Rosa and the Three Wishes

Rosa forced herself to calm down. Olivia was right. It was their last lesson; she didn’t want to ruin it.

“Just ignore her and let’s go and warm up,” said Olivia. “I want to make the most of every second today.”

“Me too,” Rosa agreed and put the coat down. They smiled and hurried out of the changing rooms.

It was hard to ignore Holly. She argued with Madame Za-Za when the teacher corrected her movements in the exercises. She tutted at the other girls when they got in her way. Rosa felt cross. She found it hard to enjoy her last class when Holly was being so awful all of the time.

“I want you to imagine you are a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis,” Madame Za-Za said as they sat and listened to a piece of beautiful music. “You are stretching your wings, the colours sparkling and glowing, and then with a burst of energy you start to fly, swirling and swooping…”

As Madame Za-Za’s voice and the music swept over them, Rosa longed to get up and start dancing.

“And now the butterfly’s energy is fading. Its life is coming to an end,” Madame Za-Za said as the music slowed. “It pauses, flies on, pauses, flies on, until finally it lands for the very last time.”

It was time to dance. The girls ran to find a space in the studio. The music swelled out again and Rosa imagined herself as the butterfly pushing out of a chrysalis. It was wonderful to swirl and spin, imagining she was as light as air, soaring through the sky and then gradually slowing down and coming to rest.

Madame Za-Za split them into two groups so they could watch each other.

“Look at Holly,” Olivia whispered as she and Rosa sat on the floor. Holly was moving lightly, her body expressing joy and flight. But it was as the music started to slow that Rosa found she couldn’t take her eyes off her. With every pause, the dark-haired girl seemed to get a little weaker. Her arms, lifted behind her like wings, seemed to be gradually losing their strength, fingers fluttering. Every movement she made expressed sadness, the coming to a life’s end. As the music finished, she took three last steps forward and then sank to her knees, her arms folding around her, head sinking down.

“Oh, wow!” Rosa breathed, despite her dislike. “She’s brilliant.”

“Amazing,” agreed Olivia.

“Excellent girls,” Madame Za-Za said at the end of the lesson. “There has been some really good work today. We’ll finish there.” She curtseyed and they all curtseyed back.

As Rosa and Olivia collected their character skirts from the end of the room, Rosa saw Holly walking nearby, her face composed.

“Your free dancing was brilliant,” Rosa said generously.

Holly shrugged as if to say of course and walked away.

“Honestly!” Rosa exclaimed crossly to Olivia. “She is so rude!”

“Rosa!” It was Madame Za-Za.

Rosa looked round.

“Would you mind coming to my office for a quick word?” the teacher asked with a smile.

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“Sit down, Rosa,” Madame Za-Za said, patting the sofa. Rosa sat. She loved Madame Za-Za’s office. The walls were covered with ballet photographs and there were shelves of books and a large desk, as well as the sofa.

“So, it was your last lesson today,” Madame Za-Za said. “I will miss you very much. I hope you will come back and visit when you are home in the holidays.”

“Oh yes, I’ll come lots,” Rosa said eagerly. She only lived just around the corner.

Madame Za-Za steepled her fingers. “Before you go, I want to talk to you about the ballet shoes.”

Rosa felt herself stiffen slightly. Was Madame Za-Za going to ask for them back?

Her ballet teacher seemed to read her mind. “I know they belong to you, but soon the time will come when you should pass the shoes on. They are only ever really lent to us, Rosa. And whilst the person who wears them helps the people in the land of Enchantia, the magic of the shoes is such that they also help the wearer too.” Her eyes gazed into Rosa’s. “There may be someone around you, Rosa, who needs that help.”

Rosa frowned. Everyone in her dance class seemed happy enough, everyone apart from…

She stared at her ballet teacher. “Not Holly!”

Madame Za-Za held her eyes with a steady gaze.

“But, Madame Za-Za, she doesn’t need help, she’s rude and…” Rosa broke off, suddenly realising her voice was getting louder and louder.

Madame Za-za spoke softly, “Sometimes everything is not quite as it seems. I told Delphie that once.”

Rosa’s mind guiltily flashed back to how she had acted when she had first been given the shoes. She’d been defensive and prickly and hadn’t made friends easily. Not only that, but she’d rushed into things too quickly and lost her temper too fast. Her adventures in Enchantia had taught her a lot. But, even so…

“Not Holly,” she said in a low voice, shaking her head. “Please don’t tell me I have to give them to her.”

“I am not going to tell you to give them to anyone,” Madame Za-Za reassured her. “That decision is yours. But do not judge Holly only by what you see. She has not had an easy life.” She patted Rosa’s hand. “Your heart will tell you what to do, my dear. Go now. I’m very proud of you – both as a dancer and as a person.” She stood up and as Rosa stood up too, the teacher kissed her lightly on both cheeks. “Good luck, Rosa.”