Shooting Stars: Part 9

“D

afna, d’you have a minute?” She throws the question over her shoulder casually. I nod. For my girls, I always have time. I flash an apologetic smile in Ayelet’s direction. “Be back in five!” I assure her.

I follow Aviva into the empty gym, wondering what this was all about. She doesn’t keep me in suspense for too long. Nah, she’s too nice for that. “Dafna, dance practice is tense.” Whoa. She gets straight to the point. I bite my nails. “In which way?”

Aviva looks at me incredulously. “You mean to tell me you have no idea?” I shake my head. What’s she talking about, for goodness sake? “Well, as far as I know, our rehearsals our pleasant and proceed swimmingly.” I lean onto the stage, folding my hands against my chest. “What’s your problem?”

Aviva steals a glance at my blazing eyes. I’ll put this girl into her rightful place, I think. Who does she think she is? I work hours on end to ensure our dance’s success. And she’s saying it’s tense, of all things? “Would you care to explain?” I regard her piercingly. She fidgets. She looks away. She twirls a strand of blonde hair around her graceful finger. And then she begins, in assertive Aviva fashion. “I wasn’t sure if I should tell you this at first. Your reaction was, well, exactly like I expected.”