Codie’s POV
Today, I was spending the day with Dad, while Mum was away. Mum hadn’t done anything when I told her about what happened with Louis. Dad was sympathetic, as he normally is. Mum was just angry at me because I was going to get married to him, when she still disapproved. Dad at least understood why I was with Louis at the time, because I loved him. Now, not so much.
I still did, I just wished I didn’t. My heart was losing more and more pieces every day because of him. At least I had dance back in my corner again, and Alex. She may not be the skinniest person out there, but she is awesome at dancing. I got to my parent’s house, in Adelaide and left my car there, going inside.
I smelt coffee and chocolate as I walked in the door. Not more chocolate! Man. I was supposed to be getting out of eating chocolate. I walked into the kitchen and could feel the heat of the oven. He had been cooking chocolate biscuits… and probably forgotten about them. I opened the oven and found the biscuits perfectly cooked, and from what I could gather Dad was outside. I got the tea towel and took them out of the oven before they became burnt.
He was good at cooking, it was just remembering that he actually had the stove or oven on with the food on top that was the trouble. I went to the back door and found him out in the garden. “What are you doing?!” I shouted to him.
“Fixing my lawn!” he shouted back. He probably had patches missing… again.
“What about the biscuits?!” I asked.
“Shit!” he jumped up from the ground and ran into the kitchen. When he found the biscuits out of the oven, safe from fire he shouted to me. “SO WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME PANIC LIKE THAT?! FOR GOD SAKES CODIE LILLIAN!” he used my middle name, then walked to me while I was laughing. He was more of my friend then my Dad. Maybe because he didn’t care what I did with my life, as long as I was happy and healthy and had money and love and friends. I don't know what Mum wanted me to be, but whatever it was, I didn’t turn out that way.
We got our warm drinks, him coffee and me hot chocolate, the biscuits while they were still warm and sat down on the couch. Dad and I could talk for hours, about the same topic, but today wasn’t one of those days.
“What's going on in your life?” he asked, starting our conversation.
“Well, most of its been caught on camera or people have put it on social media or…” I kind of trailed off, staring at the chocolate liquid in my mug. I was holding it with both hands.
“Being famous isn’t what it cracked up to be, is it?” he asked. I shook my head.
“Especially when you’re famous because of your ex.” I said, swirling the melting marshmallows around.
“Well… what else has been happening. You know I don't watch the news and social media is fairly out of my league of abilities.” I knew he was lying, but I took the opportunity.
“Well, you know about Louis and I.” I said, that one was fairly obvious.
“Which has me really pissed off, why would he do that?” he said, fairly bluntly.
“Uh, well, I don't know.” I answered truthfully. “I kinda just found him and Eleanor…” I trailed off again, remembering that morning.
“What? Who’s Eleanor?” he always had to know exactly what was going on in my life, but I liked it when someone was interested. Even if it was my dad.
“His ex.” I told him.
“Ouch.” He was acting in as both my parents, he always had.
“Yeah, um, anyway. I released my album the other day.” I said on a happier note.
“That’s good, do you know if it’s in the top ten yet?” he kept me talking.
“I don't think it’ll get that far, it’s only my first album Dad.” I said honestly.
“That doesn’t matter, I bought the album and it was amazing, it shouldn't make a difference if it’s your first or not.” He argued.
“But-”
“No buts Codie, you will get into the top ten or, dare I say it, number one for an album and single on the ARIA charts at the same time.” He told me, practically telling me I had to be positive.
“Okay.” I agreed. “I also picked up dance again. Considering I still have a couple of months off of driving.” I told him.
“Really? How easy was it to pick up again?” he asked.
“Uh, fairly easy, it’s like riding a bike, it never leaves you. I’m just a bit out on my technique, like pointing my feet and holding my hands right and keeping my posture right.” I said while slouching.
“What are you aiming to do with that?”
“Well, I think I want to audition for So You Think You Can Dance.” I told him. “I’m not sure if I’ll be ready though.” I added on the end.
“Of course you’ll be ready.” He told me in a ‘duh’ tone.
“I don't know Dad…”
“You will, because you are my little girl that is now all grown up and can do anything she wants.” He explained.
“Thanks Dad.”
“You know your mother doesn’t want me talking to you.” He changed the topic.
“Why? I'm your bloody daughter!” I shouted. At the moment I hated my mother, she disapproved of everything I did.
“I don't know, but I don't care. I'm not going to stop talking to you because she wants me too, as you said you are my bloody daughter.” He agreed with my statement.
“Thank you.” I got up and hugged him. He was always going to stand by me, no matter what I did. Unlike my mother.
“No worries.” He said. “You will always be my baby girl.”
***
“What is your name?” they asked me. The day had come when I was to audition for So You Think You Can Dance.
“Codie Badress.” I answered simply. It had been two months since I started practicing my dance, and I was so ready to smash it.
