They broke down each move to its simplest form, so we were able to catch on quicker than I’d thought. It was great.

For the next half hour, we lost ourselves in the rhythm and rhymes of hip-hop, using our arms, legs, shoulders, and even our hands. Even the chaperones were out of their seats, jamming with all their hearts.

We almost complained out loud when Jackie turned down the music.

“All right, now we usually like to bring up a few dancers to show what they’ve learned,” said Miguel. Too many hands shot up, which got everyone laughing.

“How about we bring up the winners of our New York pop quiz?” said Jackie. “And no Googling, people.”

Everyone laughed again, but this time it was way more authentic. We were already fans of Jackie and Miguel.

“Name all five—”

My arm went up like I was trying to touch the ceiling. I’d lived in this area long enough what people were talking about when they said the number five.

“Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.” I shouted, cracking up.

“I didn’t even finish! The five boroughs—and she is correct!” Everyone laughed at Miguel’s faux-shocked face.

The Squad cheered for me, patting me on the back. Jackie gestured for me to join them up front.

“Wow. Okay, looks like we’ve got a local here,” she said. “Where are you from?”

“Connecticut!” I said it without thinking. It wasn’t until I saw the Squad all look at one another like they missed something had I realized that it sounded like I wasn’t planning to rep for Florida or DanceStarz. But my Squad knew I loved them, so I figured no harm done.

Jackie and Miguel were running away with the whole Connecticut shout-out.

Miguel pointed at the Squad in the front row. “Are you all from Connecticut too?”

“Florida!” Megan spat out with an attitude, as they all shook their heads no.

“Hmm . . . That brings us to the second question,” said Miguel. “When New Yorkers talk about the tristate area, what states are included?” Miguel immediately pointed to the right side of the room, where most hands went up.

“New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey,” said a voice I easily recognized. Oh, cool! It was Eliza’s.

“Let me guess, is that the local section over there?” Jackie asked.

“Yes.” Eliza laughed and joined us.

Miguel pointed at me. “You should be sitting over there with them!”

Lily and the girls gave me another weird stare. What’s up with them?

“Let’s get some of your girls from Florida to engage in a friendly competition,” Jackie adds fuel to the fire. “Local girls versus out-of-towners!” Despite the weirdness, I was super proud that in this room of about one hundred dancers, my past and present friends were up here together. It felt amazing.

Miguel chose Megan and Trina and started the music. This should be interesting.

After a few minutes, Eliza and I were cheering our victory. The crowd had chosen us as the champs! And we’d scored apple key chains as parting gifts. Not bad for one class. Also, maybe a good souvenir gift for Hailey for her backpack. At the end, everyone gave our instructors a huge round of applause to show our appreciation.