Stepping Up Read online

  Stepping Up

  By Maggie M. Larche

  Copyright © 2016 Maggie M. Larche

  Cover illustration by Maha Khatib

  Smashwords Edition

  Books in the True Girls Series

  The Mardi Gras Chase

  The Ghost with the Green Thumb

  Stepping Up

  Chapter 1

  Jenna should have known something was up when her dad came home in the middle of the afternoon.

  Usually, Jenna and her older brother Steven were the first back to the house. After school let out, they had one blessed, parent-free hour of freedom to do whatever they wanted.

  Jenna really valued that hour. She was a busy girl, between school and dance classes, and that unscheduled hour was her chance to unwind. On days when Mr. or Mrs. Marlow came home early for whatever reason, it threw Jenna’s whole day off.

  This time, it threw her whole life off.

  ***

  Jenna and her three closest friends were gathered in her room after school on a Thursday. Her friend Mary had received a new game for her birthday that she was eager for them all to try out.

  “Bring it on,” said Jenna, flicking back her long brown hair. “I’m totally gonna win.” She kicked her schoolbag to the side to make more room for her friends. Bright pink embroidered letters caught the light and reflected back the phrase, “I’d rather be dancing.”

  Jenna dropped onto her bed. “Now tell me again what game I’m going to win.”

  “Don’t get Mary started,” said her friend, Rita. Tall, dark, and graceful, Rita gave off the impression of moving at half-speed, though her long legs always seemed to keep her one step ahead of her friends. “I’ve been hearing about this game all day.”

  “Hush,” said Mary, a petite blond with hair so blond it was almost white. “This is going to be awesome. Get ready to play…” She paused for effect. “Friendtastic! The exciting way to see your friends in a whole new light!”

  The girls all laughed. “You sound like a commercial,” said Pam, the final girl in their foursome. Quiet and unassuming with curly black hair, Pam was Jenna’s oldest friend. They both enrolled in their first ballet class when they were six and met at the barre.

  “I should,” said Mary. “I’ve watched it enough times. Ok, first question: what’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?” She handed out small slips of paper to the girls, ignoring everyone’s groans. “We each write down our answer, and then we have to guess who said what.”

  The bedroom was quiet for a minute as each girl thought and scribbled.

  Jenna tapped her chin. Unfortunately, she could recall several embarrassing incidents from her past, though it was difficult to rank them. She dithered back and forth in her mind, unable to choose. Only when the other girls all turned in their answers did Jenna select one moment at random. She hurriedly wrote it down and slid her paper to Mary.

  “Ok, time to guess,” said Mary. She shuffled the papers before reading them aloud.

  “Answer #1: One time I laughed so hard in math class that I peed a little.” Mary snorted as the girls all broke out into laughter.

  “Jenna!” yelled Rita. “I think it’s Jenna.”

  “No,” said Jenna. “It’s not me. I’m going with Mary.”

  “Me, too,” said Pam, giggling. “That sounds like a Mary thing.”

  “Answer #2: When I fell down on my butt at dance class three times in the same day.”

  “Oh,” Jenna frowned. “Poor Pam.” She patted Pam’s arm.

  “How’d you know it was me?”

  “Wild guess.”

  “Answer #3: My most embarrassing time was when my bathing suit bottoms fell off at the pool.”

  Jenna’s mouth fell open. “I’m changing my answer. That one is Mary’s. Rita’s was the pee.” Everybody broke out into giggles again at the look on Mary’s face.

  “What?” she said. “It was humiliating. I almost died right there.”

  “I’d forgotten all about that,” said Pam.

  “Answer #4,” continued Mary. “Ooh, this one must be Jenna’s.” She danced the little paper around before reading it. “When I accidentally stepped in dog poop on the playground.” Mary looked up. “Jenna. That is lame.”

  “What? It was embarrassing. People saw me.”

  “Then you get embarrassed way too easily.”