“Your age?” was the next question.
“23.” That’s right, still 23 bitches. My birthday may be soon, but I was still 23.
“Why have you chosen to audition for So You Think You Can Dance?” they asked the technical question next.
“Because, dance means a lot to me. It has helped me through a lot of tough places and I want to share my dancing with the world.” I answered, they all nodded in response to my response.
“Well, you can now begin your dance.” They told me.
“Thank you.” I was polite before going to my starting position. We had choreographed to the entire song, but I was only going to be dancing to half of it… they always called it when they had seen enough to know whether to accept or not.
“When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired that you cant sleep
Stuck in reverse
When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try
To fix you
From high up above or down below
When your to in love to let it go
But if you never try youll never know
Just what your worth
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you”
The instrumental part came next and I threw myself across the stage, losing myself in the song, I could feel the tears building in my eyes. Please don't cry, please don't cry. Whoop, too late.
“Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I
Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.”
I paused in my finishing position, breathing heavily from the effort and energy I had used. The tears kept streaming down my face, the memories flashing in my head of Louis and I. Then I realised something…
I had danced the entire song.
The entire four minutes of it. I looked at the judges, they were silent, so was the audience. I was bad, wasn’t I? I didn’t point my feet in my leaps. I didn’t spot with my turns. My triplets were terrible. My kicks should have had straighter legs. My hands should have been stronger. I could have put more emotion in it. Even though I could feel myself doing everything that was on that list, I knew I could have done them better.
I breathed out, shuddering with my tears. When I moved all of the audience stood up, as did the judges. The chilling silence turned into an uproar. The female judges were in tears, looking like a mess and the guys looked like they were tearing up. My tears probably weren’t helping, but I could feel them all staring at me. The silence before came again, but then I realised that the silence when I had finished was a good thing.
Everyone had been so into my dance they were making sure I had finished. I went up to the front of the stage, to the microphone. I started getting my breath back, looking at the judges. I was really hoping I had done well.
“Well, I have only one thing that was wrong with that.” one of the guys said. My eyes furrowed, worried about what it was.
“What?” I asked.
“It didn’t go on forever.” He said. “That was perfect, everything was perfect and even the simplest movement, like your head roll, took my breath away. You are amazing at what you do.” He told me.
“Thank you.” The next person spoke, Tyce Diorio.
“Uh, hello, did anyone see what just happened here? That was absolutely beautiful, you had me hooked, even with your ronde de jambe at the beginning. You are seriously the best I have seen yet.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t know what to say.
“You know that is the first time in a fair few seasons since we have let someone go overtime with their audition? You are absolutely breathtaking when you do that dance, I can’t wait to see more.” The first girl judge said. Mary Murphy was the last one. She had a tissue and was still dabbing her eyes, trying to control her emotions.
“Well…” she started.
“You have Mary Murphy speechless.” The other chick said. I had Mary Murphy speechless, holy shit.
“Well, what can you say to that? it was absolutely and completely perfect.” She wiped her eyes and continued. “I don't know what you were feeling, but whatever it was, I felt it and I'm fairly sure the entire audience here, and at home, did as well. Whatever you were feeling, it was beautiful.” She managed to say through her tears.
“Thank you.” Seeing her crying, I could feel the tears building up in my own eyes.
“I'm not sure if that’s what we’re looking for though. I mean, someone who does something like that every week, we won’t be alive by the second time we see you.” The first guy said. “So, through to choreography?” he asked the other judges.
“No.” the second guy said. Please, at least let me through to choreography, I’ll prove it to you then. If you aren’t sending me through to Sydney straight away, just let me through to choreography, I’ll prove it to you then that I'm worth it… I promise. I prayed in my head. If God does exist, prove it to me now and I’ll become Christian, I probably wouldn’t but you get my point.
“No.” the first girl said.
“No.” Mary Murphy said.
“Hm, no.” the first guy said. Then he looked at the others. “We knew that wasn’t an option in the first place anyway.” He said in a disapproving tone.
“We’re sorry honey, but you're gonna have to go straight to Sydney.” Tyce told me. I screamed uncontrollably as I jumped up and down.
“Sorry, but before I get down onto the stage I have to thank my dance mentor, Alex. She has been amazing and helped me choreograph this dance. As well as my friend Jamie Grey and my Dad, Adrian Badress. All of them have helped me in some way.” I said quickly before running to the judge’s table and grabbing a ticket to Sydney.
“Did you choreograph that?” Mary asked me, giving me the ticket.
“Most of it, I did have help.” I told her.
“You have true talent, Codie. You'll go far with your dancing young lady.” She told me.
“Thank you.” I said, running to Alex, Jamie and Dad. We created a massive group hug and went out. I talked to the camera people and left in the best mood I had been in for months.

Notes