We texted back and forth. We were both so excited! I told her I didn’t know if I could come to Connecticut, but now we’d be able to hang out in the city together, like we used to!

I smiled. Eliza and I hadn’t kept up with texting as much as we did last summer. Things got busy with DanceStarz, and then I had to adjust to going to a new school. But Mom was right. We’d shared so many fun times together. Plus, we made a dope dancing duo. It felt good that she was just as excited to see me as I was to see her.

What are you dancing? I asked her.

Small group, duet, and solo! she texted back. Hbu?

Just small group, I told her. It’s my studio’s first nationals, so we’re only in one category.

Cool! Eliza texted back. But sorry, no offense, we are going to CRUSH you at nationals ;)

Eliza had said what we were both thinking. Well, I’d been thinking we would crush them at nationals. But still. I plopped down on my bed and stared at the Dance City trophies around my room. My closet door was open, and the rows of bright, sparkly dance competition gear caught my eye. It was a little weird because not so long ago I would have been on that team. Now we would be competing against each other.

I miss uuuu! she texted, and I sent her a happy GIF of our favorite dancer on TV.

I headed to bed even more excited about our trip, but also a little weirded out. My old studio friends and my new studio friends, my old life and new life—all in one place. How mind-blowing was that?

CHAPTER

5

I wish I could go to New York City,” said Zora as she ate the lasagna from her hot lunch. “How fun would that be if the whole cast of The Little Mermaid went? We could go to a Broadway show! Then we’d all be discovered and be on Broadway!”

“Not me—crowds make me anxious,” said Flounder. Flounder wasn’t his real name, of course. His real name was Taj, and he’d played Flounder in the school musical I did recently. And his name had stuck. “I’ll stay here.”

“I went to New York once,” Drew said. Then he smiled at me. Drew had played Prince Eric in the show, and I’d helped him learn his dances. “We went to that Thanksgiving parade. I remember I was so excited to see SpongeBob, and my mom said I was yelling for his autograph.”

We all cracked up.

“I wish you guys could be in the spring musical,” Zora said sadly.

“I do, too,” I said. But dance was taking up more and more of my time. It had been challenging juggling both before, but now with nationals coming up there was no way. “You know I’ll be there to cheer you on.”

“It overlaps with baseball practice,” Drew said. “We’re hoping to get to the tournament. Regionals, not nationals like some special people.”