Showstopper Read online

  “Whoa! That was amazing!” Anya commented. “I thought we had just City Feet to worry about today, but all the teams are bringing it.”

  When it was time for City Feet’s group number, only Mandy was waiting in the wings.

  “Where’s the rest of your team?” Rochelle asked her. “Did the rest of Stinky Feet chicken out?”

  Mandy kept her mouth shut and ignored her taunting. She was wearing a silver leotard and a long platinum wig.

  “Performing a contemporary acro routine to Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face,’ please welcome City Feet!” the announcer boomed over the microphone.

  “Gaga? Did he say Gaga?” Liberty whined. “I told you people we should have used her costume designer!”

  Mandy tumbled out onstage as the rest of her teammates appeared in a cloud of smoke. They each wore a crazy costume inspired by Lady Gaga: Phoebe was in a green unitard with a boa made from furry stuffed frogs; Addison wore a red lace bodysuit and a crown covering her face; Regan was in a black-and-white triangular mask and a white leotard covered in plastic bubbles.

  “What’s next? A flying saucer landing in the middle of the convention center, carrying Elvis?” Rochelle groaned.

  “Awesome! Where?” Gracie asked.

  “Guys! Am I seeing this?” Scarlett directed their attention back to the stage. “Is Phoebe carrying a baseball bat?”

  “They all are!” Bria chimed in. “They must have believed what Mandy told them.”

  Each of the Feet paraded around the stage, swinging baseball bats in the air. Addison and Regan even tossed a ball between them while Mandy did a cartwheel around third base.

  “But we said Batgirl, not baseball bat!” Anya said. “Where did they get that idea?”

  “I dunno, but it’s a hoot!” Rochelle burst out laughing. “Lady Gaga sliding into home plate. It’s so wrong!”

  “You can say that again,” Toni said, finding her team in a fit of hysterical laughter. “It’s a very disjointed routine. I understand the Gaga-esque costumes, but what’s with the baseball diamond? Do you have any idea what Justine might be trying to say?”

  “She’s saying, ‘Someone gave me some wrong 411!’” Rochelle roared. “OMG, this is a riot!”

  Gracie raised her hand. “I let the bat out of the bag.”

  “You did what?” Toni replied. “Who put you up to this?”

  “We didn’t tell them to do it,” Liberty said, defending the Divas’ actions. “We just sort of whispered in Mandy’s ear.”

  “And what’s in her ear is outta her mouth,” Rochelle added. “But I guess something got lost in translation. When Gracie accidentally told all the Feet she was wearing a Joker costume, we had to cover our tracks. So we kinda told her to tell Mandy we were doing a Batman-themed routine.”

  “Bat as in creepy black-winged thing that turns into a vampire,” Liberty pointed out to her youngest teammate. “Not let’s play ball!”

  “I see,” Toni replied. “So you lied to them and they took the bait?”

  “Exactly!” Liberty exclaimed. “It’s not our fault at all.”

  Anya braced herself. She could feel a long lecture coming on from their dance coach. “We were just trying to save our number,” she said.

  Toni clasped her hands behind her back. “Did I not tell all of you to stay away from the competition and not speak a word to them?”

  “Liberty talked first,” Gracie said. “Then Rock, then me.”

  “I’m sure they did,” their teacher said. “But you’re all just as guilty. I have to go find Justine now and apologize to her—which is something I hate doing.”

  “Could it maybe wait till after we beat them?” Scarlett asked. “Like a ‘no hard feelings’ kind of thing?”

  “Cheaters never win,” Toni answered. “But I suppose Justine cheated in changing her routine to copy ours.”

  “We all know Justine’s batty anyway,” Liberty quipped. “I say we forget it ever happened.”

  “I say you go out there and win us first place,” Toni insisted. “Then I’ll decide how to handle your fibbing to the Feet.”

  House of Cards

  As City Feet strutted off the stage, Liberty raised her hand to high-five them.

  “Nice,” she said. “What do you call that routine—‘Four Strikes You’re Out’?”

  “I call it a winner,” Regan replied. “Especially when you go out there and do your pathetic best to copy it.”

  “Oh, you mean the baseball thing?” Rochelle asked. “Yeah, it’s not happening.”

