Page 94 of Crash into me

We all spin, showcasing the way I fell for Foster.

Then our bodies collide with the floor, mimicking the crash.

We wake in confusion, rustling and looking around, searching for our memory.

We go into pairs and fall into each other’s arms.

Then, the room goes dark, a light beaming down on me and Foster as we hold each other.

He thrusts his hand back as the shadow people dip their hands into the light. And I’m safe and protected as he exhausts his energy protecting me.

Finally, at the end when he is tired and pushed to his limits, I hold him trying to breathe life back inside of him. This was just for me; a reminder of how cruel Envy was and how I’ll always pick up the pieces for him.

A crack of thunder emphasizes the end, perfect timing.

Then, the room goes dark.

The lights flicker back on, highlighting the crowd as they stand and clap.

Foster is in the front row, with tears brimming his eyes.

I bow proudly, my chest rising as my gaze sweeps the crowd. Tears stream down my face, but I can’t help but smile. My breath hitches when I see her sitting toward the back, wiping tears from her face from the performance.

Mom.

It disorients me, and I nearly stumble on my pointes.

The dancers all go backstage, and Foster jumps up when I’m standing all alone. “You okay, Sky?”

I take his hand and let him lead me to the back. “Yeah.” I smile.

Grace cups her own cheeks with a proud gleam in her eyes. “That was beautiful, ladies. Everyone go home before this weather gets any worse.”

“You looked like an angel out there.” Foster pulls a few strands away from my face, starting to remove the bobby pins. He knows how much I hate having my hair in a tight bun.

“You missed the race for me?”

“Races come and go.” He shrugs. “The last recital didn’t go too well, and I needed to make sure you weren’t going to pull that again.”

I stop him from pulling out the pins, turning to face him. “But the money.”

“No need to worry about that. This tropical storm is going to turn into something nasty here in a few days, so all I have to do is win that race and we’re in the clear.” He rubs my shoulders, and a sense of hope washes over me.

“My mom is here,” I whisper, although everyone’s already cleared out. We don’t stress or shy away from storms; we attach ourselves to them. We thrive from them.

Foster peeks his head around the curtain. “She’s gone now. Everyone is.” He takes my hand, pulling me back onto the stage.

The decorations are still up, but now it’s only him and I under the twinkling stars. “Now …” He twirls me around, pressing a button on his phone. Music dances through the speakers as he syncs his phone. “Let’s do what we didn’t get to do before.”

And so, we dance.

We dance until the power surges out.

* * *

We’re backat the dorms. “That was seriously amazing!” Kate gushes. She’s splayed out on her bed in a comfy set of PJs. “You choreographed so well!”

“Thank you.” I playfully bow. “But it would have never been so good if not for you guys.” I grin.