On The Road to Stardom

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! On with Chapter 2! =D

Chapter 2: Spotlight Dances and Sightings

A couple of minutes prior to the broadcast of Shake It Up! Chicago, the large gates to Ty's mansion opened, allowing a long, black, stretch limousine to enter. The limousine drove around a circular path to the front steps of the mansion, where Ty was waiting.

The driver exited the limousine and made his way around to the other side of the vehicle. He opened the door and stepped back, so Mr. Bartlett could climb out.

"Hey, sir, you're just in time!" Ty exclaimed, grinning. "The show's about to start!"

"I'm coming!" Mr. Bartlett called back, as he made his way up the steps.

Together, Ty and Mr. Bartlett entered the rapper's lavish mansion. A butler was at the door, ready to take Mr. Bartlett's jacket for him.

"Follow me," Ty said to the head of his record label, gesturing to the room next to them with his head. "We'll be watching in the den."

Once Mr. Bartlett had his jacket removed, he followed Ty into the den, where white, leather couches, an enormous, flat-screen TV, and a large table full of sugary snacks and drinks were waiting for them.

"Sit wherever you want," Ty said, plopping down on one of the beanbag chairs in front of the TV.

"Don't mind if I do," Mr. Bartlett answered, taking a seat on the couch.

Ty glanced at his watch and said, "Perfect timing."

Mr. Bartlett leaned back in his seat, as Ty reached for the remote control nearby and switched on the TV.


The Shake It Up! Chicago episode that was broadcasted that week certainly had viewers at home dancing to the music. Rocky, CeCe, and Tinka joined the main dancers in opening the show with an enthusiastic, summer vacation-themed dance number. Right after, several couples performed an upbeat jive routine. A traditional, Vietnamese dance number was also showcased, followed by a hip-hop routine full of good choreography.

Near the end of the broadcast, while several breakdancers were performing on stage, Rocky, CeCe, and Tinka were by the makeup area, checking their appearances. All three of them had on tight, black pants, and white boots. Their sparkly, sleeveless, V-neck shirts were different colours; Rocky's was sapphire blue, CeCe's was emerald green, and Tinka's was hot pink. Black, leather corsets were in place around their abdomens, making the shirts seem fitted.

The music ended, followed by applause from the dancers and live studio audience. Gary ran onstage, in front of the camera, smiling brightly.

"That was amazing, wasn't it?" he asked, enthusiastically. "After the break will be our weekly spotlight dance, so don't go away, we'll be right back!"

A loud beep indicated that they were off the air momentarily. The dancers scurried off to the sides of the stage, getting ready to view the spotlight dance. Gary hopped off of the stage and darted over to Rocky, CeCe, and Tinka, who were still adding the finishing touches to their looks.

"Three minutes, girls," he reminded the trio. "How are you feeling? Nervous?"

"Kind of," Rocky admitted, shyly. "I know we sang on TV in Japan, but - "

"Trust me, you're going to wow all of Chicago," Gary reassured them. "If you don't, it's probably going to cost me my job."

"No pressure," Tinka said, raising an eyebrow at Gary.

Gary grinned and hurried off to get a glass of water before the show went back on the air.

"Okay, how do I look?" Rocky asked, adjusting the headset on her head.

"You look awesome, Rocky," CeCe commented, smiling.

"Other than you hideous bangs, you look fantastic, CeCe," Tinka said, with a smile of her own.

"I will, um, take that as a compliment, I guess," CeCe replied, hesitantly, as she adjusted her headset.

"We should get backstage now," Rocky suggested, gesturing for the other two girls to follow her.

CeCe nodded and followed Rocky, leaving a flabbergasted Tinka standing by the vanities, clutching her headset tightly in her hands.

"Hey, somebody say something nice about me!" the blonde demanded, furiously, as she went after Rocky and CeCe.


During the commercial break, Ty, having had way too many sodas, excused himself to go to the bathroom. Mr. Bartlett took the time to reflect on the performances that he had seen during the broadcast. He had to admit, many of the dancers on the show were talented and some of them could certainly make it big in the dance industry. However, what he needed were talented dancers who could sing, and he had not seen any of them yet.

"So, what do you think of the broadcast so far?" Ty asked, as he returned to the den.

"The dancing was impressive," Mr. Bartlett commented, "but, I need singers, Ty. This show is all about dancing!"

"Well, the spotlight dance should be next," Ty mentioned, with a glance at his watch. "Sometimes, dancers showcase more than their dancing during this point in the show."

"Oh, very well, I'll watch it," Mr. Bartlett replied, after a minute of silence. "Besides, the show is very entertaining anyway."

