Jeté to Stardom

26. Worst Birthday Ever!

"Come on, girls! Let's go, let's go, let's go! Here comes Johnny, Appleseed...

Skipping into the room, Lux sings, finishing Abby's sentence. "Chop, chop, chop, chop!"

It's been two weeks since Stapower's 25th anniversary, and while there was some disgruntlement between the moms and Melissa, they just came off a good week. They beat the Candy Apples on Saturday, and Nova thought that should make everyone happy and there should be no arguments this week.

"Come on. Chop, chop, chop, moms," Abby waves the moms in. Once they're in, she focuses all her attention on the girls. "I wouldn't say it was a brilliant weekend, but I would say it was successful. We set out to beat Cathy, the wicked witch of the west, and that's what we did. We beat her hands down in every single category. You knocked the apple tree down."

"Abby's acting like we won Nationals," Lux giggles, whispering just loud enough for Nova to hear.

Almost inaudible, Nova giggles. "It's cause it's Cathy."

Lux giggles one more time before returning her attention to Abby.

"With that said, I want to get through the pyramid quickly because we have tons of work to do," Abby warns. "One the bottom of the pyramid... Paige. You beat Kendall. I'm thrilled with that. You made the top ten, but you need to do the choreography you were told to do. You got that, Kelly? You don't change Abby Lee's choreography. Come on."

That was better than I thought, Lux thought. With Kelly re-choreographing Kelly's solo, she was sure an argument would break out, but it seems beating Kendall was enough to appease Abby.

"Moving on, Mackenzie. You've greatly improved, but if you're gonna be in the dance and you're gonna know the choreography, you have to pull your weight. Understood?" Mackenzie nods. "Next... You are off probation. Moving up the ladder... Nia. You have really matured. Less than six months ago, you were sitting in a dressing room in your Dad's eye, bawling your eyeballs out. I don't ever want to see that again. That little kid is gone.

"Moving on, all you had to worry about was the group dance. You were excellent. You were right on time with the music, and I'm proud of you for that. Maddie. Next, I have Lux, and then I have Nova. Last week, you came off a huge win, so I gave you a break last week, but I thought you were essential to the group."

Lux smiles. She was still a little high off of that win. It was a big deal; she and her sister always competed against each other for the title, knowing that only one of them would come home with the taira. For the first time ever, there are two tiaras in the showcase from the same competition.

"And on top of the pyramid is my Angry Bird, Chloe. Chloe, you won the costume award for the entire competition, and you made the top ten. Congratulations. I'm very proud of you. I think you could have had a lot more confidence when you started the dance, but when you finished, you certainly made up for it."

"Moving on. This week we will be attending the Starbound Talent Competition in Atlanta, Georgia," Abby announces to applause from the girls. "We're gonna go to sunny skies and hot weather. Moms, I might even sit on the veranda and have a mint julep with you."

"Oh, aren't we lucky," Kelly jokes.

Holly laughs. "Lucky us!"

"The last time we attended Starbound, you lost by one-tenth of a point against the Wicked Witch of the West, and I have never lived it down until this weekend. The behavior by Cathy was out of control. The whole competition was a fiasco. That's not gonna happen this time," Abby warns. "Do you understand?"

At that, Lux nods. Abby might've forgiven them for getting a win the past weekend, but if they don't win this week, that all goes down the drain.

"All the numbers that we're gonna do are going to be off the charts. All right. Chloe, you will be doing a routine called 'Trouble,'" Abby waves her arm around the room. "You need to learn to use the entire stage. You need to jump higher than you've ever jumped. I want to see you larger than life on stage. Lux, Nova, you have the turns, you have the technique, the body, the feet, all I need is energy. This Nova, you have a jazz solo, and Lux, I'm giving you a musical theater piece."