Chapter 1
Part One
My name is Mia Gerard, and dancing
has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don’t think there
has ever been a time I didn’t love it. When I was five years old, I was
enrolled in my first ballet and jazz class. Dance has always been everything to
me. That’s why after working so hard for so many years and putting countless
hours into it, I was thrilled when I began winning competition after
competition, and the rewards rolled in. However, nothing came close to winning
the heart of Leo Dancy.
From the moment I laid eyes on him
that first day in my 7th grade English class, I felt our connection. I know it
may sound silly. How can a twelve-year-old know when she is in love, right?
Well, although I did not have
concrete proof, I knew what I felt. It was a feeling like no other. My heart
raced, and my hands got sweaty every time I was near him. I know it may sound
cheesy, but I literally felt like he and I were the only ones in the room.
Oh, when I think about it now I can’t
help but let out a chuckle. I can still see Leo coming in with his blondish
hair and green eyes looking right at me. I hadn’t seen him for a while. We went
to the same elementary school, but his parents moved to Chicago, and we lost
touch.
I was just glad to see him back in
Ann Arbor. That’s one thing about Leo. He was always such a comedian. I really
missed his jokes. Plus, I had never been very social due to my hectic dance
schedule. Most of the girls, except for Courtney Deegan and Keyla West, always ignored
me or gave me a hard time. Truth be told, I always seemed to get along best
with boys in school. I guess it had to do with the fact that I acted a bit like
a tomboy. I know dancers are supposed to be graceful. Not to say I am not, but
it doesn’t hurt to just have fun and enjoy each day without always having to
worry so much about being graceful or perfect. It is okay to laugh and
enjoy time with those that make you happy.
Leo seemed to think the same way. I
loved that about him too. He was also very polite and friendly. It didn’t
matter who you were, Leo always made time to say hello and smile as you passed
him in the hallways. Even when the few bad kids tried to stir trouble, he would
always crack a joke.
“Is that the best you got?” he
would say.
I thought that line was classic.
Leo sure liked using it, and it seemed to work for him.
In just a few weeks, we became fast
friends. I was very surprised to see him at my end of the year recital one
night. As I danced to one of the last classical pieces in my contemporary dance
performance, I overheard him call out, “Way to go, Mia!”
I could not help but blush as
everyone in the audience turned to him.
They all smiled at me, and then the
crowd applauded even louder. Oh, I can go back and replay that forever. That
was the moment I knew I had feelings for Leo. It was the same sort of thing I’d
felt when he first came into English class, only deeper.
Oh, I don’t want to ruin our
friendship. What should I do now?
I knew how I felt about Leo, but
that did not mean he felt the same way. Did he? I thought about playing it
cool.
I don’t need to say anything. If I
do, and then I find out he doesn’t feel the same way it will be weird between
us. No, there is no need for him to know. Friends, it is.
For the next few days I could not
stop thinking about Leo. It was getting harder to be near him, and all I wanted
to do was hide my feelings.
“Mia, are you okay?” he asked.
I grabbed one of the books in my
locker and responded with a smile, “I am fine, Leo.”
“Well, I wasn’t sure.”
I looked into his eyes, and he
stared at me with a puzzled look.
I sighed. “Leo, what is the
matter?”
“Well, I notice you are wearing two
different types of shoes today.”
“What are you talking about?”
He smiled and pointed down.
I was mortified. Leo was right. My
shoes didn’t match. One was my running shoe for gym, and the other was my dance
shoe. I did not know what to do.
“It is okay, Mia.”
Okay? How can he think it is okay?
Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Mia, it is okay.” He came closer.
“The only reason I asked is because my socks don’t match today.”
I smiled and looked down at his
feet. “Oh, that’s right.”
We laughed together, and then I
realized that the bell was about to ring, and here I stood wearing shoes that
didn’t match with a guy who was wearing mismatched socks.
“I say we blame the weather.”
I nodded. “That is right.” Michigan
weather was always changing, and even though it was April cold temps still blew
in from time to time to disorient you.
“Come on. I will walk you to
class.” He grabbed my hand.
I looked up at him. “What are you
doing?”
“Well, don’t you think it is about
time we make it official?”
“Official?”
“You know I want you to be my
girlfriend.”
I blinked. “You do?”
He nodded. “Yes. Do you accept?”
I felt my heart racing again, and it
was hard to get the words out. “Yes, I accept.”
He held my hand as he walked me to
my next class, and I didn’t care about my shoes anymore.
“I will see you in English class,
Mia.”
I smiled. “See you then, Leo.”
I can recall this day as if it were
yesterday. If only there was a way to go back. I knew from that day on that Leo
Dancy would be my soul mate—someone I wanted to be with the rest of my days. I
fell in love with every part of him.
He was one of the nicest people you
could ever meet. Oh, I get so teary-eyed as I remember everything. But that’s
all in the past. There is no future for us.
No, I refuse to think that way.
This just can’t be the end. I do not want to wake up. I want to stay asleep.
Leo, my love, I want you to take me with you. Please take me with you.
This book began its journey in 2013 for the National Novel Month but the idea for this book began in July of this same year. You know it is amazing how one character from a show can impact so much of my life and it did when I awoke to the tragic news of his death. It was something so profound and for me it felt like losing a part of my family. I thought about the pain and hurt it caused those he loved and this is when Chasing Clarity was born. However I did not want to write his story. It was more about bringing the theme of love and loss and how my main character Mia will try to overcome the tragic obstacles and be able to find a purpose and pursue on her dreams. I know friends who are like family that have been through this type of pain and my hope is that Mia’s story will help in the healing process of their own hearts.
Book Trailer:
About the Author:
Author Sylvia Stein began her path to writing when she joined the Writer’s Group on Linked in 750 in 2012 and she also started to connect with other authors through the World Literary Café. She continued her journey by creating short stories, which were published, in the Giant tales Anthology series. While obtaining her Masters degree at Southern New Hampshire University online author Stein built a solid foundation with her colleagues who encouraged her to continue on her writing. That’s when Closure was born. With the help of her editor Closure grew from a short story to a full novella that Author Stein is excited to share. Her First Debut Novel came in July 31, 2014 entitled, Closure and now she has just released her first YA called Chasing Clarity out October 5th 2015 . “ This is the first of many to come.”
No comments:
Post a Comment