Super Sporty

by Chrissie Perry

  At first, Charlie’s mum kept flicking through her address book, only half-watching Charlie.

  But as Charlie kept dancing, her mum put the address book down. Soon a funny, surprised look came over her mum’s face.

  When Charlie finished her solo, her mum was quiet, staring at Charlie with the same surprised look on her face.

  ‘What’s wrong, Mum?’ asked Charlie. ‘Don’t you like it?’

  ‘Oh, Charlotte,’ her mum shook her head in wonder. ‘It’s beautiful.’

  At school Laura started calling Charlie the Dancing Queen, and told everyone about the audition. When the teacher wished Charlie luck, everyone stared at her. But she held the calm feeling in her heart and didn’t feel like blushing at all.

  Charlie felt happy right until the next dance class — the audition.

  As she walked up the stairs to the dance school, she even felt excited about showing everyone her solo. Maybe Rosie would like Charlie’s dance as much as her mum did.

  But then, as she opened the door, Charlie saw the trendy girls. They were wearing their costumes, and had ultrastylish hair. One of them was even wearing make-up.

  As Charlie walked past them, she felt the calmness trickle away and disappear, like it was hiding out of reach. With that, came the rush of worries — wondering what the trendy girls would think, and fretting that she didn’t have a costume.

  She wondered why she had bothered to come today at all. Rosie would never pick her for the main part!

  All through the auditions, Charlie sat in a corner, hugging her knees.

  She could tell that the trendy girls had been practising together. Their solos were a lot like Kathy’s. And in the parts they had changed, all four did the same head flicks and hip rocks.

  Finally, everyone except Charlie had had her turn.

  ‘OK Charlie, lucky last!’ Rosie called.

  Charlie stood up and ducked under the barre. As she walked to the centre of the room, her heart pounded in her chest — stronger than ever before. She felt all eyes on her — no costume, her red cheeks.

  Silly Charlie.

  The music started and the sweet voice began to sing.

  Friday night and the lights are low …

  But Charlie couldn’t move. It felt like the voice was singing for someone else, someone like the trendy girls. It didn’t feel like the song was for Charlie anymore.

  Charlie shut her eyes and tried to hold the voice inside like before. But all she could feel was the thudding of her heart.

  Suddenly, the music stopped.

  ‘What’s wrong, Charlie?’ Rosie asked her kindly.

  Charlie shook her head.

  She could hardly breathe, let alone talk.

  ‘I … I can’t,’ Charlie said.

  One of the trendy girls whispered something to the others.

  Charlie shook her head again. ‘I don’t want to …’

  But she felt like crying when she heard her own words.

  Rosie was quiet for a while, tapping the lid of the CD player.

  Then she nodded.

  ‘OK, girls. I’ll give you the answer next week,’ she said.

  In a fog, Charlie went and sat with the rest of the class. She wished she were someone else, like the trendy girls — always happy and never scared.

  Life would be so much better that way.

  At the end of the class, Rosie called Charlie over to talk.

  ‘Kathy’s mum is going to drop round her costume this week,’ Rosie said.

  Charlie nodded down at her shoes. She hated herself for being so shy.

  ‘How is Kathy?’ Charlie asked quietly.

  ‘She’s OK, poor thing,’ Rosie said. ‘She’s coming to watch the concert.’

  Charlie managed to look up at Rosie and smile.

  But Rosie looked thoughtful. ‘Why don’t you show me your solo now?’ she said. ‘I’d love to see it.’

  ‘Oh,’ Charlie glanced out the door to the waiting area. She could hear the rest of the class talking and laughing together.

  ‘Hang on.’ Rosie ran over and shut the door. Then she gently led Charlie by the shoulders to the centre of the room. ‘Just dance for me,’ Rosie said. ‘OK?’

  Charlie wanted to shake her head. Then the music started.

  Friday night and the lights are low …

  Somehow, with the other girls out of the room, Charlie felt the sweet voice reaching inside her like before.

  Before she could think, Charlie was dancing. But not just dancing — she was feeling it all inside, coming from her heart. The hope and fear and joy all came out as Charlie danced for her teacher just like when she danced at home.

  When Charlie had finished, Rosie smiled and nodded.

  ‘See you next week,’ she said.

  Everyone was stunned.

  The whole class stared at Rosie with mouths open and eyes wide.

  It was the week after the audition, less than one week until the concert.

  Charlie couldn’t see her own face, but she knew that she must have looked more stunned than anyone.

  ‘Me?’ she stammered. ‘I —’

  Her heart was pounding again, but not like last week. Part of her felt good. She was surprised and scared, but also happy.

  Thrilled.

  ‘I know you had a case of stage fright last week,’ Rosie said. ‘But I’m sure you can do it, Charlie.’

  The trendy girls were whispering to each other as they looked at Charlie.

  Charlie shook her head. ‘I can’t,’ she said. Not with everyone watching, she thought.

  ‘Here,’ Rosie said kindly. She gave Charlie a bag. ‘Just put on Kathy’s costume and give it a go.’

  Charlie nodded and ran to the toilets. She was glad to escape from the eyes of the rest of the class.

