ℒ𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒪𝓃 𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒟𝒶𝓃𝒸ℯ ℱ𝓁ℴℴ𝓇 [𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏]

𝟏.𝟏𝟏- 𝐈𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞

˚✧.⋅₊˚ ‧ 🩰⋅୨୧ ⋅🦢  ‧₊˚ ⋅.✧˚

["Dance To Express, Not Impress"]

The girls and moms arrived at the dance studio exhausted. Holly hadn't been feeling the best with the change in altitude but she was managing. Emily was happy her ankle had healed now, there was faint bruising and that was it.

She was exhausted though. They came straight to rehearsal. They didn't even take the time to go to the hotel and drop their luggage off. She even had to change into her dance clothes on the bus's bathroom. Over her dance clothes she had put black sweatpants and a pink jacket.

Emily groaned as she grabbed her dance bag and pulled herself off of the bus. She was so ready to have a relaxing day. Last week she was upset when she was sitting off to the side and couldn't dance. This week she was starting to get tired of dance. She had been doing it for so long. Too long.

"I wonder what the studio looks like," Melissa said, trying to bring everyone's spirits up. It didn't really work.

Once more pictures were placed on the mirror with red paper taped up to cover them. Emily was not ready to stand there for pyramid. She had been sitting so long on that bus and now her legs felt weird.

"Hello, ladies. Come on in," Abby greeted as they entered the room. She had a headband on as usual.

Emily slid in between the Chloé and Maddie. This was it. Their last competition week for the season. There would be no more next weeks or do-overs. This was it. It was officially nationals. She was super excited, but she didn't have energy right now. She really wanted to win.

"Here we are, in another studio, another week. We need to learn a new group routine. This is tough," Emily and Maddie both nodded. "We have to do it today and there's props," that was not encouraging. Props always made the dances harder, Emily hoped they were big sticks like the Sugar Daddies lollipops.

"Now, I want to reflect a little bit on the past two weeks. I keep telling you guys, you have been given an amazing opportunity. You've been hand-selected to go across the country and learn a new number each week and do these competitions. And you are not stepping up to the plate. It's been a long road. I get it, you're tired. Well guess what? We're all tired. So suck it up. This is when you need to push, focus, and down deep inside yourselves, and prove that you are champions and I haven't been training failures."

"I want to see energy, enthusiasm, fun. If you don't want to do it, there's probably one hundred other kids that would love to be in your shoes right now. So I need to see motivation. I want you to want to win. This is my reputation on the line, it's my name, it's also your names," Abby told the girls.

Then she moved onto the pyramid, "So, I'm gonna start with Paige," she revealed Paige's picture to be first on the bottom of the pyramid. "Moving on, Mackenzie," Mackenzie was next. "Nia," she was next. Emily found it odd that they would be below her when they won their duet and she didn't have a solo. Then again her trio did win. Chloé should be on top of the pyramid, "Next we have Chloé," Chloé and Emily exchanged confused looks. "Emily," she removed another paper and only two remained. "Brooke," that only left one person left.

"And, back on top, we have Maddie. I thought you did amazing with your solo and the fact you didn't win was a joke. Still you stood on that stage and accepted second. You were happy for the other girl. That shows a lot."

"You're doing a solo and a trio with Emily and Chloé. Emily, Chloé, you will also be doing solos. Paige and Brooke, you will be doing a duet. I want you to work together as friends. I do not want you fighting as sisters, if you waste time and energy bickering back and forth, you're never gonna get it finished. Everybody is in the group number this week, even Mackenzie," the girls smiled and clapped for Mackenzie.