All weekend I practice my pointe form at home. I improvise a barre with a closet rod, cramming all my clothes to one side.
Blitz sends me a video of him watching my shoe video, the cutest thing ever. He’s so proud and happy, but sad he wasn’t there to see it in person. But I’m fine with that. I can’t imagine how much more nervous I would have been if he were there.
Both Mom and Dad stop by my room when they spot me in the toe shoes, admiring the form. There’s something about a ballerina en pointe that is enchanting and magical. They treat me a little differently, like I’m someone who has actually accomplished something. I feel myself moving from the shame of the family to the pride of it.
On Tuesday, Janel doesn’t mention my pointe to the girls, which makes sense. It is something they may never do. Seeing Gabriella after this achievement strikes grief into my heart. She will never dance en pointe. For a while, I’m back into my regret and misery.
When I come out of class, the girls gone with their mothers, I find Suze and Aurora and Jacob huddled around the computer screen at the front desk.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
They look at each other like they don’t want to say.
I come around to peer at the screen. Suze has paused a video clip of Dance Blitz. It’s a new promo.
“You don’t want to see this,” Suze says.
They don’t know anything, so I shrug casually. “I think it’s cool he got his show back,” I say. “Hopefully he isn’t still Tweeting naked chicks.”
I’m impressed by my ability to sound completely calm and indifferent. Suze watches me for a moment as if trying to decide if it’s okay to keep watching, then hits the play button again.
Blitz shakes his head at the camera as if he can’t believe it is following him. It zooms close on his face.
“Don’t let Mariah see this,” he says.
“Who’s Mariah again?” Aurora asks.
“One of the finalists,” Suze says. “She’s the fan favorite. Nobody wants Giselle after the scandal, and Christy is a total skank.”
I control my smile at her assessment. I know the contestants by heart at this point. I’ve watched all of season two and seen how Giselle, Mariah, and Christy were selected by Blitz to be finalists. All that was before we met. But this segment is new.
I remember what he said. No matter what I see, to have faith in him. I fully intend to do that.
The camera pans up and shows the sign on the shop. It’s a jewelry store.
The scene cuts to inside. It’s a promo video, slick and polished even though it’s supposed to look spontaneous. I know all this is scripted. Blitz is playing a role.
It’s still hard to watch. A woman on the other side of a glass case asks him if she can help him pick out something. Blitz tells her he wants a gorgeous engagement ring for the perfect girl.
“Please say it isn’t for Christy,” Jacob says.
I want to laugh. They are so caught up in it. But Blitz is good. His expression is absolutely sincere as he looks at rings and discards several as “not good enough for how amazing she is.”
He looks straight into the camera and says, “I can’t handle it if she says no.”
I want to laugh. He’s so good. But the others are completely bamboozled. Aurora squeezes my arm. “You okay, Livia?” she asks.
I don’t know what to say. I can’t tell them how things really are.
The scene cuts away with a voice-over that says, “The finale of Dance Blitz will air live in just four days. But the fun won’t end there. Once Blitz has proposed, we’ll follow the happy couple for three intense episodes where they perform in Paris, meet her extended family for the holidays, and the first important planning session for the big wedding.”
What? There’s more after the finale?
Now I can’t catch my breath. Blitz said he would declare a winner and be done. But there’s more scheduled! There’s air dates and everything! That can’t just go away. It’s got to be contractual. He’s obligated. This could go on for months.
Jacob notices my distress. “Shut that mess off,” he orders Suze.
She immediately complies.
Jacob envelops me in a hug, his tall solid frame surrounding me. “I’m so sorry, baby girl,” he says. “He’s just a man-whore preying on the innocent.”
I know I promised Blitz I would have faith, but I’m not sure I can. He hasn’t told me about the extra episodes.
Why hasn’t he?
I back away from the desk, planning to head home. Walk through the park. Okay, maybe not there. Take a random street, one with no memories.
I need to think. Why wouldn’t Blitz tell me about those extra episodes? That he can’t come get me. Can’t come back to San Antonio to live. Can’t keep his promise.
I’m just down the steps when I realize why.
He isn’t going to do them.
He’s going to blow it on purpose.
It’s a live finale.
And he knows how to get thrown off the show. He’s already done it once.
I whirl around and dash back up the steps.
Jacob, Suze, and Aurora glance up at me, but I dash past them to Danika’s office. Please, please be there, I pray. You have to.
When I get to her door, it’s open. Danika stops tapping on her computer keyboard when she spots me. “Why, hello, Livia. Come in. How is the pointe work going?”
I plunk down in the chair opposite her desk. When she sees my face, she says, “Are you all right? Is something the matter?”
