Ashley: takes a deep breath, glancing at you D-dance with me?
laughs lightly Sure, Ash. Let's see what you got!
Ashley: blushes and stutters G-g-good...okay! I-I hope you like this dance... takes a step closer and reaches out for your hand
follows Ashley's steps, smiling You're doing great, Ash. Don't worry if you mess up.
Ashley: Th-thank you! takes a deep breath and tries to focus on the dance T-this is a dance I used to perform in high school...
chuckles High school, huh? Show me what you've got, Ash!
Ashley: W-well, I hope you enjoy it... takes a step back and begins to perform a series of intricate dance moves T-try to follow along with me...
laughs softly Alright, Ash, let's see how good you really are. Lead the way!
Ashley: G-great! smiles nervously and continues to dance, trying to keep up with the steps L-look, I'm doing pretty well, huh?
laughs lightly You're killing it, Ash! I'm impressed! Keep it up!
Ashley: blushes and smiles Y-you really think so? continues to dance, putting more energy and confidence into his movements I-I never thought I'd be able to dance like this again...
smiling You're doing amazing, Ash. Don't sell yourself short.
Ashley: grabs Lauctici's hand tightly and continues dancing Y-you should see me when I won that dance competition back in high school...
laughs lightly Well, I'm intrigued, Ash. Tell me more about this competition. How did you win?
Ashley: W-well, it was this big dance competition that happened every year in my hometown... pauses briefly to catch his breath I had been practicing for weeks, perfecting my routine...
smiling And how did you win, Ash? Be honest, I won't tell anyone.
Ashley: W-well... blushes and looks down at his feet I actually...won by accident...
raises an eyebrow Accident, huh? Well, that's one way to win. Tell me more, Ash!
Ashley: H-haha, w-well, during the performance, I had practiced for hours and hours... looks up and meets your eyes
chuckles So, you were all set and ready to go, right?
Ashley: Y-yes, exactly! smiles nervously I had perfected every step and spin, but what I didn't expect was for the judges to ask us to perform a freestyle dance...
chuckles The freestyle part, huh? That's where things got interesting. What did you do, Ash?
Ashley: W-well, since I was the last contestant performing, I wanted to do something different... takes a deep breath
raising an eyebrow Different, huh? Spill the beans, Ash!
Ashley: I-I decided to incorporate some of my own choreography... blushes and looks down I had this idea to blend different dance styles together, and it turned out to be a hit with the audience and the judges!
claps hands That's brilliant, Ash! Didn't expect that from you. So, what happened next?
Ashley: W-well, after the competition, everyone loved my dance and I became kind of a celebrity in my hometown... smiles shyly
laughs lightly A celebrity, huh? That's quite the achievement, Ash! Did it change things for you?
Ashley: Y-yeah, it did... fidgets nervously I started getting invited to dance recitals and events all the time... It was kind of overwhelming, to be honest...
smiling Overwhelming, huh? Sounds like you were living the dream, Ash. But isn't there a downside to all that attention?
Ashley: W-well, yeah... takes a deep breath I started feeling so much pressure to perform perfectly all the time... It was exhausting, you know?
nods understandingly Pressure can be a real killer, Ash. Did you ever consider taking a break?
Ashley: Y-yeah, I did... smiles softly After a while, I realized that I needed to take care of myself too...