The Competition Read online

  CHAPTER 1

  Welcome to… regionals!” the announcer’s voice rings throughout the packed convention center.

  This is it. Regionals. And all eyes are on us. This is the moment! We are here! My costume is super cute. It’s black and pink, with some flowy ribbons dangling off my shoulders. That sounds weird, but it works. I have a little hat on my head, tilted just right and securely fastened by approximately a thousand bobby pins.

  At least I hope it’s securely fastened. That would be bad if my hat fell off, wouldn’t it? Ha! Okay, that’s actually not funny. If my hat falls off, then I might trip over it. Or one of my dance squad might trip over it, and slide all the way across the stage—not just across the stage! Off the stage! Onto the judge’s table, knocking everything over and destroying the entire regionals!

  My best friend and teammate, Lily, grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard, snapping me out of my imaginary list of things that could go wrong.

  “Harper!” Lily whispered to me. “I think my hat is loose!”

  “I was JUST thinking mine was,” I whispered back.

  “That’s why we’re best friends,” Lily said. “You understand me.”

  Lily and I had become best friends ever since I’d moved to Florida. Lily, who had been new to the team too, was the first person I met, right before we’d auditioned for DanceStarz. I remember when I walked in, I was worried I’d never find my place on the team. The rest of the team, aka the Bunheads—Megan, Riley, and Trina—hadn’t exactly been welcoming at first, to either of us. So Lily and I had bonded over that, and then become true friends, totally on the same page. Like for example, worrying about our hats falling off.

  “Were you also thinking you’d trip on it, slide across the stage, and fall on the judges and the competition would come to a screeching halt and the judges would toss you out the door of the building?” I whispered.

  “Um, no?” Lily said. “I take it back. I guess I don’t understand you.”

  We both cracked up a little.

  “Are you two laughing? No laughing!” Megan hissed at us. “This is serious business. Regionals.”

  When I’d first met Megan, I’d been intimidated by her. We’d had our ups and downs, but now we had mutual respect for each other’s talent and hard work. We even had fun together. Most of the time.

  “First this, and then our duet,” Megan said, looking hard at me. “Serious business.”

  Okay, this was not one of those fun moments. Megan also was very competitive and intense—and my duet partner. Lily and I smiled at each other. It had taken a little while, but we had learned not to let Megan get to us before a competition.

  “You’re on deck, DanceStarz!” A woman with a clipboard came backstage.

  Eek! This was it!

  We all gathered around in a tight circle to do the ritual we’d made up as a squad.

  “Dance!” Trina led the cheer.

  Lily, Megan, Trina, Riley, and I all did a little dance move.

  “Starz!” Trina continued.

  We fluttered out fingers like sparkling stars. Then we leaned into a huddle and said:

  “Squad!”

  DanceStarz Squad was ready to take the stage! HERE WE GO!

  “Make some noise for… DanceStarz!” the announcer’s voice boomed throughout the packed convention center.

  On that cue, we flashed out best smiles and stepped onstage in formation, our arms swinging in perfect sync. We sashayed to our positions, and we struck a pose and waited under the hot lights for the music. I had one hand on my hip and one in the air, steady. I took a moment to take it all in—the excited charge in the air, the supportive cheers. Yes. This was it. We’d worked so hard to get to this point. We’d edged out the fiercest including the team from competitive Energii, our biggest rivals. All that would be left for us to do is perform our hearts out. A solid show here would advance us to nationals, which—

  Which I couldn’t think about right now. I had to focus and go into my zone. This is when all of my training, my muscle memory, all of those hard rehearsals pay off. My brain shuts down, and my body takes over.

  The music began. And I danced. We used to watch ourselves in the dance studio mirrors, but now the crowd is our only reflection. From the roar of the crowd, we were delivering the goods. Our leg extensions must have been showing off the flowy chiffon trailing from the backs of our shoulders. The pretty fabric swirls looked like a ribbon dance. Finally, that last beat dropped. We bowed and trotted offstage to extended applause.

