‘This is her!’

‘Hi, Conny!’

This wasn’t a typical, quiet Monday for Conny. The whole school was talking about her. If they were not whispering at her, they were surreptitiously pointing fingers at her. She was famous. They must have all seen her Swipe! videos.

‘Oh, my gosh, Conny! I didn’t know you were such an awesome dancer!’ Naledi came rushing to her in front of their classroom. ‘That split! Oh, you did a back-flip, then bam! on the floor.’

Conny laughed. She was speechless. The whole classroom was congregating around her.

‘Good thing Ma’am Blue’s period is the first, so you can dance and show us,’ Ayanda, Naledi’s friend, said.

‘Yeah, show that Thulane that Friday was just a mistake,’ Naledi added.

‘Thank you, guys. I appreciate it.’ Conny blushed.

***

‘Settle down, class!’ Ma’am Blue said, entering the class. ‘We have no time to waste. Now, I know some of you didn’t dance last week Friday, so today is your only and last chance. Who goes first?’

‘Conny!’ The classroom erupted.

Conny laughed, covering her face with her hands. She couldn’t believe the support her classmates were showing her.

‘Conny, are you ready?’ Ma’am Blue asked with warmth in her voice.

‘Yes, Ma’am.’

‘Good, come forward.’

The class applauded and Conny rose from her desk and walked to the front. She faced the class, breathed in and out, and felt brave. She could do this. Her stomach wasn’t forming knots; her forehead and palms weren’t sweating; and her legs weren’t stiff.

One, two, three—she moved her hips and legs in rhythm. Her legs were swaying, matching her hands that were freely moving. She looked at the class and realised it was enchanted. She re-focused her attention back to the moves and thought she should mix her choreography with the popular amapiano dance moves, and the class said, ‘Whoo!’

Conny was on the roll. She was in her own world and she was feeling herself. She thought she should give her audience what it wanted, so she moved back a little bit. She breathed in and out, then went for it. The backflip was perfect and she landed with the splits.

‘Yeah!’ the class roared.

Conny stood up and the applauses reigned in on her. Her eyes went to the back of the classroom and found Thulane. It came as a shock to find his whole crew clapping enthusiastically, except him. He had a grim face.

‘Thank you, Conny. That was so out of this world!’ Ma’am Blue said, still applauding.

Conny walked back to her desk as a victor.

The End.