I enter the tap class in Studio C and notice that all of my friend group is on opposite ends of the room. Emma is with the teacher, Klara is at the far right corner, Peter is at the far left corner and Liam was almost at the back of the room. We always hang out on our classes, so what's going on?

Suddenly I feel someone grab my arm and I look at the person, it was Rylee.

"Why are they all apart?" I ask and cross my arms.

"They argued. A lot." Rylee tells me, "About you."

"About me?" I ask and she nods, "What about me?"

"You hanging out with Liam more than the rest." Rylee says.

That's ridiculous, I rarely hang out with Liam without Emma or Klara, I don't know what's up with them, but I don't want drama, at least not more. 

Rylee and I decide to have class together, I would talk with the rest once class was over, I just needed to know what was happening.

As soon as class ends I catch up with Emma, who was about to leave with Amira.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Peter said this was going to happen, you would start hanging out with Liam more, and when you get together, you're gonna pretend we don't even exist." Emma says, "Don't hide it, we all know about you and Liam."

"But we're not even getting together, we're kids." I tell her, "Do you just want attention?"

"Excuse me? I'm worried, I'm worried that we won't be friends anymore just because of Liam." Emma snaps.

"Not Liam, because of Peter. Peter is the one saying things!" I yell.

"Peter AND Klara." Emma adds, "You know, I'll be more than happy to hang out, but please fix everything with those two."

Emma takes her dance bag and walks away. So she started it but now I have to fix it? At least I know she's willing to hang out, now I just gotta talk with Peter and Klara. Also Liam. 

"Come on, girls! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

I gotta go to pyramid, I take off my tap shoes and put them on my dance bag. I enter pyramid a little bit after everyone else did.

"Do you have the list?" Kenzie asks.

Abby asked us to write a list of good things about JoJo and bad things about JoJo. I couldn't handle writing bad things, so I just wrote good things, I hope Abby doesn't put me on the spot.

"Yeah." I say and unfold the paper.

"Congratulations! So I hope that our little rival, whatever, finally got the message that she's just not in the same league."

"Let's face it, our kids do lyrical. That's what they do best and we said we were gonna switch it up, and we didn't because we went out to win." Jill tells Abby and we all look over to her.

"We started of the season doing things out of our comfort zone. I'm hoping that you're going to push the girls to do more of the dances that you did in the beggining of the season." Holly adds, "We know the girls do well with lyrical. They're strong with lyrical."

"I wouldn't say that Nia does well on lyrical."

Here we go again. 

"I think what Holly's saying is we can't always go in just to win." Jill says.

"We have to go in--"

"I know, but it can't always be about that." Jill adds, "There's always something better."

They argue for a couple minutes and then Abby changes the topic.

"I asked each of you to do a homework assignment. I wanted you to write about JoJo. Positive reasons why she should be a member of the Abby Lee Dance Company. Then I asked you to on the flip side write down reasons she should not be part of the Abby Lee Dance Company. Mackenzie, would you like to share with us?"

Kenzie walks up to Abby and starts reading the paper.

"Ths first reason is sometimes she's very loud. Sometimes she's off in the group dances and sometimes she's a little too crazy." Kenzie reads.

What does she mean with too crazy? I find her funny.

"All right, what are the good things?"

"She's kind and she puts a lot of hard work into our dances." Kenzie says.

"Okay, Melanie."

Kenzie walks back to us and I walk up to Abby.

"Can I start with the good things?" I ask and she nods, "She's really funny, she's really positive and is a great addition to the dances. She also puts a lot of work and effort into every single dance."

"And some bad things?" Abby asks and I look at her.

"I... Don't really have anything bad to say..?" I mutter, hoping she doesn't get mad, and she didn't.

"Okay, Maddie, you're next."

I sigh in relief as I walk back to the line. The rest of the girls read their lists and even make JoJo cry. They all finish and Abby starts talking again.

"So JoJo, you've wanted a permanent spot ever since you got to Pittsburgh, but you're lucky to even be a guest here at the ALDC." Abby says, "However, there's a lot that makes you an ALDC dancer. You're a performer and you're sassy. So I'm gonna give you this jacket."

We all clap as JoJo walks up and hugs Abby. 

"This is sacred, and this is for the rest of this season. This is not for eternity. Okay? You're welcome."

"Abby, I promise no trouble, no lawsuits, no craziness, no nothing." Jess says as JoJo walks back to us.

Maddie   Melanie

Nia  Kalani  Kendall  Mackenzie  JoJo

"We are traveling to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We are going to attend New York Talent Experience. They're doing something new. They're critiquing the routines live, on stage."

On stage? 

All of the Moms look really confused, same as the girls, and even me. Live?

"Wait, I don't get it." Kenzie says.

