Showstopper (7 page)

When Miss Natalya noticed her visitor at the window, she motioned for her to come inside. Anya turned the knob and the door creaked as she pushed it open.

“Ah, look who we have here!” Miss Natalya said, holding out her arms. “She returns!”

She pulled Anya into a hug so tight Anya could barely breathe.

“Hi,” Anya replied. Her teacher still smelled of strong perfume and even stronger coffee.

“Me next!” Poppy said, running to her friend. “Anya-bananya!”

“Poppyseed!” Anya said, laughing.

Miss Natalya smiled. “It's like you never left, yes? Did you bring your leotard and shoes?”

“No,” Anya said, staring down at her feet. “I'm taking a break this week.”

“A break? Dancers never break!” her teacher shot back. “You eat, sleep, and breathe dance.” It sounded like something Miss Toni would say!

“As you can tell, nothing has changed around here,” Poppy whispered.

“But you've changed!” Anya insisted. “You got your braces off!”

Poppy smiled to show off her straight teeth. “I got them off last March. Wow, how long has it been since we saw each other?”

“Too long,” Miss Natalya replied. “I'm glad you changed your mind.”

Anya looked puzzled. “Changed my mind? About what?”

“About coming back to the studio,” Poppy said. “Maybe we can duet for the spring showing!”

“Wait, what? I'm not coming back to the studio,” she told her friend. “I have a huge dance competition in Las Vegas in a few weeks.”

Now it was Poppy's turn to be confused. “But your mom told my mom you were moving back to L.A. I was so psyched! Aren't you excited, too?”

Anya felt her cheeks burn. She was furious! How could her parents have said such a thing? And was it true? Were they really thinking of making her quit Divas and move back home? She had to get to the bottom of this . . . now.

“I gotta go,” she apologized to her friend as she rushed out of the studio. “Text you later.”

Diva No More

Anya was seeing red. She didn't even shut the car door behind her before she started yelling.

“How could you?” she asked her mom. “How could you and Dad just make a decision and not even ask me?”

“Honey, calm down. It's not like that.”

“It isn't? Poppy said you told her mom we were moving back to L.A.”

“Your father and I think it would be for the best.”

Anya gasped. So it was true. “The best? This is the worst news I've ever heard!”

Her mother sighed. “We tried to make it work, but it's too difficult being on two different coasts. We're a family. A family should be together.”

Anya buried her head in her hands. She, Rochelle, Scarlett, Liberty, Bria, Gracie, and Miss Toni were a family, too. And she felt like she was being torn away from them without any warning. What was she going to tell the Divas? What could she say?

Her mom read her mind. “I'll explain it to Miss Toni. I'm sure she'll understand.”

“But
I
don't understand,” Anya insisted. “Can I at least go to Vegas with the team in March?”

“I'll do my best to convince your dad,” her mom promised. “Can you try and look on the bright side? You'll be back at ballet with Poppy.”

“I'm not the same girl who went to DAW,” Anya insisted. “I can't just come back and forget about all my new friends and everything I've learned.”

“No one is asking you to forget,” her mom assured her. “Divas will always be a special part of your life.”

Anya wished she had earplugs so she could tune out everything her mother was saying. Maybe if she closed her eyes, she'd wake up from this nightmare, and none of it would be happening.

When they reached their house, Anya opened the door and bounded up the steps. She slammed her bedroom door behind her and dialed Rochelle's number.

“Hey, how's L.A.?” her friend answered. “Seen any good movie stars lately?”

“My parents are making me quit Divas,” Anya sobbed.

“What? Why? When?”

“I guess they're tired of living on opposite coasts,” she replied.

“You can't leave! Not now!” Rochelle protested. “It's just not fair.”

“Tell me about it,” Anya replied. “I don't get it. Why let me join Divas and move to New Jersey in the first place if they were just going to take it away from me?”

“I know it stinks, but maybe they thought it would work,” Rochelle suddenly considered. “Maybe they really hoped it would.”

