"I missed you!" I exclaim as I run to hug Kalani, "It wasn't the same without you!"

"Aww, I missed everything." Kalani smiles, "Except that the group lost."

"We don't talk about that." I tell her, "I'm so excited for this week!"

"Why?" She asks.

"JoJo and I have a duet!" I jump up and down in excitement, "It's going to be epic!"

"And what style is it?"

"I can't tell you." I say, "I don't know either."

"Melanie!"

I turn around and see JoJo as she runs over to me.

"You ready?!" JoJo exclaims.

"Yes!" I exclaim.

"Calm down, you two." Holly comments and everyone laughs.

All of us girls walk into the studio and start stretching. Or more like playing.

"Madison! Put me down!" Kenzie yells.

"Why?!" Maddie laughs.

"I don't like it!"

"Fine!"

Maddie lets Kenzie fall to the floor and we all laugh.

"Who wants to be next?" She asks.

"Not me." Nia smiles, "What about JoJo or Melanie?"

"What about Casper?" I ask, "He's not heavy."

"Changing the topic." Kendall says, "Why is Melissa acting so weird today?"

"Wonder why." Maddie comments on a sarcastic tone.

I quickly catch up.

Wait what? Not now.

"Do you know something you wanna tell us, Mads?" I quickly put her in the spot and we all look at her.

"No." Maddie is quick to answer and shots me a death glare.

We all hang out for ten more minutes before pyramid starts.

"We have a crazy busy week." Abby starts, "So, at the bottom of the pyramid, Kalani, you were not there. Next, Kendall. You were in the group dance; you were fine." She reveals the next headshot, "JoJo did a solo. She did not place. Nia. You were good. You were fine." Holly smiles, "Next, up the pyramid, we have Mackenzie. You were outstanding in the group. And then, Maddie. Maddie, you were the baseball player that got to slide into home. They loved you. Next is Melanie. You were amazing in the group, you did everything you had to do and even more than that."

Brynn

Melanie   Maddie   Mackenzie

Nia   JoJo   Kendall   Kalani

"This week, we are attending FIERCE National Dance Competition in Agoura Hills." Abby announces, "There's gonna be incredible kids there. Now, the group dance. The group routine is inspired by the new movie 'The Huntsman: Winter's War'. Now, this is important that we get this right, because it's a huge film. Well, we have the fire queen, which will be played by Maddie, and the ice queen played by cold-hearted snake over there, Mackenzie. You're the sisters. You're dueling. You fight to the end. Melanie, you will have the option to choose on whose side you want to be in."

"You want a little drama." Jess laughs and I look over to my sisters.

"I know one is going to hate me before tonight." I comment, "Who would be less mad?"

"I would." Kenzie raises her hand.

"No, I'm pretty sure you'll lock yourself in your room for two weeks if she does that." Maddie says, "I actually would."

"Well, I have argued more with you than with Kenzie though." I say and everyone laughs.

"Then choose Kenzie!" Maddie exclaims.

"Maddie!" Kenzie exclaims.

"Kenzie!"

"Maddie!"

"Kenzie!"

"Maddie!"

"Kenzie!"

"Maddie!"

"Is there a character that comes in and kills both of them?" I look back at Abby.

"No." She smiles.

"Then I'll go with Kenzie." I give up, "Even though I prefer red costumes, but I prefer blue as a whole."

"Not us?" Maddie asks, "Just the colors"

"Yeah." I innocently smile.

"We are doing four duets." Abby continues, "So Nia, you are doing a duet, and your partner is Mackenzie."

"Aww, that's so awesome." Mom comments.

"This piece is entitled 'The Long Goodbye'." Abby says, "Maddie, last week, you didn't do your duet. You are doing a duet with Kendall." The moms clap, "My next duet, which I had already talked with them before about it, is going to Melanie and JoJo. It is entitled 'No Promises'."

"No promises that we will win." JoJo comments.

"But you should." Abby tells her, "My last duet goes to Maddie and Kalani."

"I'm doing two duets?" Maddie asks.

