It was the night of the dance show. I found myself running around my room frantically, putting on the costume I had picked out as well as putting on some make-up. I looked in my dresser mirror and calmed down. I propped my elbows on the surface of my dresser and rested my chin on my hands. I was reminding my self of those dance-diva's. There was glitter in my hair and on my face. I was smothered in make-up. My mom said, 'they wont see your face if you don’t have make-up on!' but with all this make-up they can't see my face either…only a mask. A mask I wasn't going to hide behind. I rushed out of my room and into the bathroom. I ran the water and soaked a cloth in it. I slowly took all the make-up and glitter off. There was no helping the glitter in my hair without messing it up, so I left it in.

My mom gave Cassy and Jenny a ride to the show with me. We got to the place where the show was being held. I went down a hall where the change rooms were and the others went to find their seats in the auditorium. As I was looking for my change room when I heard laughter. Not just any laughter…'prep herd' laughter.

"What are you doing here?" I unwillingly looked up to see Jessica. The person who was so nice to me the first day we met, turned out to be someone just like Rebecca. Behind Jessica were eight other 'prep herd girls'…'sheep' if you will. Yep. Kirsten, Stephie, Sophie, Victoria, Sarah, Kelly, Danielle…all my favorites were there.

"Isn't it obvious?" I pointed to my hair which was in a neat bun, "I'm dancing." About a third of them dropped their jaws, another third gave me dirty looks, and another third were doing both. I smiled, waved and walked right past them. Eat my glittery dust!

I found my room and opened the door. About…thirteen other girls had already unpacked all their stuff. There was almost no room for anyone else's. I found a clear spot near a wall and dropped my bag. It only contained water and extra bobby pins, and maybe some gum. I didn't know any of the people in my change room. I sat down and took out a gum pack from my bag and took a piece. A girl walked up to me and introduced herself.

"Hey! I've never seen you before. My name is Clara, what's yours?" She sat down beside me and helped herself to a piece of gum. I didn't appreciate her taking my gum, but at least she was being nice to me and talking to me.

"My name is Julia." I put my gum pack far down in my backpack so that wouldn't happen again, and then looked back up and smiled at her.

"Who are you Competing against?" I knew I was dancing with other people, but I didn't know a competition was involved!

"I…I don't know…" Clara handed me a little booklet. Which I assumed was the program. I was listed under 'Group 3'. I was competing against 5 other people. I quickly closed it and threw it across the room.

"What was that for?!" Clara looked at me like I was crazy.

"I'm competing against Rebecca 'anne-marie tiffany Jones the third'" I put my finger in my mouth and pretended to gag. Clara laughed.

"We go to the same studio…and I have to agree…I hate her guts!" …I think me and Clara are going to be good friends!

Clara got up and retrieved her program, "If you looked close enough you would have seen that your competing against me as well."

That didn't seem to bother me. I told her I didn't mind. I was still wondering why Rebecca was even here! Was she secretly making a dance with Ms. Scale too? Maybe all the things Ms. Scale said to me, she also said to Rebecca… I clenched my fists and bit my lip. I put my head up. I was holding back my tears. Clara put her hand on my shoulder and looked at me. I just shook my head.

"Hey…don't you want some make-up on?" I was about to protest but Clara grabbed my wrist and pulled me up and took me too a desk where I whole bunch of make-up was spread out. She sat me down and made me close my eyes.

"don't open them until I tell you!" She took a good 10 minutes putting on my make-up. She told me too open my eyes. She held out a mirror. I looked…beautiful, and I don't say that often. It wasn't too much. It wasn't over done. It went well with my outfit. Which was a light blue shirt with ripped looking dangling sleeves, and just black dance pants. It even went well with my sparkly hair! I thanked Clara about a thousand times.

A lady with a clipboard walked into the room and looked at us. To be honest she was kind of freaky.

"GROUP THREE! GET TO THE WAITING AREA!" wow…that was loud. There wasn't even a reason for her to yell. As soon as she walked into the door we all went silent. Only Clara and I got up and left. We made our way to the waiting room. Sitting there was Rebecca. I walked in and she gave me a very evil look. Man…if looks could kill…

I sat down on a couch and Clara sat down beside me. Rebecca got up and walked over to us.

"I'm sorry this is a waiting room for real dancers, not wannabes!" Why does she even open her mouth?

"I'm sorry, were you talking to yourself? in that case the door is to your right!" Wow…Clara is very snappy towards Rebecca.

The lady with the clipboard entered the room. She called out Clara's name and told her she was to perform next.

At this point my knee's were shaking. It was almost time. Time for me to get up on that stage and perform. Despite me not being nervous earlier…I sure was nervous now. Three people to go. Two people to go. One person to go.

"Julia!?" The lady with the clipboard screeched my name. She also called out Rebecca's name as well. She was the last dancer so she got to wait backstage while I was on. She was in front of me while we walked down the dark and empty hallway. Rebecca got to the backstage doors and leaned on the door frame. All I could see was the outline of her. I went to walk threw the doorway but I tripped over something. I heard a snicker behind me. Then a pain like sharp needles rushed to my head. Rebecca had grasped my hair bun. The bobby pins were digging into my scalp.

