Part 1 "Leroy's Last Dance"
Leroy Johnson walks down a darkened corridor towards the lobby for the last time. Lockers have been left open and old term papers litter the floor. Leroy thinks he’s alone until he notices the janitor at the far end of the corridor, cursing to himself about all the mess the students have left behind. It’s the last day of term and the students had been in high spirits. Leroy had stayed behind after most people had left to say a final goodbye to the school because after 4 years he was leaving the School of the Arts and graduating.
“Graduating” it still hadn’t really sunk in and he looks again at the diploma in his hand. He never thought this day would come especially after all the fights he’d had with Miss Sherwood trying to teach him to read properly and actually do his English assignments. Heck, 4 years ago he probably wouldn’t even have been able to read and understand the words on his diploma. Things seemed weird because when he first started at the school he’d always thought he would have been kicked out of school long before graduation came up. He thinks back to one of those first arguments he’d had with Miss Sherwood:
Leroy: “…You’ve been down on me since day one, when you should have been out
there testifying to all that new life I donated to your tired little school.”
Sherwood: “I am down, as you say, on your big mouth, your little closed mind, your
rude manners and you’re 4th grade reading level.”
Leroy: “Yeah? It’s not my reading level you’re working, its racial discrimination.”
Sherwood: “Dis-crim-in-a-tion? Well, how about that, five whole syllables. There’s
hope for you yet, if I find your missing assignment on my desk tomorrow
morning.”
Leroy: “and if you don’t?”
Sherwood: “You’ll be dancing right out of this school!”
He laughs to himself “Miss Sherwood”, she’d been like the best friend and worst enemy all rolled into one and constantly on his case, but there were good times too. Like when she asked him to teach her to dance for the teachers show. At first he wasn’t sure she’d get it but with a little hard work and tuition from him she did just fine and he felt really proud of her.
Then there was the time she was off from work after her ex husband died. Strangely Leroy realised for the first time just how important she was to him and that he was actually missing her, so went to her apartment to see her.
Sherwood: “…What I teach has value and I’m sick and tired of apologizing for what I do. I’m sick and tired of begging people to listen to me. I’m sick and tired of trying to coax people to speak the language properly. I’m sick and tired! And, er.. when that telegram came about Nick’s death. He had cancer and nobody on his side of the family had the decency to tell me he’d even been ill. It was like I didn’t matter, to him, to the school, to anybody, anywhere. And that’s when something inside broke.”
Leroy: “You Matter to me.”
There had been so many times he and Sherwood had connected over the last 4 years, so earlier that day, just before lunch, He’d stopped off at her English room, where she was grading papers, to say a final goodbye to her:
“Miss Sherwood, I just wanted to, erm, give you this and say goodbye”. He stretches out his hand clutching some chocolates and gives her a half smile.
Sherwood is a little surprised by the gesture but reaching forward she accepts the gift. “Leroy, you didn’t have to buy me anything, but thank you very much. It looks like my diet will have to wait for awhile now.”
Leroy shrugs, and then takes a deep breath. Sherwood can see there are tears in his eyes as he says “Miss Sherwood, I just wanted to thank you for never giving up on me. I know it must have been difficult at times and I really put you through it, but without you always trying to help me and making me read and stuff, I really don’t think I’d be here graduating today. I’d probably have given up by now or this school would have given up on me.”
Sherwood looks at him and smiles even though there are now tears in her eyes, as Leroy continues. “It’s like you’ve been a good friend always looking out for me, guiding me and I just wanted to say I really appreciate it, thanks Miss Sherwood.”
Sherwood shakes her head slowly, “Leroy, I know you didn’t always appreciate my help at the time, and that led to some big arguments between us, but seeing you come so far and achieve so much, and what you’ve said today, means a great deal to me. It makes me realise that all those battles we had and all those headaches you gave me were actually worth it. You kept me on my toes and you kept my job interesting but at the same time the outcome has been so worthwhile. I feel so proud of you."
They stand looking at each other for a moment with no words until Sherwood breaks the silence. “Now get out of it before you make me cry, damit!”
They both laugh as Leroy turns and leaves the room. Sherwood watches him go and gently wipes away the tear that is rolling down her cheek.
Leroy slows his pace as he approaches the dance rehearsal room. He comes to a stop as he reaches the door and gazes through the window. The room is empty and in semi darkness and Leroy can see the rain falling against the big windows opposite. As he looks around memories of the events that took place in the room flood back into Leroy’s mind.