  “Maybe if the dog went right on your foot,” said Rita. “That might qualify.”

  “That’s disgusting,” said Pam.

  “Well, excuse me,” said Jenna in a playful voice. “I thought this game was about getting to know each other better. And it just so happens that I –”

  “Yeah, yeah,” said Rita. “Back to business. Next question!”

  But before Mary could share the next card, Jenna held her hand up for her to stop. “Was that the front door? I wonder if Steven’s going out. He knows we’re not supposed to leave until Mom gets home.”

  “Someone’s in trouble,” said Mary.

  Jenna stood. “Give me a sec, guys. I’m gonna check it out.”

  She quickly realized that it wasn’t her brother at the door when she ran into him in the hallway. “Oh, you’re still here,” she said.

  “Yep.” Steven headed down the stairs. “Must be Mom back early.”

  Jenna followed Steven, just as she had since she was born. Only one year older than Jenna, Steven hit every milestone just before she did. Jenna was especially jealous that he was already officially a teenager, while she hadn’t hit that magic threshold yet. She couldn’t wait to turn thirteen.

  They entered the kitchen and found, not only their mom, but also their dad.

  “Hey,” said Steven. “What are you doing home already?”

  “Hi, guys,” said their mom, coming forward to kiss them both hello.

  Their dad smiled at them. “Good day at school?”

  “It was ok,” said Jenna, her forehead creasing in concern. She noticed that her dad seemed kind of subdued. He normally met them with a hug, but today he sat down at the table without his usual greeting. He pulled off his oversized glasses and cleaned them on his shirt, and Jenna was struck by how tired his eyes looked.

  “Jenna, do I hear your friends upstairs?” asked her mother.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “I think you need to ask them to go home. Time for a family talk.”

  “What about? We’re kind of in the middle of something.”

  “Jenna, please just do as I ask.”

  Jenna sighed. “Fine. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  She shot a questioning look at Steven before she left, but he only shrugged. She ran back up to her room.

  “Who was it?” asked Mary. She was braiding Pam’s hair into two French braids, while Rita scrolled through her phone.

  “My parents are home early. And, I’m sorry, but you guys have to go home now. Mom wants us to all sit down and talk.”

  “But we’re right in the middle of the game!” cried Mary.

  “We’ll finish later,” said Rita. She stood and pulled Mary to her feet. “Come on. We don’t want to be in the way.”

  Pam shook her braids out and stood as well. “I hope everything’s ok.” She gave Jenna a reassuring smile. “See you at dance?”

  “I’ll be there.” The girls gathered their bags and filed out.

  Jenna walked her friends to the door and then headed to the kitchen. She found the rest of her family seated around the wooden table. The well loved furniture held the scars of years of use.

  “Ok, everyone’s gone.”

  “Thanks, baby,” said her dad. “Come join us.”

  Jenna slid into a seat, starting to feel the beginning of some dark emotion twist in her stomach.

&nbs
p; “What’s up?” asked Steven. He sounded nervous.

  “We’ve got some news, kids,” said their mom. She tucked a strand of short, red hair behind her ear. “Not the best news, I’m afraid.”

  Jenna swallowed. Fear. So that’s what the feeling was.

  “What is it?” asked Steven.

  Their dad cleared his throat. “It turns out that my company is downsizing. I just found out today that I’ve been laid off.”

  “Laid off?” echoed Jenna. “What’s that mean?”

  “I’ve lost my job.”

  Jenna looked at Steven. His mouth had dropped open.

  Their mother took up the talk. “Now, we don’t want you guys to worry. We’re going to be just fine while your father looks for a new position.”

  “I’m very optimistic,” he said. “There are lots of good opportunities around here, and this will give me the chance to try something different.”

  Jenna felt like he was attempting to convince himself as much as them. She shook herself, trying to process the news. This couldn’t be real. Dads didn’t just lose jobs.

