Melanie

Brooke   Kendall   Maddie

Paige   Nia   Mackenzie

First three days of rehearsal, struggling. I mean, it's hip-hop. The group dance is hip-hop this week, and it's hard. Also, Miss Abby has been acting weird, I think it has something to do with the speed dating stuff from last week. Let's not even mention the fact that Kenzie's foot is also hurting. Don't ask, just tell, but I don't even know what to tell.

•Two Days To Competition•

I was watching myself on the mirror as I practiced the group number in studio D. No one was there, I was all alone, rehearsing. Miss Abby, Mommy, Holly, and Jill were all gone 'because Miss Abby had a date later', and according to Miss Abby, the moms are 'three blind mice'.

Who said hip-hop was easy?

I wish I could see Miss Abby doing hip-hop instead of us.

I do a back tuck and fall, right on top of my right hand. I quickly move and look at it. It doesn't look bad, for now. I decide to go back to the Dancer's Den and check at it. This is what happens when you try to be productive, next time I'm just gonna stay home and eat chips.

~~~

"We all need to aspire to be Jill." Chloe tells us at our JVFC meeting, "Because she's everything we've always wanted."

"Yes, madam Jill." Paige adds.

"Wait." Brooke says and we all look over to her, "The week's over, we're still not getting boyfriends, so we should let Jill live."

"She doesn't know about this." I comment and Kendall does a nervous face, "Right, K?"

"It kinda slipped at dinner." Kendall tells us, "So she knows."

"Kendall K!" Kenzie says.

"All right, the Jill Vertes Fan Club is officially over." Chloe announces, "It was good while it lasted."

Just like that, Jill's 15 minutes of fame were over.

•One Day To Competition•

"So I'm just gonna drop the two of your off at dance and take Kenzie to the hospital." Mommy tells us as she drives.

"My gosh, Abby's gonna be mad." Maddie comments and I chuckle.

"Can I go with you?" I ask, "I don't wanna go to dance."

"You never miss dance, Mel." Mommy tells me, "And I don't want you to get sick there."

"Fine." I say.

We get to the studio and I follow Maddie to the Dancer's Den. Soon she goes to studio A to rehearse her solo and I sit there, using my phone,

"Where Kenzie?" I hear Nia ask and look up.

"At the hospital." I answer, "Her foot is worse."

"I hope it's okay." Chloe comments.

"And where's Maddie?" Kendall asks and we hear some yelling from inside, "Now we know."

Paige comes running into the Dancer's Den.

"You're staying over!" Paige runs over to me.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes!" She exclaims, "It looks that Kenzie has to stay longer at the hospital so Maddie and you are staying over."

"I don't know if you should be happy or worried." Chloe tells Paige.

"Both." Paige admits.

"Group dance rehearsal." Maddie walks in, "And the boots."

I put the boots on and rush to studio A, where Miss Abby was already waiting for us. After going over the dance two times, Miss Abby calls us over.

"I just want to to go over the storyline here. You're my soldiers, and it's called 'Don't Ask, Just Tell'." Miss Abby tells us, "That's taken from the old slogan, 'don't ask, don't tell'. So, girls, don't ask, don't tell. DId anybody go home and talk to their mom about what that means? No? All right, I'm gonna get your moms down here."

"I would be scared if our mom comes." I whisper to Maddie and she chuckles.

"Just like the pyramid, I'm dismissing the girls, not the moms. Go ahead and go."

We all go back to the Dancer's Den.

"Does anyone know what it means?" Paige asks as we all sit down.

"Gay people in the military." I answer, "And probably something more."

"I never got the difference." Kendall admits.

"Do you know what it means, K?" Maddie asks.

"Of course." Kendall asks, "I mean why can't they serve at the military."

"It's a long story." Brooke says, "But I'm gonna be Miss Brooke for a while and tell you all about it."

•Competition Day•

Everytime I step up in the club
Dem boys be tryin' to show me love
Got them bendin' backwards for me
Yeah, yeah, and I take everything I please

Go ahead and try to give me
What you think I need
Don't see anybody here
Who can handle me

Back in the dressing room after the group dance, everything was great, until Miss Abby came in. We all had to form a line and there it goes.

"Now, Nia, what mistakes did you make?"

"I'm scared." Paige whispers.

I look at her over my shoulder and smile. I quickly look back to Miss Abby.

"Kendall! What mistakes did you make?"

"I needed to work more on my face and my spacing." Kendall answers.

"You were chosen, and you were put in that spot next to Maddie." Miss Abby tells Kendall, "You get on stage, and you choke, drop and give me 20."

Next was Maddie, Chloe, and me.

"Melanie, what did you do wrong?"

"I was a beat ahead of everybody else." I answer.

"Drop and give me 20."

There we go. I start doing push-ups with the rest of the girls as Miss Abby continued.

"Soldiers, stand up straight. Could it have been sharper?"

"Yes, ma'am."

We all stand up and form a line.

"Tighter?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"More energy?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Soldiers, about-face! March! Left, left, out that door, out that door! I don't wanna see you again!"

We all march out of the dressing room.

"I think she isn't happy." Kendall comments.

"You think?" Chloe laughs, "She's about to suspend us, and I sure wanna know how you can suspend someone who's already suspended."

We all go back to the stage for awards and sit down. Brooke was second in her division, but there's still Maddie and Kendall.

"In fifth place, with a score of 278.4 is Miss Payton, with act number 21, 'Tonight'." The announcer says, "In fourth place, with a score of 281.4 is Miss Kendall, with act number number 9, 'Secrets and Lies'. Third place, with a score of 285.6 points is Miss Sailor with act number 14, 'Can You Hear Me?'. Your runner-up from our junior elite solo division of competition, with a score of 288.5 points, is Miss Maddie with act number 24, 'Up Hill Battle'."

We all clap as both girls go receive their awards, still no first place, and with the group, we can say that we're not gonna have a first place award today, but you know . . .

Optimistic opinions.

"In seventh place with a score of 274.2 points, is act number 84, 'Don't Ask, Just Tell'."

Nia goes receive the award as we all avoid making eye contact with each other. We all go back to the dressing room, clearly upset, but Miss Abby is gonna yell at us if she sees us like this, so we smile and walk inside.

"Good job, girls." Christi tells us, "Hey, you did hip-hop, and you made the top ten."

I hug Mommy and start taking off the makeup.

"It's not funny; I'm surrendering." Miss Abby tells us as she waves a white flag, "What place?"

"Seventh."

I keep on taking off the makeup and I take off my bandana. 

Once again, we're all sent out of the dressing room.

"Can I start?" Kenzie asks as soon as the door closes, "I'm scared."

"Me too." Paige agrees.

"All of us." Maddie adds.

"Don't ask, just tell." I say, "More like don't ask, and do not dare to tell."

"True." Brooke agrees, "Let's go eat something."

"Pizza!" Chloe exclaims.

"Yes!" Nia agrees.

"Race ya there!" Kendall runs off.

"Hey, not fair!" Kenzie yells, "I can barely walk!"

"Oh, come on, Kenz." Brooke picks Kenzie up and runs off.

"I want two slices." I say and run off.

"I want two slices too!" I hear Maddie say.

"Wait for me!" I hear Chloe and even more footsteps.

We ate cheesy pizza, like, reaaaally cheesy.