“So that's it? I just turn in my Divas jacket and go back to studying ballet with Miss Natalya? Or join another team and compete against you?” Anya exclaimed. “Doesn't anyone care what I want?”

“You don't have to turn in your jacket,” Rochelle replied. “Once a Diva, always a Diva. You know that.”

Anya dried her eyes with her sleeve. “What do you think Miss Toni will say?”

“Not much.” Rochelle tried to picture her teacher's face, learning that one of her best dancers was quitting. “I think she'll just be worried about how we can win without you.”

“Smooth Moves will be my last competition as a Diva,” Anya said. “
If
my dad says I can do it. I don't know how I can dance knowing that.”

“You'll do your best. You always do,” her friend assured her.

After her call, Anya went downstairs to talk to her parents. They were seated at the kitchen table, waiting for her to calm down.

Her mom poured her a glass of lemonade. “Did you call Rock?” she asked. “Did she make you feel any better?”

“The only thing that would make me feel better is if you said you changed your mind,” Anya said, perching on a stool. “I don't suppose you have?”

“There are tons of dance schools here in L.A.,” her father insisted. “I know, I know—not Dance Divas. But plenty that are just as good. If you don't want to go to DAW anymore, that's fine. We want you to be happy.”

“Then let me stay with my team and my friends!” Anya pleaded. “That's the only thing that will make me happy!”

“We're in L.A. and you and your mother are in New Jersey. It's not a good situation for any of us,” her father said, raising his voice. “We hoped you would be able to see and understand that.”

Just then, Alexei came in the door carrying his camera and a tripod. “Whoa,” he said, sensing the tension in the air. “Maybe I should come back later?”

“No!” Anya said, grabbing her brother's arm and dragging him into the kitchen. “Stay. You get a vote, too.”

“A vote? What am I voting for?” Alexei said, helping himself to a soda in the fridge.

“Whether or not I stay in Dance Divas in New Jersey or move back here.”

Alexei popped the lid on his can and took a long sip. “In my humble opinion,” he began, “I think Anya has done really well with her dance team. If you've got a good thing going, I say stick with it.”

“You see?” Anya cheered. She could always count on her big brother to take her side. “That's two for, and two against.”

“Regardless, our minds are made up,” her father said sternly. “I'm sorry, Anya. The best I will do is let you compete at Smooth Moves. But that's it. That's your last competition as a Diva.”

Keeping Secrets

The week in L.A. flew by, and before she knew it, Anya was back at the Divas Studio Monday afternoon. Gracie was running up and down the halls in her Mickey Mouse ears from Disney World, and Liberty was showing off the selfies she'd taken on the set of Pitbull's new video.

“Did you have a fun vacation?” Scarlett asked Anya.

Anya tried to smile and sound convincing. “Yeah, it was great.” But she was dreading having to break the news to her dance coach. She could just picture Miss Toni's face: stern
and hard as a rock. She hoped she wouldn't explode and start screaming at her. Everyone wanted to be on the Dance Divas Elite Competition Team. There was a line a mile long of girls just waiting for a spot to open up. And here she was, quitting! How could Toni
not
be furious and insulted?

“I guess I should get to rehearsal,” Anya said, taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves.

Rochelle had promised with a double-pinky swear that she wouldn't say a word to anyone until Anya broke the news to their teacher. “You want me to come with you and talk to her before class?” Rochelle asked her.

Anya shook her head. “No, thanks. I want to wait till the time is right.”

As the girls began stretching at the
barre
, Miss Toni took her seat at the front of the studio and began studying her notes. Anya knew better than to interrupt her when she was concentrating. Maybe
after
class was a better idea?

“Welcome back, ladies,” Toni said. “I hope you haven't picked up any sloppy habits on your week off.” She looked at Rochelle. “Like sickled feet.”

Rochelle quickly corrected the position of her foot and continued with her
tendus
.

“I'm going to go over our plans for Smooth Moves,” Toni continued, glancing at her clipboard. “Scarlett, I'm giving you a solo,” she said.