I'm backkk❤❤

How's everyone doing?

Who missed me?🌝🌝

I can't believe we're at 2K reads😭😭😭😭😭

Special thanks to lovetori_xo and Iyanuoluwa-Temi for their advice concerning the last chapter and for being my inspirations and 'family members'(winks at the Olori Ebi herself)🌝🌝🌝❤❤❤

This chapter is dedicated to Riri_Writes_❤❤❤

It's also dedicated to all dancers out there, especially my ballerinas/ballerinos😂🤲🏽💖💖

Okay, let's dive in💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

~~~~~~~
"Life's a dance you learn as you go,
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow,"
~~~~~~~
- John Michael Montgomery
(Life's a Dance)

BERYL

I landed the double pirouette in fourth position and heaved a sigh of relief.

Bringing my arms down, I walked over to the Bluetooth speakers and dislodged my phone from the hold.

The time read 4:58 pm.

Damn.

8 hours of non-stop dancing wasn't unusual for me, but 8 hours of non-stop dancing for just one routine, over and over again? Not exactly my style.

I sank down to the floor, placing my phone beside me.

I undid my pointe shoes and pulled off my practice socks, flexing and stretching out my toes.

That action caused the veins along my feet to ripple like waves, something I always found cool.

I have what my mum calls 'dancer feet'. Extensive, protruding veins, bumps, bruises and callouses, outstretched weirdly flexible toes with a natural curve and pointe to them.

Sure, they're not conventionally attractive, but they're a testament to the time and effort I've put into my dancing, each new callous proof of my dedication.

I spread my legs into a center split, stretching over to my right side and then my left, hearing my joints pop and crackle.

After stretching to my satisfaction, I picked my phone back up. Opening Tiktok, I went straight to my own page to check on the video I posted about 30 minutes ago.

I smiled as I scrolled through the comments, liking most of them and replying to a few.

◇simplya9jagirl
First! 30mins ❤
[liked by creator]
View replies (5)

♤fruitcake
Issalie...I was first!
28mins
❤
[liked by creator]
View replies (12)

♧powerpuff-puff
Does the queen reply? 27mins ❤

[ liked by creator]
>> berylonthedancefloor • Creator
Idk...does she?
View replies (26)

■no.1 Berylian
Stunning as usual😍 21mins ❤

[liked by creator]
>> berylonthedancefloor • Creator
Thank you🥺❤

♤garri'n'beans
I swr, if I could dance like Queen B, I'd never sit still😫
16mins ❤

[liked by creator]
>> berylonthedancefloor • Creator
😂❤❤

The comments made me smile as I read through them, the positive energy recharging my cells.

Until I stumbled on one particular comment.

♤juststoleurmanss
@berylonthedancefloor what about @Jero_me? are you two fighting???
3 mins

My good mood immediately dampened as I remembered that my supposed boyfriend and I haven't spoken in weeks.

Not that he had bothered to call, text or reach out in any way.

Oga boss was too busy enjoying himself in Bahamas or wherever he was.

Screw this.

Exiting Tiktok, I opened up my Contacts app and found Jerome's number.

Using WhatsApp voice call, I put a call through to him and waited as his number rang.

"Oh, hey, you," came that annoying, drawled voice of his when he picked. "I wasn't expecting you-"

"-Listen," I cut him short. "I'm tired of this bullshit. Now, I'm going to talk and you're going to listen, okay?"

Silence.

"Good," I said, clearing my throat slightly. "You know, the only reason why I went along with this sham of a relationship is because my mum thought it'd be good for me. Heaven knows why, but I'm sure she has her reasons. But all that is in the past now, because as of this very moment, I'm breaking up with you. We are done. Over. Finí. Kaput.

"It's not like we had anything good going on to begin with. I literally know nothing about you, and you only know that I dance and have millions of followers. And don't get me started on the number of times you disrespected what we had by going around with other girls and then used fake apologies and flowers and all that bullshit to apologise. And for what? So you could record me receiving the gifts and post on your crappy page with 'hash-tag couple goals'? We were never a real couple in the first place, so what's the use of keeping this charade going? So we can keep on deceiving our fans for useless likes and comments? You might want that, but I don't, and that's that!"

I paused and took a breath.

"With that being said, you can delete my number or block me or whatever, which is what I'm going to do. I'd say let's hope we never meet again, but our parents operate in the same industry and that'll definitely happen. But anyway, don't call, text or tag me on any form of social media again. Tenks and Gohblezz!"

I cut the call and immediately wiped his number from not just my phone but my Gmail account, so I'd never have it again. I then unfollowed on all the platforms he had.