  Vanessa was the first to greet us offstage. “Beautiful,” she said, beaming proudly. She’s our dance team teacher and our choreographer AND owner of the DanceStarz Studio. We all grabbed one another in a big hug and jumped around to celebrate.

  We got two seconds of celebration before Vanessa cleared her throat.

  “Duets, get ready.”

  Annnnd our killer performance was already a thing of the past. Lily and I went to give each other extra hugs.

  “You got this,” she whispered.

  “Same!” I told her. It’s a huge day for Lily. She got picked to be the solo dancer, and will be going last.

  “Harper!” Megan hissed at me. “Let’s go!”

  CHAPTER 2

  I  rushed to the shared backstage changing area to change costumes, into the sparkly deep purple leotard we picked out together. The farther we walked away from the rest of the squad, the more tense it felt to be alone with Megan.

  “Remember,” she said. “Vanessa changed the high kick in the end to a split jump.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “And don’t forget the arabesque to the new twirl move.”

  “I know that. Don’t worry about whether I have all our moves down,” she said dismissively. “Concentrate on yourself.”

  “You started this,” I said, annoyed. “Duets are all about making sure we’re both on the same page. We have to help each other shine.”

  Megan snorted. I knew what was bothering her—again. She was still bitter that she didn’t get the first-ever solo. We all had wanted that solo—but I was still super happy for Lily.

  “It’s Lily, not us, in the solo today,” I reminded her.

  “That doesn’t mean I can’t prove that I’m solo material,” Megan muttered.

  So that was her plan. She wanted to stand out in the duet in the hopes she’d get the next solo. That’s a risky move, because nowhere in the word “duet” are the letters s-o-l-o. And, PS, the next solo was a big one, because it was nationals! Yes, if we placed high enough today, then we got to go to nationals and nationals this year… in NEW YORK CITY!

  Then again, Megan has a point. The only person I should focus on was myself at the moment. I wanted to finish strong at regionals. I didn’t want to let down the Squad! I didn’t want let down DanceStarz, the studio I represent! And I didn’t want to let myself down! I worked too hard for this.

  We headed down the hall to the changing rooms. Regionals dressing rooms were an upgrade from the local competition. DanceStarz had our own corner, and Megan’s and my mom were waiting for us.

  “Great job, sweetheart!” My mom gave me a big hug. “Did you have fun?”

  “Fun?” Megan’s mother turned around. “This is not time for chitchat. They need to get ready for their big duet.”

  Mom raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Don’t engage,” I whispered.

  “Don’t let her add to your stress.” Mom smiled at me. Then she frowned. “Where are the girls’ costumes?”

  “Oh, I had my assistant do a last-minute steaming,” Megan’s mother said. “No wrinkles, only perfection. She’s bringing them in now.”

  We went and sat down in front of the tables set up with mirrors. Megan and I didn’t say anything w
hile our moms helped us with our hair—except for the occasional “ouch” when the bobby pins got yanked out of our hat heads. My mom cleaned up all the pins and took the hat. We both know, though, that I’m better at doing my own hair than she is, so she let me finish. My hair was a little ratty from the bobby pins, so I brushed it out and pulled it up into a high ponytail.

  “Mom?” I called her over and swung my pony back and forth.

  “Wispie-free!” she said. “Nice and smooth.”

  “Where are our leotards? She is taking forever.” Megan was complaining. Megan’s mom’s assistant (I still couldn’t believe she had an assistant) walked in with our leotards on hangers. “Give me mine!”

  Megan grabbed hers, and then the assistant handed me mine. It was really pretty—a burgundy long-sleeved leotard we wore with a matching vest that had crystals embellished on it. It also was warm from being steamed.

  “Break your legs!” my mom called out and left with Megan’s mom to head to their seats in the audience.

  I pulled on my costume—and noticed something weird. The leotard sleeves seemed a little long. Huh. Maybe steaming wrinkles out lengthened them. Megan came over wearing an identical outfit and ponytail.

