Confessions of a Backup Dancer by Tucker Shaw Read Free Book Online Page A

one was really MEAN to me, but no one was really NICE to me either. I mean, i’m not sure exactly how I did (everything went so fast), and every routine was totally 100% new to me so I never got THERE (or anywhere near it), but at least I don’t remember totally embarrassing myself anywhere along the way. I guess. I don’t know. And like I said, there were plenty of stares. But no glares, at least. There is a difference.
    darcy barely spoke to me once. in fact she barely spoke to anyone at all. not in a mean way or anything, just like it was all work. Everything they say about her working seriously hard is true. I didn’t notice it so much at the audition, but when she does speak, it’s in this like texas but valley girl kind of accent. kinda low but still really young. like, “omylordy y’all! I’m gagging” and stuff like that. it was kind of weird when I realized that she doesn’t talk to anyone, especially considering how nice she wasthe other day at my audition, but I guess the pro in her is all about work.
    I don’t know what is going on with the rest of the dancers. you always see like Janet Jackson and people like that on tv talking about how they’re all best friends with their dancers and how everyone’s like some kind of big happy family or whatever. but it sure didn’t seem that way. part of me assumed it was just me that didn’t fit in. but by the end of today it started to look like no one was really getting along.
    I am SO missing tito right now. he’d know what to do to break the ice. and if he couldn’t break the ice at least we’d be able to bug out together.
    my best bet for a friend looks like the choreographer, Rashid. he’s really really cool. he told me I have excellent instincts but also a big job ahead of me. he said he’d help me out after hours and stuff if I needed it. he was asking me all about my body, about injuries I’ve had, what my strengths are as a dancer, what my weaknesses are, stuff like that. he seems like he really cares about all the dancers a lot, and he knows EVERYTHING about them. he winked when he said “everything.”
    After rehearsals one of the Men in Black took all the dancers to Mas Macho Taco, hardly anyone talked to me, it was weird. I felt like the new kid at school or something, but I guess everyone was really tired and everything, plus i was too busy shoving Macho Burritos with green sauce in my mouth. I had never been so hungry in my life. Ihad two but ¡felt like I could have had fourteen more.
    now, of course, I feel like I could hurl.
    the house we’re all staying in is really cool. there are at least 10 bedrooms. some of the dancers live here, three of the Men in Black (one of them is actually a woman in black but whatever), and darla, and a guest room for when darcy’s dad and kid brother Danny come to visit.
    oh yeah and this weird burnout Hawaiian wannabe surfer guy named Walter who runs the kitchen, but he’s always in board shorts and surfer tees and he wears pooka shells every day. I think he might be pretty much stoned all the time. I’m definitely going to get to know waiter cause he seems like he completely rules.
    I’m living on the same floor as darcy and we share a bathroom, which is totally weird. I mean, hi, I’m sharing a bathroom with DARCY BARNES. I’m practically too afraid to go in there.
    I keep looking around for Jesse Nixon, that VJ. All day I kept hearing that he was just here or he’s coming or whatever. I want to see him already! I wonder if my crush will hold up when I meet him in person? (Notice I said when not if.)
    there’s a huge living room/kitchen/hangout space downstairs (they call it The Pit) where everyone chills all the time. it’s got a massive flat-screen TV, a big fish tank, and a dartboard with Pashmina’s face in the middle. oh and there’s a big ol’ pool out back with a diving