I rushed down the school lobby the next day to find Kate. I peeked through the window of an instrumentalist practice room hoping to see her there. She had told me this was where she spent most of her time practicing her guitar playing.
I didn’t see her there, it was totally empty. I didn’t see Kate yesterday after practice. I had run over to the lobby where I was asked to wait for her but she was not there. I also dialled her number but she didn’t pick my call.
“Ivana.” I heard behind me and turned to see Kate holding her guitar behind her back and she was looking at me with those wide gazes. I searched her eyes for a trace of anger but there was none.
“I am sorry Kate, I went there but didn’t meet you…”
“It’s okay, I came late anyway, I was stuck in practice that I missed the time, I came over but you weren’t there so I took it you got tired of waiting,” I shook my head but she didn’t let me speak but when on. “I should be the one apologizing,” Kate said softly.
“No.” I walked over and took her hand in mine. “I should be the one apologizing, I waited for you but didn’t wait for enough since I was dragged to practice.” Kate blinked rapidly.
“You were dragged? Did you practice? With who?” Kate searched my eyes as if the answers were there and I smiled at her, she was really curious and it was not something I should say out here since there may be listeners around and whereas I have a lot to fill her in on.
“How about we go grab a cup of coffee while we talk?” I searched her eyes and she beamed at me.
“Let’s also catch up since it’s been a while.” I nod my head in response.
“Let me hold that for you.” I took hold of her guitar and she linked arms with me with a smile as I glanced over my shoulder. “Kate, I thought you said we shouldn’t act so close_”
“Fuck that Ivana, I thought back at it and I hate myself for saying that to you, there is no more hiding, we are best friends and whoever doesn’t like that should fuck off.” I chuckled at Kate’s words.
“Damn it, Kate, you are so cute.”
“Really?” She blinked her eyes cutely at me.
“Yes.” We both chuckled. Have I ever said how much I love being Kate’s friend? Well, I love it so much that I would choose her over Robin. Oops, that came out wrong, umm, no it didn’t, I will truly choose Kate, sorry Robin, I still love you.
Kate’s eyes dilated as she looked at me with parted lips. “Who are you practising with?” I have just told her about Robin, Ryan, Hinn Carlos and Katherine and this was just the reaction I expected to see on her face.
I glanced around the café, the loud sharp voice had made some heads turn in our direction, they must be thinking Kate is nuts for shouting that way in a public place. I stuffed some snacks into her mouth to make her close them and it worked but only for a minute since she chewed them and drained them in with her instant coffee.
“How are you practising with them?” Kate asked me again and I began telling her all about it, how Robin planned this out with Hinn Carlos and how Katherine called me a rejected candidate, also how she told me not to get in her way of winning.
“That little egoist!” Kate ground her teeth before looking at me and a smile formed up in her. “I am still glad you found a team to work with, they have experts too, Ryan is great at dancing and Katherine is too, I hate to admit it and Robin must be awesome in dancing, he has lots of talent.”
“He can’t dance,” I said it simply and Kate blinked at me in confusion, that was also my expression when Ryan told me and Robin confirmed it. Now thinking back at it, Robin deserves a punch from me, he has made fun of my dance moves when he is no good himself.
“I don’t believe it, Ivana, Robin should be good at dancing,” Kate told me but I thought about the shy little Robin as a kid.
Of course, he would curl up and hide rather than dance, it was better to sing than to dance, although I was not shy, I am not good at dancing, talk more of Robin who is both shy… correction, he is no longer shy, he kissed me even when others are watching, so cute.
“Are you daydreaming again?” Kate’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked at her. “Of course you were and I can tell just by looking at your flustered face, it was about Robin wright.” I pressed down my lips and Kate shook her head at me. “You have completely turned into a lover girl.”
I chuckled softly and sipped my coffee but looked up at Kate sharply when I remembered something. “Kate, how about leaving the mean girls group and joining my new team?” I waited for her response and Kate quickly gave me the dismissal wave without hesitation. “Why not?”
