LITMIR.BIZ

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sure you had enough sleep.”

      “Oh,” said Taylor, “I didn’t know that they were today.”

      “I told you Taylor,” Charlize sounded annoyed. “Oopsies,” she giggled, spilling milk on the table. “I told you last night. You never remember anything. Do you want a meal replacement shake?” She took one for herself.

      “No!” said Taylor, averting her eyes. Meal replacement shakes always made her feel sick in the morning.

      “Well, do you want some cereal then? There’s some Rice Krispies.”

      “Do we have any Froot Loops, Mom?”

      “Yes, but don’t put any sugar on them, Taylor, they have enough sugar as it is,” Charlize sighed. “Oh, and Taylor, your dad wants you to call him. He wants to know if you’re going to stay with him for Christmas.”

      “How should I know?” asked Taylor, pouring a cup of cereal in a bowl, carefully adding five heaping tablespoons of white sugar and some milk. She eyed the bowl suspiciously. It still didn’t look very appetizing. She added some spray whipping cream and some red sprinkles which happened to be in her bathrobe.

      “Taylor.… Oh, why do I even try?” Charlize groaned, throwing her hands in the air. Taylor ignored her and started eating the sprinkles off the whipping cream.

      “Ta-aylor! I can’t believe you just ate the whipping cream off the cereal!”

      “The cereal was soggy! I can’t eat it when it’s mushy!”

      “Whatever, we have to go now. You have your audition.”

      As Charlize drove Taylor to the academy, she kept up a steady stream of advice: “Remember to smile at all the teachers today, and do your hair nicely. Most of what people think when they see people dance is what they look like. Put some lipstick or gloss on, you look washed out. I told you to get to sleep last night!”

      “Mom, geez, shut up already! And it’s not all about what I look like you know, it’s about other stuff, too, like technique!” Taylor said angrily. Charlize continued as if she hadn’t heard her.

      “Don’t eat the junk you usually do. It just makes you more ADD. You should wear your red bodysuit so you stand out. And please remember that Kaitlyn is not your friend, she wants a good part just as much as you do, and her mother stops at nothing to make sure she gets it.” She pulled out her wallet as they reached a red light. “Here’s twenty-five dollars for the audition and a twenty for dinner and lunch. I really mean it, Taylor, you need to concentrate and try to get a good part. Did you know that Kaitlyn is on full scholarship? If you would just improve a little faster, Taylor, I know you could do it. And you have to, Honey, because you sure aren’t going to make it to university.” Taylor turned the car music on as loud as she could without going deaf, and pretended she couldn’t hear her mother telling her to turn it down.

      When her mother finally turned the music down, Taylor said, “I don’t know what is wrong with you, I do work as hard as I can, and Kaitlyn is just a suck-up. I hate her smile. And I’m not going to wear the red bodysuit, it makes my boobs look too big. I left it at home, anyway.”

      “Oh, Taylor, you forgot your red bodysuit?”

      “No, I am just not going to friggin’ wear it! I’m going to wear my blue one. I like that one.”

      “Okay, Taylor. I’m just trying to help!” Charlize said as they pulled up beside the academy.

      “Well, stop it!” said Taylor as she got out of the car.

      “Wait, I’m coming in! I want to talk to Cecilia.”

      “Who?” said Taylor.

      “Kaitlyn’s mother.”

      “Oh, great,” Taylor grimaced.

      “Did you remember to invite Kaitlyn to your birthday party?”

      “Yes, Mom!” answered Taylor.

      “Oh, and Taylor, do you know if Alexandra going to be back for casting today?”

      “I. Don’t. Know,” Taylor stalked off. As she walked into the academy, Keiko came excitedly up to her.

      “Tay-chan, guess what?! Alexandra got bronze at Genee!”

      “Wow, that’s sweet!” said Taylor excitedly. “Is she back yet?”

      “Hai,” said Keiko. “She’s downstairs changing. She’s super skinny right now. Like, bone, bone, bone.”

      “Oh, good for her,” said Taylor.

      Keiko grimaced. “No, not like good, good skinny, you know? Like, not so good, I don’t think it is nice. But is useful to get bronze! Come downstairs with me to get changed.”

      “Okay,” said Taylor smiling. “Are we auditioning with the youth company, or is it just level A and B?” Taylor whispered as they walked down the hallway.

      “I think … I think company, too,” Keiko whispered back. “Because they are all here still, and they have no more class today.”

      “Who do you think will get Sugarplum?” continued Taylor, as they went downstairs. “Oh, and where were you yesterday?!”

      “I was at home. I had jetlag still,” said Keiko. “I think maybe Alexandra, but also maybe Grace? Because the Demidovskis really like Grace. But I like Alexandra is better, I think she is a better dancer. And maybe Anna for something, but I don’t know what.” They got changed, and Taylor drank a ROCKSTAR. Taylor walked into Studio A. F, she thought. Tristan’s taken my favourite spot on barre again.

      “Hey, Gaylor, ’sup?” Tristan called across the room. Everyone started giggling.

      “You’re almost too gay to function,” she said, trying not to cry.

      “Oh, quoting Mean Girls? Were you in that?” he laughed.

      Delilah started laughing even harder, “Didn’t you know? She was the stupid blonde one.”

      Taylor went to the back barre, forcing herself to giggle, and said, “It’s not nice to make fun of me just ’cause I’m blonde!” Keiko was at the back barre too. “Hey, Keiko. O-genki desuka?”

      “Hai, genki desu,” replied Keiko smiling. “Your Japanese is improving!” Keiko frowned as Kaitlyn walked in. “Who is that?”

      “Kaitlyn,” whispered Taylor. “She’s really good. She wins, like, everything and she gets hundreds in her exams.”

      “Oh.” Keiko didn’t look very happy. “Well, she does not have a good body type.”

      “No, I know, “said Taylor, agreeing happily. “Who do we have for warm-up class?”

      “Mr. Yu,” answered Angela from behind them.

      “Oh, great,” said Keiko to Taylor, ignoring Angela. “I haven’t had a Mr. Yu class for a while.”

      Mr. Yu came in and scowled at the class. Standing in the doorway, he slowly scanned the room. His eyes rested on Taylor. “Where is your uniform?”

      “S-s-sorry,” stuttered Taylor. “I thought, because, like we don’t have to wear a uniform for the audition, that, maybe … we didn’t have to wear uniform for class.…” Her voice got quieter and quieter until nobody but Keiko could hear the last few words.

      “Wazzat you say?” demanded Mr. Yu, cupping his hand around his ear.

      Anna called out, “She said that she thought we didn’t have to wear uniform today because we don’t have to for the audition class.”

      Mr. Yu gestured at Anna to shut up, saying, “Can she speak English? She doesn’t look Japanese. Does she need a translator maybe? Come on, speak.”

      Taylor tried again. “I thought we didn’t need to wear

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