The Calling Read Online Free PDF Page A

Anyway, I was walking past the alley on the way to the bus a week ago, when I saw a van pull up and some people get out. The way they were dressed caught my attention, so I watched the next day in case they arrived at the same time.”
    â€œSo you noticed they were dancers and just went in and asked for a job?” Paige bounced up and down, impatient to hear the rest of Miki’s story.
    â€œNo, of course not. Yesterday, you know how that rain came down suddenly. Well, I ducked into the theater through the stage door. That’s when I discovered they really were dancers, but not like any dancers we’ve ever seen before.” Miki liked telling a story from beginning to end, keeping the suspense going.
    â€œYou’re making me crazy. Get to the point.”
    â€œI got caught watching them, and I’ll have to admit, at first I was scared.”
    â€œHow come? Is it some secret group? Maybe they were afraid you’d steal their routines.”
    â€œI don’t think so. They’re vampires, Paige.” Miki went for the shock value of the story. She wasn’t disappointed.
    â€œVampires! You have to be kidding, Miki.”
    â€œYeah, I am. They’re pretending to be vampires. The group is called the The Theater of the Dead. Paige, they work on trapezes. It’s so much fun.”
    â€œYou tried it?”
    â€œWell, they said they needed another dancer and they let me try out. They incorporate the trapezes right into the dance routines. There’s so much room for innovation. I felt as if I was a little girl playing. Dancing has never been so much fun.”
    Miki could see that Paige felt left out. She was trying to stay excited for Miki, but that look faded, making her already long face longer.
    â€œPaige, give me a few days. Maybe they need more than one woman. As soon as I feel free to do so, I’ll ask if you can come and try out, too.”
    Paige had a suspicious side to her. Now it came out. “Why didn’t they advertise for real dancers? Why would they hire a student?”
    â€œGive me some credit, Paige. Give yourself a break, too. How long have we been studying? Forever. We’re not really students now—except for the fact that dancers are always learning, growing, I’d hope.”
    â€œI guess we would have looked for jobs in the spring, after school is out. You got ahead of me, Miki.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Paige. I didn’t mean to. This just happened. You aren’t mad at me, are you?” Miki reached out and squeezed Paige’s arm.
    Paige hugged Miki. “Yes, but I’ll get over it. You have to get me free tickets. When will they have a show ready?”
    â€œI have no idea. They just started working, and I’d think they’d have to get the building ready, too.”
    â€œI wouldn’t want to be in that place at night.” Paige shivered. “Isn’t it terribly spooky?”
    Miki laughed. “It could be, but it’s not like I’m there all alone.”
    â€œNo, you’re there with a bunch of vampires.” Paige made a face. “You won’t get a new best friend, will you, Miki? And you’ll keep coming to classes.”
    Paige was one of the most insecure people that Miki knew. She was smart, a great dancer, had a wonderful family, but somehow she missed out on self-confidence when it was being handed out. Maybe Miki had gotten Paige’s share. Paige would have folded up and died last night instead of taking advantage of an opportunity.
    Miki didn’t believe in luck. A person made her own luck. Last night she was in the wrong place at the right time and she took advantage of it. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. When the studio needed a teacher for the youngest dancers, Miki had applied with confidence. Paige said Ms. Lawton would never hire her, but she had.
    Guts, hard work, opportunities taken advantage of—Miki believed in