She took a deep breath and leaned close to the desk. “Do you know how awkward it will be dancing next to your crush?” I was confused as to why she said this, I was not awkward when I danced next to Robin. “That is because you not only stay at his house but have gotten comfortable with having him around just like real couples,” Kate answered the questions I had in my head.
Kate took in a deep breath before looking at me. “Ivana, I will get distracted ogling at Ryan all day and I will barely learn anything, so I would just stick with the mean girls, whereas, I don’t like Katherine, practising with her as a team would only be a bone to my neck.” She shook her head leaning back to her desk to sip her coffee.
“I truly wanted you to practice with me.” I exhaled softly and Kate grinned and I recognized that gaze in her eyes. “What?”
“Why can’t we practise together?” She jumped off her chair and stretched her hand to me and I blink in confusion. “Let’s go.” She told me as she held my hand and pulled me up while I grabbed the guitar with the other hand.
“Where are we going?”
“To be our own big thing, Ivana!” Kate shouted as we left the café bursting into the busy street with Kate giggling like a kid.
“You are crazy Kate!” I told her while she held my hand and pulled me as she ran, I smiled as I took in the light breeze running through my face and my hair pushing backwards in harmony to the breeze. “Slow down Kate!” I called out to her and she turned to me.
“We have to hurry before they all leave,” Kate told me.
“What are you talking about Kate?”
“You will see.” She told me and I only followed her lead.
We both arrived at a wide street crowded with lots of people, as Kate pushed past the others telling them to excuse her while she pulled me along behind her, there was a loud blast of music coming from the centre of the crowded place next to a fountain when we got there a huge grin spread through my lips as I saw two groups competing in a step up dance.
“Wow, Kate, how did you find this place?” I was also grinning just as she was.
“Well, this was the reason I told you Hinn Carlos isn’t the only admirable guy in our school.” I pursed my lips, and she said these people are from our school. “Yes, whatever you are thinking is correct.” I turned my eyes to the dancers. “Our school is too big that they have lots of people you still don’t know about, this is the K team, they have their special hall and they mostly perform like this, they are also known as the seniors in school or those that love doing this than standing on stage,” Kate said in a loud voice so that I can hear her since the music was too loud.
“Wow, I don’t know about this,” I told Kate.
“You don’t know about lots of this Ivana.” Kate turned to me and I looked at her too knowing she had something to say to me. “It doesn’t matter if you can't dance or if you are just a learner and are finding dancing difficult, all that matters is to do what makes you happy the way you want to, everyone has talent and just a little step forward they can make their one big dream come true.”
I stopped smiling and Kate held my shoulder. “You know what Ivana, I may not be good myself, but no matter what, I would want to see you stand on stage just like I have believed in your dreams all this while, so let’s make magic together without fear or shame.” Saying that Kate dragged me into the middle of the dance and my eyes widened.
“Kate, what the fuck are you doing?” I glanced around and could see people pointing at us, while the others that were dancing were also giving us the what-the-heck-are-you-both-doing-here looks.
“Consider the crowds as the mean girls at school and these talented people whose dance we are about to ruin as Katherine, the overlook them and enjoy the music while you learn from the moves I make,” Kate shouted as she started dancing.
Of course, she was crazy but this is the first time I have ever seen her so bold while being crazy. She was right, those crowds are the fucking mean girls and these dancers are just like Katherine who thinks I would ruin her dream by dancing next to her, but just like Kate had said, I would only listen to the music and have fun taking this ground I stand now as the stage and the air as my fans, then the sun would be the camera light that flashes at us while we dance our heart out.
I glanced over at Kate who was dancing and motioning me to dance with her and I fall in place as I moved with her guidance, this was more like it, this way, I would be undefeated, not only did Kate show me some of what she had learnt, I also showed her what Ryan had thought me and together we danced to our heart content