Just then, upbeat music started playing, indicating that Shake It Up! Chicago was back on the air. Mr. Bartlett turned his attention to the TV while Ty made his way over to the snack table to grab another soda.

"Welcome back to Shake It Up! Chicago!" Gary announced, enthusiastically. "Now, it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for: the spotlight dance of the week! Three of our amazing, talented dancers will be showcasing not only their dancing talents, but also their singing talents! One of the three wrote the song that all three will be singing and dancing to right now!"

"Ty, check it out!" Mr. Bartlett called to him. "Looks like I'll be listening to some singers after all!"

"Really?" Ty asked, taking a seat next to him on the couch. "Who are they?" he added, taking a sip of his soda.

"Singing "TTYLXOX"," Gary began, excitedly, "give it up for Rocky, CeCe, and Tinka!"

Upon hearing the names of his sister and her friends, Ty spit out his soda, showering the carpet with his fizzy beverage.

"What's the matter?" Mr. Bartlett asked, concerned.

"Nothing, I was just surprised," Ty replied, clearing his throat. "I know those girls."

Mr. Bartlett looked to the TV, just in time to see the doors at the back of the Shake It Up! Chicago set slide open. He watched with interest as upbeat music started playing. CeCe strutted onto the stage, with Rocky behind her to her right and Tinka behind her to her left.

As the trio of girls belted out the first verse of the catchy song, Mr. Bartlett smiled to himself, clearly impressed by them.

"Really, you know them?" he asked Ty, his eyes not leaving the TV screen.

Ty nodded and gestured to the girls to name them, from left to right, "Rocky, CeCe, and Tinka. They've been dancing on the show for years."

"The brunette looks a lot like you," Mr. Bartlett remarked, noticing the resemblance between Rocky and Ty.

"Because that's my sister, Rocky," Ty explained, proudly, as he watched his sister perform. "CeCe and Tinka are her friends. My friends, too."

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised," Mr. Bartlett said, smiling at Ty. "You've got talent, kid. It makes sense that your sister does as well."

Ty leaned back in his seat to watch the rest of the spotlight dance. He was impressed with all three of the girls, especially Rocky. He knew that his sister was a good dancer and a wonderful singer, too. He smiled, extremely proud of his younger sibling.

The other Shake It Up! Chicago dancers and live studio audience broke into cheers and thunderous applause once the spotlight dance ended. Rocky and Tinka stepped forward and grabbed CeCe's hands and, together, the three girls took a bow.

"Was that spectacular or what?" Gary asked, popping up in front of the camera. "Well, that's our show, folks! See you next time...on Shake It Up! Chicago!"

Ty switched off the TV with the remote control, turned to Mr. Bartlett, and asked, "So, what did you think?"

"Well, I must say, Ty, those three girls in the spotlight dance certainly blew me away with their performance," Mr. Bartlett commented, sounding satisfied, "and you, of all people, know that I'm not easily blown away by performances."

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show," Ty said. "Will you be needing anything before you go?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Mr. Bartlett replied, standing up and looking down at Ty. "I need you to arrange a meeting for me with Rocky, CeCe, and Tinka."

"A meeting?" Ty asked, excitedly. "You mean, you're considering - "

"Yes," Mr. Bartlett answered, before Ty could finish asking the question. "There is no doubt in my mind that those three girls can make it big in Hollywood. They're the next big thing, I can feel it."

"Sounds great!" Ty commented. "Um, when do you want to meet them?"

"Tomorrow," Mr. Bartlett replied, firmly. "I have to get to them before another record label does."

"Well, we can board my private jet first thing tomorrow morning," Ty suggested. "We should be in Chicago in no time at all."

"Excellent, I'll see you early in the morning," Mr. Bartlett said, as he made his way out of the den. "Be sure to call the girls and inform them of the news."

Once the front door closed, Ty pulled out his cell phone and glanced at it. As much as he wanted to call Rocky and tell her that she would be getting a chance to be a big star, along with CeCe and Tinka, he wanted the whole thing to be a surprise for her. He stood there for a few minutes, deep in thought, trying to figure out a way to surprise Rocky, CeCe, and Tinka, and obey the head of his record label at the same time.

Suddenly, an idea hit him like a ton of bricks. He quickly dialled a familiar number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello, Dina?" Ty said, when his call was answer. "Yeah, it's Ty. I think I've found you a good-paying job."

Chapter 2 Up! Questions? Comments? Should I continue?

Please Review! Reviews are greatly appreciated! =D

Next chapter: Managers and Meetings

~TeenQueen661