Charles & Claire Ch. 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

I wanted to get back to the room, to finesse our Rumba a little bit. With Jimmy's help, we added in the Walk Around Turn. Then we practiced it for about thirty minutes, with Jimmy occasionally commenting on our arm position... must keep those elbows up.

We walked into Claire's room, and we turned on the TV. David Letterman was on, and we saw the NDCA logo; we turned up the volume.

"Earlier tonight at the ongoing National Dance Council of America Competitions, going on in Salt Lake City, Utah, a couple of young teenagers, barely thirteen years old, named Charles Newman and Claire McArthur, beat out twenty-three other dancers, all seventeen and older, and are on track to win something called the Rising Star Competition. Keep it here this week, if they keep winning, we'll tell you all about it."

The audience applauded.

"When I was fourteen, back in the 1800s, I didn't know a fox from a trot, or a Quickstep from a two-step."

This time his audience groaned a little, but still applauded. "

"Back in a minute."

"Holy Crap, Claire... they mentioned our names, on the David Letterman show... oh my god!"

"What's the big deal, Charles... who's David Letterman, anyhow?"

"He has a huge audience... we've done it now Claire, we've given the other dancers a reason to want to beat us."

"I don't understand, Charles... what do you mean 'a reason to want to beat us?'"

"Did anybody know who we were, before we came here to Nationals?"

"Yeah, our group of friends, our parents... I still don't follow, Charles?" Claire added, shaking her head.

"Who just got mentioned on David Letterman?"

"We did."

"Who didn't get mentioned on Letterman?"

Claire duly responded, "The other dancers still remainin.... Oh Charles - I get it. They're all going to be after us now. Whoever beats us... will be considered more popular, so that gives them all a reason to try to crush us under their feet."

She added, "So what do we do about it, Charles Xavier Newman?"

"Are you mocking me, Claire McArthur?" I barely held back a laugh.

"NO, I'm just trying to motivate you... to put a little fire in your belly. Remember back, to when we were about to dance in our first Competition?"

"Yeah, Claire, I'll never forget that moment just before Annie started to play 'Sunrise Sunset'. It was inspiring in that great big hall... we were dancing in a Competition, for the first time. It was amazing, wasn't it?"

"Of course it was, so get that feeling, that emotion... back in your belly. We've got a Rising Star Competition to win, don't we," she said, trying to keep a serious look on her face.

"You bet your big beautiful brown eyes we do. Do you want us to change the music?"

"NO."

"You want to add some steps?"

"NO."

"You want to win?"

"YES."

The smile that appeared on her face was unmistakably Claire.

I responded, "I want to win, too - for Mom, Jimmy, Kalista and most importantly, for my wonderful, beautiful dancing partner Claire McArthur, one day Claire Newman."

"Wow, Charles... I like the sound of that!"

She had a magnificent smile on her face.

"Let's change into more comfortable clothes, and then go back downstairs for a while. I'll step out, so you can change, Claire. Knock on the door when it's OK to come back in?"

"OK, Charles."

I suddenly got a little apprehensive about how I'd handle it, if Claire weren't... completely dressed when I came back in. Fortunately, Annie and Kalista were coming down the hall.

"Did Claire kick you out Charles, it's about time," mom chuckled, as well as did Kalista?

"Did either of you see or hear about the David Letterman show, that they mentioned our names on National TV," I asked them both?

"What... No, what did he say?" mom asked.

"He said that there was a pair of thirteen-year-old dancers, who beat twenty-three other dancers so far, in the Rising Star Competition in Salt Lake City. Then he mentioned our complete names, thereby giving our Competition, for the rest of the week, a great big reason to chew us up and spit us out."

From the other side of the door came a knock and, "Charles, I'm ready - you can come back in now."

My face went white.

"Mom, I can explain... it's - it's - it's not what it sounds like at all. I stepped out so she could change into something more comfortable... oh spit, shoot... that didn't help, did it?"

"Charles, you can come in? What are you doing out there? Oh, hi, Annie, hey Kalista. Charles and I were going to change into something a little more comfortable, and go back down to watch some dancers, if that's all right with you?"

"Kalista, go inside please... I need to have a chat with Charles & Claire," Annie said in a tone I hadn't heard in a while.