Petty? Maybe.

But, to be honest, I've had it with this nonsense.

Feeling satisfied, I was about to check on my text messages on WhatsApp when the door opened and my mum walked in, like she'd been doing every once in a while since I started practice this morning.

"I've got good news and bad news," she said, pausing to admire herself in the full length, end-to-end mirror on the opposite side of our home dance studio.

She was dressed in a beige maxi-dress that hugged her body subtely, her newly made hair in a high ponytail and fluffy white slippers on her feet, giving off a chill yet elegant vibe, although it wasn't really her style.

"What's the bad news?" I asked.

"Your interview with Jerry Ihenna for next week has been postponed till December," she said.

I groaned and face-palmed.

"I should've known the minute you stopped disturbing me about it," I grumbled.

She giggled and flipped her hair. "They say it's because they had to make a placement for some Hollywood celeb coming into Lagos next week who's agreed to an interview."

Na so.

"What about my performance with Rema?"

To be honest, that's what's been motivating me about the whole thing.

"That...won't be happening anymore."

"Oh, for the love of fresh pepper!"

"Calm down, Honey Bee," she said, coming to sit on the floor in front of me.

She outstretched her hand and I placed one foot in it, which she began to massage.

I hummed as she kneaded my tired foot muscles, targeting specific areas to give me the most relief, effectively releasing all the pent up tension.

She finished with one foot and I gave her the other one.

"Instead," she continued, "you'll be going on with the new boy band your father just signed."

"Boy band?" I questioned, my interest piqued.

She nodded.

"Dad never mentioned a boy band," I mused.

"He's been keeping it on the low. Like, very,very on the low. But they've officially signed the contract and will be making their debut performance in December."

"And I'll be performing with them?"

"Yup," she quipped, gently cracking my toes. "They're right outside with him in the viewing room."

I raised a brow. "Like now?"

She let go of my foot and stood up gingerly, holding a hand out to help me stand as well.

"Like now," she said. "Just say hi and you can go shower and eat dinner."

"Lead the way, Mummy Bee," I said, playfully shaking my head at the way she turned and strutted ahead of me.

I couldn't help but watch my mum as she walked towards the door.

Her body was toned and defined from years of professional dancing, and curvy in a somewhat athletic way.

She carried herself with a confidence that was as fluid as it was fierce, walking with a grace that was as comported as it was savage.

I swear, you could bottle just her confidence and sell it for all the money in the world.

Until you see her dance.

Then you'd want to bottle her talent and keep it all to yourself.

I've heard people say that my mum is overhyped at best, and the Internet trolls won't stop dragging her for one thing or another.

And, sure, she's not perfect, but I wish they'd be able to see the passion she puts into everything she does.

We walked out of the studio and down the hallway to our viewing room.

It's a large open space in the house with a long sofa-pit forming a 'U' with a huge flat screen covering almost the full expanse of the wall.

The living rooms were for entertaining general guests, while the viewing room was for guests that are close to us as a family, as well for watching Netflix and movies and stuff.

The sound of my dad's hearty laughter hit my ears, coupled with a few coughs.

"Nwoke nka," Mum said, shaking her head as she sped up, making me laugh as well.

Dad had come down with malaria this past week, so he's been working at home, with Mum as his dedicated caretaker.

In the viewing room, the main lights were on instead of the LED lights, and the sound of the football game showing on the screen had been reduced to a minimum.

There were 5 young guys who seemed about my age, seated on the large orange sofa while Dad was perched on one of the bean bags at the rim of the sofa-pit.

One of the guys, who had blond dreads and was fine as hell, offered me a small smile, which I didn't have time to reciprocate as my Dad, upon seeing me, said; "There's my superstar!"

"Aww, I'm happy to see you too, baby," Mum cooed, making her way across to sit with him, as we all laughed.

"Princess, I'd like you to meet Mark, Tseyi, Quest, Pere and Julian, otherwise known as Verse5,my latest signees and our guests for the next week or so,"Dad said, gesturing at the guys as Mum gently felt his temperature with the back of her hand.

I felt my cheeks heat up as all the guys smiled at me at once.

They were all hawt, my goodness!

"H-Hi."

Why I dey stutter?

"I'm Beryl," I said, smiling awkwardly.

"Hi, Beryl," the guy nearest to me said, outstretching his hand while flashing me a dazzling smile. "I'm Mark, leader, singer and lead guitarist of Verse5."

"H-Hi," I said, taking his hand nervously.

After that, they each introduced themselves to me personally.

