The Dance 1

Jack tried to clear his mind of all the swirling distractions around him and simply focus on the music crackling through the auditorium speakers. This hadn't even been his idea. If he had his way, he and Sam would still be in the hotel watching television.

The cameras clicked around him and the lights the television crews had set up made his face flush and burn. Still he moved, focused only on each ginger and purposeful step he took, twirling and leaping with crisp, practiced movements. Ballet was freedom, a chance to completely abandon all doubt and worry and concentrate only on the burn in his muscles and the pounding of his heart. There would time later to worry about who would make fun of him when they saw the video. After all, a twelve year old boy doing ballet gave all his classmates carte-blanche to throw every insult his way that came through their malicious little brains. He had heard all the insults before. Little queer boy, pansy, girly, wimp.

Of course, it was worth considering that he, unlike them, had a girlfriend. A stunning girlfriend who was beautiful, smart, captain of the cheerleading squad and in her freshman year had been named homecoming queen. Ultimately he decided, he was doing a sight better than they were.

His routine done, he bowed slightly to the panel of judges and made his way off the stage and over to a metal chair, slumping down and laying his head against Sam's shoulder.

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this. I'm supposed to be running away from home!" He panted, looking up at his older girlfriend, who merely smiled back at him.

"I know, but think about it! This is a national competition! If you win it you could get a position with any major ballet company around the world. Wouldn't that be great?"

Jack sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his towel. "Well yeah, but if my mom saw my name… she'd make me come back home." Sam laughed.

"Do you really think that your mom would be watching a ballet competition? I thought you told me she was too preoccupied with her affairs. Didn't you have to walk to ballet practice by yourself after school every day?" Jack nodded. "So she wouldn't ever see your name. Besides, I told you, my dad knows a good lawyer who can get you emancipated from your family."

Jack laughed wryly. "Yeah, you keep saying that, but I highly doubt any judge would rule in favor of some elevenyear old kid."
Sam kissed him on the cheek. "A very mature eleven year old kid. Besides, my family would take care of you. I told you, my mom and dad would really like you if they met you. We can't live on the run forever…"

One of the orange vested officials making his rounds among the contestants stopped in front of them and checked Jack's nametag against his clipboard. "Jack… Winters, right?" Jack nodded with some trepidation, but the elderly official beamed at him. "Congratulations young man. You're through to the next round!"

Sam gave Jack a bear hug while the younger boy gaped up at the official. "You mean it? But I wasn't nearly as good as some of those other guys…"

The official laughed. "Well, those judges are pretty smart people. I'd trust their decision. Anyways, you are scheduled to do your next dance tomorrow at seven. That's in the morning, if you were wondering. You can choose your song, if you want." He tore off a piece of paper and handed it to Jack, then moved on to the next contestant. Jack stared at the slip as though it wasn't real, simply a figment of his imagination.

Sam collected his street clothes and handed him a coat.

"Do you want to change here or once we get back to the hotel room?" When Jack didn't answer she giggled and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him out of the auditorium. They had booked a room in a hotel across the street, and in no time were back in their room. Sam sprawled out on one of the beds and turned the TV on while Jack changed out of his tights in the bathroom.

"You know, I don't care what you said to that man. I thought you were great today. I've never seen someone more talented at that than you are." From the bathroom she could hear Jack snort slightly.

"Are you kidding?" He said skeptically. "There are a lot of much better dancers in the world. Some of those guys in Russia make me look like I have two left feet."

Sam shrugged, then realized that Jack couldn't see her. "I've never seen them. But I think you're really good."

Jack slid out of the bathroom dressed in his pale blue pajamas and flopped on his own bed. "Well, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we? I'll bet I don't get out of the next round." Sam came over and sat on the bed next to him.

"Well, certainly you won't with that attitude. You have to have a little more confidence in yourself."

Jack pouted. "What is there for me to be confident in. I'm not good at anything."

Sam grinned and rolled him over on his back, then leaned over him. "I can think of at least one thing you've figured out…"

Jack's exclamation of surprise was cut off as Sam pressed her lips against his, and his annoyance and doubt melted away into delight as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down to his side. They lay that way, pressed against each other kissing until Sam pulled back and smiled at her younger boyfriend. "There, see? You're pretty good at that!" Jack's blush made her giggle slightly, and Jack nuzzled up against her side.

"I'm tired," he said with a yawn. "And you're on top of the covers." Sam grinned and rolled over, letting him slide underneath the now slightly ruffled covers of the hotel bed, then cuddled up against him again. Jack gave her a long-suffering look. "Aren't you going to go to bed too?"

"Maybe in a bit." The older girl said, nuzzling her chin into the crook of his neck. Jack smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her warm, soft body a little bit closer, and the two drifted off to sleep to the soft murmur of the television and the traffic from the street below.