“Go Riley! Go Trina!” I called out.

When the next duet came out, I heard Megan give an audible sigh.

“Let’s give it up for a duet from the studio Energii!” the announcer called out. The two girls who came out were the Bells. They used to be on the DanceStarz competition team until they went to a new studio. They also had been Megan’s teammates and so-called best friends. They hadn’t been particularly nice to any of us since I’d moved here. They took the stage and did a modern routine that was truly impressive. When the crowd went wild for them, I clapped loudly, but Megan was subdued watching them dance. I knew it must hurt when your friends moved on.

It made me think about my friends from my old dance team in Connecticut. We still talked and liked each other’s stuff on social, but I wondered what it would be like if I saw them in person. Would they have moved on? Would it hurt? Would I find out soon?

If we won regionals, I actually might have a chance to see them in person. Ack! One of a million reasons I really wanted to win today. My nerves didn’t have a chance to go away, because right after the Bells danced—and, okay, got a lot of applause—it was time for solos.

Including DanceStarz’s first solo, starring Lily! She was first up, and as she took the stage, I let out a loud cheer. I hoped she could hear me! “Go Lily, go Lily!” I yelled.

I looked at Lily’s parents down the row, looking nervous. I was nervous for her too. I heard the announcer introduce her.

“This is Lily from DanceStarz, performing a jazz gymnastics routine, ‘Flip to It’!”

I shouldn’t have been nervous. Lily didn’t disappoint. Lily had been putting in extra hours, including privates with Vanessa, and it showed. Lily had taken gymnastics all her life, and her aerials and backflips were on point. We all cheered like crazy for her. The rest of the crowd did too, and I watched her parents beaming with pride.

There were some awesome solos. After they were over, we all ran to our dressing room. I practically jumped into Lily’s arms.

“Did you see me?” Lily asked me, in a state of disbelief.

“You looked amazing out there!” I squeezed her tight. “Did you hear the love you got from the crowd?”

“The crowd was into it!” Riley chimed in.

“It was like watching the Olympics! You were like flip! Handspring! Boop! Upside down back walkover, woot!” Trina bubbled, and Lily smiled.

And then . . . crickets. We all look at Megan.

“Um, that back walkover was woot,” she said sincerely.

Lily’s smile was contagious. Just like me, she was the newcomer to DanceStarz Academy, and had to prove herself to Vanessa and the Squad.

“You proved us wrong,” Megan said.

“You mean proved us right?” I said.

“No, we didn’t think she could do it,” Megan said. “Thus, she proved us wrong.”