Kalista could clearly tell by the tone in Annie's voice not to argue, and she went inside.

"What am I going to do with the two of you? I leave you alone for a moment, and Claire shoves Charles out the door, and yells, for everyone to hear, "Charles, I'm ready - you can come back in now." Mom mimicked Claire quite well.

The light came on for Claire. It'd been a long time since I saw her turn as pink as she had just turned. She started to blubber, "Annie - oh, Annie - I didn't mean THAT! I'm... sorry, really I am. I didn't realize how it was going to sound when I said it."

"Claire, calm down - I believe you, but I need you both to be thinking clearly these next few days. You guys may become stars, whether you win this Competition or not, if David Letterman has his way. If you win, he may even ask you to go on his show. It broadcasts from New York... I'd better go and talk to Jimmy about this."

"Go ahead and go out, STAY TOGETHER, Don't give any interviews, sign all the programs you want. You have one hour, make good use of it. Charles, change into some sweats or something, quickly. I'll wait out here with Claire. Here's your key to your room - hurry Loverboy."

When I got back, Mom said, "Fifty eight minutes left - don't waste it."

Claire and I ran hand in hand to the elevator, we waved at Annie, who waved back and went into the room.

In the elevator, the people looked over at us a few times, and then finally asked, "Are you Charles & Claire? I saw you on Letterman. Good luck to you."

We replied together, "Thank you."

As soon as we got out of the elevator; some teenagers who all wanted our autographs mobbed us. We said sure and signed them all... my hand was hurting already, how do really popular people do this?

Everywhere we walked, somebody came up to us and asked us for our autograph or what we were going to dance next. It was amazing, and crazy... all at the same time. My phone buzzed, I answered it saying, "Hello, who is it?"

The voice on the other side said, "You have thirty-nine minutes left, don't waste it."

We'd never get to the actual dance floor, but we did come across most of the other Rising Star competitors... they asked us to join them and just hang out. One girl said, "We all saw Letterman... boy I'm glad I'm not you right now, you probably feel like you have a target on your back now, don't you?"

"Yeah," I said. "My hand hurts from signing autographs, and my head hurts from all the people, nice as they are, coming up to us and saying, 'I hope you win, kids'."

"So, you guys going on Letterman if you win?"

"I've no idea... I wanted to be famous as a dancer, someday. Just wasn't expecting it at thirteen."

"You guys are only thirteen?" The group of kids groaned.

"Yeah, our birthdays are in July, five days apart," I said.

"Damn, to get beat by thirteen-year-olds, I was just coming to grips with you being fourteen... who's your dance teacher, anybody famous?"

"Oh, we don't have a professional dance teacher, I've taught us most all the steps we've learned so far."

"So, you guys are prodigies?" One of the older boys asked.

"No, as soon as I see a step, I instinctively know how to break it down into its elements, and then Claire and I practice it until we think we've got it right. I don't begin to understand how it all works, but it does."

"So... you're a natural?"

"Huh?" I said.

"It means you're what is called an 'instinctive' dancer, or a 'natural born dancer'. Gosh, at thirteen, to be a natural. Guys... we might as well give up dancing. These two are going to win everything they enter."

"No, somebody has to come in second," said another guy.

"Or third," said a girl. They all giggled.

"You two are really good, don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Your musical instincts are fantastic."

I looked at my phone and saw we had barely enough time to get back to our rooms. We said good-bye and ran the whole way, connected by our hands.

Mom was standing outside Claire's door, with her watch in her hand and said, "Made it with a minute to spare, Loverboy. Go to bed, and get a good sleep. You have some business to take care of tomorrow, don't you?"

We all met up and had a late breakfast. Afterwards, Claire and I, Annie and Jimmy went over our routine step by step, improving a hold here, and putting my hand in a different place there. Jimmy explained how our feet should be pointed when not on the ground. The Ballroom Dancing website didn't cover minutia like that. Thank you Jimmy! Mom and Jimmy left us to practice. While we were alone, I talked to Claire.

"Claire, remember when we first met. I said, 'My name is Charles Newman, but you can call me X?'"

"Yeah, Charles... what about it?"

"Nobody had ever called me 'X' before you did, nobody ever smiled at me the way that you did, and nobody has ever told me that they loved me - until you did. This whole ride we've been on together has been fantastic, starting back almost a year ago, and I just want to say to you..."

