And All That Jazz Read Online Free PDF Page A

vandalising my own dance school.
    â€˜Don’t worry,’ said Ashley, grinning. ‘If anyone asks, I’ll just say I saw Jasmine hanging around here.’
    I didn’t grin back. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Well, whatever. My mum’s waiting so I’ve gotta go. Bye.’
    The bad feeling in my gut got worse when I walked away after being mean to Ashley. But the bad feeling in my heart, knowing that Paige had kept secrets from me, was worse.

Chapter Ten
    In the week before the competition, I walked into the change rooms at Silver Shoes and there were Riley, Paige and Ashley sitting in one corner, chatting and eating a bag of dried apples.
    â€˜Oh, hey,’ I said, going to them and helping myself to a big handful. I was being over-confident, I guess, because I felt a little left out and I didn’t want the others to see. But thenI saw how much my piggy manners shocked Paige.
    â€˜Sorry,’ I said. ‘I’m starved. Whose are they?’
    â€˜Mine,’ said Ashley.
    Great.
    â€˜Sorry,’ I said again. ‘I don’t usually barge in and help myself to food.’
    â€˜That’s fine,’ she said. ‘You look hungry. Better the apples than me.’
    I saw a sneaky smile flicker at the corner of Riley’s mouth.
    â€˜How’s your solo coming along?’ I asked Ashley.
    â€˜Really good,’ said Ashley. ‘It was nice of Miss Caroline to give me one.’
    â€˜Yes,’ I said, ‘it was.’
    â€˜I saw Ash rehearsing yesterday,’ said Riley. ‘Very Beyoncé.’
    â€˜I don’t really like Beyoncé’s dancing,’ I said, which was a lie.
    â€˜Is Silver Shoes much different to Dance Art?’ asked Paige.
    â€˜Very,’ said Ashley. ‘It’s a lot more relaxed here.’
    â€˜You don’t really come to dance class to relax,’ I said.
    â€˜No,’ said Ashley, ‘I meant, like, the feel of the place. It’s easy to have fun here. You always dance better when you’re relaxed and having fun.’
    â€˜You’re so right,’ said Paige.
    The dried apples turned to cardboard in my mouth.
    â€˜Anyway,’ I said, ‘I’m going to warm up. It won’t be very relaxing if I pull a muscle when I’m having all that fun.’
    â€˜I’ll come with you,’ said Paige. She gave Ashley one of her sweet Paige smiles. ‘Thanks for the apples.’
    â€˜That’s cool,’ said Ashley.
    Huh. Apples. It’s not even tasty junk food. I decided that next week I would bring in a bigjar of snakes, like what we normally snacked on before class, before Ashley poked her nose in. We’ll see how much the girls remembered bland dried apples then.
    â€˜Are you okay?’ asked Paige as we walked out into the second studio.
    â€˜Of course,’ I said, flicking imaginary dust off my dance tights.
    She gave me a hug. ‘Just in case you’re not.’
    For a minute I didn’t want her to let go because it made my heart feel big and lovely, and her baby-powder Paige smell was very comforting. But then I remembered about her secret dance life and shrugged the hug off.
    I attached my hand to the barre and began swinging my leg back and forth. ‘All I want is to do well at the competition.’ I did a few more swings. ‘It will be so embarrassing if the new girl beats me in my favourite style.’
    â€˜At least you got a solo,’ said Paige. She was fiddling with her cross-over, tying and untying the knot. When I tried to catch her eye in the mirror she wouldn’t look back at me.
    â€˜Well, jazz isn’t really your best style, Paige,’ I said. ‘Maybe if we were doing lyrical you would have got it. You’re better than almost everyone at lyrical. Or tap. Or even … ballroom.’
    Paige went as pink as my jazz boots.
    â€˜Wh … what?’ she stammered.
    â€˜I saw you practising,