Revenge of the Wannabes.
by Lisi Harrison.
For B. J. and Carly
BODY A ALIVE D DANCE S STUDIO.
5:25 PM PM.
November 13th
Alicia Rivera usually thought sweating was a sign of weakness. But today she flaunted her shiny forehead like a badge of honor. It proved how hard she had just danced and would remind every girl in the cla.s.s that she was the best.
Alicia lived for Thursdays at 4:30 PM. PM. She craved the clean, lemony smell of the studio"s wood floors and felt reborn the second she inhaled the clean, crisp air that hummed from the ceiling vents. She loved being surrounded by mirrors and pretending that she was a professional dancer in a music video. But the main reason Alicia took modern jazz lessons was because Ma.s.sie Block didn"t. And that meant every week, for one whole hour, Alicia Rivera was the most popular girl in the room. She craved the clean, lemony smell of the studio"s wood floors and felt reborn the second she inhaled the clean, crisp air that hummed from the ceiling vents. She loved being surrounded by mirrors and pretending that she was a professional dancer in a music video. But the main reason Alicia took modern jazz lessons was because Ma.s.sie Block didn"t. And that meant every week, for one whole hour, Alicia Rivera was the most popular girl in the room.
"This is the final combination of the day, so make it count." Sondra, the no-nonsense instructor, pinched the waist of her low-rise Capezio pants and folded them over twice, revealing her perfectly sculpted six-pack.
"You don"t get abs like these watching the WB." She slapped her stomach. "Do you, ladies?"
The room was silent as fourteen girls caught their breath.
"DO YOU?" she asked again.
Alicia saluted Sondra and shouted back, "No, sir!"
"What was that?" Sondra looked around the room.
Alicia immediately regretted talking back to her teacher until she heard Catherine Carlisle let out a snort. Then a few other girls snickered too. Alicia focused on the ground, trying to look sorry, but she loved being the center of attention, and it was written all over her face. She lined up her head with Olivia Ryan"s, hoping her friend"s blond ringlets would hide her smile from Sondra. But it didn"t work.
Sondra aimed her piercing green cat eyes in Alicia"s direction and stared for what felt like nine lives. Alicia could feel her insides starting to shake from all the nervous laughter she was trying to suppress and willed her teacher to look away before she exploded.
"Ms. Rivera," Sondra finally said.
Alicia craned her neck out from behind Olivia. She widened her brown eyes, hoping to look innocent, and ran her hands over the top of her head, where her glossy black hair had been slicked back into a high ponytail. "Yes?"
"Please come to the front of the cla.s.s."
Her stern yet steady tone made Alicia even more nervous, and she pinched the back of Olivia"s elbow in a silent cry for help.
Olivia casually turned around and used her big navy blue eyes to let Alicia know she was wishing her luck.
Alicia lifted her chin and lowered her shoulders to demonstrate perfect "jazz posture" before she started to make her way to the front of the cla.s.s. It was one thing to get in trouble for a funny comeback, but getting busted for bad form would have been mortifying.
Alicia took her time slowly weaving her way through rows of Lycra-covered bodies. Her father always told her she was "an exotic beauty" and a "special girl, well worth waiting for," and so Alicia had decided never to rush for anyone. Not even angry dance teachers.
The girls stood completely still, watching Alicia"s every move in the studio mirror, wondering what was going to happen next.
When Alicia finally arrived, Sondra smiled and sighed. "You are like poetry in motion." She put her lean, muscular arm around Alicia"s shoulders and turned to face the cla.s.s. "Girls, I want all eyes on Alicia for this last combination. She"s going to lead. Not only does she have a dancer"s att.i.tude, or dare I say, "bad-itude""-Sondra paused briefly and grinned, appreciating her own cleverness-"but she is the only one who seems to fully get get this routine." Sondra began clapping, and everyone felt obliged to join her. this routine." Sondra began clapping, and everyone felt obliged to join her.
Amid the applause, Alicia locked eyes with Olivia and giggled softly. She hadn"t expected this.
Alicia pulled the red elastic band out of her hair and retied her ponytail as tight as she could to show the girls that she was up for the challenge. The hours she had spent practicing at home were about to pay off, and she found herself wishing Ma.s.sie was there to witness her big moment in the spotlight. Maybe then she"d realize she couldn"t always always be number one. be number one.
"Ah-five, ah-six, ah-five, six, se-vaan, eight," Alicia called the eight count and led for the entire length of the Black Eyed Peas" song "Let"s Get It Started," which was blaring from the stereo. For the next three minutes and thirty-five seconds Alicia understood what it felt like have a roomful of girls copying her every move. She understood what it was like to be Ma.s.sie Block.
When the song ended, Alicia quickly turned to Sondra and asked, "Can we do that again?"