Lydia: “You got big dreams? You want Fame? Well Fame costs and right here is
where you start paying, in sweat!”
Leroy hadn’t been too sure of Miss Grant at first. She seemed too tough and he wasn’t sure he could put up with her discipline as she was always on at him to be on time for class and rehearsals and about wearing the right dance clothes including those dreaded tights.
Lydia: “What are you wearing Leroy?”
Leroy: “Dancing clothes!”,
Lydia: “This isn’t Roseland.”
Leroy: “This isn’t dancing!”
Lydia: “That’s cute Leroy, you know you’re real cute; but either you dress properly
for my class or you won’t be in it!”
However, he soon realised how privileged he was to be taught by such an excellent dancer and teacher. He admired her greatly and strived to make her proud of him. With his Mother living so far away Miss Grant had almost been like a surrogate Mother to him and he hated it when she was mad at him. It was important to him having the title of the best dancer in school and knew that Miss Grant didn’t give that title out lightly. Having that reputation meant he got so many leads in the shows which meant spending even more time rehearsing with Miss Grant, which he didn’t mind at all because over the years he had developed a bit of a crush on her.
He thinks back to earlier that day when he’d said his goodbyes to Miss Grant. It was just after lunch and he’d been coming out of the cafeteria with Jesse and Chris.
Chris was saying “Man I can’t believe you’ve finally graduated and now I get to be the best dancer in the school!”
Leroy raised his eyebrow at the comment but a disgruntled Jesse was the first to speak. “Donlon, you think you’re the best dancer in the school now, Leroy is leaving? Well what about me?”
Chris was confused “What about you Man?”
Jesse continues “Well just because Leroy has gone you’ve still got me to compete with for the best dancer in the school title.”
Chris laughs “you’re no competition! I know Miss Grant thinks it’s me”.
Leroy tiring of the conversation interrupts “Well I aint left yet so until next semester I’m still the best dancer here, period!”
At that point Lydia called over a sharp tone to her voice,
“Mr Johnson can I have a word with you please?”
Leroy heads over to the dance classroom and waits expectantly for Lydia to tell him what she wants, but for a few moments there is silence.
Lydia eventually snaps “Well, I’m waiting!”
Leroy is puzzled “Waiting for what?”
Lydia continues, “I’ve just finished having lunch with Miss Sherwood and you know what she was showing me a lovely big box of chocolates that she’d been given. No offence to Miss Sherwood but am I to believe that an English Teacher is now more popular than the beautiful, talented, gracious dance teacher, who has worked to the bone for 4 years to make you into the best dancer possible?”
Leroy smiles “Are you jealous?”
Lydia becomes defensive “No, I’m not jealous, just a little surprised is all”.
Leroy takes her hand, “Well it’s not chocolates but I do have something for you.”
Lydia is intrigues as he leads her over to the cassette player, takes out a tape and presses play. He then turns to her as the light jazzy music fills the room. “I thought you’d like the opportunity to dance with me one more time. May I have this dance please?”
A lump comes to Lydia’s throat as realization dawns on her that her baby bird is finally grown and leaving the nest. She swallows hard, and answers: “I’d be honoured.”
The two dance around the room, filling every available space. Leroy grabs her, putting his hands to her waist and gently lifts her into the air. As her feet find themselves back on the wooden dance floor, the music starts to quicken and Leroy grabs her hand and spins her round. Lydia can’t help think just what an excellent dancer Leroy is and smiles as they continue gliding around the room together.
As the music ends the two dancers come to a stop holding each other close. Lydia speaks first: “Thank you Leroy that was a wonderful parting gift, better than a box of chocolates any day. Things are going to seem pretty quiet around here without you and I’m really going to miss you.”
Leroy interrupts: “Thank you Miss Grant, thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I’m really going to miss you too. Hey, we’re going to keep in touch right?
Lydia nods “you betcha”.
Leroy: “Maybe we could go to an audition together some time?”
Lydia smiles: “I like that idea! Sure we’ll do that sometime. Now come here and give me a hug.”
The two embrace and hug each other for what seems like the longest time, neither wanting to be the first to break the hold.
Eventually Lydia reluctantly says “I gotta go, Mr Morloch has scheduled a faculty meeting this afternoon. Most other places will be celebrating the last day of School but not Mr Morloch. Anyone would think he didn’t want the last day of school to end.”
A bittersweet smile crosses Leroy’s face at the memory. He takes a deep breath and then takes one last look at the dance room and then the corridor where he had walked down.
