Sous-Sus: Premier Jewels

Chapter Eight: Love on the Dance Floor

ILSE

"Een, twee, drie!"

Clang! Clack! Bang!

"Myla! Ilse!" Dad bellows from down the stairs. "How many times have I told you two not to push your suitcase down the stairs!? You're gonna ruin the wood!"

"Sorry!" Myla apologizes. "It's a parting gift. We're never gonna get a chance to push our suitcase down these stairs again."

Dad comes into view. "You're not allowed to do it at the new house too."

I rush down the stairs with Myla. "I can't believe we're moving."

With the twins' birth, the house was becoming a little crowded; Dad's office was turned into a nursery for them.

Neil's voice comes through from the living room, where he and Joah were watching t.v. "I can't believe that you guys get to go to Miami, Nevada, and Los Angeles for the next four weeks, while we," he gestures to Joah and himself, "do the actual moving."

"Well, we made it easier for you guys," I assure them. "We've packed and organized everything. We even wrote down a list of what's in each box; all you guys have to do is move them into the new house, carry them into our new rooms, and unpack them. Easy right."

Joah glares at me. "You're a brat."

"I know," I chirp.

Dad chuckles. "Are the two of you packed?"

"I am!" Myla calls from the kitchen. She walks into the living room with Valencia.

Dad raises an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Don't worry, Dad," I told him. "I helped her pack, and we packed for five weeks instead of four, so we have extras."

Dad looks at his watch. "Good, because if we don't head to the studio now, the bus is gonna leave for the airport without you two in it. Joah, Neil help me bring their suitcases into the car. Think of it as practice for the next few days."

The two of them groan as they follow Dad out to the car, each of them carrying a suitcase.

"Are you sure that's what you guys wanna wear?" Valencia asks Myla and me.

I look down at myself. I'm wearing a blue halter neck water crop top with matching ginger shorts and blue bow tie slippers; my hair is in a loose bun. Looking over at Myla, who was wearing a red, white striped tape side hooded top with matching pants and white slip-on.

I shrugged, "We're going to be on a plane for about two hours. There's no point in getting dressed up."

"Besides," Dad says from the doorway, "They don't have time to change. Come on, you two, you're gonna be late."

✽✽✽

When we arrived in Miami, we headed for the studio we were borrowing for the week. The girls and I separated from the moms to change into our dance clothes.

When we were all changed, we entered the studio where Mom and the other moms are waiting.

Mom looks around and notices that people are missing. "Alright... Where's Cathy? Where's Vivi-anne?"

"Don't know," Melissa shrugs.

"Right now, I am at the end of my rope with Cathy!" Mom hisses. She turns back to the pyramid. "Mackenzie, you and Vivi- Anne were supposed to have a duet, but no Vivi, so you might be doing 'Summer' by yourself. Chloe, you're gonna take a week off.

"No new solo for you. I think you need to work on your technique. I was happy with fourth place, but your mother wasn't, and I don't think you were either. Nia, I was happy with you; your mother was not happy with the choreography, so we're gonna work on that."