  Once she was safely inside the toilet cubicle, Charlie put her hand over her mouth and laughed out loud.

  She couldn’t believe it! Rosie had asked her to be the Dancing Queen!

  She couldn’t imagine doing her dance in front of the trendy girls, and definitely not at the concert!

  But it still felt great to be asked.

  Charlie pulled the shimmery costume out of the bag and carefully pulled it on.

  It felt fantastic.

  She leaned back, all glittery, against the door. Then she took a long, deep breath.

  Rosie must have thought Charlie’s solo was good. But was it good enough to dance in the concert?

  What if she had stage fright again?

  Charlie took another breath and shook her head. No, she was too shy to dance her solo for the concert. She would have to tell Rosie to choose someone else.

  Charlie picked up the empty bag, ready to go back and talk to Rosie.

  But then she stopped.

  The bag wasn’t empty.

  At the bottom of the bag was a small package with Charlie’s name on it.

  Inside was a delicate plastic butterfly. Its wings were white and shimmery.

  She smiled at the delicate wings. They reminded her of something …

  Then she noticed a note tucked into the wrapping.

  Charlie smiled at the note. Kathy was so kind. Right from the start, she had been nice to Charlie. She didn’t care that Charlie was different.

  Why, then, did Charlie worry about the trendy girls? It didn’t matter what they thought. Charlie already had a friend in the class. A good friend. After a while, she tucked the butterfly and note safely back in the bag.

  Then Charlie headed out of the toilets, with a secret smile in her heart.

  It was very dark. Charlie heard a cough from the audience, then the shuffling of feet as she and her class ran onto the stage.

  Together, they formed a human machine. Arms linked, bodies close, all of them waiting as one.

  Charlie could feel the familiar pounding in her chest. But she could also feel something else inside — another feeling that she knew quite well.

  Then the music started, pounding through t
he theatre.

  Boom, boom, boom.

  With it came the flashing strobe light and the clunking of the machine.

  Charlie jerked her arms in time with the others. Right now, she looked like them, and moved like them. She could even sense that she felt like them.

  But she wasn’t exactly the same.

  As the music kept thudding, Charlie could feel her class tensing around her. They all knew what came next.

  For a moment, Charlie’s mind went blank and time seemed to stand still.

  Then the flashing light stopped and the music changed. The whole theatre seemed to hold its breath.

  As the sweet voice rang out, Charlie felt it touch her inside.

  Friday night and the lights are low …

  With all eyes on her, Charlie pulled the costume from around her neck and wrapped it around her waist.

  Then she was dancing. She twirled and leapt, kicked and reached.

  Charlie still couldn’t see the audience, but she knew they were all there — Kathy, Laura, her family. Even Miss Plum was there. They were all there to watch Charlie dance.

  But she wasn’t just dancing for them. She was dancing because she loved it. She felt like a butterfly flitting in the sunlight and, right now, that felt wonderful.

  As the lights shone stronger Charlie moved to the machine. She pulled at the girls’ arms, urging them to break away and be free. From the looks on their faces, Charlie could understand how the other girls felt — funky and fabulous.

  Soon the whole class was dancing together in the middle of the stage.

  Then, too soon, it came time to leap off-stage for the end.

  In an instant the theatre roared to life with claps and cheers. Charlie even made out a whooping sound from her brother.

  But the class was in another world.

  Together, they ran out of the wings, giggling and shushing each other in the corridor and then laughing and hugging in the dressing room.

  Charlie even hugged the trendy girls.

  ‘Charlie, how did you do it?’ one of them asked. ‘I would have been scared stiff.’

  Charlie laughed. ‘I was scared stiff!’

  Then they hugged and laughed again.

  After the concert, Charlie and her class changed back into their normal clothes. They were still flushed with excitement, and they couldn’t wait until the start of the next concert, when they would get to dance all over again.

  ‘We’re heading to the caff for some food,’ one of the trendy girls called out. ‘Who wants to come?’

  Some of the other girls picked up their purses and headed for the door.

  Charlie managed to look the trendy girl in the eye. ‘No thanks, Holly.’

  It felt good calling her by name.

  She was, after all, a normal person.

  ‘Maybe next time?’ Charlie asked.

  ‘OK,’ Holly nodded and smiled. Then she headed out the door with the others.

  Charlie sat down on the dressing-room floor and looked around. It felt good to be alone. But Charlie didn’t want to hide in here.

  She wanted to go outside and see her family, and Laura, and to say hi to Miss Plum.

  But most of all, Charlie wanted to find Kathy. She had something to give her.

  Charlie pulled it carefully from the corner of her make-up bag. It was a statue of a deer in the middle of a leap. It looked graceful and powerful, exactly like Kathy.

  Charlie didn’t have a note for Kathy, but she hoped Kathy would understand. The right present can say a lot.

  After all, two people can still be friends, even if they both dance completely differently.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  The sign at the other end of the pool complex read, DEEP WATER 2.2m.

  That’s where Bec was going – and as fast as she could without running! She held her head high and walked quickly. Her feet made a wet padding sound on the damp tiles. She was almost running, but not quite!