“Blitz is going to do something terrible on live TV,” I say. “I know it.”
“Whoa, whoa,” she says. “What makes you say that?”
My words come out in a tumble. “He told me to believe him that he was coming to get me after the finale. That no matter what I saw about the show, he would make it happen.”
“What makes you think he’ll do something rash?”
“There’s supposed to be three more episodes! He didn’t tell me about them! He would have told me if he planned to do them. He’s going to say or do something horrible on the live show so that they fire him.” I can barely breathe.
I expect her to argue with me, to say that I don’t know him that well or that I’m overreacting. Maybe even that he lied to me.
But she doesn’t. Her face is full of concern.
“Let’s call Bennett,” she says. She pushes the speakerphone button on her console and dials.
“The man who built this place?”
“My son-in-law,” she says. “He knows Blitz personally. He funded his training and is one of the producers of his show.”
My mind buzzes as the phone rings. “How?”
“Bennett always watches out for hometown talent. He saw Blitz’s potential when he was still here at the San Antonio theater.”
The line picks up. “To what do I owe this lovely surprise?” a man’s voice asks.
“Bennett, I’m on speakerphone here with Livia.”
“Is she okay?”
I’m so confused. How does the wealthy patron of the academy know who I am?
“She’s concerned that Blitz might do something on live TV to get out of the contract for the bonus episodes. What do you know about that?”
“The contract always had a clause calling for postseason coverage of the couple. What does she think he will do?”
“Livia?” Danika says.
My voice doesn’t want to work. After a few stutters, I finally say, “He already knows how to get fired.”
“Damn it,” Bennett says. “You really think he’ll do that?”
“You know what he was like when he asked to borrow your plane,” Danika says to the phone.
“He did?” I ask.
“Last week,” Bennett says. “The publicity has gotten very intense. He can’t go anywhere without a horde of reporters and photographers. He wasn’t sure he could even drive back to Texas without drawing attention to you.”
“So he is planning to come back here?” I ask.
“Yes, but I don’t see how he is going to have time,” Bennett says. “The filming for the bonus episodes is already set. The only variable is which girl he picks.”
“What if he doesn’t pick any?” I ask. “Would there still be episodes?”
Bennett is quiet a moment, and Danika looks down at her hands.
“What?” I say.
Bennett speaks first. “Livia, he has to choose a girl. His contract is very specific. And there are fail-safes in the show ensuring that one is chosen.”
Danika sighs. “So a girl will be chosen.”
I lean forward. “I’m sure he knows that. So he’ll try to get fired. By being the jerk the show has made him out to be.”
Everyone is quiet again.
“What do you propose we do?” Danika asks me.
“I can call him, I guess,” I say. “Talk him out of doing something rash.”
“He might do it anyway,” Bennett says. “He was pretty anxious to get back to you.”
My heart swells at this, but I won’t let him lose everything when we can find a way. “So take me out there. If I’m at the finale, watching, he won’t do it. I know he won’t.”
“Can you get away?” Danika asks. “Your father is pretty strict.”
“I’m taking the SAT on Saturday,” I say. “I can just skip out. That will make it hours to get there before anyone knows I’m gone.”
“Will he call the police?” Bennett asks.
“I’ll go over there,” Danika says. “We can talk to him together.”
“No,” I say quickly.
My father moved our entire family once to avoid our shame. I don’t know what he might do with this.
“I’ll leave them a note. They will know I left.”
“We can call them from the plane,” Bennett says. “And I’ll have someone alert law enforcement that you just went on a trip.”
“This is crazy,” Danika says. “That boy is a mess.”
“But he’s our mess,” I say. “We’ll help him.”
“I’ll send a car to your SAT site,” Bennett says. “Have Danika forward the information to my driver. We’ll get you to Blitz.”
“Thank you, Bennett,” Danika says. “And what was it that Blitz told you when he asked for the plane?”
I can hear the smile in Bennett’s voice as he says, “That he’s madly in love with the most perfect ballerina and nothing will stop him from coming back to her.”
“I thought so,” Danika says. “Thank you, love. Kiss my daughter for me.”
“With relish,” he says.
Danika cuts off the call.
I feel like all the air is out of the room. Blitz said that? About me? That he’s madly in love? I grip the sides of the chair. I want him now. I want to get to him right this moment.
“Are you all right, Livia?” Danika asks. “This is a lot to take in.”
I can’t even answer. She comes around the desk to kneel beside me. “Are you ready for the break from your family?” she asks. “It’s been coming.”
I’m not really sure. I think of Gabriella, my little brother, my parents. I’ll figure out how to have them all. Once I get Blitz, we will find a way.
It’s like Blitz told me. Have faith.