"In the paperwork it says they give critiques to each performer. So whether that means at the end o the dance, whether that means at the end of the day. I don't know." Abby explains.

"That's going to scare me." Maddie adds.

"We're taking one group routine and three soloists. The group routine is a period piece. It's a musical theater piece."

"Oh, great." Mom says. 

"The name of the piece is 'Decadent Darlings'."

"Oh, that's cute. I like that."

"So my first solo... Is going to Maddie. You will be doing another solo. Yours will be... Contemporary. It's called 'Mannequin'. My next solo is going to... Kendall. It's contemporary. You're gonna have props, Jill. She's gonna have a big steamer trunk. Kendall, maybe this piece will be the one that pulls you out of that second-place rut. My last solo... Will be going to Nia."

I look at Kenzie with an apologetic look, I know she really want a solo, it's been over two months since she had one.

"The name of your solo is 'The Color Purple'. Now, you don't place with that solo... There won't be any solos for a long time. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

What kind of teacher says that? 

Abby dismisses the Moms and we start with the group dance rehearsal.

"You need to emulate the 1920s, you need to convince the judges that you are taking them back in time. Okay. Let me see everybody do that." Abby tells us.

Gianna plays the music and we start dancing, I make sure to do a lot of your typical musical theater facials.

"Girls, brains in your heads. It's very important. Face, front, face, front." 

We continue dancing and the song ends.

"We'll continue later, when we continue please have more facials like Melanie, you're dismissed."

We all leave and I go to the front desk, just to find out all of the guys had already left. Emma told me that I had to fix it, but I just don't know how.

•One Day To Competition•

"Hey." I say as Liam closes his dance bag "So, have you talked with Peter or Klara lately?"

"They've been avoiding me for weeks now." Liam tells me, "I've already given up, I'm not going to keep trying talking to them if they're not interested."

"True." I say and remember what Emma said, "But do you know why?"

"No idea, I came back from LA after our duet and they're just acting different." Liam says and we sit on the floor.

"Has Emma talked to you?" I ask.

"Once, but then we argued and well, let's say we don't talk either." Liam answers.

So Emma is also involved...

"I gotta go, I have hip-hop class now." Liam says and stands up.

"Sounds fun" I say as he gives me a hand and helps me stand up.

"Do you want to go? I don't think Abby will mind." Liam says looking around and then whispers into my ear, "If she's on a better state of mind."

I chuckle.

"Let's go then." I say and we go to Studio B.

We take the hip-hop class and later I have to go to the group dance rehearsal. After all of that we get on the car and go home

At home I go take a shower and get on my bed. I take out my phone and there's a text message from Liam.

Liam: Jealous people alarm, that's what Emma told me.

Melanie: I know, she told me too, it's kinda weird.

Melanie: You're on speaking terms with her again?

Liam: Yeah, I decided to reach out. She told me that Peter and Klara told her a lot of stuff about us. Wouldn't tell me exactly what though.

Melanie: I just hope they're not another Mariella.

Liam: Speaking of Mariella, I saw her on LA.

Melanie: When?!

Liam: After I left the competition, she said something about nationals.

No way. Nationals? I don't like the sound of that.

"Mel, it's really late and we have to go to competition tomorrow." I hear Mom say and I look up.

"Oh, okay, goodnight."

"Goodnight." Mom says and closes the door.

Melanie: Gotta go, bye.

Liam: Bye.

•Competition Day•

We were getting ready for the group dance, the solos had already been performed. The live critiques were... Interesting, at least I didn't have a solo today.

"All right, guys, this is it, this is it. This is it, it, it, it, it." Abby says, "I think Gianna and I would just like to not hear the same things that we have told you over and over. Like, when a judge has to stand there and say in front of a whole audience to straighten your knees."

Cough, Maddie, cough. Again.

I put my jacket on and we go backstage.

"Please welcome to the stage number 303, 'Decadent Darlings'." The announcer says and we go onstage.

We do the dance and then wait for the critiques.

"Beautiful job. Let's hear from the lovely Rachelle Rak."

"Oh, ladies, beautiful. I think you, um, took this Charleston and that old-time feel and you brought a new life to it and you all look fantastic." Rachelle tells us, "It really showed off some of your personality, and that was great, so thank you."

"Thank you, Rachelle. And let's finish off with Miss Lydia Haug."

"Hi ladies." Lydia tells us, "First of all, great teamwork. Be careful that we're not rushing a tad, hitting all those accents with our faces. Just, technically, you could use the floor a little more. And, yeah, but I loved it. I thought it was really clean. It was very clean. Nice work."

"Thank you so much. Good job."

The group was third, Maddie's solo was first and Nia and Kendall didn't place.

After everything we went back home and I wonder what will happen at pyramid, but I still have to figure out what's up with Peter and Klara.