***
The school meeting took place the following Monday.
Mr. Pierce met them in the auditorium after classes.
He was a thoughtful-looking man in his thirties who taught music and coordinated the school’s annual showcase.
He seemed surprised when June arrived with her parents and Elena.
But he welcomed them.
“I understand you have concerns about the dance,” he said.
June opened her notebook.
“Yes.”
Mr. Pierce sat beside the stage.
“Tell me.”
June took a breath.
“I want to perform with my class. Not just run the music.”
He nodded.
“I understand.”
“But you said the stage was too crowded.”
“It is fairly crowded. We have twenty-four children moving in different directions.”
June looked toward Elena.
She gave an encouraging nod.
Then June continued.
“I drew another formation.”
She opened the notebook to a page she’d worked on over the weekend.
The arrows were clearer now.
She’d marked the stage dimensions using measurements her father found in the school’s event information.
“I thought if everyone made a bigger circle, there might be room for me to turn with them.”
Mr. Pierce studied the page.
He looked genuinely interested.
“Did you design this yourself?”
“Mostly. Dad helped with the measurements.”
Owen smiled.
