dr

d that he would laugh soon. Not that he was that kind of man. Of course, he didn’t laugh, and I f

ntinued to watch

sed an eyebrow at me. “I mean, of course yo

hing else. Six months would mean that I would miss out on casting

r how much I wanted to. “Just give me a month off,” I pleaded. “And then I

and then you’ll need time to train yourself back up to your full strength. That’s the way it goes. I think six months gives you e

en worrying about with the injury in general. I didn’t think that I had ever had an in-depth conversation with the director of the ac

like I didn’t h

ve to go home. That’s just a suggestion. But you won’t be able to live in t

sked, my voice faint. “I’ve lived here for two years, and you’re giving

said firmly. The way he said it gave me a litt

ix months,” I r

position is for you, but I like well-rounded dancers on my crew. People who can bring their other experiences

nk that I’m good enough?” I ask

r other interests and passions. I want you to come back here ready to push the envelope even more. I know that

make my dancing better didn’t make the six months of

s halfway home. She sounded surprised to hear from me. “What’s up, twinkl

hat I knew the answer. Mom had been asking for me to come home for a whil

arolina now. I would be bored to tears after two y

ent nearly every day with over the past two years. And anyway, Mom had been good about c

onth, until I figured out what else to do. I couldn’t really afford to joyride around the world for

it were research. What exactly did he think I was going to fi

d excitedly, and I could tell that she

ght details,” I said, tryi

to reimburse me, then they could bite the cost. The director didn’t even blink when I went in to his office the next day and showed

ibly forever. I tried n

r a few times since I’d left for the conservatory, but in the back of my head, I still thought of her as fifteen. We hadn’t c

I didn’t want to think about him. From what Mom had told me about him already, he sounded like a total tool. The fact that h

use with all of them, at least until I f

d hard after I recovered, I’d be able to get the director t