The Ballet Slippers

By: Becca, 6th grade

            It was the morning of a very important performance. A talent scout was coming to watch me dance. I am in 7^th grade at a dance school. I am the best dancer in my class, so my teacher, Ms. Cindy, called one of the talent scouts and told them to put me on the list for people to come and watch dance. I am so excited! I just can’t wait until the performance. Then, if he likes me, I might get to go on tour with professional dancers.

            “Sara…….Sara. Wake up sweetie. I have pancakes downstairs waiting for you.” My mom was sitting on the edge of the bed. I could tell while I was sleeping because the bed was shifting over to the side that she was sitting on.

            “Pancakes!” I was sitting strait up smelling the air for the sweet smell of pancakes. All I could make out was the smell of my mother’s perfume. Too strong.

            “Sara. I have something for you. They were your grandmother’s. When she heard that you were going to be in this performance, she wanted me to give them to you.” My mother opened a box then blew the dust off the top of it. Inside were very valuable ballet slippers. They were so beautiful. I grabbed the slippers out of the box and tried them on. They were the perfect size.

            “They are sooo beautiful. I love them.” I gave my mom a hug, and then ran downstairs. I wanted those pancakes that mom was talking about.

            After I had breakfast (the pancakes weren’t there, Mom lied to me just so I would get up. Instead, I had cereal. Yuck!) I practiced my dance routine. I was dancing to the song ‘100 Years’. I bought the song for my iPod so that I could start to listen to it. I think that the song is very good. So, I have decided to dance to the song.

            At first I was very slow. Since I had new dance shoes to wear. But then, after I practiced for a few more minutes, I had gotten better. I thought that now, I was dance material. My new shoes were point shoes. The laces came up to my ankle. And my costume was gorgeous. I was a spaghetti strap dress that flowed out when you twirled. I knew that Ms. Cindy would like it. So that’s why I picked the dress out. Ms. Cindy won’t see the dress until performance time.

            After my practice, I went to get my dress at the dry cleaners. I was so ready to get my dress that I was practically jumping out of my seat when we got there. I was so ready to look at it and try it on.

            “Sara. My my my. I didn’t know that you were going to be here.” That was my enemy of all time. Her name is Valerie. She has been trying to ruin my dance career since the second grade. I don’t know why though. I haven’t done anything bad to her. Well not that I know of.

            “Valerie! Wow. It’s been a long time. You have changed a lot.”

            “We saw each other yesterday.”

            “Yeah. Well I’m picking up my dress for the performance. You know that I have a talent scout coming to see me. I might get to dance with professional dancers.” I was trying to rub this into her face. But it was too late since my mom had gotten my dress then dragged me out of the store. Now I guess Valerie thinks that I am a total loser. I am dead!

            It’s 2 hours before the performance and I am as nervous as ever. I can’t believe that I am backstage at the performance of a lifetime just because a talent scout is coming to see me. Just as I went to grab my shows, I noticed that my box was lighter than usual. OH NO! This cannot happen before the performance.

            “What happened Sara? Did you lose your precious slippers? Yes. I know. Why would anyone steal the slippers?”

            “I know that you did this Valerie. You wouldn’t ask anyone that many questions without having something to do with this.”

            “Oh no! I am caught red-handed! I am blushing!”

            “Oh be quiet. I know that you just did this because you are jealous of me.” I knew that this would straiten her out. She would probably start crying because I had figured out what she had been hiding all along.

            “Me. Jealous of you? Oh please. Like I would be jealous of you. I have been the most popular girl in our school for the past 2 years. And you have been the one hiding in the background while everyone else was worshiping me. So get the facts right Sara.  This is not Disney World. Where everything is just for laughs. This is the real world.” I could tell that she was not happy with what I had just told her. I could tell that she was fed up with me so far. But that was just how I had felt about her. She was trying to get to me so she could get that talent scout to watch her. But this was not going to happen. This was the last time that I would let her bully me. I was going to get revenge once and for all. And I was going to get those ballet slippers back.

            While everyone else was getting dressed and getting their make-up on, I was standing behind Valerie’s mirror getting ready to plot revenge. I was going to tear up Valerie’s dress and then I was going to dump all of her make-up out onto the floor so that she would slip on the make-up and then break her leg. This was going to be the best day of my life.

            Then after I had already plotted my revenge, I went to stand behind the cart where all of the dresses were hanging. Then I saw them, my ballet slippers. I grabbed the box and ran for my life. I didn’t want anyone to hear or see me.

            “Whoa!” I could hear the bang and screech while someone slid on the make-up for their life. And then I saw her. Valerie was sitting on the floor in powder. I was so sorry for what had happened. While I was holding the box containing my ballet slippers, I remembered that Valerie hadn’t taken my ballet slippers. I put them back behind the cart with my dress. She was just doing that so I wouldn’t sound dumb.

            “Here, let me help you up.” Right then and there, I realized that she was being nice to me the whole time. I was the one being mean.

            “Thanks.”

            “Your welcome. I was thinking that we could be friends. I am sorry that I have been mean to you the whole time.” I was really sorry for what I had done. I didn’t realize that she wanted to be my friend.

            “Okay. That sounds nice.” Then we were hugging like true friends.

            “Sara. You’re on.” Ms. Cindy was standing behind us watching us hug.

            I had danced like there was no tomorrow. I was so proud for what I had done. Me and Valerie were friends. The talent scout liked both me and Valerie. So we had accepted the offer and were the stars of the upcoming Grease show. I was Sandy. And Valerie was Frenchie. I was so proud of us. And I was glad that everything turned out nice.  This was how it was meant to be.

                                                The End