Showstopper (9 page)

Liberty gave her a shove in the direction of City Feet. “Because we want them to think it's our group routine. Got it?”

Gracie nodded. “Got it.” She went up to Mandy and tapped her on the shoulder.

“I have something to say to you,” she began, then hesitated. It was hard to remember everything her teammates had told her! “Okay, Scarlett and Rochelle are penguins with baseball bats and Anya and Bria are chopped liver—oh, and I'm joking. Or something like that . . .”

Mandy looked confused. “I don't get the joke. Is it a knock-knock?”

Gracie smiled. “Oh! I know a great joke! How do you make a tissue dance?”

Mandy thought for a few seconds. “I don't know. How?”

“You put a little boogie in it! Ha-ha!” Gracie was cracking up—and planning on telling another joke—just as Liberty stepped in to break up the conversation.

“Okay, Gracie. Time to go! Hope you didn't let the cat out of the bag.”

“Cat? You said it was a bat!” Gracie complained. “Would you people make up your minds?”

Liberty ushered the little girl back to the Divas. “Mission accomplished,” she said, patting Gracie on the back. “They were chattering away, so I'm sure Mandy will go running back to Justine with all the info.”

As the Divas had predicted, Mandy couldn't wait to report the news to her teammates. “I know what dance the Divas are doing,” she said, tugging on Phoebe's sleeve. “They're doing a baseball number with chopped liver.”

“What?” Phoebe asked. “That doesn't make any sense.”

“No, it's true!”

“Are you sure?” Addison asked her. “Maybe you got it a little mixed up. Like in that game telephone when the message gets all garbled?”

Mandy stamped her foot. “I know what Gracie said! She said they have bats and the song is called ‘Penguin Boogie.'”

“It sounds bizarre,” Regan weighed in. “Are you sure Gracie wasn't pulling your leg?”

Mandy stared down at her sweatpants. “She didn't pull my leg. She just tapped me on the shoulder.”

“Then again, it
could
be really creative,” Addison pointed out. “I wouldn't put it past Toni and her Dance Duds. Our group dance
is
kinda predictable. We better tell Justine.”

Family Crisis

In the middle of Anya and Rochelle's duet rehearsal, Mrs. Bazarov burst into the room.

“I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's an emergency,” she said. Anya could tell from her eyes that she'd been crying.

“What is it, Mom?” she asked, running to her. “Is everything okay?”

“No. It's your brother. He was in a car accident and he's in the hospital.”

“Is it bad, Felice?” Toni asked gently.

“He has a concussion, some broken ribs,” she replied. “My husband says they're doing
scans right now to make sure there's no internal bleeding. He was so excited to get his license . . .”

Anya felt like everything was happening in slow motion. What if Alexei needed surgery—or worse? “We have to go home to him, right now!” she cried. “Please, Mom!”

Rochelle gasped. “But Anya! The competition!”

Anya turned to Toni. “I don't know what to do,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don't want to let you or the Divas down, but my brother needs me.”

Toni hugged her. “Of course he does. And you're not letting us down. We'll make it work.”

“Really? You're not mad?” Anya asked her coach.

“I'd be mad if you didn't show loyalty to your family,” Toni replied. “Isn't that what I always teach you girls? Loyalty first?”

Anya nodded and raced out of the studio with her mom to catch a flight back to L.A.

Rochelle sat in the middle of the rehearsal room floor, stunned.

“You thought I was going to make Anya stay and see the competition through, didn't you?” Toni asked her.

Rochelle shrugged. “It was just really nice of you to let Anya go. That's all I'm saying.”

“Good. Because you're going to do this entire magic duet as a solo now.”

Rochelle gasped. “It doesn't work as a solo; it's meant for two people!”

“It will be meant for one person when I get through with it,” Toni said, her voice trailing off in thought. “I wonder where I can rent a couple of doves for a few hours . . .”

Four hours later, Rochelle reappeared in the room where the rest of the girls had been trying on their card costumes and warming up.

“You look like you've been through a war,” Bria said, noticing Rock's tangled hair and wrinkled shirt. “Ew! What's that gooey white stuff on your shoulder?”

“Dove poop,” Rochelle said, collapsing on the floor. “But it's not as bad as when they nip you with their beaks. That really hurts!”

“I don't wanna know,” Scarlett said, and sighed.

“This sounds like a last-minute Toni extreme dance makeover,” Bria said. “If you look this bad, I can't imagine what Anya must look like.”

“Anya's gone,” Rochelle said.

“Gone?” Gracie asked. “Where did she go? To the bathroom?”

“Probably to shower off the dove poop,” Liberty said, smirking.

“No. She's gone home to L.A. for good,” Rochelle replied. “She was planning on telling you guys after the competition, but her brother was in a bad car accident today. She
and her mom flew home to be with him at the hospital.”

“That's awful! But I don't get it,” Bria replied. “You said for good. You mean Anya isn't coming back to Divas?
Ever?
”

Rochelle shook her head. “Her parents decided they wanted the family to be together in L.A. That's the secret she was keeping till after this weekend. This was going to be her last competition.”

Scarlett shook her head. “I can't imagine Divas without her. What will we do?” She looked at Liberty who—for the very first time—was speechless.

“What?” Liberty asked her teammate. “What do you want me to say? I'm not happy about it either. Anya was the best ballet dancer we've ever had.”

“She was the best friend we've ever had,” Bria said. “I can't believe this is happening!”

Just then, Toni barged in. “I take it that Rochelle has shared the news with you about
Anya's quick departure,” she said. “So we have our work cut out for us.”

Liberty suddenly stood up, furious. “That's it? We have our work cut out for us? One of our Divas is gone and that's all you can say?”

Toni's cheeks flushed. “I know you're upset that we have to redo the group dance, but I will not tolerate that tone of voice from you, Liberty.”

“But Anya's never coming back!” Gracie piped up. “I miss her already!”

Toni looked shocked. “You're telling me that Anya is leaving Divas?”

“She told Rock,” Scarlett explained. “She was going to tell us all after Smooth Moves. It's not her fault. Her parents won't let her live in New Jersey anymore.”

“I see,” Toni said simply. “Well, we'll deal with that once the competition is over. Anya wanted it that way, and we owe it to her to win.” She turned to Liberty. “Don't you agree?”

Liberty stared down at her feet. “Fine.”

“Okay, then,” Toni said, clapping her hands together. “Time to reshuffle this ‘House of Cards' dance.”

Making Magic

The next morning, bright and early, the Divas, their moms, and Miss Toni all reported to the Las Vegas Convention Center. “Game faces on,” Toni insisted as they walked backstage to their dressing room. “I know we're all sad about Anya, but that is not going to get in the way of our dancing today. Do I make myself clear?” The girls all nodded sadly.

Toni checked the program. “Preteen solos at 10:00 a.m. Scarlett. Get changed and run your routine.”

“Have you heard from Anya at all?” Scarlett whispered to Rochelle.

Rochelle looked worried. “I tried texting and calling but she doesn't answer. I hope everything's okay.”

Scarlett climbed into her costume: a white chiffon dress spotted with black dots. “You look like
101 Dalmatians
,” Gracie told her sister. “Are you supposed to be a puppy, Scoot?”