  Mandy’s mouth hung open. “Huh? Gracie said you were doing a dance with baseball bats!”

  “You shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” Bria pointed out.

  “I told you we should have put in chopped liver and penguins,” Gracie said, pouting. “You guys need to trust me more!”

  Liberty pushed Regan aside. “Out of the way,” she said. “Let us show you how it’s done.”

  The Divas took their places on the three-tiered platform Toni had built. They waited patiently for the host to announce them: “Performing a jazz number to ‘Luck Be a Lady,’ please welcome, Dance Divas in ‘House of Cards’!”

  As they had rehearsed, Rochelle ducked down to let Gracie leapfrog high over her head. Gracie’s shoes and hat were trimmed in jingly bells that tinkled as she flipped and flitted around the stage. Each girl brought her own character and style to her role: Anya’s ace was a delicate ballerina en pointe; Rochelle’s jack was a cool and confident hip-hop dancer break dancing on the floor; Bria’s ten of diamonds did a sparkling tap time step; and Liberty and Scarlett were a lyrical king and queen in all their royal splendor. Liberty’s crown twinkled under the stage lights as she pranced around in a white vinyl catsuit with green and purple piping. They did an impressive fifteen fouetté turns in perfect sync before Liberty hit a switch on her waistband to reveal a “hidden” element of her costume: all the seams lit up and flashed in time to the music!

  The audience oohed and aahed, especially when Gracie stood on Rock’s shoulders and jumped onto a trampoline. When she bounced back up in the air, she did a forward somersault. At the end of the number, all the girls stood in a line and fell backward, like a house of cards toppling over. There was thunderous applause and whistling; one judge gave them two enthusiastic thumbs-up.

  As they dashed off the stage, Toni grabbed Liberty by the elbow. “What happened to doing your costume without any help?” she asked. “How many electricians did it take to rig up those flashing lights?”

  “None,” Liberty insisted. “It was actually an old Halloween costume that I found at my next-door neighbor’s yard sale.” She showed Toni the label on the back: it read BUZZ LIGHTYEAR.

  “So you recycled it?” Toni asked her.

  “Yup, and I glued all the gems on the crown myself,” she said, taking off her headpiece. “Scout’s honor!”

  “You’re not a Girl Scout,” Rochelle pointed out.

  “Okay, then Diva’s honor. I really did it all myself. My mom was way too busy choreographing Pitbull, and I needed something to do in the hotel all day.”

  Toni nodded. “Then you did a great job, which I hope teaches you a lesson—you don’t need to rely on your mom’s help or connections.”

  Liberty smiled. It felt good to do something by herself for once. “Who knew?”

  “I did,” Toni replied with a wink.

  Now, all that was left was to await the judges’ decisions. Anya crossed her fingers and hoped that their “House of Cards” routine was enough to beat everyone else’s over-the-top productions. Except for Liberty’s light show, their number didn’t have lots of bells and whistles—unless you counted the bells on Gracie’s costume!

  The announcer summoned everyone’s attention as the teams sat onstage, hoping to hear their names. City Feet took home first prize for best duet (Phoebe and Addison’s slot-machine tap routine “Ring Them Bells”), and Mandy won Mini Solo (for her acro routine to “Going to the Chapel”)
.

  “They’re gonna sweep.” Anya sighed. “I can’t stand it!”

  “We don’t know that yet,” Scarlett tried to comfort her. “Preteen Solo is up next. Fingers crossed.”

  “My toes are crossed,” Rochelle replied. “In case that helps.”

  “In third place, Dance Divas, ‘Magic to Do’!” The host read the judges’ ruling.

  Rochelle accepted her plaque and returned to her seat. “Oh well,” she said. “I can’t win ’em all.” She squeezed Scarlett’s hand. “I hope you take it home for Divas.”

  “In second place,” the announcer continued. “Also from Dance Divas, ‘Superstition’!”

  Scarlett collected her plaque and looked equally disappointed. Anya couldn’t help but think that this was all her fault. She’d distracted and upset all her teammates—and now they were paying the price. She caught a glimpse of Miss Toni in the audience. Steam was coming out of her ears.