"...What is it Charles, what is it you want to say to me... say it now, we won't have time until later. Come on Charles you can say it, whatever it is, just say it." Her eyes were brimming with anticipation.

"I want to say to you, that I'll never love anyone, even Kalista when the time comes, as much as... I love you right now."

I started to cry like never before.

"If we want to look back at this Competition and remember it as our First National Competitive First Place, we have to be perfect today, do you understand, Claire... perfect today!"

"Today is already perfect Charles, because I get to dance with you," she said rubbing at my eyes for me.

I took a massively big breath, and blew it out saying, "Claire, lets go make it to the Final Four today, all right?"

"Absotively, Posilutely, X-man."

We went downstairs to catch up with Mom and Kalista. When we passed anybody who wanted to say anything, I put my hand up and said, "We dance - Come and watch us dance today. You'll see something that hasn't been done before." I know that sounds cocky and arrogant, but I was that sure that we'd make it through.

We caught up to Kalista and Annie. They must've seen it in my eyes, because they didn't talk to us. They walked in silence beside us, trying to deflect the growing crowd, barely keeping up with us. Claire touched up her little bit of makeup.

She and I, each signed a couple of programs for little kids, but we were staying focused on the task at hand. We were at the spot where all the dancers accumulate before the Competition. A couple of the kids tried to say 'good luck', but Claire and I quietly ignored them.

The Announcer was starting his spiel.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, Welcome to the Elite Eight of the Rising Star Competition portion of the NDCA Nationals, here in Salt Lake City, Utah. Give a big hand to each of our remaining dancers."

The crowd went from a mild roar to a more visceral-sounding noise. Each of us went out and waved to the masses of people that were occupying the stands today. When we got to the middle of the floor, the crowd went crazy, chanting 'Charles & Claire' and it seemed to be coming from all around us, not just the section our group was sitting in.

The Announcer released everyone; except the first dancing couple of the afternoon... they were eighteen years old. They performed their Waltz to 'Could I Have this Dance', a very pretty song. And when they were through, there was a fair amount of applause. This went on until Claire and I heard the Announcer.

"Lastly, this afternoon, we've a most exciting new couple, although only thirteen years old, they're taking off from Junior High School to be here this week." That got some applause and a little bit of laughter. I actually looked over at Claire and she was laughing with them, but looking straight at me.

"Last year they broke a twenty-two year-old record, previously held by three different eighteen-year-old pairs of dancers, and won eight, count them eight, consecutive First Place Awards in NDCA Sanctioned Competitions. These two are the real deal folks, we should be seeing them at Nationals for many years to come."

"Performing the Rumba, to Al Green's huge hit 'Let's Stay Together', are Charles Newman and Claire McArthur."

Claire gave me our kiss, and the music started, we were dancing and we were rocking it. Claire and I were in total sync with each other, when we did a spin, the crowd roared it's approval, when we did the hip swivels; there were audible gasps from the crowd. They loved us, the leg whisks even had people looking and applauding.

These were people that had been waiting for us to dance... so they could shower us with screaming and applause. We'd hit the halfway point... and I added a raised hand, that Claire must've anticipated, and she hit four - consecutive, unrehearsed rumba spins, her ponytail flailing behind her. The final moments were coming up and we spun together to the sounds of the song ending.

The song was over, but I was feeling so incredible, I had Claire up against me and I kissed her, with every bit of love I could muster. The crowd sounded like a monster truck rally, it was so loud. I'd been to one with my Scout Troop a few years back... at least they gave you earplugs!

Our group was having the time of their life, the eliminated dancers were all together and applauding and hooting at us, giving us the thumbs up. I started to realize Claire and I must've been out there too long, so we quickly ran off the floor to Kalista and Annie, who were sobbing their eyes out. We hugged and kissed each other. The crowd was quieting down and the Announcer came back on.

"That was something - Wasn't it everybody, let's make them take a curtain call, why don't we?"

We went back out and waved until our arms hurt, then left again.

"Will all the dancers come to the middle of the dance floor please? The dancers that are remaining in the Competition are; In First Place again, Charles & Claire. Let's hear it for them people; these are thirteen-year-olds, giving a dance clinic to other dancers four to five years older than them."