"Good luck, loser." She pushed my head forward and I banged my forehead on the cold hallway floor. I scurried up the stairs like a frightened mouse and ran on stage. As I was getting into my starting position a familiar sensation lingered on my foot. The lights grew brighter and my music started. I couldn't tell how loud it was because all I could her was the beating of my heart in my ears. I didn't know what I was doing. I wasn't keeping count. My mind was so focused on my foot, what was wrong with it? Before I even realized, my dance was over. The lights dimmed and the music faded. The sound of clapping and cheering drowned out even the sound of my quickly beating heart. I walked off the stage dazed. Only to be grabbed by the arm.

"You finished?! without even making one mistake!? I thought that I broke your foot!" Rebecca whispered dangerously. I was trying to get free from her grasp, but the fact that my foot hurt didn't help. She grabbed the back of my shirt and held it back so much I was choking. I fell the floor. She dragged me to the stairs that lead to the doors. I was trying to call for help but I couldn't saying anything. No one could see us because it was too dark. I could feel the edge of the first stair. I managed to let out, "Please…Rebecca…don't." Her foot rammed me in the back as she let go of my arm and shirt. It was only four stairs but it was enough to send sheering pain all over my body. I couldn't move my foot. I could hear the staring of Rebecca's music, and as the lights grew brighter, I faded to black.

I heard voices above me. I fluttered my eyes open and focused on my surroundings. Ms. Scale and Clara were talking to each other. I looked around. Girls I didn't recognize were staring at me with concerned looks. Some of their faces were all bunched up…you know…that look on someone's face when they are gossiping about you and they know you can't hear. I must have been lying on the change room floor. Clara noticed I was awake and rushed over to me.

"Are you alright!?" She grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. Ms. Scale pulled her away from me.

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't appreciate the shaking, Clara." Ms. Scale took a look at my foot and shook her head. I didn't like the looks of that.

"Is this the same foot you hurt before?" Ms. Scale kneeled down and gently propped my foot up on my backpack. I nodded my head slightly. She frowned and got up.

"I think it is intermission right now…should I go find your family and friends?" Clara was already halfway through the door.

"I'll go Clara, I know what they look like, you don't…" Clara sighed and went back over to me.

"Who did this to you? It's obvious that you didn't trip…" I wondered why Clara said that, after all…everyone else thought that I tripped.

"Rebecca did…" Clara nodded her head in understanding.

Just then my mother burst threw the door, followed by Cassy and Jenny and then Ms. Scale. They kneeled down beside me and started pestering me with questions. I tried to get up, but as soon as I put to much pressure on my foot I fell down again. I was crying out in pain. Before I realized it, I was getting rushed to the hospital. As always, I passed out.

I woke up in a hospital bed. Surrounded by my family and friends. I didn't know that me falling on my foot would attract such a crowd. When you thought about it, it wasn't that big…my mom and dad, my two closest friends, and Ms. Scale. I looked at them, waiting for one of them to say something.

"Well…first off, turns out Clara caught Rebecca tripping you on tape!" Jenny squealed.

All I'm thinking is…how? it was so dark, and what are the chances of her being there with a video camera?

"If your wondering how she did that, she has night vision… on her camera of course!" Cassy exclaimed.

"Also, she knew Rebecca was up to something! so she waited by the stairs to see what would unfold…she feels really bad for not doing anything though…" Jenny had a sad look on her face.

That must be why Clara was so anxious to help in some way…things are starting to make sense.

"If your wondering what she did with the video, she showed it to the judges and got Rebecca disqualified for purposely hurting another competitor!" Cassy was basically jumping up and down in excitement, and I had to admit, I was pretty happy about that too.

"If you are wondering about who placed what, well first place went to Clara. I have to admit, she is a good dancer, she earned it!" Jenny now had a huge smile on her face.

"Second place went to some girl I don't know…but it wasn't Rebecca so I don’t care!" Cassy casually said.

"Third place went to a girl who tried her hardest and her best, she wasn't there to accept her ribbon, but one of her friends did." Jenny said.

That’s so sad…I wonder who that girl could be…my face must have had a weird look on it, because everyone was staring at me like I was from another planet.

"Are you stupid, girl!?" Cassy snapped her fingers in my face.

"That girl was you, Julia!" Jenny waved her arms above her head.

I was shocked, stunned. Third place? I wasn't expecting to place at all! a third may not be a first…but it felt like it right now.

Cassy smiled and pulled the third place ribbon out of her sweater pocket. I grabbed the ribbon and held it in my hands. It was beautiful. It was pure white with bronze coloured letters that said "Third" and then in the same bronze colour, there was a silhouette of a dancer.

"Now for the bad news…" A doctor walked into the room. He stopped right in front of the bed I was in and looked at me, then my family and friends…"Don't look so gloomy, I'm not here to tell you she's dying" I heard stiff and nervous laughter come from some of them. The doctor was quite intimidating.

"I'm just here to tell you that Julia has in fact, broken a bone in her foot, and she wont be able to walk on it for a while."

Yay! crutches! I'm so- okay I'll cut the crap…but you know what? I couldn't be happier right now…nothing could destroy the way I feel at this moment, not even an intimidating doctor telling me I broke my foot.

Let's just say, I love happy endings… not those ones you read in fairy tales, where I ride off with my prince in shiny armor and we live in a huge castle. No, I like real happy endings…like this one.