Tseyi was the bass guitarist.

Quest was the drummer.

Julian was the pianist.

And Pere was the lead singer who also played the saxophone.

"Tseyi over here is also a talented dancer," Dad said. "You two will work together quite a bit."

Now seated on the other side of the sofa, I looked over at Tseyi- the tall one with the blond dreads- only for him to grin shyly at me, temporarily disconnecting my common sense.

We must stay focused, sisters.

"Honey Bee, I think you should go freshen up so you can eat and rest. You've got a big day tomorrow," Mum said.

Sighing a little, I pushed myself off the sofa and gathered my things again.

"Bye guys, see you around," I said to the boys.

I went round the sofa-pit and gave my Dad a hug before leaving the viewing room.

.......

After Dinner and my nightly stretches,I video-called my brother, Jasper.

"Yo,yo,yo!" he said, smiling at the screen.

I blinked at him.

"How the hell is your hair now longer than mine?" I asked.

"You like?" he teased, wiggling his eyebrows as he patted the full puff atop his head. "It's the Parisian air, Baby Girl."

I snorted. "Na so."

Jasper burst into laughter and fell back on his bed, kicking his socked feet up.

"Oh, the look on your face!" he said, sitting up again. "You're doing that thing Chetachi used to do when she watches you eat."

"Wait, for real?" I asked, giggling as I ran a hand over my face.

He nodded. "But most of all you look tired," he added, concern filling his tone.

I sighed and adjusted the sweater I was wearing.

"See this? This is why I didn't let Mum rope me into becoming a dancer like you."

I rolled my eyes. "The only reason you didn't end up as a dancer is because you have two left feet, Oga," I deadpanned.

Like my dad, Jasper was not a dancer. He had a great sense of musicality, timing and most of the other essentials, but he could never seem to execute moves in a way that was pleasing to watch, and the fact that even our mum couldn't fix him up a little says a lot.

So, also like my dad, Jasper decided to focus more on the technical and business side of things, which is why he's currently studying Music Business in France, on a six-month long exchange program from his school in New York.

I have to admit; my brother and I are lucky. Our parents have never forced ambitions or career choices on us. I discovered my love of dance on my own and Jasper made his decision by himself; all they did and still do is support us.

"All these auditions and rehearsals and blah blah blah," he continued, gesturing with his hands, a habit he'd picked up from Dad.

I didn't expect the silence that came after he said this and frowned a little.

"You good, Jas?"

He looked at me through the screen and sighed.

"I'm worried about you, Bee. Remember the last time you overworked yourself? You collapsed and-"

"-and I was in the hospital for weeks and missed an important performance. I know, Jas, I know."

"But you don't, Beryl," he stated.

I took a breath.

He very rarely calls me Beryl. It's usually Bee or Baby Girl or Small rat or whatever creative name pops into his head, but never my actual name.

"You don't," he continued. "You're like Dad in that way; working and working till you literally drop. And you know you're not supposed to be pushing yourself too hard, even with this audition you have tomorrow."

"But, Jas....it's Julliard. It's way too important," I said.

He sighed. "I know. But your health is the main priority. You know how fragile you are."

I adjusted my position on the bed as he went on.

"Look, I'm not trying to dissuade you from your dancing, 'cause that's literally who you are. I'm just saying you shouldn't put so much pressure on yourself. And I know you think you have to do extra to make Mum proud or whatever, but trust me, she holds you to a way higher esteem than you realise."

I snorted with laughter at that. "No be only esteem."

"I dey lecture give you, you con dey laugh. You see as you be?" he asked, making me laugh even harder.

"By the way," I said, when I calmed down. "Have you texted Deja yet?"

His face reddened slightly and a small smile graced his lips, before he gave a little cough and regained composure.

"That....is a story for another day. Go and sleep, you have a life-changing audition tomorrow," he replied immediately.

"Awwn, me sef go love."

"Oga, shettup. You no get man?"

I laughed again and gave him the run down of how I ended things with Jerome- who he'd never liked in the first place.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish, abeg," he said with a hiss.

"Tell me about it," I muttered. "But anyway, lemme gist you about this new band Daddy signed."

"Oh, I already know about that," Jasper said, grinning. "Who do you think brought them to Dad's notice?"

"What? And you couldn't even tell me," I whined, pouting slightly.

"Gettat, joh. Who you be?"

I hissed and Jasper laughed at my expense.

"Okay, baby girl, on a serious note, you need to rest up for tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right."

"I know."

"I hate you, ehn."

"I know."

We were silent for a split second and then burst into laughter again.

