Page 39 of Not Strictly Ballroom

Nick: On my way. Save the last dance for me

I blow out a breath as I read Nick’s text, letting the wave of relief wash over me and repair the jagged nerve endings of anxiety that have had me on edge all day.

The dread that he won’t make it has been building all day. We’ve been here for hours, supporting some of our clients who have entered the lower levels. Encouraging some of the juniors, trying to calm their nerves, whilst all the time trying to keep a lid on my own.

I roll my shoulders, easing the tension in them, wishing for a moment that Nick was there to rub them. No time for thoughts like that or I won’t be able to dance when he arrives. The thought of him, though, helps ease my nerves further. Soon I’ll dance with Nick, my Nick, and we can finally show people how good we are together.

I manage the first genuine smile of the day and head to go get ready.

“Ah, Darcy, there you are. Are you ready?” My mum marches up to me with someone in tow. When I look up, I see it’s three-time ballroom champion, Krystal Shaw.

“I’m just about to get ready. Nick will be here soon.”

“Nick?” she queries.

“Yes, Nick. I’m dancing with Nick. He was delayed because his gran had a fall, but he’s on his way.”

“Nick?” Her voice rises with incredulity.

“Yes, Nick. I thought you knew.” Her surprise is genuine, and I begin to realise with unease that Claire might not have told her. “I thought Claire?—”

“Look. I can see that you have someone already,” Krystal says and starts to leave, but my mum grabs her by the wrist.

“You’re dancing with Krystal. I’ve arranged it all,” Mum announces. No wonder she had been quiet about the tryouts.

“I don’t want to dance with Krystal—no offence Krystal,” I direct towards her. A few months ago, I would have jumped at the opportunity, but that was before I wanted dancing to feel how it does when Nick and I dance. “I want to dance with Nick.”

“You can’t dance with Nick!” my mum whisper-shouts at me, almost baring her teeth.

“Why not?” I’ve definitely checked the rules ten times over.

“Because you won’t win!”

“I don’t want to win. I just want to dance my way,” I say with more force than I intend, and she draws back as if I’ve slapped her.

We stand-off for a couple of seconds while she looks at me as if she doesn’t know me, which is probably not far from the truth right now. I go to push past her, but she releases Krystal and grabs my wrist instead. “Wait here,” She issues the instruction to Krystal and drags me through a door. The room is some sort of storage room for chairs and tables, but it’s empty of people. She releases me, but stands close enough to the door that I’d have to physically move her out of the way to leave.

I know I’m about to get a tongue lashing. I’m going to stand firm, stand up for myself. I’m sick of her telling me what to do.

“Darcy Franklin.” Her voice is low and I know the tone is her most deadly. “Everything I’ve done has been for you, to let your talents shine. You can be the next ballroom champion. It’s been something you’ve wanted your whole life. All you’ve dreamed of for years. This is going to be your year, everyone says so. You are dancing better than ever. You can do this Darcy, you can make your dreams come true.”

Her voice softens as she continues. “You know we all love Nick, but you can’t win if you dance with him. The judges will never award it to you. Those things only happen in movies, not in real life. Surely you know that?”

I do know it. Claire had been right when she said it, and my mum is right now. Julia’s words come back to me and I echo them now.

“Winning was always your dream, Mum, not mine.”

She physically deflates, and I take the opportunity to make a break for the door. My hand is on the door handle.

“Darcy?”

Something in her voice halts me. I’m used to a lecture, I’m used to her hardness, but this is a tone she’s never used before. It’s forlorn, with an undercurrent of desperation.

I wait to hear what else she has to say.

“Your dad and I didn’t want to tell you this, but the school is in trouble. Real trouble. Lesson numbers have been dropping, you’ve seen that. We’re finding it harder to attract new clients. Our debts are just going up.”

My stomach drops, and I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing. I’d suspected that things weren’t good, but they’d always brushed it off.

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