“Why the fuck would you not mention this in vocal?” I questioned Milo, walking up to him.
Milo was the only one not surprised to hear about the Juilliard opportunity. I looked over at him and saw no expression on his face, which told me that he already knew he was being chosen to do this showcase. It sometimes bothered me that Milo was a dual major; it felt like because he was one that he was easily handed everything and he just didn’t seem grateful about them.
“I didn’t think my dad was going to announce this today,” he answered, shrugging his shoulders. “What’s the big deal anyway?”
“What’s the big deal?” I repeated, flabbergasted. “Dude, we’re talking about the most prestigious music school in the country! We got an opportunity to get fast-tracked into a school that accepts, like, two people out of all of Waverly! And the first year on a full-paid scholarship.”
“There are other colleges that specialize in music,” he commented.
“But none of them are Juilliard,” I emphasized. “For someone that got the opportunity twice, you sure aren’t excited about it.” Milo looked at me like he was hiding something. I knew Milo and his mannerisms more than my actual sisters’; it’s a tragedy that he didn’t realize I was able to read him and his transparent thoughts. “Spit it out.”
“Huh?”
“Spit it out,” I repeated, crossing my arms. “You know something that you’re not telling me.”
“Mol–“
“Milo, don’t lie to me,” I sternly said. “What do you know about this that you’re not telling me–“
“Sophie’s one of the band participants,” he finally said.
“Okay…?” I said, not really understanding where he was going with this. “Why should I care about if she’s doing it or not?”
“Juilliard’s like her dream school.”
“Again, what does that have to do with you?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Milo said as he continued to walk out of the building. Even though I knew a lot about Milo, there were some things that I didn’t quite understand. I followed him out of the school building, too invested to leave this alone.
I stopped him by grabbing his shoulder, turning him around. “I don’t understand why Sophie being one of the participants is making you act like you didn’t just get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” I look at Milo a little longer, noticing just how uncomfortable he looks standing back at me. I know Milo. I know him too well.
“You’re choosing to represent the vocal major, aren’t you?” He didn’t answer right away; he didn’t need to. “You’re choosing vocal because Sophie is in the band division.”
“I didn’t say that–“
“You didn’t need to say anything when it’s written all over your face. Why do you still care about Sophie so much? It’s not like she’s thinking about how you feel.”
“I don’t,” Milo said, lying through his teeth. “And I didn’t say which major I was choosing–“
“Then choose band,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “You know how much getting into Juilliard means to me.” Milo laughed, clearly uncomfortable in my suggestion. “What?”
“I can’t just help you get the scholarship,” he mentioned.
“Why not? You’d do it for Sophie.” Milo scrunched his brow together, now annoyed that I was calling him out. “Even after all she’s done to you? That’s crazy–“
“What would I even do as a band major? Just play some stupid drum solo?” Milo asked, scoffing.
I smirked at him. “Enter your band in the showcase.”
“My band?”
“Your band,” I dragged out, leaning forward towards him. “Why not take your shiny new band and perform with them for the showcase?”
“B-because this is supposed to be something I do–“
“Are you not a part of your own band?” Milo looked back at me seemingly exhausted.
“Mol–“
“Hey, Mollie!” Another guy’s voice is heard. I turned around and saw Weston down the block. Milo turned around to see who it was. I could feel my face getting hot the closer Weston got to us.
“Hey Wes,” I said. I looked over at Milo who’s looking at the both of us now. Weston smiled before he looked at Milo. “Hey, bro; congrats on being the dual major participant.”
“Don’t give him a bigger head,” I commented, looking at Milo. He rolled his eyes as a response.
“Thanks. Congrats on being one of the vocal ones,” Milo responded. I looked at Weston, nervous to hear out this conversation between them. I knew that they knew of each other, but I know for a fact Milo can sense it; the underlying tension I’m feeling in this moment.
“To be quite honest, I was pretty shocked,” Weston nervously said, looking at me. “I kind of feel like I don’t deserve to be one of the vocal participants.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“I feel like I’m taking the opportunity from another student that’s been in Waverly since the beginning,” he explained. “I feel like this was handed to me without any real… work being put in it.”
I scrunched my brow, not liking this negative self-talk Weston had going on. “Mr. Kamalani is a strict ass teacher; he’s not going to pick someone he doesn’t believe has the potential for the scholarship.” I looked at Milo, hoping he would back me up in my statement. He didn’t.