He mutters to himself “I sure am gonna miss this place”.
As he turns to walk to the lobby he hears voices and laughter coming from the cafeteria. He moves across the corridor to the door which is standing ajar and sees Cleo, Nicole and Jesse. He stands unnoticed listening to the three friends reminiscing and realises he’s not the only one dragging his feet saying goodbye to the school that they all love.
Just as he turns to leave he hears his name mentioned which stops him in his tracks.
Cleo: “That Leroy, he really put me through some changes”.
Nicole: “Well, I think he went through some changes himself”.
Jesse: “Like that time his father came back after all these years.”
Leroy’s thoughts suddenly changed to memories of his Father. It had been nearly 7 months since Vernon had turned up unexpectedly at School right before Thanksgiving and enrolled as a student, causing all those feelings of anger, abandonment and resentment to resurface.
Leroy: “Take a good look around. You say you want to get to know me, you want to
see how I live. As if you ever cared”.
Vernon: “I’m here because I care”.
Leroy: “Oh please, it’s a little late for that now. Come over here and check out this
view. Oh you can get a real good look at the drugs in the alley from here.
What you standing over there for, come look! This is what you left me, this is
your legacy!”
Vernon: “Leroy, I’m sorry. I’M SORRY!”
Leroy: “Sorry, what’s that gonna do for me?”
Vernon: “Dam it boy, when are you going to start listening? When are you gonna
stop cutting me off and shutting me down?”
Leroy: “Never! I’m never gonna stop! You know what? In fact get the hell out of here.
Vernon: “I’m not going until I say what I came to say. There’s a whole lot you
don’t know about me. First off, I ain’t been living much better than this. Now
maybe I was selfish”.
Leroy: “MAYBE?!”
Vernon: “Okay, I was selfish. But I wanted something. I wanted to dance. When I
married you Mother, she wanted it too.”
Leroy: “Leave her out of this.”
Vernon: “No she’s in THIS. She wanted me to stop. She wanted ME to stop
Dancing”.
Leroy: “She wanted you to make a livin’!”
Vernon: “and I tried! Telling me not to dance is like telling a bird not to fly. I had to
fly, boy, I HAD to fly! And Don’t tell me you can’t understand that, ‘cause I
see it in you?”
Leroy: “Well tell me then why didn’t you come back? You said you were coming back,
you promised me. And you never did.”
Vernon: “I’ll make it up to you.”
Leroy: “Sure you can make it up to me but make it up to that little kid. The little kid
you lied to man. You’re a liar!”
Vernon: “I wanted to come back.
Leroy: “Well wanted don’t cut it no more, it don’t cut it with me. It’s like I wrote you
off a long time ago. You’re dead to me!”
Vernon: “No, don’t say that.”
Leroy: “I’m saying it and I mean it. You’re dead to me!”
Vernon: “No, don’t say that!”
Tears roll down his face and not wanting to be seen he moves to the bench by the lobby stairs and sits down. He rubs the tears from his eyes and gets frustrated with himself that thought of his Father still gets to him so much. In the 7 months since Vernon’s sudden reappearance and just as sudden departure there hadn’t been much contact between the two. Just a postcard at Christmas that stated his Father was in a show in Boston but would be returning to New York soon and he was looking forward to dancing with his son. Six months had now gone by so it didn’t look as though that promise would be coming true any time soon.
Leroy rubbed his head, he had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that he and his Father would never have the kind of relationship that he would have liked. He remembered how Bruno was with his Dad before he died and all the times he’d wished that he and his own father could have a relationship like that but he knew it wasn’t possible. He pulls himself together deciding his Father isn’t worth any more of his tears.
Instead he decides to turn his thoughts to the important things in his life, the dancing and the working and friendships. He remembers telling Miss Sherwood years before:
"The dancing and the working is not just something that I do it's somethig that I am."
He smiles as faces of the people that count in his life come to his mind, his friends, the friends he’d made at this wonderful school, Doris, Danny, Bruno, Julie, Holly, Chris, Nicole, Jesse, Cleo and Coco. He couldn’t help but smile wider at the thought of the special bond he had with Coco. Maybe he’d go and stay with her for awhile now that school was finally over.
A tune suddenly starts to go round his head and he begins to sing along to it:
“It's better with a friend
Standing' by your side
Sharing all the good times
There when you laugh or you cry till the end
It's so much better with friends
And your my friend.
It’s better with a friend, It’s better………”
End of Part One.