  “You know who that leaves in first place . . . ,” Scarlett whispered.

  The announcer finished her sentence: “‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite,’ City Feet!”

  Phoebe skipped up to receive her trophy. She held it above her head and blew kisses to the audience. Justine stood on her seat and cheered with the rest of the City Feet moms.

  Anya felt sick to her stomach.

  “There’s still Junior Group dance,” Bria reminded her.

  “We might as well just hand the trophy to Justine,” Liberty said. “So she can start gloating now.”

  This time, when the announcer got to second place, there were three teams remaining: Razzmatazz, City Feet, and Dance Divas.

  “What if we don’t even place?” Anya asked, biting her nails. “I can’t take the suspense!”

  The announcer studied the card. “In second place, ‘Caveman Shuffle,’ Razzmatazz!”

  Anya held her breath. “That means it’s them . . . or us.”

  The Divas waited for what felt like an eternity for the announcer to read the first-place team name. “Congratulations, City Feet!” he exclaimed, as Phoebe, Addison, Regan, and Mandy jumped up and down.

  “I don’t believe it,” Liberty moaned. “I told you we should have gone with Gaga.”

  “It wasn’t the costumes,” Scarlett insisted. “I guess the judges thought their dance was really creative—bats and all.”

  “Yeah, thanks to us for giving them the idea,” Rochelle complained.

  “Just a second! May I have your attention please!” the announcer broke in over the celebration. “We have a tie for first place. Congratulations also to ‘House of Cards,’ Dance Divas!”

  Anya gasped. “Did he just say we won?” She grabbed Rochelle and shook her. “He said we won!”

  They raced up to accept the trophy—right next to the girls of City Feet.

  “Nice try sabotaging our number,” Phoebe told Liberty. “Too bad you couldn’t stop us from getting a clean sweep.”

  “Well, someone should sweep you out of here,” Liberty replied. “That’s what they do with garbage, isn’t it?”

  Toni was about to referee—and remind her girls to behave in public—when Justine stepped in.

  “I don’t think either of our teams deserves this,” she announced to the judges. “And I think Toni would agree with me.”

  Toni nodded. “Absolutely. Both the Divas and City Feet behaved in an unsportsmanlike way,” she said. “Justine and I feel first prize should go to Razzmatazz.”

  Anya couldn’t believe what she was hearing! Was Toni actually forfeiting a first-place win? And even crazier, was she agreeing with Justine?

  “I hope this teaches you all a lesson,” Toni scolded her team. “What you did was wrong, and you don’t deserve to hold your heads up as first-place winners.” The boys from Razzmatazz grabbed the trophy out of Liberty’s hand.

  “Hey, Cave Boy!” Liberty threatened him. “Back off!”

  “No, Justine and Toni are right,” Scarlett said. “It was mean to trick City Feet.”

  “But they changed their dance to destroy ours!” Liberty protested.

  “Which is why we are forfeiting as well,” Justine replied. “In hindsight, it was wrong to use the information the girls gave me against you.” She patted Toni on the back. “Besides, our team won the rest of our divisions anyway—and you lost. That’s good enough for me!”

  Toni gathered her team around her. “I know we’re all disappointed, so I’m not going to rub it in,” she began.

  “Oh, thank goodness!” Rochelle heaved a sigh of relief. “I thought we were in for a lecture.”

  “Oh, you are,” Toni replied. “But I thought I’d save it for the studio when we get home. You can think about it all the way home on the plane tomorrow.”

  Anya suddenly remembered she wasn’t going back to New Jersey with her friends. “I wish I could have left on a high note,” she said, hugging each of them. “But you’ll win the next competition for me, right?”

  Rochelle hugged her tight. “You bet. Those Feet better run!”

  “We’ll miss you so much,” Scarlett said, welling up. “It just won’t be the same without you.”

  “L.A. is so far away,” Gracie sniffled. “Will you FaceTime me every day on Bria’s computer?”

  “You better!” Bria said, getting in on the group hug.

  The only one who hadn’t said good-bye was Liberty.

  “You know my mom goes to Hollywood all the time,” she told Anya. “I could go with her and visit you—if you want.”

