AT THE SHAKE IT UP, CHICAGO studio, a rehearsal for the new dance routine was just beginning. The dancers were all watching Eddie, the lead dancer and choreographer. Deuce was there, too. He was busy filming the rehearsal for his documentary.

“Okay, guys, let’s take it again from the top,” Eddie shouted. “Five, six, seven, eight!”

In the back line of dancers, CeCe leaned over to Rocky. “This is all we get to do?” she whispered. She frowned. The dance step that she was asked to do was as simple as waving her hands back and forth and stepping side to side. A monkey could have done it! She moved closer to Rocky. “Seriously?” she mumbled.

“Better than dancing alone in the ladies’ room!” Rocky exclaimed, keeping a smile on her face. She was just happy to be onstage!

“We had more to do at kindergarten graduation and I was dressed as a zucchini,” CeCe complained, remembering her stage debut many years ago.

Gunther Hessenheffer, another background dancer on the show, was standing next to CeCe and couldn’t help but eavesdrop. “What’s the matter, girlies?” he hissed. “Did you think you were going to be the big stars of the show?” he asked, gesturing to the few lead dancers center stage. They were doing steps far more complicated and seemed to be loving it.

Tinka Hessenheffer, Gunther’s sister and also a background dancer, sidled up to her brother. “Gunther and Tinka are willing to doo-doo all day long,” she said, raising her arms and executing the dance move they were instructed to do for the number.

“Okay, take five,” Eddie suddenly said, turning to the group. Everyone on the dance floor headed to grab some water or rest.

CeCe looked around the studio. She was tired of hanging in the background! “I’ll take care of it,” she said.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Rocky commented. She watched her friend approach the choreographer.

“Hi, we haven’t met yet,” CeCe said, turning on her charm full blast. “I’m CeCe, and this is Rocky. We’re the new dancers. And you are?”

“Eddie,” he replied, very distracted. He was texting on his phone and wasn’t at all interested in talking to her.

“And your last name?” CeCe asked, pushing for more information.

Eddie didn’t take his eyes off his phone. “Quit bothering me,” he said.

“Oh, interesting name!” Rocky replied.

CeCe decided to take charge. “Eddie, there’s been a little mistake,” she cooed sweetly. She saw him put his phone back in his pocket. Here was her chance to get through to him. She took a deep breath and pleaded her case. “I don’t think Gary Wilde would be thrilled that our talent is being wasted in the back.” She pointed to the far end of the stage. “Just tell us who we can talk to about this little issue.”

“Mmmm,” he said. He nodded his head as if he understood where she was coming from. “Well, I’ll tell you who you can’t talk to. Me! Or any of the other wild Things!” He flashed them a forced smile. “We’re the lead dancers. You’re just the background dancers.”

Rocky shook her head. “Got it,” she said, trying to sound agreeable. Her curiosity got the better of her and she just had to ask one more question. Since the lead dancers had a name, maybe their group did, too! “Do we have a cool nickname?”

“The rear ends,” Eddie told her.

“I don’t suppose you’d think about changing that to…The Falcons?” Rocky asked dramatically.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to go to my dressing room,” Eddie said as kindly as he could manage. He pushed past CeCe and Rocky and walked away.

CeCe’s face brightened. “Oh, cool! Do we get dressing rooms?” she asked, following him.

Eddie showed them to an open area with hooks and cubbies. “Right here,” he said.

“We get hooks,” CeCe said sarcastically. She turned and saw the show’s host, Gary Wilde, across the studio. She grabbed Rocky’s hand and dragged her over to him. “Gary, we need to talk to you,” she said urgently.

Deuce quickly followed behind his friends, video camera in hand. He was getting great footage for his documentary!

Rocky saw Gary’s somewhat annoyed expression and tried a different approach. “She means, ‘Gary, can we please talk to you’,” she said, flashing him a broad smile.

“Of course,” he said, smiling back at the girls.

“The wild Things have this ridiculous idea that we’re supposed to stand behind them and be doo-doo girls!” CeCe told him.

Gary raised his eyebrows and put his clipboard down for a second. “Doo-doo girls?” he asked, slightly confused.

“You know, doo, doo, doo, doo,” CeCe sang out as she swirled her hands in a circle in front of her face.

Gary realized that the girls were thinking they were like old-fashioned doo-wop dancers in a chorus. He nodded now that he understood what they were saying.

CeCe continued, “Oh, and we don’t have dressing rooms. We have hooks,” she complained.

“Wow,” Gary said sympathetically. “Looks like I need to have a little talk with someone.”

CeCe breathed a huge sigh of relief. She knew that if she calmly told Gary what was going on, he’d do what he could to fix things! She smiled sweetly at him. “Thank you, Gary.” She turned to Rocky. “See, Rocky, if you don’t ask for what you want, you don’t get it.”

Gary shook his head. “Cop a squat,” he told the girls.

When Rocky realized that they were the people who needed the talk, she moaned. “Uh-oh.”

“Oh,” CeCe said as she sat down on the spot where she had been standing.

Gary walked around the girls. “Looks like you two starlets are a little short on humility. Yeah, I’ll have you know, there was a girl who danced here ten years ago using the same hook as you. And today she’s one of the biggest music stars in all of show business.”

“Lady Gaga?” Rocky asked, hopefully. The thought of the superstar having been in the same position that they were now in was amazing!

Gary decided to go with that assumption. “Okay,” he said. Then he clapped his hands together. “Look, CoCo, ricky, I like you,” he said. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have even bothered to remember your names.”

“You didn’t,” CeCe said. “It’s CeCe,” she said, pointing to herself. “And Rocky,” she said, pointing to her best friend.

“I don’t think so,” Gary stated. Then he walked away, but smiled first at Deuce’s camera.

“Nice work, CeCe,” Rocky said, standing up.

“Just when we thought we were somebodies, we’re back to being nobodies.”

Deuce turned his camera around and spoke into the lens. “They were at the top of the world, then, bang! Doo-doo girls!”

“Look, I think I reacted the way any normal person would have if they were given a hook!” CeCe exclaimed.

Just then, Tinka and Gunther ran up to Gary in their matching gold jackets and black outfits. “Thank you for the hook, Gary,” Tinka gushed. “We love it!”

“Look, I crocheted a hook cover,” Gunther said, displaying his art project for Gary.

CeCe rolled her eyes. “Like I said, any normal person.”

While CeCe and Rocky got ready to return to the dance floor, Deuce followed Gary with his camera rolling. Gary was talking to Sid, the producer of the show. Deuce stood back, but focused his camera on the two men.

“We can’t afford this many people, Gary. You have to get rid of two,” Sid told him. He looked very worried.

“Well, it’s not a very difficult decision,” Gary replied. “I mean, you know what they say: ‘Last hired, first fired’.”

Deuce couldn’t believe what he had just heard! He scanned the room with his camera and found CeCe and Rocky. He zoomed in on his two friends.

“Just chillax, Rocky,” CeCe instructed. She put her hands on Rocky’s shoulders. “This’ll all blow over by tomorrow.”

Deuce took a deep breath. He wondered how he was going to tell Rocky and CeCe the news. He had the makings of a great documentary, but how was he going to tell his friends that they were about to be fired?