Jeté to Stardom

38. You've Been Unfriended

"Chloe!"

Nova scrambles from the floor to bound over to her blond friend. "Your back!"

"I'm back!" Chloe laughs as the rest of the girls join them.

She hears the moms speaking in the background but ignores it in favor of squeezing her friend to death.

Hearing the door open, she looks up from Chloe's neck to see Abby.

"No need for applause. Let's go," Abby beckons them out of the room.

Letting go of Chloe, Nova follows her out and into the studio. Once they're lined up, Abby starts the pyramid.

"Alright," Abby sighs, glancing at the moms before turning to the girls. "You know, they told me that Detroit was a tough city. Well, it was. You weren't the big winners. You got beat. Third place."

Nova frowns. I really did think we had a chance against the boys. We weren't completely in sync, but I thought we were better.

"Cathy is a fake and a phony. She calls herself a choreographer. She's an embarrassment to my vocation," Abby rants. "And then we had the duet. That I can't really talk about because it didn't happen. I pulled the duet. If your mother is out of control, you don't dance."

"And Abby, that is fine," Holly relents. "I do want it noted on your record that I was defending my daughter 'cause you were being insensitive about her health issues. That's what my disagreement with you was."

"So let's just say I'm not putting up with it anymore," Abby replies. "We've had a member of the team suspended. You all know what suspended is. It's like the last chance before dismissal. Let's move on to the pyramid. Chloe, obviously, you're not on the pyramid."

Nova reaches past Paige to pat Chloe on the shoulder. As long as Christi doesn't say anything, Chloe should be fine. Hopefully.

"On the bottom, Nia. You should have expected to be there. Paige. Kind of got thrown under the bus with the duet," Abby says. "Next, we have Kendall. Now, Kendall, you were given a solo. You didn't even make the top ten.

"Do I just keep giving you a solo?" Abby shakes her head. "No. Next, Nova. I thought you were okay in the routine, but it wasn't the usual effort that you put in. And next Lux. Same thing. It was good, but you could have been better."

Why are we at the bottom? Were we that bad in the group? Pressing her lips together, Nova feels her stomach drop. She's been on the bottom before, but because she placed low at her solo, not because of her performance in the group.

"Next, Mackenzie," Abby moves up. "told you I wasn't gonna put you in the groups anymore because you... are the weak link. This time, I thought you were excellent. And moving next, Brooke.

"It was the first time you were officially on the team. I thought the parts that you did in the routine that were your solo spots were excellent."

"Thank you," Brooke replies.

"But I need you still to be more of a... role model. Understood? And... at the top of the pyramid, Maddie."

Smiling softly, Nova claps. Maddie's been struggling for weeks to get a solo, and when she finally does, she wins. She deserves to be on top of the pyramid.

"You have not had a solo for weeks. It's tough getting there. It's even tougher staying there, and you know that," Abby tells her. "We will be attending In10sity dance in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,"

"Whooo!" Nova claps, sharing a grin with Lux. Florida is like a second home to her. Both of her grandparents lived there— not that she would see them— and she was ready to get away from freezing cold Pittsburgh.