  “That would be great,” Anya said, holding her arms out for a hug.

  Liberty wrinkled her nose. “I hate getting emotional. It makes my mascara run,” she sniffed.

  Anya smiled. “Okay, then let’s just say, ‘See you soon.’”

  Finally, it was Toni’s turn. “Anya, I saw something very special in you from the very first time we met,” she said. “And I’m never wrong.”

  Anya nodded. “Thanks for letting me join your team, Miss Toni. I’ll never forget any of you or any of our crazy adventures.”

  “Maybe you don’t have to,” Mrs. Bazarov interrupted. “Alexei has something to tell you.” She handed her cell phone to Anya.

  “Dude,” said a weak voice on the other end.

  “Alex, are you okay?” she asked.

  “I’m more than okay,” he answered. “I got into NYU film school, starting next year. The admissions letter came yesterday, when I was in the hospital, so I never got to open it. I’m in!”

  “What? That’s amazing!” Anya said. “You’re gonna be a famous director!”

  “And since both of our kids seemed determined to be on the East Coast, your dad and I decided we give up,” her mom added. “We’ll just have to move to New Jersey over the summer and set up Frosty on the lawn there.”

  “You mean it?” Anya said. “I don’t have to leave Divas?”

  “If they want you, they can keep you,” her mom replied, and smiled.

  “We want her! We want her!” her teammates cheered.

  Anya looked at Miss Toni. “Is it okay if I stay?”

  “Oh, I suppose,” Toni said with a wink. “I think I have a spot open.”

  Read My Lips

  When they got back to New Jersey, Toni had a brilliant idea how to teach her team a thing or two about keeping their mouths shut.

  “So, I call this group dance ‘Our Lips Are Sealed,’” she said, hitting the button on her iPod. A bubbly ’80s pop song by the Go-Go’s filled the studio and the girls began to bop around to it. She handed Gracie a roll of pink duct tape.

  “This will be part of your costume,” she instructed her. “Each of you will have your own color, and I’d like it wrapped around your leotards creatively. Oh, and also across your lips.” She broke off a small piece and put it on Gracie’s mouth. Gracie giggled.

  “Are you kidding me? That is so unglam!” Liberty complained.

  “Really? I thought you would say that,” Toni replied. She handed Liberty a photo of Lady
Gaga wearing an outfit made of yellow police tape. “That’s why I took the idea from Gaga herself.”

  “Oh,” Liberty said softly. “Whatever.”

  “I want to make it perfectly clear that we don’t keep secrets from each other or tell false ones to the competition.”

  “Even if it’s a really good one?” Gracie asked.

  “Especially if it’s a really good one,” their teacher replied.

  When each of the girls had secured a piece of tape over her mouth, Miss Toni read off the list of upcoming competitions. “We’ll be ending March in Michigan; then on to Philly, Delaware, Erie, and finally Los Angeles for Nationals—if we qualify.”

  Anya raised her hand. “Yes, Anya, you can talk.”

  Anya peeled the tape off her lips. “Do you think my brother, Alexei, can come to Nationals and shoot us rehearsing? He wants to make a dance documentary for film school in the fall.”

  Toni nodded. “I don’t see why not.”

  Liberty’s hand went up as well.

  “I know I’ll regret this, but yes, Liberty, you can speak, too,” Toni said.

  “I think I should star in the documentary,” Liberty suggested. “I mean, I am the most talented and glamorous Diva, right?” She turned to Rochelle who was still wearing the tape on her mouth. “Anything to say about that, Rock?”

  Instead of protesting, Rochelle took a piece of tape and secured it back across Liberty’s lips.

  “Thank you,” Miss Toni said, rubbing her temples. “We’ve got a long way to go before Nationals, and I’m not making any decisions till right before.”

  She ran the girls through the jazz routine several times, then had them gather around her in a circle when they were done.

  “I’ve decided to hold rehearsals during part of spring break,” she informed her team. The Divas groaned in unison—it meant cutting their vacation short.

  “Seriously? My family was planning a trip to my Pappy Hee-Haw’s in Alabama,” Rochelle complained.

  “I knew it. I knew if we got a week off in February, we’d pay for it later on,” Liberty muttered.