Toe to Toe
Copyright © 2021 by Penelope Freed
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.)
Editing by Caitlin Fitzgerald and Saxony Gray
Cover design by Vanilla Lily Designs
Interior design by Stephanie Anderson, Alt 19 Creative
ISBN 978-1-7364893-0-7 (print)
To Molly & Melissa
My two girls
Contents
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Hannah
Olivia
Hannah
Lisa
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Chapter 1 Hannah
“Good Hannah! Use your head! Quicker spot, quicker spot!” Ms. Parker shouts over the music. I jump higher, trying to whip my head around even faster to keep from getting dizzy. I manage to make it across the room before I lose my balance completely. I hold the last pose for a half a second. Two weeks until auditions. Three weeks until competition. The mantra running through my mind is the only thing keeping me from collapsing.
“Olivia! Do not touch your leotard!” Ms. Parker yells to someone behind me. I can picture Olivia giving a quick tug on her leotard just before her turn, like always. I grab my water bottle off the floor and take a quick sip as I watch the rest of my classmates. Olivia finishes with an extra flourish of her arms, grinning at herself in the mirror. I smile, not surprised, then move down to make space for her on this side of the studio.
“My legs are so dead,” Olivia complains under her breath as Lisa loses her balance on the quick turns, almost crashing into the wall. I nod in silent agreement, pushing my water bottle back against the wall and grabbing Lisa’s while I’m at it. Lisa’s annoyed face relaxes as I hand it to her and we all do our best to catch our breath as Katy and the rest of the class take their turns.
From the minute she started class, Ms. Parker hasn’t given us a break for longer than the time it took to put on our pointe shoes. I wasn’t the only dancer who glanced at the clock when we started jumping, dismayed at how much time we still had left. I wasn’t sure if my legs were going to hold up until the end of the hour and a half class. But I only have two weeks to be ready, no time to rest now.
Twenty minutes later, we stumble out the door of the studio, legs quivering. The studio lobby is crowded and loud, dancers trying to get into class crashing against those of us exiting. Parents are standing around waiting, having their own conversations while bored siblings noisily complain about wanting to go home. A couple of little girls dressed in pink weave through the crowd to hug us quickly before heading into the studio we just left for their own class. I follow Katy into the narrow dressing room that is the unofficial domain of the senior dancers, and breathe a sigh of relief when Olivia slips in, closing the door behind her. The dressing room is hot and crowded with all of us in it, but at least it’s a place to relax before our next class. I hunt through my dance bag, nose wrinkling at the smell of old sweaty feet clinging to the inside of the bag, searching for the granola bar I tossed in there this morning, grabbing my phone as I search.
I lay down, putting my feet up against the wall as someone plops down next to me. I turn my head to see Olivia laying there with a bag of M&M’s on her chest, already scrolling through the phone in her hand.
“Is anyone else sore?” Katy asks as she sits in the corner. “I’m dying.”
“I foam-rolled my legs while I was doing my homework last night.” I was prepared to be sore yesterday after my first class back after Winter Break and two weeks of no dance. Foam rolling last night was painful, but worth it so I felt better today. I don’t have time to waste getting ready for the next few weeks.
Ignoring our conversation, Olivia butts in from her spot on the floor. “Hey, Banana, can I sleep over next Saturday? My dad and Martha are going to Santa Barbara for the weekend and won’t let me stay home by myself.” She turns to me with pleading eyes. “Please?”
“I don’t know, Livvy, the Pacific Sound Ballet audition is the next day. I need to be ready.”
Olivia pops an M&M in her mouth, the pleading look gone from her eyes. “It’s okay, I’m sure Megan or Allyson will let me stay.”
My chest tightens a little at the mention of her squadmates. “No, it’s fine. I’ll just text my mom and make sure. You could come to the audition with us the next day. You are auditioning right?”
I tap a quick message to my mom while I wait for Olivia to answer. “I don’t know. I mean the summer intensives are just so… intense. I kinda want a normal summer, you know?”
“Come on, Livvy. It’ll be fun. Besides, we haven’t had a sleepover in ages.” Honestly, I can’t remember the last time Olivia slept over.
Olivia cranes her neck to look at Lisa and Katy. “Are all of you planning to go to the audition? We should totally have a sleepover at Hannah’s if you are.” Okay, I was not expecting that, but it does sound like fun. “We’ll have fun.” Olivia shudders dramatically, “Well, not at the audition—bunch of old people watching us dance, waiting for us to make a mistake.” I steal one