  All around her were the other kids in Bec’s swimming class. They must have looked pretty crazy – a class of walking racers, rushing along the edge of the main pool.

  ‘Slow down please, Dolphins!’ called Hung, their swimming teacher.

  He always said that. Bec only slowed a little. When Bec had somewhere fun to go, she couldn’t help wanting to get there quickly! Besides, the faster she made it to the other end of the pool, the sooner she’d be back in the water.

  When everyone had gathered at the deep end, Hung started handing out bricks. Bec jiggled her cold legs and held her brick with both hands. It was bright red, with one corner chipped.

  ‘Remember the colour of your brick, everyone,’ he called. He had to yell above the noise and splashing in the next pool.

  Hung took Bec’s brick and winked.

  ‘Thanks, Bec,’ he said as he threw her red brick into the deep end. With a plop, the brick sank slowly to the bottom of the pool. Then in went the black one. Then green, then yellow, orange, blue …

  ‘Time for duck diving,’ said Hung. ‘Remember, bums up helps you dive down.’

  For a moment, everyone looked at each other – bright eyes and flushed cheeks. Then the class jumped into the deep end.

  The water felt nice and warm. Bec was pretty sure she knew where her brick had landed. She swam above that spot and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air. She tucked her head in and dived down.

  Suddenly all the noise from the centre was muff led by the water. Kicking quickly, Bec pushed her arms through the water. She could see thick, black lines on the bottom of the pool below her.

  Bec scanned the bottom for red. There it is! Her red brick was lying half on a black line. It was just a few more strokes and one big kick away.

  Bec’s fingers touched the brick and gripped it hard. She pushed off the bottom of the pool and zoomed back up. As her head broke the surface of the water, the sound of splashing and laughter filled Bec’s ears.

  She took a deep breath and quickly glanced around. Already three other kids had bobbed their heads above the water, but their hands were all empty.

  Bec was first to find her brick! She lifted it out of the water, puffing and working her other arm hard to keep it up.

  ‘I’m first!’ she called to Hung.

  ‘Well done, Bec,’ smiled Hung. ‘But it’s not a race, remember?’

  Bec shrugged happily. She knew it wasn’t a race. But that didn’t stop her feeling pleased when she came up first!

  Before she knew it, all the bricks had been found, and class was finished. Bec’s favourite time of the week was over.

  ‘All right, good work,’ called Hung. He reached down to pick up some kickboards. ‘See you all next week.’

  The rest of the class headed off towards the change rooms with rosy cheeks and splishing feet. But Bec climbed out slowly. Climbing out of the pool was one thing that she didn’t mind doing slowly.

  ‘Bec!’ called Hung, looking at her over a pile of kickboards. ‘Bring your mum and meet me at the front desk when you’re dry, OK? I’d like to talk to you both.’

  ‘Oh … yeah, OK,’ said Bec, surprised. ‘Why …’

  But already Hung was walking towards the store room.

  Bec watched him go, biting her lip.

  For a moment she wondered if she’d done something wrong during class.

  But she didn’t think she had. She was one of the best swimmers!

  So what did Hung want to talk about? It just had to be something good.

  Bec stood on tiptoes at the front desk with her mum. She was trying to see over the counter. She’d been in such a rush to get dressed, her hair was dri
pping down her back. She wasn’t even wearing socks with her school shoes.

  Who needs socks at a time like this! Bec thought excitedly.

  Soon Hung opened the door from a back room and walked over to the counter. He smiled at Bec’s mum. ‘Hello, Cathy,’ he said, shuffling a pile of papers.

  ‘Hi, Hung,’ said Bec’s mum, a question in her voice.

  ‘Your daughter’s been working very hard in the pool,’ said Hung, smiling at Bec. ‘I wanted to talk to you about her joining the junior squad.’

  Junior squad? Bec jumped up and down, pulling on the counter and trying to read the papers in front of Hung. It wasn’t easy when they were upside down and kept disappearing each time she landed.

  Junior squad sounded so super cool!

  Bec’s mum smiled proudly at Bec. ‘Well, Bec certainly loves swimming.’

  ‘Here,’ said Hung, handing the papers over the counter to Bec’s mum. ‘Have a read when you get home. Squad is hard work, but we still have fun.’

  Bec grabbed her mum’s arm. ‘Can I do it, Mum? Please please please?’

  Her mum frowned. ‘Well, I want to read through these papers. And we need to talk it over with your dad …’ Then she rolled her eyes and laughed. ‘But we’d be crazy to try to stop you, Bec.’

  ‘YIPEE!’ Bec cried. She started jumping again. But this time it wasn’t to see over the counter. Suddenly she just couldn’t stop jumping!

  After dinner that night, Bec lay on her bed, her eyes glued to the papers that Hung had given them.

  Junior squad sounded awesome! And serious. It was two sessions per week, and meant she would have the chance to swim real races. Even the list of equipment made squad sound like the big time. She needed two pairs of goggles, her own flippers and a bottle of water.

  When Bec had finished reading, she laid the papers carefully on her desk. Then, using her ultra-neat handwriting, she started to fill in the forms. Well, only the questions that she could fill in. Bec knew she couldn’t sign her mum’s name!