Never Grow Up

never been so scared.” Mandy’s legs were shaking. “Why did I agree to this?”
Kari had to think of something fast. Suddenly she remembered the words her dad said earlier tonight. Don’t forget, Kari… you love dancing. So have fun!
Yes, Kari told herself. Dad was right. They shouldn’t be afraid. In a rush, Kari gathered Mandy and Liza close. “Look, girls… it’s time for a pep talk.”
Out on stage four sixth-graders were singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” The song was almost over, so Kari didn’t have long.
“Pep would be good.” Liza’s eyes were wide. “Did you see how many people are in those seats?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Kari looked intently at Liza and Mandy. “Listen! We’ve got this.” She took hold of her friends’ hands. “We’ve worked hard, we’ve practiced. We know the song!”
“Too well.” Liza laughed. “I sing ‘Under the Sea’ all day long. My family’s ready for something new.”
Mandy’s mom had brought sequined scarves to add to their costumes. Kari thought the addition was perfect. “No doubt we’re the Dancing Queens tonight.” She took a step back and twirled the ends of her scarf.
“True.” Mandy adjusted the sequined scarf on her neck. “Dancing queens aren’t afraid.”
“There you go!” Kari gave Mandy a side hug.
“Not to mention…” Liza put her sunglasses on. “We look fabulous!”
“Oh yes we do!” Kari struck a pose and Mandy joined in. “Are we ready, Dancing Queens?”
“Yes!” Liza danced in place a bit. “Ready steady.”
“Me, too.” Mandy wasn’t shaking now. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The rainbow singers were finished, and out on the stage, Miss Patty’s voice rang through the building. “Give it up for Ms. Nan’s Dancing Queens!”
“That’s us! Go, go, go.” Mandy pulled Kari and Liza onstage and they rushed to their starting positions, with their backs to the crowd.
Kari exhaled. This moment felt right. Being onstage. The thrill of the lights and the audience waiting for the show. Kari felt confident. She felt secure. Which was a feeling she hadn’t felt in a while.
The music began, and the girls started their dance. Swaying one way and then the other, their hands in the air like long pieces of seaweed. At the same time they spun toward the front of the stage.
All three of them sang along to the music. The girls spread their arms in front of them. They wagged their fingers in unison.
Kari couldn’t believe it. Their moves were in perfect time! Never had practice gone this well. Also the bright lights made their pink and purple sequins extra shiny.
The song talked about the ocean floor and the girls stooped low and pretended to smooth out the sand. As they danced, the song came to life for Kari. Suddenly she knew without a single doubt what she wanted to be when she grew up.
She wanted to be a dancer! Kari Baxter was a dancer!
That was her career choice! What more was she looking for? And why hadn’t she realized this sooner? It didn’t matter. Kari’s heart was full as they kept dancing.
Each girl had a solo dance spot in the song, and Mandy’s came first. She danced across the stage, tossing her scarf and singing along. She pointed at some people in the audience for a few beats. From the second row, Mandy’s parents looked so proud.
Liza was next. She skipped up toward Mandy, and did a turn as she hit center stage. She did a few kicks and then grabbed Mandy’s hand, twirling her in and then out. Kari took over from there and for the next eight beats, she twirled and kicked.
They came together for the chorus. The song talked about having no troubles down in the bubbles. “Under the sea… under the sea…”
Finally they went into their own version of the electric slide. They sashayed to the right, and then to the left. In perfect timing, the girls took four steps back, one more forward, another back, then a hitch kick as they turned to the right, where they repeated the steps again.
The crowd cheered, and when the song came to an end, Kari and her friends struck their final pose—arms out, heads tilted back. The audience shouted and clapped for what felt like minutes.
Mandy, Liza and Kari took a bow. Kari was breathless. Not from dancing, but from this feeling. A feeling of accomplishment and purpose and knowing. Because up here tonight, she really did know exactly where she was supposed to be and what she wanted to do.
The girls waved to their families as they ran offstage. Miss Patty took her place again. “Give it up for the dynamic, fantastic Dancing Queens!” Miss Patty sounded like a professional. “Next up, we have some ventriloquism from Veronica Thomas!”
“I know what I want to be!” Kari took her friends’ hands again and spun the group in a tight circle. “I want to be a dancer!”
“Of course!” Liza came to a stop and grinned at Kari. “We should’ve helped you think of that sooner!”
Kari couldn’t decide which was better—the joy she felt from dancing in front of the crowd… or the relief in knowing what she wanted to be.
Mandy bounded around. “You’ll be the best dancer the world ever knew!” She tossed the ends of her scarf. “That was so fun, Kari! Thanks for making us dance with you!”
Liza removed her sunglasses. “Hard to imagine how being a lawyer could be better than this.”
“Kari!” Ashley ran up to her. “I saw the whole thing.” She was eating a piece of pizza. “That was the most amazing, incredible, beautiful performance I have ever seen.” She hugged Kari tight. “I’m so proud of you.”
Kari closed her eyes. “Thanks, Ash.” She was so grateful for this moment. And that she and her sister got to share the stage at their school’s talent show. She raised her hands in the air. “And guess what?” Kari didn’t wait for Ashley to guess. “I know what I want to be when I grow up!”
For a few seconds Ashley seemed to ponder the question. “A mermaid?”
“No, silly.”