Kim sat in her room studying a ballet flyer that she had seen her brother reading earlier that day. She looked at it with bitter disappointment and anger. The ballet flyer informed the public about an upcoming audition for a ballet that the community was performing. To Kim's disgust, her younger brother Jackie was planning to audition as one of the dancers.

Jackie's ultimate dream was to become a ballet dancer, and he was already taking classes every week. However, Kim was irritated at her brother for wanting to be such a feminine type of dancer. She found it embarrassing not only on his part but on hers as well. While Kim's friends' brothers strove to become scientists, doctors, or even the President of the United States, Kim's brother wanted to perform ballet! Kim had hoped that once Jackie began his ballet lessons, he would realize that ballet wasn't a boy's dance. But to her dismay, he actually enjoyed learning to dance and pirouette.

When word got around that the community was going to perform The Nutcracker, Jackie immediately seized his opportunity and signed up for auditions.

Kim heard a knock on her door. Jackie's head appeared in her doorway.

Kim scowled. “What do you want?”

“Mom just told me to tell you to get ready to go. We're going to my dance rehearsal so I can practice for my audition,” Jackie said cautiously.

Kim sighed and got up. “Oh, of course. You and your stupid dance rehearsals.”

“They aren't stupid!”

“Of course they are! What kind of boy wants to be a ballerina?” Kim paused and then asked in a mocking tone. “Who are you auditioning for, Clara?”

As she said this, Kim was suddenly hit with a memory of herself constantly making mistakes on her piano solo. Despite her lack of confidence, Jackie encouraged her and believed in her. He never teased her for her failures. Kim pushed the memory aside.

Jackie stayed silent and stared at the floor.

Kim's eyes widened. “You can't be serious! First you want to do ballet; now you want to play the role of a girl?”


“You once said that I can be anything I wanted,” Jackie yelled back.

“Yeah, anything but a girl,” Kim muttered then added, “I'm not going.”

Jackie stared at her with disgust and ran back down the hall. Kim could hear him sniffing.
Oh, great. He went to complain to mom, Kim thought. She heard footsteps approaching her room. Here she comes to give me a long lecture.

Kim's mom walked into the room and beckoned for Kim to follow her towards the car. Kim rolled her eyes and walked to the car with her mom, where Jackie was waiting. Kim noticed that his eyes were red.

“Jackie's always been there for you, so you should be there for him,” Kim's mom said. “After all, he is your brother whether you like it or not.”

Kim frowned but got into the car. She sat in the backseat, opposite of Jackie. Kim glanced nervously at Jackie during the car ride, but her brother refused to look at her. He just stared out the window, so Kim sighed and looked out her respective window too. She watched as their car passed a familiar playground that she and Jackie used to play on when they were younger. The nostalgia overwhelmed her- her parents sitting on a nearby bench as Kim and Jackie laughed and took turns pushing each other on the swings, Jackie stopping Kim's swing and leading her to an area under the slide.

“I'm going to tell you a secret,” Jackie had whispered. “Don't tell anyone, not even mom or dad.”

Kim had nodded, leaning over curiously. She had felt honored that Jackie trusted her with his secret.

Kim's mind returned to the present. The car was completely silent and the silence suddenly made her uncomfortable. There was no music playing to keep her mind on other matters; the memories of the past just continued streaming back.

Is it fair that I am angry at my brother because he wants to fulfill his dream? Kim pondered. He was always there for me, trusting and accepting my plans. Why shouldn't I do the same?

The car stopped in front of Jackie's ballet school. Kim's mom prepared to get out of the car, but Kim interfered.

“Actually, mom. I'd like to accompany him inside today.”

Kim's mom looked surprised but sat back down. “Okay then.”

On the way to his classroom, Jackie kept on sneaking uneasy glances at his sister.

Kim laughed. “You know Jackie, I bet that you're better than all those other dancers who are going to audition. They probably aren't nearly as graceful as you.” She stopped in front of Jackie's classroom door and gave her brother a gentle slap on the back.

Jackie looked flabbergasted.

“You better practice a lot,” Kim said. “You're going to need it if you have any chance of getting Clara. And you better get her because no brother of mine comes in second.”

Jackie blinked and stared at his sister as though she was an illusion.

“You mean, you want me to...you believe...” he stammered.

“Of course, I do! If this is what you want to be, then go! You are my brother after all. Besides, I'd be absolutely miserable if I spend my entire life hating you.”

Jackie still seemed dazed but smiled and walked into his studio. Kim watched as he grabbed the barre and got into first position. She prepared to leave, but a stack of papers with familiar-looking flyers caught her eye.

Kim took one of the flyers; it was an advertisement for Jackie's ballet school. She remembered the day that Jackie brought one back from school, asking his parents if he could enroll. That had been nearly a year ago, when she was just starting the sixth grade. Back then, whenever Kim saw a flyer from the ballet school, she had ripped it into a hundred pieces and thrown it into the nearest trash can. Now, however, she folded the flyer gently and slipped it into her pocket.

Kim recalled that a friend once told her that he had a secret dream of becoming a ballerina. She had laughed and teased him about his dream. Kim grinned as she walked through the halls of the ballet school, imagining her friend's reaction when she suggested that he start pursuing his dream as well.