Abby's POV:

"Girls!" I call to my new team on the first day of the new season. I have a whole new team on my hands, and after the last ALDC competition team graduated, I'm ready for this team to be even better than the last team was. "Come on into the studio for Pyramid. Moms, you too!"

Emmy, bouncing up and down with joy, comes running in first, grinning from ear to ear. "Hello, Miss Abby!" she squeals. Her older sister, Allison, and their mom, Jennifer, come after Emmy. Allison looks unimpressed.

"We had a bigger studio at Lake Ridge," She complains to her mother. Jennifer nods, timidly.

"Well," she says. "This one is a little smaller, I guess…" She sounds uncertain. I groan inwardly. The only thing worse than a bossy mother is one who is bossed around by her children. But because this is the first day and because I'm making good first impressions, and because Allison is a beautiful little dancer at only eleven years old, I grit my teeth, and nod.

"It's plenty big enough to dance in," Is all I say. Allison opens her mouth and looks like she's about to say something, but is distracted by the rest of my team.

In comes Grace, Layla, and Kennedy with their mothers Karen, Patrice, and Blair. Then last, but certainly not least, Angel walks quietly into the room, lighting it up like she always does. Blair goes and straightens Angel's curls and whispers, "Go get 'em," before she joins the other moms. I take into account that she didn't do this for Kennedy, her older daughter. Hmm…. Interesting….

"Welcome, everybody! This is the first week of the competition season and you are on the exclusive ALDC competition team!" The moms clap dutifully and their daughters smile to themselves. "Now," I say. "Onto a more serious matter. " I gesture towards the mirror. "The Pyramid."

Emmy's eyes gleam, Angel looks excited, and Layla glances down towards her feet, shuffling them. Afraid? I think so!

I peel off the paper and reveal the first picture. "Emmy," I say. "Everyone but you and your sister Allison have been part of my dance company since they were three or four. You both had to audition, and I wasn't looking for a seven-year old. Prove to me that I made the right choice."

Emmy's POV:

I look down. After being so excited… hearing about Abby's legendary Pyramid… BEING ON the Pyramid… I just never thought I'd be on the bottom. Sure she didn't originally want me… but didn't I already prove myself to her when I tried out? I push my dirty blond hair out of my brown eyes and focus on Abby. She's pulling the next picture off…

Layla's POV

It's me. Oh gosh. What can I have done wrong this time?

"Layla, you're a beautiful little girl. You have the look- but you don't have the body. Can a gymnast really be a professional dancer? I don't think so." Abby looks me straight in my dark brown eyes. "Prove me wrong."

I nod vigorously. "I will, Abby," I gaze right at her, avoiding my mother's glare.

I can do this.

Blair's POV

I can't say I'm surprised when Kennedy, my twelve year old, is next. She needs to step up her game! Why can't she be more like her younger sister? I'll bet Abby agrees with me.

Abby starts talking: "Kid, you're not really here because of what you did." Huh? "Your mother is holding you back, she's telling you you're not good enough. Well you can't listen to her." Abby emphasizes every word.

"Ex-CUSE me?" I ask impatiently, angrily.

The other moms snicker, and Karen whispers to Patty: "Here we go again!" I ignore them.

"I FULLY agree with you, Abby. My eldest daughter should not be any higher on this Pyramid."

"Good." Abby says. She looks ready to move on.

"I'm not finished!" I trill. Abby sighs. "What I don't agree with is your reasoning behind it! If my daughter is there, then she got there on her own. It should have nothing to do with me."

"But it does," Abby growls. "Mov-ing on…"

I am so offended!

Abby's POV

"In the second row… we have Allison. Same as Emmy, you're the new kid on the block, prove yourself… then Grace- you've got the look, the talent, the body, everything! I just don't know if you want it. Do you want it?" I say to her.

"Yes, Miss Abby. I do want it," Grace tells me softly.

"Grace!" I say, exasperated. "If you're telling someone, I want it, I really want it, I want to improve, I want to get better, then say it like you mean it!" I throw my hands up in the air. "Tell me," I raise my voice two octaves. "I WANT IT, MISS ABBY!"

Emmy giggles. Grace smiles a little. "I want it Miss Abby," She says in a normal tone of voice.

"What?" I ask. "I can't hear you!"

Grace takes a deep breath, then yells: "I WANT IT, MISS ABBY!"

"Finally!"

Grace smiles at her mother, and her mother, Karen, mouths back "Good job, honey."

"And on top of the Pyramid, of course, is Angel." I show the girls her picture, of a blond haired, blue-eyed little eight year old looking over her shoulder at the camera and smiling. Blair looks ecstatic.

Angel's POV

It's me! It really is me. Grace and I hug- being first and second on the Pyramid for the first week isn't too bad. "Thanks, Miss Abby!" I tell her, and she smiles at me.

"Of course, little angel. Now, everybody, this week we are going to Silver Shoes Talent Competition Rochester, New York. There will be a group dance called, Buried, lyrical style, about being suffocated by your fears. We have two solo's. One will go to Allison," She perks up momentarily. "Called Finding My Way. It's contemporary. The other will go to Angel." I turn to her. "Its called, Safe and Sound, and its Lyrical." I turn to the mothers. "Alright, you are dismissed, girls, spread apart, start stretching."

Please R&R! Thanks!

Also, this is the pyramid this week:

Angel

Grace Allison

Kennedy Layla Emmy