The next dancer was Malik, with Brock right behind him. His hair back to white, Malik had decorated his golden wheelchair with what looked like a zillion (well, maybe a couple dozen) gold-painted paper plates. He must’ve used up all the gold paint in the arts and crafts barn, but he, uh, literally glowed. The song he chose was so slick—“Goldfinger.” I loved it! He kept his face serious, his eyes squinting a little, James Bond–like, as he wheelchair-sashayed across the floor. It was awesome. When he was done, lots of whistles joined the cheers.
Jocelyn, her head down, smoothing the front of the cute cropped pants she had on, made her way across the floor next. “I’m gonna dance to ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’ I know this is a baby, baby, baby song,” she said, fierceness in her voice. “But I don’t care. Every night during Fire Time, we look up at the stars. And I love, love, love the stars!”
We broke into applause immediately—why couldn’t she dance to any song she wanted to? Cassie gave her a thumbs-up, and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” tinkled through the speakers. Oh, I knew this version, by Jewel—Mom used to play it for me. The song was perfect—for the star-filled night, and for Jocelyn.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky…
Jocelyn quietly, quietly began reaching for the stars, slowly, gracefully, until she was almost on tiptoe. Then she swept left, swept right, almost as if she were gathering them up. It was simply enchanting. She looked around, like she was surprised, and head down, trotted off the stage as everyone clapped and cheered for her. But her smile was huge.
The next few kids, I didn’t know real well. But it was fun to sit huddled in a blanket and watch them do their thing. I hoped I remembered some of these songs; I wanted to add them to my playlist.
As the next song blasted onto the speakers, Noah and Devin, along with two of the Badger boys, literally slid onto the dance floor. Okay, I sat up a little straighter—Noah was in a chair! Probably because it was easier than a walker for dancing. It looked like the one he’d used for that pontoon trip.
And the two boys from the Badgers wore wheelie shoes! I always thought it would be a blast to have sneakers that you could just lean back on and suddenly you’re rolling. As they maneuvered Noah and Devin in their chairs, they spun and jerked and jammed around to “Old Time Rock and Roll” as if they’d practiced for months. Sleek and liquid-smooth one second, hip and funky the next.
A bunch of the guys started playing air guitar along with the beat. At the end, the guys bowed and applauded themselves so many times that Jeremiah had to shout at them to quit it to get them off the stage. Loved it!
A group of girls, all in short-short skirts and white T-shirts tied at the waist, all of them on walkers, asked for “Macarena,” giggling hysterically. They must have been here last year, as they were READY. I had no idea what the steps of that dance were supposed to look like, but they sure looked like they were having a blast. Soon everyone was shimmying their shoulders to the rhythm, including me.
I wish I could have had the chance to get to know them, too. But hey, maybe next year! Oh, was I already thinking about next year? Mom would be cracking up if she knew….
When the cheers and laughter had quieted, Cassie asked if anyone else wanted to solo before she opened up the dance floor to the whole group. I hesitated. But then I raised my hand. Then I snatched it down fast. What was I thinking? You can’t dance—you can’t even walk!
I’d seen those weekly dance competitions on television, where stars and ordinary people performed for fame and money. I’d watched Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on the old black-and-white movies Mom liked. I’d seen videos of ballroom dancing and boogie blowouts and hip-hop rhythms I could barely follow with my eyes—let alone my feet. That kind of movement was for someone else, for someone who would walk and run and glide on cushions of air.
So never in my life had I considered… this. I asked the insides of me, Should I even try?
“Melody?” Cassie said encouragingly. Rats! She must have seen my hand up, gahh! But then, everyone else began to clap in perfect time, as if this was the most ordinary event in the world—a girl who could not walk getting up on a stage to dance. I know, I know, a bunch of kids just did that. But not… ME. I had to be nutso. But everybody continued to clap—wow, synchronized clapping was loud! And all for me to get out there and embarrass myself—and yep, dance. It was an ordinary starry night and I was hanging out with my friends. No, I was a total liar. This was not ordinary at all. This was me. And I am gonna dance!
A wisp of wind blew across us, making the edge of my dress flutter. Even my dress wanted me to dance! I poked Jocelyn’s arm. She seemed to read my thoughts immediately. “Let’s do it. Do it. Do it. Me and you. Me and you. Me and you!” she said in a whisper. She grabbed my hand grips, and we rolled to the front and up the ramp, Karyn and Athena hollering like crazy.
Cassie beamed at me and searched for just the right song. I heard her say, “Yes!” when she found the one she was looking for. The first few bars of the music floated up, and oh yeah—I knew this one! It was “Wings” by Little Mix.
“You ready, ready, ready?” Jocelyn asked.
Yep. Yep. Yep. I nodded.
Jocelyn pushed and twirled and swirled me. My red dress rippled and ruffled around my legs. I hummed along with the singer, and lifted my thin arms up to the night sky like wings. And. I. Danced.
CHAPTER 45
When my heart stopped pounding long enough for me to actually begin to hear again, what I heard was Cassie shouting over the cheers—cheers for me?!—for people to quiet down, quiet down. Then she announced that the floor was now open to everyone. So many kids got on that floor! Walkers and wheelchairs and canes and braces. I watched as friends danced with friends, guys got silly, and girls got sillier. Campers twirled each other’s chairs around in circles, nearly causing a few collisions but swerving at the last second. They played all the latest songs. I was going to have the BEST playlist when I got home! Then “Y.M.C.A.” came on and everyone went ballistic! Even I knew what to do for that one, and it didn’t matter if my arms went wild.