The unscripted scenario

Reality Check

annndddd as promised, another one  :)

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Amaia couldn't help but wonder when everything had turned into such a shitshow. The girls were gathered in their team room, as the judges had announced they would need to pick worst performance, after watching all the group videos for the mega crew mission. Amaia's heart was sinking with each passing moment, not liking at all what she was hearing.

The girls seemed to be leaning towards voting for Bebe, and it was a strategic move. It was as clear as day to everyone that 1Million had aced their performance, thanks to Lia Kim's choreography with 100 dancers. Voting against them would be plain ridiculous and impossible to justify. Bebe, on the other hand, hadn't racked up many penalties through the competition nor were ever put in a pressured situation. Their all-gender choreography was undeniably impressive, but felt overall below the other performances.

Amaia tried to suggest another team, but Audrey cut her off bluntly, her words landing like a gut punch. "Amaia, no offense, but I don't think you're exactly impartial right now. I'd usually listen to you, but it feels like you're doing this out of affection for Bada." Damn. She knew she was right but she hadn't expect to hear to truth so abruptly.

The room fell silent, and Kirsten's tone was unwavering as she spoke up, "Amaia, no matter what's happening outside, we've got to keep the competition separate. We're here to win, we've travelled a long way. We need to make the decision to ensure we're staying here for a while still".

Amaia felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and winced at the thought of disappointing her teammates with her lack of professionalism. Ling tried to offer some reassurance, her voice softer, "I get that it's a tough spot, but right now, voting for BEBE gives us the best chance to get in line with the others and weaken them."

Amaia nodded, feeling torn, and stayed quiet until they returned to the set to learn their scores from the judges and the public.

Meanwhile, Bada was fuming. Or heartbroken. Or embarrassed. She didn't really know anymore. She had let her team down once again, although this time, she had poured her heart and soul into it, staying true to herself. She had felt proud of the choreography she had created, but now, holding the "worst performance" card in her hands, all she could think about was how ashamed she felt and how ridiculous it must have looked like to the others. Of course the girls had tried to tell her it was fine and it must have been mostly strategical, but her ego still took a beating. She was cringing just thinking about the conversation that she had with Amaia the day before. 

Her ego was also bruised when she saw that even Jam Republic had voted against their performance, even though she knew it was as a team and it had nothing to do with a single person. She wiped her tears knowing she had to join her team on the set, but nothing felt right, as she realized it might be the last time she would set foot on it.

The atmosphere was heavy as Bebe appeared on set, looking utterly deflated, their spirits crushed by the "worst performance" label. Amaia tried to catch Bada's eyes as she joined the group a bit late, but the girl was not looking in her direction, probably intentionally. Even though Amaia understood, it did not lessen the sting especially as she caught sight of the red eyes of the other girl. She tried to convey her support with a tentative thumbs-up to Tatter, but the girl also seemed to be avoiding her. Amaia was starting to feel almost physically sick, her heart twisting in a gnawing fear that whatever was only starting to blossom between Bada and herself had just been instantly ruined by the competition.

And just when she thought her day couldn't possibly get worse, it did. Kirsten had just received one of the highest scores, and everything seemed to be going well for them, bringing a bit of optimism in their team, but that was until their earpieces relayed an unexpected message—minus 100 points. Amaia initially thought it was a mistake, but the deduction appeared on screen, confirming their worst fears.

Amaia's heart ached with despair. It made sense to be penalized for not meeting the dancer requirements, but she had expected a more reasonable deduction, perhaps something like 10 points per missing dancer, resulting in a maximum of -40 points. This, however, was a serious threat to their journey.

The room buzzed with shock and whispers, everyone taken aback by the staggering point deduction. Amaia had a sudden, sickening realization that this might be the moment they would be sent home. She wasn't ready for it. Kirsten, now called upon to comment, was on the verge of tears. In fact, she was openly sobbing. Amaia's heart shattered once more, witnessing their usually so confident leader so utterly crushed. The possibility of elimination suddenly becoming painfully real.

The atmosphere felt almost suffocating, threatening to send her in a panic attack. The cameras were hungry for their reactions, and Amaia tried to hide her face burying her head in Audrey's shoulders who looked worried for her friend for a second. Kirsten tried to maintain her professionalism, wiping away her tears, but their score was now trailing behind the one of their opponents. Amaia almost didn't hear when the judges announced the extra 100 points for the best use of the outdoor setting. Only when she sensed a collective sigh of relief did she dare to look, discovering that they had regained the points they were missing. Breathing became a bit easier, but she knew that until she was certain that Bebe was safe as well, the pressure wouldn't entirely dissipate.

Bada never wanted to relive that day ever again. First, there was the whole "worst performance" embarrassment—her ego took a real hit, and instead of turning to her team for support, she'd shut herself of, as usual. Then came realizing she might not see Amaia ever again because of a stupid point deduction that almost got JR eliminated. Then realizing her team was safe ? Yeah if she could just forget that the entire day just had happened it would be very great. The emotional goodbyes between Lia and Minah, as sweet as they were, only worsened her mood. The competition was starting to tire her down a bit, and she couldn't afford to also feel so strongly about JR, or should she say, Amaia, staying in the competition.

Seeing the team almost get eliminated really did put things in perspective for her. Tatter, Cheche, Minah...all the girls' careers could depend on the visibility they got during the competition, to take a step further in their professional dancing careers. Sure Bada would be hurt to lose so early, but she did not need the competition to have some opportunities.

There were bigger things at stake than just her feelings. As she grappled with these thoughts, she spotted Amaia approaching her on their way out. Bada shook her head, signaling for Amaia to stay back. Right now, she needed to be with her crew, take some time to clear her head, and refocus on y made their way back to the Uber. Lusher, noting the exhaustion written on everyone's faces, stepped up and suggested a chill movie night. Bada smiled gently, appreciating Lusher's ability to take the lead when necessary and feeling immense gratitude for the strong bond that held their crew together.

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I HAD to put a stop to the cheesiness haha , pretty sure you were expecting it tho

Let me know how you think the next chapter should go (hint: so far, I have planned for Amaia to try to find a moment so they can talk about what the future can actually have in store for them, outside the competition. But i have no idea yet of the setting, context... brainstorm and ideas are welcomed <333)