwich?’
    â€˜I’ll make ’em, Mum. Why are you still up?’ But I already knew the answer. Mum’s the kind of person who goes vague around nine pm and disappears soon after. Seeing her up after midnight could only mean one thing: I was in trouble, big time.
    â€˜I got your message,’ said Dad, looking at his mobile lying on the table.
    Bottles clanged in the fridge as Mum collected things for my sandwich. A bad sign. She always gets noisy and clumsy when she’s trying to pretend everything’s normal.
    I sat next to Dad and moved straight into damage control. I told him about how much I was struggling with the new opener, and how great it was for Lesley to give me extra time and drive me home.
    â€˜She’s even planning more work for us. Really big stuff . . . corporate work, you know?’
    Dad was staring at his mobile.
    â€˜It’s like a dream come true!’ I finished. Don’t make this into a big deal, Dad , I pleaded silently.
    He looked up, frowning as if he hadn’t heard a thing. ‘You need to ask permission, Saph, before you do things like that.’
    â€˜Yeah,’ I said in my super-agreeable voice. ‘But I did let you know what I was doing. And we were really busy.’
    Dad stood, leaning forward, and pressed his finger hard into the table. ‘ Any change to plans, you must speak to me .’
    My hands clenched tight under the table, even as my body shrank away from Dad’s dark eyes. My heart was beating fast.
    Mum put her hands on Dad’s shoulders, guiding him gently back to sitting.
    â€˜It’s late, Saph. And a school night. We just don’t think it was a good idea, is all.’
    â€˜Yeah, well …’ I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. If only they could see this was no big deal, then everything would be fine. ‘I don’t have any homework tonight. And I’m not tired. I’ll be fine.’
    â€˜Saph, that’s not the point.’ Dad’s voice was calmer now, but his eyes were still flashing.
    Mum put mugs on the table in front of us. But they stayed untouched, steaming silently.
    â€˜I let you know what I was doing.’ Calm voice, Saph, stay calm. ‘And I wasn’t doing anything wrong.’
    â€˜No.’ Dad cut me off abruptly. ‘You knew you were doing wrong. That’s why you called my work mobile.’ He grabbed it and shook it in his fist.
    My hands gripped harder under the table. Why did he have to be like this? So unfair.
    When he saw the look on my face, Dad tried to smile. Not very well. ‘I know how important cheerleading is to you, Saph. I know it’s a big opportunity.’ He paused. A sip of hot chocolate. ‘But you’re still our child. We want to