Toni Moore rarely allowed her Dance Divas elite team a week off from rehearsal. There were simply too many routines to learn, too many costumes to fit, not to mention an endless list of competitions from coast-to-coast. But this time, as she contemplated the calendar tacked on the bulletin board outside studio 1, Toni drew a huge red “X” across Presidents’ Week in February.
“No way! No dance for a whole week?” Rochelle asked her teacher as she passed her in the hallway. “Is the world coming to an end?”
Toni sighed. Rochelle knew just how to push her buttons. “I simply decided to give us all—especially myself—a much-needed break since school will be closed here in New Jersey.” She raised an eyebrow. “Unless of course you’d prefer to be in the studio those days practicing your pointe technique?”
Rochelle shook her head. “Nope. I’m good with it!”
She rushed off to the dressing room to share the news with the rest of her teammates.
“Really? A whole week off?” Scarlett cheered. “That’s amazing! Maybe I can convince Mom to take us to Florida for some sun and fun.”
“Yeah, Disney World!” her little sister, Gracie, piped up.
Bria checked the calendar on her phone. “Great. I can get in some extra studying for my algebra test, start my science fair project, and write my English paper on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“Seriously? You’re free from Toni and all you want to do is study?” Rochelle asked her.
“I don’t want to study. I have to study,” Bria said, correcting her.
“Not everyone can be as naturally brilliant as you are, Rock,” Scarlett teased her.
“Or as naturally beautiful,” Rochelle replied, laughing.
“I think I’ll tag along with my mom to Hollywood.” Liberty suddenly jumped into the conversation. She was polishing her nails a perfect shade of Ballet Slipper Pink. “She’s choreographing a new music video.”
“Is it for someone famous?” Bria asked. Liberty’s mom, Jane Montgomery, was one of the biggest choreographers in the music biz.
Liberty grinned. “Isn’t it always?”
Rochelle rolled her eyes. “Here comes the name-dropping,” she whispered to Scarlett.
“Beyoncé was just saying how much she adored my mom’s last video for Ariana Grande . . . ,” Liberty bragged. “But I think the one Mom did for Britney was far more creative.”
“So she’s choreographing Beyoncé? Or Ariana? Or Britney?” Gracie said, jumping up and down. “Can I go, too?”
Liberty patted the little girl on the head. “No, Gracie, dear. It’s only for professionals.”
“So how come your mom lets you go?” Gracie protested. “You’re not a professional.”
Liberty frowned. “Because I act like a professional, that’s why.”
“And because she nags her mom day and night till she finally agrees to take her if she’ll just stop whining,” Rochelle said.
“I can whine,” Gracie said. “Scoot says I’m really good at it. If I do, will you take me?”
Scarlett nodded. “She’s right. She’s a professional whiner.”
“See?” Gracie pleaded with Liberty. “Pretty please?”
Rochelle chuckled. “Aw, come on, Liberty, give the kid a break. Call up Beyoncé and tell her you’re bringing a friend. Oh, wait—you don’t actually have Beyoncé’s number, do you?”
“At least I have somewhere exciting to go,” Liberty insisted, pointing a finger in Rochelle’s face. “What are you going to do with your week off? Sit and watch the grass grow? Change your baby brother’s diapers? It’s not like your family has a lot of extra money to go on a vacation.”
Rochelle stood up. “You take that back.”
Scarlett jumped in between them—as she always did—to referee. As the unofficial team captain it was her job to keep the peace and remind them of what Miss Toni would expect. Toni ran a tight ship, and wouldn’t stand for anyone rocking the boat.
“Guys,” Scarlett said, “do you recall what Miss Toni threatened to do to anyone on her team who isn’t getting along?”
“She said they won’t be allowed to go to Smooth Moves in Las Vegas,” Gracie piped up.
Both Rochelle and Liberty backed down—there was no way either of them was going to miss out on a trip to Vegas—or one of the biggest dance competitions in the country. And they knew Toni meant business when she made a threat.
Anya strolled into the dressing room with her dance bag slung over her shoulder. “What did I miss?” she said, noticing Rochelle and Liberty glaring at each other.
“Oh, just the usual,” Scarlett said.
Anya turned to Liberty. “Did you insult Rock again?”
“She started it,” Liberty said grumpily. “But I’m willing to forgive and forget. I’m the bigger person.”
“You’re certainly the bigger mouth,” Rochelle muttered under her breath.
Bria tried to change the subject—anything to keep those two from fighting. “Anya, did you hear the news? Miss Toni gave us Presidents’ Week off! The whole week!”
Anya’s eyes lit up. “Really? I’ve been dying to go home to L.A. and see my family.”
“You miss them a lot, don’t you?” Scarlett asked her.
“I do. Especially my big brother, Alexei. He’s the coolest.” She found a photo on her phone of a tall teenage boy with blond hair and blue eyes at the beach and showed them.
Rochelle grabbed the phone out of her hands. “Wow. You never told us you have a cute brother!”
“And you have a boyfriend,” Bria reminded her. “What would Hayden think of you drooling over Anya’s brother?”
“I wasn’t drooling,” Rochelle said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “I was just looking.”
“Alexei’s an amazing surfer—he taught me how to ride waves just like him,” Anya told them. “He’s going to be a really famous filmmaker one day—he’s always shooting movies. He even has one of those cameras you wear on your head. He wore it last week skating down the pier in Santa Monica. He got the most amazing video of people’s feet!”
“He sounds weird,” Liberty interjected. “Who films feet?”
“He’s just really creative, and he’s always there for me,” Anya explained. “When my parents didn’t want me to come join Divas full-time here on the East Coast, he convinced them that my mom and I should move here. He’s my biggest fan.”
Scarlett smiled. “Then you should text him and let him know you’ll be home soon,” she said. “Get the surfboards ready.”