  “But, Dad,” she said, “you’re a civil engineer. Shouldn’t you be too high up or something for layoffs?”

  “Jenna, anyone can be laid off, and, unfortunately, it’s happened to me.”

  “That’s awful, Dad,” said Steven. “I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks, Son.”

  “Do we have enough money?” asked Jenna.

  “Of course,” said their dad. “Mom’s still got her job, and we have plenty to keep up with the necessities.” Jenna saw her parents exchange a small glance before he continued. “It’s the non-necessities that we need to talk about today, though.” He cleared his throat. “Like I said, we’re going to be just fine, but we will still have to tighten our belts a bit until I find work.”

  Their mom nodded. “That means we need to cut back on extra spending. We won’t eat out for a while. And we need to watch our water and electricity use.”

  “Turn off lights when we don’t need them,” interjected their dad. “That sort of thing.”

  Their mother continued. “We’re also going to put off our trip to visit Grandma for a little while. And I’m afraid that we’re going to have to stop allowances and extra activities.”

  “No allowance?” said Steven.

  But that wasn’t the part that concerned Jenna. “No extra activities?” she asked. “What does that mean?”

  “You guys will have to take a break from your classes.”

  Jenna struggled to comprehend. “You don’t mean my dance classes, do you?”

  “Yes, sweetie,” said her mom. “And Steven’s karate. You don’t have to quit right away. Your tuition is paid up for the rest of the month, so you can go for a few more weeks. But after that, it’ll be time to stop until Dad’s found work again.”

  Jenna’s mind reeled. No dance?

  She had attended Step It Up Dance Academy since she was in the first grade. Over time, she’d added on more and more classes until dance pretty much filled her entire week. She loved it. All of it. Ballet, jazz, tap. And what’s more, she was good at it. It took a lot of practice, but she knew she was one of the best dancers in her year.

  But now? If she had to quit dance, what would she do? Even if she were able to sign up again whenever her dad got a new job, she’d be so far behind the other students!

  “We understand,” said Steven, breaking into her thoughts.

  Jenna stared at him. Speak for yourself, she thought.

  “Thanks, Son,” said their dad. “We really appreciate both of you taking this so well.” He patted Jenna’s arm. “Now, no more long faces. We’re going to be ok. Really. Every family has setbacks. This is just one of ours.”

  “We’ll get through it together,” said their mother.

  “May I be excused?” asked Jenna, her voice cracking slightly.

  Her parents looked concerned, but they said it was fine.

  She rose and walked down the hall to her bedroom. She felt as if she were in a dream.

  No way was this happening.

  Chapter 2

  Jenna leaned against the mirror while she laced her jazz shoes tightly. She’d arrived early, wanting to escape from her house and her thoughts. She sat in the mostly empty practice room and watched as her fellow classmates trickled in.

  They all seemed so carefree. None of them carried the horrible sentence hanging over her head.

  Three more weeks until the end of the month, Jenna thought. Then I’ll have to quit.

  It wasn’t fair. She was angrily pulling her unruly hair into a bun when she spotted her friend Pam. Pam waved and made her way across the polished wood floor.

  Pam was Jenna’s only school friend that also danced at Step It Up. Even though she’d been enrolled as long as Jenna, Pam had never excelled at dance like many of the other girls. Instead, she danced more for the love of it, rather than because she was any good. It was something that Jenna always admired about Pam, her willingness to continue even when other kids in the class were better dancers.

  “Everything ok?” asked Pam immediately. She dropped her bag at Jenna’s side.

  “What do you mean?” asked Jenna.

  “You know, the whole family meeting thing. What did your parents want?” She peered at Jenna. “And you look upset. What happened?”

  Jenna paused, wondering how to share the news. In the end, she chickened out.

  “Nothing. And I’m fine. Mom and Dad just wanted to talk about our next vacation. They asked for our input on where we should visit this summer.”

  Jenna was surprised by how easily the lie came to her, especially because it couldn’t have been further from the truth.