  “You look great,” I told her. She was pulling at her sleeve. “Hey, is your sleeve bugging you, too? Mine feels stretched out.”

  “No,” Megan said, pulling at her other sleeve.

  “Why are you pulling at it?” I asked her.

  “I think my arms grew. Yes! My arms may have lengthened because I’ve been doing all of my stretches in preparation for today. It will make my lines look amazing.”

  “Wait, if your sleeves are weird too, then—”

  “Really? You’re complaining right before our duet? Are you trying to bring me down with your negative energy?” Megan asked me.

  “What? No, I just thought it’s weird that—”

  Vanessa walked in the door. She looked at us both and immediately picked up the tension.

  “Let’s see that partnership shine out there,” she said. “Any missteps will be more obvious, so remember you’re in this together, girls.”

  “Yes, Vanessa.” We both nodded, our ponytails bobbing.

  Megan pretty much should have said No, Vanessa. When we took the stage, the music started—and Megan went into solo mode.

  Step, high kick, and… What in the world was going on?! Megan took an extra step forward, hogging the spotlight. I tried to give her a side eye, but she gave me a toothy smile back. Her face was wide-eyed and expressive, working the audience. There was hardly any connection between us. The only connection I was feeling was between her and the audience. I guessed I had to just focus on myself. I twirled (yes, twice), did my turn series, and kicked. Then we got ready for our signature partner trick. This one relied on us being perfectly in sync.

  Megan did a leap toward me, looking like she was going to crash into me. I knew the audience would be at full attention, and so did Megan. She gave them a dramatic, overly surprised face. Then she slid forward on the ground so that she was right underneath my leg. Just as my leg would have hit her, she melted down into a hinge.

  I twirled my leg horizontally over her, and then popped up. Then I twirled back over her, and she ducked down over and over. I finished with a turn holding my leg high and straight, with Megan underneath me, and held it for a few seconds. We did it perfectly! Yes! Whew! Then I brought my leg down and spun. Megan stepped in front of me, which by then I was getting used to. But that’s when it happened.

  Megan did a big swoop with her arm. She overdid her arm reach and tore her long-sleeved leotard, just under her arm. The seam split. She froze.

  I couldn’t help it: My first thought was Serves you right. My second thought was what Vanessa said, though—we are partners, and we’re supposed to support each other. My third thought was that if Megan looks bad, I look bad.

  My fourth thought was: How do we cover it up? I think that was Megan’s only thought, from her panicky look.

  When we spun with our backs to the audience, I mouthed to her: I got you.

  I adjusted our dance and took action, positioning myself to cover her holey-ness with my body. Megan regrouped to let me block her. The result was a synchronized mirror image of poses that unfolded pretty well.

  We ran offstage. Megan was clutching her arm. Riley and Trina were waiting in the hall, hair in buns, dressed in pink-and-butter-yellow dresses for their duet.

  “Megan, you were awesome,” Riley said.

  “I can’t believe this happened!” Megan was visibly upset. She ripped off the vest and threw it on the floor. “I’m suing the costume place.”

  “Oh, no!” Trina said. “Because they got your name wrong?”

  “Huh?” We all looked at her, confused.

  Trina picked up the vest off the floor and showed it to us. The label pinned into it said HARPER.

  “Wait,” I said. I pulled my vest off. Sure enough, it said MEGAN. No wonder my sleeves didn’t fit—Megan had longer arms than I did.

  “Harper wore my outfit, and my sleeve ripped!” Megan wailed. “It screwed up everything.”

  “WHAT?” I protested. “You’re the one who grabbed it after your mother’s assistant—”

  “Oh. Whatever. That doesn’t matter,” Megan said. “What matters is my leo ripped onstage at regionals.”

  I saw Vanessa waving pointedly at us.

  “Actually, I think what matters is Riley and Trina’s duet onstage,” I said, tilting my head toward Vanessa.

  “Where are your priorities? I am not very happy right now,” Megan snarled.

  “I won’t be happy either if our next duet doesn’t take the stage on time,” Vanessa said from behind us. Megan’s face turned white.

