"Oh. I guess it would. Um - do you ever feel like what you're doing now is really hard and everything is moving really slow and nothing interesting is happening and like there isn't enough stuff to hold your attention and like you wish something else would happen just so you could think about that and not have to think about the thing you're actually doing?"

"Oh, that's exactly what reading is like! But not dancing. Dancing is like... even when I'm doing something really hard and I can't get it right and I'm just failing over and over again trying to figure out how to make it work, it's still... I'm still moving."

"Oh! That's good then. D'you, um, ever wish it wasn't like that for reading?"

"I guess I do sometimes. I dunno. But at least now I know that if you read things to me I can get them in my head without having to sit still with my nose in a book for hours?"

"Oh, yeah, that's true. I guess that makes it better."

"Yeah. I'm really glad we're friends, Duck."

"Me too!"

"Oh, hey, speaking of ballet, do you need to practice?"

"Mmmmmmayyybe."

He laughs. "Well, c'mon then. I'll help."

"OK! I'll do my best!"

The next day, Mr. Cat announces that the ballet division will be putting on a performance of Coppélia for the school's annual fall art festival. Students who wish to try out for major roles should report to the practice hall three days from now at 3:15 sharp.

"And do be sure to practice your roles before try-outs. I will know." 

"Are you going to try out?" asks Pique.

"Don't worry Duck! Even if you fail, I'll comfort you!" says Lilie.

"Oh! No, no, no, I could never."

"I'm gonna try out. Not sure what for, though. Maybe I'll practice everything just to be sure."

"Wow, that'd be a lot of practicing! But I guess if you were going to practice a whole lot anyway, then maybe it'd be fun to learn some of all the parts."

"And why would I ever spend a spare hour not dancing?"

"Yeah, so then it makes lots of sense for you!"

"I'd help you practice if you wanted to try out too," he offers. "You probably won't get in, but practice is still practice."

"Oh, I mean, uh, I think the major roles probably all involve dancing en pointe, so I couldn't do it even if I wanted to, so it really wouldn't make any sense to try out at all - "

"Come on, Duck! If you never try anything hard, you'll never be able to progress from where you are now!"

"Yeah! Try your hardest, so you fall as far as possible!"

He giggles. "It's okay, you don't have to! There's always next year."

"Yeah, next year!"

Will she even be human next year? There is actually no way at all to be sure of this.

"But oh! Um, um, if you want to try to be Franz, I think he has to dance with Swanhilda and stuff, so - of course it'd be better if you had someone else to stand in while you practice, but if you don't, then maybe I could do that for you!"

"Aww, that'd be nice!"

"OK! I'll do my best!"