"All the weeks that you're gonna miss, you have to make up all those dances." Kalani tells her.

"The name of your duet is 'Unbreak My Heart', and it is inspirational, and it's a lyrical piece."

Everything goes silent for a moment.

"Maddie." Abby starts, "Where you are in life, and in this position that you're in, and you-you are a member of the ALDC, the junior elite competition team, so you're somebody already. I want you to know that I love each and every one of you--"

"Has she lost her mind?" Kenzie whispers into my ear.

"She got it back two weeks ago and she lost it again already." I whisper back.

"-- I would've never been a dance teacher. You know, if I didn't love kids, why would you do this job?"

She starts crying and I notice Mom crying too.

This is it? Are we officially leaving? Mom just randomly stopped talking about it, and I got so comfortable with everything.

"Abby, Melissa told us things were gonna change, and there will be spots open on the team." Ashlee says.

"Well, Mackenzie doesn't know so we need to not just blurt it out." Mom tells her and Kenzie looks at me.

"What is she talking about?" She asks me.

"Nothing." I lie.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes."

"Melanie, please, if you--"

"I already said that I don't know what she's talking about, Mackenzie!" I blurt out and I start crying, "Stop asking me!"

I run out of the studio and get into the Dancer's Den. I sit down and calm myself down as all of the girls enter.

"What does everyone know?" Kenzie asks as Brynn hugs me.

"Nobody knows."

"Nobody knows!"

"No one knows." Maddie tells her, "Only Melanie and I know."

"I'm sorry Kenzie." I cry.

"Abby told her something." Nia says.

'No, it's not about Abby." Maddie shakes her head.

I finally stop crying and sit down besides Maddie.

"It's not about Abby." Kenzie says, "It's about me. My mom's like, 'I don't want to say it in pyramid'. I'm like, 'Can you say it now?'"

Mom's really dramatic, guess now I know where I got it from.

"Just a couple more minutes." I tell her.

"Melanie!" Maddie scolds me.

"Minutes of what?" Kenzie asks me.

"Of an hour..?" I lie.

"Are we all going crazy?" Kalani asks as the moms walk inside.

"No, you're not crazy." Holly answers.

"So what's going on, Melissa?" Nia asks.

"What's going on?" Kendall adds.

"Okay, so I don't want to tell you." Mom says, "Mackenzie, listen, 'cause you don't know this."

At this point, I'm literally jumping up and down, just say it!

"Um. Sorry." She cries, "Maddie, Mackenzie, Melanie, and I are going to be here for four more weeks. And then we're moving on."

It felt like this huge weight was off my shoulders. But still, I couldn't believe it. I know I've said that I wanted to get out of here a lot of times, but I never really thought that it would happen. Like this. This place and this team are my life.

"We love you guys so much." Mom keeps on crying, "This has been such a-- Come here, girls." We all hug, "This has been such a great ride together. So let's let these four weeks be so amazing."

"Okay." Kalani says.

"Okay?"

"Can we stop fighting, then?" Kalani asks and we all chuckle.

"Well, we weren't fighting this time!" Holly cries.

Maddie and I look at each other and then at Kenzie.

"I'm so sorry for hiding this, Kenz." I hug her and she hugs me back, "It feels so good to be free now."

"Don't leave me out." Maddie says as the three of us hug.

"Where's Abby?" Mom asks.

After that, we all went back into the studio and lie on the floor.

"I'm suddenly not happy about the duet anymore." JoJo comments, "It will be our first and last."

"I know." I agree, "I was so excited."

"Maddie, have you talked about this to Abby lately?" Kendall asks.

"I don't know how she feels about it." Maddie answers, "I just-- I feel like she has, like mixed feelings. Like, I'm sure she, like, is excited, but also, she's probably doubting, like, that I should leave, you know?"

"How do you feel about leaving?" Nia asks Kenzie.

"Um, well, obviously, I'm gonna miss you guys, I mean, it's a lot--" Kenzie answers.

"But you feel like you need to move on too?"