  “Cool,” said Pam. “Where did you say?”

  “Um, Disney World. But Steven wanted to go to the beach. So we’ll see.”

  Right then a new classmate entered the room.

  Jenna narrowed her eyes. Moira Kelly. That was something she hadn’t even considered about this whole disaster – not just how it would affect her, but how it would affect Moira.

  Moira was Jenna’s top competition at Step It Up. The two girls constantly vied to be the best in the class, and Moira was the yardstick by which Jenna measured her own talent. Moira was also beautiful, with creamy skin and black hair, which especially bugged Jenna, who felt plain in comparison.

  Once Jenna quit Step It Up, Moira would be the top dancer in their year for sure. The very thought made her stomach clench.

  Pam sat to switch her shoes and shot a glance at Jenna. “Ignore her.”

  “Nothing to ignore,” muttered Jenna. “Yet.”

  “Hey, Jenna,” said Moira.

  Here we go, thought Jenna.

  “Hope you brought your A-game today,” said Moira. She stretched her arms above her head. “I practiced for hours last night.”

  “Good,” said Jenna automatically. “You need it.” Instantly she wished she’d held her tongue. Things never ended well when she and Moira got into it. And technically speaking, she knew her statement wasn’t true. Moira was a fantastic dancer. Unfortunately, she also had a crazy big attitude to go with her talent.

  Still, Jenna felt anger lick her insides again. Moira’s dad owned his own business – a party supply store. He’d never be laid off. Moira would never have to quit dancing just to save some money.

  Moira’s perfect eyebrows shot up, and she opened her mouth to reply when Jenna was saved by the beginning of the class. Their instructor, Ms. Colette, asked everyone to line up.

  “Time to warm up, girls.”

  Jenna headed for the front of the room, as did Moira, while Pam went straight to the back. Jenna knew that Pam was more comfortable hiding behind rows of other girls.

  Ms. Colette demonstrated the opening stretches at the front of the room, the long mirror reflecting behind her the faces of all the dancers.

  Although the teacher had put on a little weight since her glory days, Ms. Colette still held
the erect posture of a dancer, and she could execute any move with more energy than any of her students. Jenna idolized her.

  Jenna moved along with her class, the often repeated warm-up routine providing a calming backdrop to the turmoil of her mind. She bent slowly over one leg and lifted her toe to feel the stretch down her calf.

  Doing her best to shut her mind to her dad’s awful news, she tried to live fully in the moment. Might as well enjoy her classes while she could.

  Jenna threw herself into dance that day. Though she always tried hard, that afternoon she brought an extra energy and passion to the steps. Her turns were tight. Her movements precise. When the students practiced leaps across the floor, Jenna’s were the highest and longest. She felt almost airborne. And when Pam accidentally tripped in the middle on a jump and landed in a heap on the floor, Jenna was the first by her side to help her up.

  At the end of the hour, Ms. Colette complimented her in front of the entire class. Jenna smiled at the scowl on Moira’s face and tried to ignore the thought that all the effort would be wasted soon.

  She and Pam walked out of the school together. Even in the middle of her own troubles, Jenna could sense that her friend felt down. She hooked arms with Pam.

  “You did great today.”

  “Yeah, right. You know, sometimes I don’t know why I keep dancing.”

  “Because you love it. And you’re good at it.” Pam gave Jenna a look. “You are,” Jenna insisted, “when you can just get out of your own way.”

  Pam sighed. “Maybe. But I’ve been thinking that it might be time for me to quit.”

  “Don’t do that!” exclaimed Jenna. “I’d hate to think of someone else quitting.”

  “Someone else? What do you mean?”

  Jenna caught herself just in time. “Nothing.” She squeezed Pam’s arm. “Just don’t give up yet, ok?”

  When she got home that evening, she headed straight for her room. She didn’t feel up to facing the rest of her family yet and craved some quiet.