Page 127 of Tainted

“Let me holla at you for a minute,” I said, signaling John to follow me outside.

He hesitated before kissing his wife and joining me on the porch.

“You’re two strikes in. I’d tread lightly if I were you.”

He smiled, standing firm in his confidence, “What are you going to do, Kenyon? You have no moves left.”

“If you wanna bet your life on that, be my guest, but stop playing with shit that belongs to me.”

I jogged down the steps, leaving him on the porch to make a difficult decision.

23

Zara

Ihadn’t slept at all. How could I when Kenyon accomplished his mission? Not to mention, I had my audition with Sonya in the morning. I had rehearsed all week, but I didn’t feel ready with everything going on.

In the wee hours of the morning, I finally closed my eyes, imagining what prophetic speech my mom would give to cure my aching heart. It was well into the morning when I fell asleep, but it didn’t last long. In need of comfort, I blasted Tanner Adell’s ‘Whiskey Blues’ while I got ready. The music was so loud that my neighbor hit the wall, but it was another reminder of Kenyon that I pushed to the back of my brain.

Walking into the studio, my heart sank. At least twenty dancers were already warming up, stretching, and practicing combinations. I glanced around the room, trying not to let the pit in my stomach grow any deeper, but I felt like a small fish in a massive ocean.

Struggling to manage my uncertainty, I wanted to call Kenyon. He’d know just what to say, but we weren’t talking.

“Focus, Zara,” I whispered, moving to an empty corner of the room to stretch.

The room suddenly stopped, as if someone had paused the television, causing me to look up.

Sonya Hayes had just walked in dressed in all black, with sleek hair tied into a low bun. Her heels clicked softly as she walked to the front of the room, reading the room of eager dancers.

“Alright,” Sonya said, her voice firm but not harsh, “Let’s see who’s serious about being here.”

Music filled the room, and I took a deep breath. This was everything I wanted, and I had to make good on my opportunity whether Kenyon was by my side or not. I had to do this for me.

"Alright, everyone," the instructor called out, clapping her hands for attention. "We're going to go through the routine again. Remember, it’s about presence as much as technique. Give it everything you’ve got."

I stepped forward with the rest of the group, finding my spot in the formation. My heart pounded as I waited for the music to start again. My arms sliced through the air, my feet glided across the floor, and I spun with precision.

“Keep those lines clean!” the instructor barked, walking through the rows of dancers. I straightened my posture and extended my arm further in the pirouette.

A flash of doubt crossed my mind as I hit a sharp turn. I quickly pushed it away, launching into the next series of moves. Sweat dripped down my neck, but I didn’t falter. Each movement was precise, and every turn was calculated.

I could feel the eyes of the judges watching, but I didn’t look their way. I had to stay in the zone, moving into the final stretch of the routine. My legs burned as I pushed harder, faster, determined to make every moment count.

I was mid-leap when the instructor shouted, “That’s it! Time!”

I landed lightly, breathless but steady, heart pounding. The music stopped abruptly, and the room fell silent. The instructor's gaze swept across the group, and I thought she was looking directly at me.

“Nice work, everyone. We’ll be calling names soon.”

The tension in the room was thick, but all I could feel was relief. I had done it. Maybe not perfectly, but I had given it everything I had. I wiped the sweat from my brow, fixing my ponytail again. The hard part was over, but the waiting had just begun.

“You’re Lily’s baby, aren’t you?” I turned to Sonya's voice behind me, “You look just like your mother.”

“If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I wouldn’t need to be here,” I nervously joked, clinging to the strap on my bag.

“I’m glad you could make it. Your grandmother speaks highly of you.”

“Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, too. I loved you inDancing ShadowsandGrace Unchained! I mean, you made that entire movie with just your expressions. You didn’t even have to say a word, and it was still amazing!”

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