when you least expect it | sean lew

[ four ]

***

As Kailani learned the choreography, she slowly began to notice her nervousness fading. She treated class just like a regular workshop in the Philippines and tried not to focus on anyone's dancing but her own.

After an hour of learning and rehearsing the choreography, it was time for the group performances. Kailani sat with Julian and the girls as Tim Milgram began setting his camera up for recording the next few groups. The studio was quiet as Matt began to call out names.

"Julian, Josh, and Kenneth! You're up." he says.

Kailani grins and pushes Julian's shoulder. "Good luck, my wonderful, amazingly talented cousin."

He rolls his eyes and gets up to the middle of the circle, joining Josh and Kenneth. Matt begins playing the choreography song, "Electric" by Alina Baraz featuring Khalid, one of Kailani's favorite songs at the moment. (a/n: this was jake kodish's choreo, not matt's, but just ignore that lol)

Kailani watched in awe as her cousin killed all the moves alongside Josh and Kenneth. Knowing him from the start of his dancing, it was crazy to her to see how much he had progressed. Every beat Julian came across she could tell his body felt and moved to it. Along with Josh and Kenneth who were also amazing, Kailani knew her peers were extraordinary.

The song ends and everyone whooped and cheered for them.

Julian sat back down next to Kailani. "Well..? Think I finally beat you as the better dancer in our family?" he teases.

Kailani smirks. "You wish."

Everyone looked at Matt in anticipation for the next set of dancers. "Kaycee, Bailey, and Kailani!"

All her new friends started cheering and she looked at Julian with her eyes wide.

He laughs. "You'll be fineeee. Just act like the camera isn't there and dance like you normally would."

Oh, man.. here are the nerves again.

Kailani sighed and stood up to join Kaycee and Bailey. They both gave her reassuring pats on her back and smiled at her.

"Don't worry about the camera, you'll get used to that." Kaycee winks.

Kailani nods, trying to shake off her nerves.

Matt began playing the song and she took a deep breath before hitting the first move. Letting the music control her body, she hit every move perfectly and finally felt comfortable enough to add in her own style. She heard encouraging woo's coming from the crowd around her and continued to pay attention to the beat of the music and the control of her body movements. Eventually the song ended and Kailani was on a high again. She was put on the spot twice in one day in front of complete strangers and wasn't disappointed with the way she danced today. She was proud.

Everyone was cheering which fueled the fire within her. Kaycee and Bailey walked to hug Kailani.

"You did amazing!" Bailey says as they say back down.

Kailani blushed. "Thanks, you guys did so much better though."

Kaycee scoffed. "Girl, don't even think like that! We all got our own different kinds of flare but even so, we still killed that!"

The girls giggled and high-fived.

I could get used to this.

After a few groups, it was time for the one person spotlight. Whoever Matt believed hit the choreography the best was the one who got the spotlight to themselves.