“I guess,” Weston concluded, sighing afterwards. “Anyway, I gotta get going; I’ll see you tomorrow before school?” Weston looked at me and smiled as he asked. I couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“See you then,” I said. Weston smiled and then looked at Milo, holding out his hand. “See you later, bro.” Milo took a moment before he put his on hand out, giving Weston a fist bump.
“See ya,” Milo said. Weston walked off, crossing the street towards the train station. Before I can say anything, Milo laughs out loud.
“Dude,” Milo began to say. “Is something going on between you two?”
“Can’t a guy and a girl just be friends without it being ‘something going on’?” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Because you’re Mollie and you hate everyone,” Milo answered as we began walking down the block once again. I don’t say anything else; I just let Milo ponder the thought that may have some truth behind it.
He didn’t need to know that though.
…
“5, 6, 7, 8!” Jennifer counted us into the dance number. All of us faced the front of the studio room and began rehearsing the new moves of the dance we were taught. I get through the moves without any issue, but I guess what I was doing wasn’t enough for my sister. “Mollie!”
I turned around from the mirror to face Jennifer.
“Hi? I need you to look like you’re actually putting in some effort in your moves,” she commented. I don’t say anything back to her for the sake of there being other dancers in this afternoon’s rehearsal. All I did was catch my breath and hear my sister bitch about my expressions. “Remember everyone, what you do at practice reflects what you do on stage! Everyone take a 10 minute water break and be back to learn the rest of the number.” All the other dancers left the rehearsal room and back into the dressing room; I tried following the rest of them until I hear Jennifer call out my name.
“Mollie, can you come see me please?” Ugh. I turned around and walked toward Jennifer. She waited to speak until the rehearsal door was completely closed. “You good?”
“I’m fine,” I answered.
“You’re dancing like you rather be somewhere else,” Jennifer observed. I mean, I would rather be hanging with Weston than doing this stupid, immature dance.
“Why am I in this beginners class anyway? I know all of these basic steps–“
“If you’re going to have a chance to get into Juilliard for dance, you’re going to have to learn more than just the moves.” Jennifer started to spit out dance terminology; some in which I had no clue what she was talking about. “My point exactly.”
“Peppie,” I said as I sighed.
“I’m just trying to help you out,” she said to me before walking toward the stereo system. “I wish I knew all of this back at Waverly—”
“Yeah, well instead we got stuck in vocal,” I commented as I turned around to face her. She looked back at me, not amused with my comment.
“That’s why you have me,” Jennifer responded back. “That’s why I have you in these beginner classes. I know you’re way more advanced than the others, but I need you to not just know dance. I need you to learn it.”
I looked at my sister, not really knowing what to say. I knew Jennifer wanted the best for me, especially when it came to getting the opportunities I have. I know she didn’t have this when she was a Waverly student. I knew she couldn’t go to Juilliard on her own terms because she lacked the knowledge of what their standard of a dancer was. I knew she wanted me to be the best dancer to come out of Waverly because she knew how much it meant to me.
“What if I don’t get into Juilliard?” I asked her.
“You have to believe in yourself—”
“For dance?” I asked her again. She scrunched her brow, not seeming to know where I was going with this.
“I mean,” Jennifer started to say. “Wouldn’t you want to go to Juilliard for dance?”
I swallowed hard, then sighed. She was going to find out from Milo anyway. “Mr. Kamalani chose me and 6 other vocalists for the Juilliard showcase this December.” Jennifer didn’t say anything after that. She didn’t even react to it in the way I thought she would.
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“I’m not shocked you’d be chosen for it.” Jennifer had a horrible poker face.
“You just wish it was for dance,” I scoffed, walking over to the bench to begin stretching again. Before I could even get close, Jennifer steps in front of me.
“Any opportunity is a great opportunity. It may not be for what you want, but you’d still be studying at a university you want to be in.”
“Did Milo tell you that he also chose Milo as one of the vocal students for the scholarship?” I spat out. Jennifer’s eyebrows went up. Apparently not.
“He didn’t,” Jennifer answered.
“You know Milo’s gonna get the scholarship,” I admitted out loud. “He’s a dual major–“
“That doesn’t mean anything. He’s going to have to work just as hard to get the scholarship like the other students.” I looked at Jennifer with a deadpanned face. She knew that wasn’t even remotely true.
“He has the opportunity to participate either as a vocal major or a band major. He’s chosen vocal, so any chance I have for the scholarship is out the window.” I sighed, getting up from the bench as the other dancers began coming back from break.
“Give yourself more credit, Mol. You’re just as worthy of the scholarship, with or without a dual major label on your shoulder.” Jennifer smiled before she walked away, addressing the class again to continue the practice.
