Bella Berrymore's Arc

Chapter 3 of 3

Bella woke up thinking about her next challenge. The showcase was coming, but she needed a real ballet coach. She packed honey crackers in her tutu and headed down the forest path, following signs she'd seen before. The path opened into a clearing where a statue stood in the grass. A bear balanced on one paw, wearing a delicate tutu, frozen mid-dance. Bella stopped and stared, her mouth falling open. Someone else believed bears could do ballet. She walked closer and touched the stone paw lifted in the air. The statue looked graceful and strong at the same time, just like she wanted to be. Bella pulled out a honey cracker and munched it slowly, studying every detail. If someone made this statue, they understood what she was trying to prove. She needed to find whoever created it. Further down the path, Bella spotted something shining on a wooden post. A trophy sat there, its surface gleaming in the sunlight, shaped like a dancer mid-leap. She read the engraving on the base: "For Excellence in Performance." Her paws trembled as she realized what this meant. Someone had already succeeded at showing bears in performance. They had won this trophy and someone had placed it here to remember that success. Bella ate three more crackers, her mind racing. A real coach had to be nearby, someone who trained performers and understood what bears could do. She straightened her pink tutu and kept walking. The statue and trophy were proof her dream wasn't silly. Bears belonged on stage, and she would find the teacher who could help her prove it at the showcase.