"I want to stay, but--"

"It's like switching schools." Kalani comments.

"What about you?" All the attention moves on to me.

"I'm really upset, but I'm also really excited." I answer, "Like, even though we won't see each other every day, we still can hang out. I also want to move on and work with new projects."

"And surviving the homeschooled fifth grade?" Kalani asks.

"Exactly." I say, "I want to work with a lot more projects now that I'll have more time."

We all start messing around after that. It feels so weird to think that this is one of the last times we'll ever do that.

I got kind of a break the day after because I didn't go to rehearsal. I had a guest starring role on the third season of The Night Shift, and I filmed all of my scenes in one day.

•Competition Day•

"All right duets." Abby says as I finish with my makeup.

"Come up on here. Kendall and Maddie, really deep, crazy acting, so make us feel something." I walk up with JoJo, "'Unbreak My Heart'. We need to see that emotion. I need to see a connection between two duet partners. Mackenzie, Nia, this is a very deep, serious role. This is a drama, get it? I need to see more from you. And finally, JoJo and Melanie. You need to entertain the audience in every way possible. If it's not for the dancing, for the acting, and if not for the acting, the facials. All right, girls, let's go."

I take the team jacket and we all go backstage.

"Please welcome to the stage act number 21, Unbreak My Heart'."

Who am I Lord that you should care for me
What am I other than a wretched one
I sin against you and I curse "Amazing Grace"
What am I Lord that you should call me yours

"Next up, please welcome to the stage act number 22, 'The Long Goodbye', danced by Nia and Mackenzie"

Here a moment
And just as quickly you were gone
Seems that I ought to think
That nothing lasts forever

"I thought we had a lot of time for duets." I tell JoJo, "But this is it."

"It's weird." JoJo admits, "But let's go rock it."

"What about hop it?" I ask and she looks at me confused, "What? It's hip-hop."

"Please welcome to the stage act number 23, 'No Promises'."

The two of us walk on stage.

Cutting me up like a knife
And I feel it, deep in my bones
Kicking a habit I love even harder
You wanna know?

I just wanna dive in the water, with you
Baby, we can't see the bottom
It's so easy to fall for each other
I'm just hoping we catch one another (another)

Oh na na, just be careful, na na
Love ain't simple, na na
Promise me no promises
Oh na na, just be careful, na na
Love ain't simple, na na
Promise me no promises

Baby, I think about you
And I feel it, deep in my heart (deep in my heart)
Maybe we just ain't meant to be something
Maybe we are, ooh?

I just wanna dive in the water, with you
Baby, we can't see the bottom
It's so easy to fall for each other
I'm just hoping we catch one another (another)

Oh na na, just be careful, na na
Love ain't simple, na na
Promise me no promises
Oh na na, just be careful, na na
Love ain't simple, na na
Promise me no promises, oh

I just wanna dive in the water
Oh baby, we can't see the bottom
I just want to dive in with you
I just want to lie here with you, oh

Oh na na, just be careful, na na (yeah)
Love ain't simple, na na
Promise me no promises (promise me)
Oh na na, just be careful, na na
Love ain't simple, na na
Promise me no promises, no

Promise me no promises
Don't you promise me nothing
Promise me, me, me, me
Just be careful
Promise me no promises

After our duet, it was time for the last one, Kendall and Maddie's.

"Please welcome to the stage act number 27, 'Run Baby Run'."

Love, can't protect you now
I love that I can't feel
It'll only break you down

~~~

"Guys, this is a big deal, this is a Universal movie." JoJo says as we wait to go on stage.

"Yeah, it's really cool." Maddie agrees, "We have to play each other's sides, like fight against each other. And make it clean."

"Please welcome act number 66, entitled 'Winter's War'." The announcer says as Maddie and Kenzie go on stage.

Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise
Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised
Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it

Awards, Kalani's and Maddie's duet was first. Maddie's and Kendall's was second. Nia's and Kenzie's was first. JoJo's and I was second. And the group was first in the junior division and second overall.

You know how they call it, clean sweep!