"Aiit, goodnight, Bee. Love you."

"Love you, Jas. Goodnight."

.......

I woke up to Violin by Kawaii Cookiee blaring from my alarm clock's speaker.

It's finally the last Friday of October; Audition Day for Julliard.

Wiping sleep from my eyes, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and checked the time; 4:25 a.m.

I got on my knees to say my morning prayers, but as I clasped my hands together, they were slick and sticky with sweat.

And as I opened my mouth to start praying, my lips were dry and my throat felt clogged.

I clutched my chest as I felt it begin to heave.

God, please.

I blinked rapidly as small spots began dotting my vision, my hands shaking slightly as I held my bed for balance.

Pre-performance nerves, my mum calls them. I always get them the day of an important performance, so you could say they're predictable at this point.

I took several long, deep breaths to calm myself down, taking in the oxygen slowly and letting it spread through me before releasing the carbon dioxide.

Soon, I relaxed and my heart rate normalised.

I said my prayers quickly, then stood up and changed into a sports bra and gym shorts.

After setting a 15 minute timer on my phone, I left my room and went to the dance studio which was at the other side of the house.

The hallways were dimly lit and quiet as I made my way there, padding softly.

The whole house was asleep -or so I thought.

As I opened the door of the semi-soundproof room, I saw two of the band members; one on his feet, dancing to Honest by Justin Bieber and Don Toliver while the other sat on the floor, watching.

They noticed my presence and turned to face me, the one dancing pulling down the hood of his blue hoodie to reveal blonde dreads tied back in a low man-bun.

Tseyi.

"Oh..uh,hey," he said as the other one seated on the floor turned off the music. "Our recording session ran really late and Quest and I couldn't go to sleep, so we came here."

He pointed to the guy on the floor who waved at me, a gesture I immediately reciprocated

"We could leave if you want," Tseyi said as Quest stood up.

"Oh, no, no it's fine," I said, waving my left hand. "You can continue."

"Really?"

"Yeah," I replied, moving further into the room. "I liked what you were doing just now."

Quest snorted. "Don't tell him things like that, he has a big head already."

"Bro, rest, your seniors are talking," Tseyi replied, rolling his eyes.

I blinked, then stared up at Quest who was at least a foot taller than me.

"Seniors?" I questioned.

"Yup," Tseyi said. "Forget the fact that this tree is 6"5, he's just 14, same age as my baby sister."

"He's just four-what?" I exclaimed, mouth wide in astonishment.

Quest grinned as Tseyi chuckled.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll be 15 soon," he said, sitting back down on the floor again.

I laughed and moved to give Tseyi room to continue dancing.

He was standing in front of the mirror-wall, backing Quest and I, as Quest tapped on his phone and the speakers blared the music once again.

He nodded along to the first few counts of the beat, bouncing lightly back and forth before the main song started and he burst out with quick, strong movements that surprised me for a second.

He had a slightly smug look on his face, like he knew exactly what he was doing and was comfortable with it.

And with the way he moved, effortlessly co-ordinating his body with fluid precision, I could tell he was capable of much more.

At the second verse of the song, I jumped in and broke out into some isolated moves, matching the beat with my upper body and legs.

I felt my tense muscles loosen as I lost myself in the music. The beat completely took over my body and I let myself flow with it.

Tseyi stood back for a bit, watching me, before joining in again.

We kept going back and forth, mirroring each other's movements till we were basically in sync.

We danced like that till the song ended, with me going to the floor in the splits and him striking a pose.

"Daaaayuum!" Quest hollered from where he sat.

I turned back and saw him lowering his phone with a stunned expression on his face.

"How did you two even do that? The moves...the vibes....the chemistry? Like, how? Abi, you guys have practiced somewhere together before?"

"Nope," I giggled, glancing at Tseyi who was grinning widely.

"He's right, though," he pitched in. "That was beyond dope. I'm honoured to have gotten to dance with you."

"Stop eet," I said, flapping my hands.

"No, no, for real," Tseyi continued. "You're, like, one of the best dancers I've ever seen. I was really excited when your dad said I'd get the chance to work with you."

"Really?" I asked facing him fully.

"Honestly, o. He didn't let us hear word that day," Quest said. "He kept going on and on about it. Mark even had to ask if he was more excited about dancing with you than debuting with the band."

"Oh, wow," I said, laughing a little.

I hadn't expected any of them to be a fan of mine, so this news was pleasantly surprising.

Just as Tseyi was about to say something else, my phone buzzed from where I'd kept it on the floor near Quest, indicating that the timer I had set was up.

