In front of you! Isn’t that the actress that plays Trey Thompson’s teacher on NYC High? Episode 3? I chuckled to myself. Riley’s celebrity watch was starting sooner than I’d thought. If I didn’t turn around and look where she was pointing, she’d keep bugging me. When I did, I definitely saw the resemblance. But no, it wasn’t the same person. I shook my head.

She just shrugged her shoulders and started scanning the rest of the passengers for another sighting.

I grinned. It was a good thing I was sitting next to Lily on the flight. But I totally understood what Riley was feeling. Already, there was this excitement in the air. We were on our way to nationals! In New York City! I could hardly believe it.

I was pulling my DanceStarz rolling duffel up farther in line when I got a text.

Counting down to when you land!

Perfect timing. We’re at the airport right now!

Eeeeeee!

She sent me a GIF of a dancing bagel, and I literally laughed out loud.

“What’s so funny?” Lily asked, smiling.

“Just Eliza . . . Eliza-ing,” I said, smiling at my screen. And then Eliza responded with a close-up of her actual face cracking up like the crying-laughing emoji. I cracked up, too. “She’s super excited that I’m on my way.”

“Oh,” said Lily, sounding confused. “But didn’t you say we’ll be competing against your old dance studio? Isn’t it weird?”

“Yeah, but we’re not really mentioning that mostly,” I told her.

“No, I mean . . . yeah, I can see how that would get awkward,” Lily agreed. We pushed our luggage a bit forward together.

“Eliza’s cool. I can’t wait for you to meet her,” I said.

Lily pulled out her earbuds from her bag. “I heard they’ll keep us kind of busy touring New York in between our call times for the nationals,” she said.

I panicked for a moment. “I hope not! I would be so bummed if I don’t get a chance to hang out with Eliza. And everyone on my old squad. Well, not everyone will be there, because some of them stopped dancing or went somewhere else. But at least Eliza’s there. I hope! If there’s time!”

Lily looked surprised by my reaction. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I’m sure everything will work out.”

When I went back and took another look at Eliza’s filtered face, I cracked up all over again and my worries disappeared.

Lily stood up, her carry-on bag on her shoulder. Was she sick of all my laughing?

“Where are you going?” I asked her.

“They called our group,” she said. “Vanessa and the moms are looking for us.”

That’s when I looked around and realized that everyone was already making their way to board. How long had I been staring at my phone?

I scooped up my bag and followed Lily to the line.

Megan’s mom started handing out our boarding passes. She had been holding them all, just in case.