“In second place,” the judge went on. “Twinkle Toes studio, co-choreographed by Ella and Marcus Bradford.”
Another round of applause. The male dancer Cooper had been talking to earlier—Marcus, apparently—turned to look back at us, and Cooper offered him a wave, a grin, and a thumbs up.
“He wants to meet you, by the way,” Cooper said under the cover of the Twinkle Toes kids collecting their medals. “Marcus, I mean. He recognized you right away.”
“Oh.”
“Only if you want,” Cooper assured. “Thought it was cool that he looked up to you, though.”
The judge took up the microphone again before I could respond to that. Which was just as well, because I had no idea what to say.
“And in first place,” the judge began. “Displaying truly outstanding ingenuity, ambition, boldness, and dedication we feel is beyond their years… Rising Up studio, choreographed by Felix Bennet.”
The squealing from the kids gathered around my knees was the last thing I heard before I went deaf from the sudden pounding of my heart.
We’d won.
We’d won.
22
COOPER
I was never gettingBenji to sleep tonight, but it wassoworth it. In the whole time I’d known him, he’d never been happier or more excited than he was now, clutching his little medal in both hands, staring at it with the biggest grin I’d ever seen on his face.
Felix, on the other hand, looked like he’d taken a blow to the head. Dazed, staring off into space. As though he couldn’t believe we’d really won.
I took a step toward him, reaching out, but a woman in a navy power suit with a pink and yellow print shirt under it and one of the ubiquitous perfect hair buns beat me to it, putting a hand on Felix’s shoulder. He jumped.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman said, taking her hand away. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Sorry,” Felix said, blinking at her. “I’m… still processing.”
The woman raised both perfectly plucked brows. “You didn’t know you were going to win? After choreographingthat? You did choreograph it, didn’t you?”
“Uh. Yeah, yes. All me,” Felix said.
The woman glanced at me. I offered her a smile, since anyone who wanted to tell Felix how incredible he was definitely counted as a friend of mine.
“Then I’ll cut right to the chase,” the woman said, offering her hand. “I’m Annabelle Lewison.”
“Felix Bennet,” Felix responded, shaking her hand.
Annabelle laughed. “Oh, I know whoyouare. I saw you inJewels…three years ago?”
“Four,” Felix corrected.
“Time flies!” Annabelle enthused. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Felix like she’d just realized he was a winning lottery ticket. “You were wonderful, I can still picture you in the diamond movement. The diamond of the company.”
Felix’s lip twitched. It was a tiny motion, probably something no one else would have noticed. I did, though. I also saw the way his eyes flicked away.
That hurt.
He smiled all the same, nodding in acknowledgement. “That’s kind of you to say.”
“It’s hardly kind if it’s true,” Annabelle said. “I was sorry to hear…”
Felix nodded again, swallowing. I wanted to put a hand on his back, let him know I was here for support, but I didn’t know ifhe’dwant that. He’d freaked out about people seeing us together before, and I’d never quite found out why.