"Sorry, guys, I have to go get ready," I said, picking up my phone and checking the time; 4:47 a.m.

"School?" Tseyi asked.

"Nah, I've got an audition and I have to leave early so I beat the morning traffic,"I said, blowing out my cheeks.

"An audition? You'll kill it for sure," he said.

Quest nodded and gave me a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, guys," I said finally, exiting the studio with a wave.

.......

By past 6, Mum and I were on the road, heading for the Stella Nweke Theatre, where the auditions were to take place.

The auditions were to begin at 10, but registration opened at 7:50.

If there's one thing I know about auditions it's that punctuality is always a bonus.

"Are you sure you have everything you need?" Mum asked for the third time since we left the house.

"Yes ma."

Black leotard? Check.

Opaque tights? Check.

Wrap skirt? Check.

Sports jacket? Check.

Leg warmers? Check.

Soft, slipper-like boots for when I'm not dancing? Check.

One pair of soft ballet slippers and another pair of newly prepped pointe shoes for when I'm actually dancing? Check.

Extra hair supplies? Check.

Water, snacks and towels? Check.

Everything I needed was either on my body or neatly arranged in my huge messenger bag, which I cross-checked about six times at home,just to be sure.

I put my phone down and raised the bag up for her to see, buttressing my point.

She nodded, then reached over to smoothen my gelled down bun of hair.

"Mum!" I whined, dodging her hand.

She always makes a fuss about things like this.

"What?" she fired back, cupping my face and turning it from one side to another.

"These judges....they look out for everything. You have to be perfect today, Honey Bee," she continued.

She lowered her hands from my face and then reached out again to adjust my sports jacket.

After some more primping, she nodded in satisfaction and picked her phone back up.

I did the same, going back to reading my WhatsApp messages, starting with the group chat I share with Chetachi and Deja, which I had pinned.

According to Chetachi, Austin did another random DJ drop yesterday during Lunch and a dance party broke out in the Courtyard.

I laughed as I read her description of the event, especially the part about Ricardo and the girl he danced with.

Deja said she didn't see the dancing, but she heard the gist.

Chetachi also announced that she had big news to tell us, but that she'd do it in person when I'm back in school next week.

I replied each of their messages, keeping the details of what I've been up to a minimum and making them as vague as possible.

Neither of the girls were online, probably because they have to get ready for school and they're both responsible children.

After I finished with the group chat, I opened my next pinned chat; Jimi's.

Jim-Jam🥰🤞🏽🕺🏽

You're gonna do amazing today,
Beryl. Don't be scared, okay? Just
do your thing and you'll be fine. You
probably won't see this till later, but
sha lemme know how it all goes.I'm
rooting for you!
>>6:50

I smiled and began typing out a reply when Mum spoke up again.

"Did you take your pills this morning?"

I paused and bit my lip.

Chai...of all the days to forget!

"I'll take that as a no," she said, opening her bag and rummaging around it in till she brought out a small white container.

I opened my palm and she plopped two pills from the container into it.

Using my other hand, I opened the car fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

After swallowing the pills, I sat back and closed my eyes.

A few seconds later, I felt Mum hold my hand, rubbing my knuckles gently with her thumb.

"Nervous?" she asked.

More than you'll ever know.

"Yeah," I replied, "but I'll be fine."

"That's my girl."

I must have dozed off after that, because next thing I knew, Mum was nudging me with her elbow.

"We're here," she said,as the driver made his way into the already busy parking lot.

I sat up and grabbed my bag, placing my phone in my pocket.

"Okay, Honey Bee, this is it. The Lord be with you and give you all the strength and grace you need," Mum said, hugging me tightly.

"Amen," I breathed out.

The car finally stopped and I stepped out of the car, immediately glancing up at the huge, imposing theatre.

There were people milling about, almost all of them dressed in get-ups similar to my own.

With a gulp and one last look backwards, I adjusted my bag and walked towards the door.

Brethren and sisthren😅😅😅.

I literally had to cut this chapter into two 'cause it was getting too long😑😑

But sha, we got to see a little more into Beryl's home life.

Sorry if Verse5 appearing in this chapter was too random, I just got so excited and I wanted to introduced them to you guys😂💖.

The part 2 of this chapter where Beryl auditions will be up soon (and by soon I mean, hopefully sometime this week🤲🏽).

Thank you all soooooo much for 2K reads😭😭😭😭😭❤❤❤❤❤.

If I could hug all of you, I would🥺🥺.

But for now, comment, leave a vote and share so others can know about TRO.

See youuuu💖💖💖💖.