The exhausted girls let out a collective moan.
"We"re out of time." Suze Charskey pointed to the clock on the back wall.
"Yeah," another girl panted.
"It is is getting late," Sondra said to Alicia with a sympathetic grin. "We"ll pick it back up next week." getting late," Sondra said to Alicia with a sympathetic grin. "We"ll pick it back up next week."
"Can I lead again?" Alicia asked quietly while the other girls raced for their bottles of Glaceau mineral water.
Sondra crouched down and popped the CD out of the stereo. She slid it into one of the clear sleeves of her black Case Logic before she answered.
"I should probably give someone else a chance," she said as she zipped up the case.
"But you said I was good," Alicia heard herself whine.
"You were were," Sondra rea.s.sured her as she stood up and slipped into her floor-length baby blue puffy coat. "You"re one of my best." Sondra waved and said good night as she hurried toward the studio exit, but Alicia couldn"t respond. She wanted to be the the best. best.
The other dancers had run to get the only shower with strong water pressure while Alicia just stood there in the dance studio, facing the mirror. At five-foot four, she was taller than a lot of girls in her grade and above average when it came to her big b.o.o.bs. At school socials or bar mitzvah parties, boys always asked her to dance, and she got e-mails from different guys all the time asking her if she wanted to hang out after school. But she usually turned them down because she had more fun with her best friends: Ma.s.sie, Kristen, and Dylan.
Being told she looked like a "hotter version of Penelope Cruz with a better nose" used to make her happy. But lately Alicia wanted more. She was tired of being known as Ma.s.sie Block"s beautiful friend. And today, for the length of an entire song, she"d been "Alicia Rivera: the best dancer in the cla.s.s." But now that song was over.
Alicia took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back before she turned to join the others in the locker room.
Meredith Phillips turned off her hair dryer when she saw Alicia saunter through the door. "You were really on today."
Alicia peeled off her black Nuala yoga pants, covered herself in a towel, and then wiggled out of her racer back tank top. "You think? think?"
"Beyond," Meredith said before turning the hair dryer back on. "I wish you could lead every week," she shouted as she ran a comb through her stringy beige bob.
Normally Alicia wouldn"t have cared what Meredith the Mouse thought. Her tiny bland features and her oatmeal-colored skin made her hard to notice, even when she was the only other person in the room. But at that moment Alicia thought Meredith"s opinion was just as important as a pretty person"s.
"Me too," Alicia replied to her red toenails as she padded across the cold tiles toward the showers. "Maybe you could say something to Sondra."
"I totally will," Meredith said. "I promise."
And that gave Alicia hope.
While she washed her hair with Glisten shampoo, Alicia made a mental note to try and convince the other girls in her cla.s.s to speak to Sondra too. She was determined to lead again.
Alicia took her time drying off, knowing Olivia would wait for her.
"You were better better than J.Lo," Olivia said when Alicia walked over to her locker. Alicia was surprised to see that she was still wrapped in a towel, tugging on her silver lock. Olivia turned the dial again and yanked down, but it wouldn"t open. "Ugh! I am s.p.a.cing on the combination. This totally sucks." than J.Lo," Olivia said when Alicia walked over to her locker. Alicia was surprised to see that she was still wrapped in a towel, tugging on her silver lock. Olivia turned the dial again and yanked down, but it wouldn"t open. "Ugh! I am s.p.a.cing on the combination. This totally sucks."
"You really think I was good?" Alicia asked, towel-drying her hair.
"Do cows fly? fly?" Olivia said, letting go of her lock and looking at Alicia with a warm smile.
Alicia stopped drying her hair and raised her eyebrows.
"No."
"Oh." Olivia looked confused. "Wait, I got that wrong. What I meant was yes yes. You were awesome."
Alicia exhaled and opened her locker.
"You had perfect timing and you didn"t miss a step," Olivia said, still tugging on her lock.
"And what about how you called Sondra "sir"?" Catherine b.u.t.ted in, then snorted at the thought. She had huge dimples and a cute round face that reminded Alicia of a cherub. "Rivera, this cla.s.s would so so suck without you." suck without you."
Alicia put her hand on her heart and shook her head slowly. She wanted her public to know that she was truly grateful for their support.
"Heeelp," Olivia whimpered. "I can"t re-mem-ber my locker combo."
Alicia reached for her yellow quilted Chanel makeup bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Here." She handed it to Olivia.
"What"s this?" Olivia smiled, forgetting her lock for a minute. "A secret note?"
The other girls stopped dressing and watched Olivia with curiosity and envy. She turned her back to them and quickly unfolded the paper.
Olivia glanced down and saw a series of numbers, then lifted her head and smiled at Alicia. "What would I do without you?" She turned to face her lock, spun the pink dial three times, pulled it down, and snapped it open.