  “I meant, Riley! Trina! Go, team, go!” Megan recovered quickly.

  Megan and I were done, so we went into the audience. All the parents were in seats. My little sister, Hailey, was waving at me to sit next to her. I went up the aisle and started to slide into the seat.

  “Not you, Harper,” she said. “I was saving the seat for Megan!”

  Blugh. Megan turned around and smirked at me. Hailey loved Megan. Megan was actually really good with younger kids. On the bright side, I didn’t have to sit next to my sister, who wiggled a lot.

  I slid into a seat behind my mom. We all watched Riley and Trina do their jazz solo, cheering them on. They did great! Trina was on point as always with her precision and her footwork, and Riley really worked the crowd.

  “Go Riley! Go Trina!” I called out.

  When the next duet came out, I heard Megan give an audible sigh.

  “Let’s give it up for a duet from the studio Energii!” the announcer called out. The two girls who came out were the Bells. They used to be on the DanceStarz competition team until they went to a new studio. They also had been Megan’s teammates and so-called best friends. They hadn’t been particularly nice to any of us since I’d moved here. They took the stage and did a modern routine that was truly impressive. When the crowd went wild for them, I clapped loudly, but Megan was subdued watching them dance. I knew it must hurt when your friends moved on.

  It made me think about my friends from my old dance team in Connecticut. We still talked and liked each other’s stuff on social, but I wondered what it would be like if I saw them in person. Would they have moved on? Would it hurt? Would I find out soon?

  If we won regionals, I actually might have a chance to see them in person. Ack! One of a million reasons I really wanted to win today. My nerves didn’t have a chance to go away, because right after the Bells danced—and, okay, got a lot of lot of applause—it was time for solos.

  Including DanceStarz’s first solo, starring Lily! She was first up, and as she took the stage, I let out a loud cheer. I hoped she could hear me! “Go Lily, go Lily!” I yelled.

  I looked at Lily’s parents down the row, looking nervous. I was nervous for her too. I heard the announcer introduce her.


  “This is Lily from DanceStarz, performing a jazz gymnastics routine, ‘Flip to It’!”

  I shouldn’t have been nervous. Lily didn’t disappoint. Lily had been putting in extra hours, including privates with Vanessa, and it showed. Lily had taken gymnastics all her life, and her aerials and backflips were on point. We all cheered like crazy for her. The rest of the crowd did too, and I watched her parents beaming with pride.

  There were some awesome solos. After they were over, we all ran to our dressing room. I practically jumped into Lily’s arms.

  “Did you see me?” Lily asked me, in a state of disbelief.

  “You looked amazing out there!” I squeezed her tight. “Did you hear the love you got from the crowd?”

  “The crowd was into it!” Riley chimed in.

  “It was like watching the Olympics! You were like flip! Handspring! Boop! Upside down back walkover, woot!” Trina bubbled, and Lily smiled.

  And then… crickets. We all look at Megan.

  “Um, that back walkover was woot,” she said sincerely.

  Lily’s smile was contagious. Just like me, she was the newcomer to DanceStarz Academy, and had to prove herself to Vanessa and the Squad.

  “You proved us wrong,” Megan said.

  “You mean proved us right?” I said.

  “No, we didn’t think she could do it,” Megan said. “Thus, she proved us wrong.”

  “Uh, thanks?” Lily said. “I think?”

  Vanessa came in and told Lily SHE WAS PROUD OF HER! Yes! I wanted this moment to last forever for her. I was super proud of her too.

  “Hit the stage, my select team,” Vanessa said. “Time for results. This is it, girls.”

  Eep. Trophy time! (Or no-trophy time!) A backstage wrangler dressed in all black and wearing a headset ushered us to a roped-off contestants’ bullpen in front of the stage. We sat in a tight huddle and listened anxiously. The lights shone in our faces, and we could kind of see the audience waiting in suspense as the announcer went on and on about how the judges tally the points—adding or subtracting points for choreography, execution, stage presence, and difficulty. And then, finally, it was time.