𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖲𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌 || 𝖣𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖬𝗈𝗆𝗌

Nationals 90210

"In10sity Dance was intense." Abby starts. "I saw lots of mistakes, and yet, this was the week where every solo needed to strive to perfection. This was the last competition before we go to nationals. You were duly warned. We won that 2011 national title? I want to win it again."

We were back in nationals week. Last year, I was freaking out about beating Maddie and Chloe. Freaking out about wanting to be Abby's favorite. Freaking out about being the best. Now, look how it has changed in just a year.

I am the best.

I beat Maddie and Chloe.

And I am Abby's favorite.

"Now, this week, we're gonna stay right here in sunny Los Angeles, but, we are going to the most famous zip code," Abby explains.

Someone gasped and everyone turned over to the moms.

"90210." Melissa smiles. "Sorry!"

Both Kelly and Melissa laughed as Melissa apologized to Abby, who rolled her eyes in amusement. After Abby officially announced our destination, she continued talking:

"We are going to the Energy Dance National Invitational."

Some of the girls smiled and made guesses about who was at the top. Thinking about last week, it was either Maddie or Kenzie. Abby was "disappointed" in the rest of us. As Abby started with the pyramid, it was becoming a bit too obvious. The ones that didn't place were at the bottom. Then the ones that were sixth, fifth, fourth, and third.

"Evie," Abby reveals. "Maddie beat you by not even a full point. This was the competition to do your best at, but clearly, I haven't been hard enough on you lately."

"Every single time I'm actually hard on you, those are the times you actually win."

Maddie

Mackenzie   Genevieve   Brooke

Kendall   Giselle   Chloe   Nia   Paige

"Now, everyone is in the group routine, and this group routine is very disturbing," Abby announces. "The title is "My Last Text"."

"Disturbing?" Giselle whispers. "Oh my gosh, my last text, ahh--"

"Thanks, Brooke," I tell the teenager as she covered my sister's mouth.

"--allowing us to do five additional routines." Abby continues. "Mackenzie, you're doing a solo this week. Maddie, you will also have a solo because you just won the overall." She turned to look at me. "Evie, I'm going to give you two options--"

Die or be killed.

"--You can either perform a solo, or you can perform a duet with Giselle." She clapped her hands. "Just one of them."

I crossed my arms over my chest as I took a glance at my sister.

I'd love to do a solo, but Giselle hasn't performed at nationals. If Abby's only going to give solos to the ones that placed first, Giselle wouldn't get one. I could get a solo, go up against Maddie, and see what happens. I beat Maddie last year at nationals, but she beat me every single time before. This year, I had been mostly first place, but Maddie beat me last week. Even with something as close as less than a point apart, it made me think I should just give her a chance. Maddie deserved to win for once. Giselle deserved to have something special to perform at nationals. I had already had the experience.

But why should I worry about them? This should be about me, right? It should be about me because--

"I'm gonna go with the duet," I spoke up in a small voice.