Meredith, Catherine, and a few other girls started clapping and cheering. Alicia climbed up on one of the wood changing benches and bowed.
When Alicia stepped down, Olivia gave her a big hug and said, "You really are my friend, aren"t you?"
Alicia reached into the deep outside pocket on her green alligator Prada bag and pulled out a sheet of stickers from Lucky Lucky magazine. She ran her Vagabond Red nails along the magazine. She ran her Vagabond Red nails along the nos nos and then and then maybes, maybes, knowing Olivia was anxiously awaiting her response. After a few more moments of playful teasing, Alicia peeled off a knowing Olivia was anxiously awaiting her response. After a few more moments of playful teasing, Alicia peeled off a yes yes and stuck it to Olivia"s arm. and stuck it to Olivia"s arm.
"Yes! I"m a yes yes," she said, holding her arm out for everyone to see. "Does this mean I can start going to Ma.s.sie"s Friday night sleepovers?"
Olivia"s question hurt more than an eyebrow wax. Alicia wondered if all this time Olivia was using her just to get in with Ma.s.sie.
"Ma.s.sie has a strict GLU policy for her sleepovers and there"s nothing I can do about it," Alicia said, avoiding Olivia"s hopeful eyes.
"What"s a GLU policy?" Olivia asked.
Most of the other girls had their jackets on and were leaving, but Alicia noticed Meredith and Catherine lingering by their lockers, hoping to hear her explanation.
"A GLU is a Girl Like Us," Alicia responded, sounding bored.
"How does someone become a GLU?" Olivia pressed down on the yes yes sticker before sliding her arm inside her navy peacoat. sticker before sliding her arm inside her navy peacoat.
Meredith and Catherine stopped masking their interest and moved in closer.
"You can"t become become one," Alicia snapped. "Ma.s.sie, Kristen, Dylan, and me are the only GLUs." one," Alicia snapped. "Ma.s.sie, Kristen, Dylan, and me are the only GLUs."
"Who made up that that stupid rule?" Meredith squeaked. stupid rule?" Meredith squeaked.
"Ma.s.sie," Alicia said, then slammed her locker shut.
"Well, don"t you have any say in who you hang out with?" Catherine asked.
Alicia stuffed her pink knit scarf and hat into her bag and quickly put on her gray wool coat. She was desperate to get away from their questions, because she didn"t like the answers any more than they did. "It"s Ma.s.sie"s party, so I guess she gets to decide who goes, okay?"
"Then why don"t you you have the parry?" Olivia said, rubbing Burt"s Bees lip balm across her pouty lips. "Then we can all go." have the parry?" Olivia said, rubbing Burt"s Bees lip balm across her pouty lips. "Then we can all go."
It sounded like a simple solution, but it was beyond complicated. Everyone knew Ma.s.sie owned Friday nights in the same way that MTV owned the Ten Spot. She had claimed the night; therefore it was hers.
"It"s so funny, "cause I always thought you you were the one that made all of the rules." Catherine zipped her ski jacket. "Not were the one that made all of the rules." Catherine zipped her ski jacket. "Not Ma.s.sie Ma.s.sie."
Alicia should have been surprised that Catherine and Meredith knew so much about her best friend, considering they didn"t even go to Octavian Country Day School, but she wasn"t. Everyone knew Ma.s.sie.
"Why?" Alicia wasn"t sure if she had just been complimented or insulted.
"Well, you"re prettier, you have a ton of friends, your clothes are all designer, the Briarwood boys are in love with you, and you"re an amazing dancer," Meredith said, running her fingers through her limp hair.
"It"s true," Catherine added. "I bet if you had sleepovers, they"d be so awesome. I always tell my friends about the funny things you say in cla.s.s and they all want to meet you."
"And your house is way bigger than Ma.s.sie"s," Olivia added.
Alicia"s heart felt like it was beating faster than a hummingbird"s and her armpits started to sweat. "You know, maybe I haven"t been living up to my full potential," she said out loud, more to herself than to the others.
"Not even close." Olivia threw her arm around Alicia.
"Hmmm," was all Alicia could say.
Had she been eclipsed by Ma.s.sie"s shadow all these years? Was the world waiting for her to step out on her own and shine?
"Why shouldn"t shouldn"t I be able to have my own sleepover?" I be able to have my own sleepover?"
It was the first time Alicia had considered doing something new on a Friday night. She smiled to herself when she thought of how jealous Dylan and Kristen would be for not thinking of it first. "You know, now that I think about it ..." Alicia tapped her chin with her index finger. "It"s not natural for anyone anyone to stay "in" for more than three years. Even Burberry"s out again." to stay "in" for more than three years. Even Burberry"s out again."
The girls jumped up and down and hugged each other, excited to be in on the start of something so new.