#5 Not What I Expected by Laurie Friedman

fort while I’m gone.”
    â€œNo problem,” I said. What could possibly happen in Faraway, Alabama, in two days?
    8:32 p.m.
    In the bathtub
    OMG!
    I can’t believe what happened in dress rehearsal today. Emily, who was supposed to do the freshman solo in the dance show Wednesday night, was going through her routine, did a leap, landed wrong on her ankle, and couldn’t stand up. Ms. Baumann called the school nurse, who came to take a look. She poked, prodded, determined it was sprained and wrapped an ice pack around it until Emily’s mom came to get her.
    â€œPoor Emily,” said Kate.
    â€œYeah, it’s horrible.” I said. All I could think about was how excited Emily had been to perform her jazz solo. I never thought about what the fact that she couldn’t dance meant for the show.
    â€œApril, you’ll be filling in for Emily,” said Ms. Baumann after Emily’s mom left with her. “You have two days to learn the dance, and I have no doubt you can do it.” Then she pointed to Mady and Bree who are co-captains of the team. “Girls, you’re in charge of helping April with the dance. Emily can help out from the sidelines tomorrow.”
    Then she motioned toward a corner of the auditorium. “Get busy,” she said to the three of us. She obviously wanted us to get on it pronto.
    But I was too stunned to move. Emily knew her solo perfectly. Even though she’s only a freshman, she’s one of the best dancers on the team. Everyone was counting on her dance to be one of the best in the show. I don’t want to mess this up and let everyone on the team down.
    The other freshman girls on the team crowded around me. I think they knew I needed moral support. “Oh my God, April! You’re doing a solo!” said Vanessa, like the excitement of performing by myself on stage should trump the fear of doing it or the amount of work ahead of me.
    â€œYou can do it,” said Kate.
    I looked at Brynn. She nodded like she agreed with Kate. “You’re going to be great,” she said. “You’re a really good dancer, April.”
    I know she was putting aside our differences of late to be encouraging, and it meant a lot. It was almost like getting one of the notes she used to write to me in elementary school that she used to always sign LYLAS ( Luv ya like a sister) . She was being the best friend I needed, loved, and missed.
    I took a deep breath as I joined Mady and Bree, who were already waiting for me to get started. We worked on the dance for the rest of dress rehearsal, and then Ms. Baumann stayed and worked with me for a long time after everyone else left. “You’re getting there,” she said.
    On the way home from the auditorium, the beats from the piece I’m dancing to played like a loop in my head. Interspersed with the notes were Natasha’s wise words from the end of yoga class. Each day is a new opportunity. The unexpected can happen. Embrace it.
    Today was Exhibit A, and I’m trying. Really trying.
    9:17 p.m.
    Talked to Mom
    As soon as I got out of the bathtub, I called Mom. She was so excited when I told her about the solo. “I’m very proud of you!” she said.
    â€œYou better wait until Wednesday to say that.” Then I told Mom that I was pretty nervous about filling in for Emily.
    â€œI know you’ll do a great job,” said Mom. “April, I’m sorry I’m in Atlanta and not at home.” Her voice sounded sad. “I feel bad I can’t be there when you have so much going on.”
    â€œIt’s OK.” I didn’t want it to weigh her down. She has just as much going on as I do.
    â€œLove you, honey. More than you know.”
    â€œLove you too, Mom.”
    9:49 p.m.
    Talked to Sophie and Leo
    When I hung up with Mom, I called Sophie. She made a long squeeee sound into the phone when I told her about the solo.
    â€œWhat was that?” I asked,