The crowd got louder than before, I don't know how, but they were bust-an-eardrum loud. We waved again. There was a girl who yelled, "I love you Charles," which made everyone chuckle, except Claire, who gave me a look.

"The other dancers that'll be returning are...."

Again, I didn't care, but I did the smile and clap as each one was introduced as remaining. As the eliminated four left the floor, each of them gave Claire and me a high-five, showing how classy they were.

I was thinking holy spit, how do we top this? I hope either our Samba or Jive are good enough, or will I have to throw one of them out and start over?

One dance away from Third Place, two dances from First.

How cool is that?

We were all excused to leave the floor, and our group came up to us, I never saw my best friend, Brian cry in my life, but he was, and so was Susan and Sarah, Jimmy... the whole bunch of them. After they all had enough, I saw a little redhead running towards me. I was ready to catch her and she jumped from probably four feet away... and I caught her, and she did her kisses all over my face thing, she'd been doing lately.

Everyone got a kick out of it. She didn't say anything, she was just crying and kissing me. I finally had to put her down, because Annie was walking towards me, sobbing her eyes out. When I saw her, I started crying as well. We wrapped our arms around each other in a hug that was... perfect.

She leaned into my ear, and said, "I wish that your father were here. He'd be so proud of you."

"I'm glad he's not, Mom, because in front of him I couldn't do this." I gave my Mom a kiss; a real 'love you' kiss. I'd never done that before, which surprised her. She gave me a look like never before, and then smiled... that wonderful smile, that I know as my Mom's.

"They're waiting for you to tell them what you're dancing tomorrow, Charles," mom said, shaking me out of my reverie.

I pulled Claire away and asked her, "Tomorrow - Samba or Jive, Claire?"

"Don't make me pick, Charles - you pick, I don't want to jinx anything."

I turned to the registrar, and asked what the other dancers have selected. She said there were a Tango, Cha-cha, and a Foxtrot. I thought for a minute, then I turned back to the registrar and I said, "Jive," which caught my group's collective ear, causing applause and gasps, they had all seen our Jive routine before. They knew it rocked.

Mom fished 'Footloose' out of her purse and handed it to the lady, who smiled sweetly and asked, "Last again Mr. Newman?"

"Yes, please ma'am, and you can call me Charles, Mr. Newman is my father." I looked over to Annie who smiled at me for saying that.

"Claire," I said, as we were walking through the place, arm in arm. "I'd like to do 'Sunrise, Sunset' for our Championship Curtain Call... If that's all right with you?"

"Don't you think that's getting ahead of things Charles?" Claire responded.

"I'm sure all four of us remaining pairs are thinking about it. I just wanted to run it by you to see if it's OK with you. If you want to do something else, or something new, I just want you to be OK with whatever it is... I love you, you know."

"And I love you too, Charles."

"Charles?" A voice from behind us asked.

"Yes, Sir... what can I do for you, Jimmy?" I replied, turning around to talk to him.

"My, you're starting to sound like you know what you're doing, that's great. I just wondered... if you want to flash up your Jive routine before bed tonight," he asked?

"Jimmy, thanks - but Claire and I are so tired from all this dancing, I think we should just get to bed." Before I realized the ramifications of what I'd just said, Claire hit me in the chest and said, "'Charles', I'm not that kind of girl... until I turn eighteen at least." That made us both blush, as Jimmy left, shaking his head, saying, 'goodnight' to both of us.

"Claire, I meant... that we each needed to get to sleep tonight. I meant nothing disrespectful to you at all, can you forgive me?"

"Forgive you for what, Charles?" a new voice behind us said.

"I said something that was... misunderstood, but it's all good, now, Annie."

"The two of you are heading for a moment in your lives, that may or may not live up to your... high expectations. You're still only thirteen, so act like it kids - enjoy yourselves."

"Annie, remember my brain fart?"

That made both of them chuckle, Annie actually snorted a little, which made me laugh.

"Yes, honey, I do - what about it?"

"I'm ready now," I said, standing up straight and looking over at my girl.

"Ready for what, Charles?" mom said with something of a terrified look on her face.

"Ready to be responsible for my actions - ready to be responsible as a boyfriend... and ready for the responsibility as a National Dance Champion."

"Claire, first thing in the morning, let's practice the Jive?"