Caliente

Breathing hard off the stage, I was getting so nervous to go ONstage. This was a NATIONAL competition. The real thing. My fears were soon calmed as I felt a hand wrap around me and a cheek on mine.1

Kevin*...2

That boy made me melt inside at that very moment. "Are you ready for this?" he asked.3

"Trying to be. I may need to my stress ball soon..."4

"We'll do fine. These people against us so far aren't very good."5

"Yah. I should probably go over now. We're on in two numbers."6

He gave me a tight squeeze and said, "I love you." I started walking to the other side of the stage where I entered for our dance.7

I slowly walked behind the back curtain, praying the whole way.8

"God, help me. I know I can't do this dance on my own. Please keep me safe. Thank you for Kevin. I love him so much and he's the best dance partner a girl could have."9

After what seemed like miles, I got to the other side and watched the duo before ours. "Wow, they really do stink," I thought.10

I took off my warm-up jacket as the announcer called out, "Number 182, Caliente!"11

I heard the specific scream of Catherine* as me and Kevin walked on the stage and got into our pose. I prayed silently over and over, "God, help me. God, help me."12

The music started, and so did we. I don't know how I was thinking things during the dance, but I was.13

"Don't forget to pointe your feet on this next part."14

"Kevin looks so caliente in his costume."15

Things like that. As we did the mambo, turned, leaped, and smiled, the crowd was going crazy. My friend, Catherine, always screamed the loudest for us and I could always pick her out perfectly. She was in love with Travis too.16

But look at who he picked! Look at who he was dancing with. Me. Out of all the girls he knows.17

The music finally came to an end and we hit the final pose with pride. We bowed and walked off with a Latin flair and the first thing I felt when I was offstage was arms around me. We had the thousand mile walk to the other side of the stage where the backstage was and, at that moment, I wished it was even longer. 18

We held hands as we walked to the other side behind the big black curtain. That was the last time I was ever to dance that duo with him unless we got chosen for the TV show (which was highly unlikely). 19

If it wasn't for this dance, a beautiful relationship may not have formed. We had taken it to Denver, Colorado for a competition and, on that trip, we found out we liked each other. 20

Now, nine months later, we are still going strong. He lives at a boarding school in California and we are miles apart, but I don't doubt his words of "I love you" for a second. I can only hope that he knows that our love isn't the least bit shaky over here in New Mexico.21