Heya! Again, many thanks to sunshannieshipperheart and GlitterGirl123! I will send you guys a PM soon, because you guys always makes me feel good about this little story of mine (and you guys are awesome)! *grins*

Thanks to those who favorited and followed, too! I hope you'd consider leaving me a quick review to let me know what you think of the story.

It's coming on sluggishly, I know, but just like how roller coasters start kinda bumpy and slow then becomes a wild ride after the coaster drops, that's how we'll be proceeding. I've got plans, and I hope you guys would enjoy them. . . *laughs maniacally*

Anyways, here's Chapter Four!

Chapter Four

"So there you have it! A step by step tutorial of Drew Seeley and Adam Hicks' 'Dance for Life,' voted on by all of you at home," Gary announced, his commercial grin stretched across his lips. "Join us next week for a special, month-long celebration featuring the past Shake It Up alums that you know and love. Until then, I'm Gary Wilde and this…is Shake It Up, Chicago!"

A buzzer went off shortly after, granting ease to both cast and crew.

Cece moved her jaws to loosen up her cheeks that tightened from grinning, while Rocky placed her restless hands on her hips. "What a workday," Cece chimed as they headed to their chairs.

"Yeah. If I had known the spotlight dance would be the tutorial, I wouldn't have volunteered," Rocky languidly agreed.

"Hm. Tell me about it," Cece groaned.

Rocky leaned on her chair, and for the first time that evening she felt every drop of exhaustion she had weigh down on her. How she looked forward to coming home and getting in her bed. She had been a little restless this weekend. Not only was the show overworking the backups (and thus her nerves), the audition had rendered her overly anxious, too. She and Cece eagerly waited for this day to see the results, only to find a signed note from Kathy telling them to check online later on for the results.

She had been consulting the school's website every moment she could and quite honestly, she had done so too frequently that she was starting to see stars whenever she blinked.

"I hate Mondays," Rocky huffed under her breath.

Cece half turned. "Glad you're aboard," she said unenergetically, her eyebrows raised.

Gary's loud clapping nulled some of their drowsiness. "Gather around, kiddos! Gather around," he called to the back-up dancers still present. He proceeded towards the side of the stage where Rocky and Cece were situated, a small herd of young adults following his lead. "Alright. So you know by now that we're having a month-long celebration for our alumni…"

The listeners mumbled a vague agreement to his statement.

The reaction elicited a frown from the host. "Guys. Please. Don't get too excited," he sardonically commented before shaking his head. "Anyways, since we're having enough dancers on the floor and there's enough hype for this, the higher-ups are letting you guys be off for the entire month."

A chorus of delighted groans and cheers bubbled up from the crowd. Few were quiet, expecting a catch in this all of a sudden break from work. Few including Rocky, who worried about the common fact that good news were often followed by bad news.

"Thank goodness," Cece exclaimed.

"Yeah. Not so fast," Gary grinned slyly. "A few of you will actually have to come in and still work."

"Work? I thought you said there will be enough dancers covering the floor?" Tinka asked.

"Yes. But, the alums will be having a contest to see which dancers can mentor the best junior dancer or dancers. Most of the people coming back are pretty known for what they did here. Some of these people have gone on to professional dancing. They talked to the producers, and they've agreed on this contest," Gary explained.

Cece visibly deflated. "So, in short, some of us will be their gerbils for the month."

Gary shrugged. "I guess. It's a matter of perception," he said.

Rocky's eyebrows creased as she thought of what Gary had mentioned before. "Wait. You said some of them are professional dancers," she spoke. "Like, who?"

"Uh, you may be familiar with Felix Banks—"

"Felix Banks?" Cece echoed with incredulity. "You meant The Flight Machines' Felix Banks?"

Gary nodded. "Yeah," he answered, and this sparked an excitement seldom seen from the teenage dancers.

"Nice!"

"His team's mentoring a junior dance crew," Gary continued. "Speaking of…" Then, he slowly turned around, searching particular faces. "On it, on it, on it, on it and red head? On it."

Cece squealed. "Yay! It's going to be so cool!" she said. "And my name is Cece."

Gary nodded a little too indifferently. He smiled slightingly. "Oh, that's nice," he said.

Cece narrowed her eyes and instead chose to ignore his lackadaisical reaction.

Tinka crossed her arms. "I don't get what is so exciting about being taught to dance by a pilot," she commented.

"The Flight Machines is a dance crew, Tinka," Rocky corrected her.

"Oh." Tinka pursed her lips in deep thought. "Well, why do I have to be in a group with them? Why can't Gunther and I be together?"

"Because we put your names in a hat, and I drew your name for the team, blondie."

Tinka's frown deepened, not so much because of his tone but the moniker given to her. Gunther noticed his sister's reaction and quickly mumbled something towards her. Soon after, she lightened up.

Rocky found herself smiling at this.

"You guys will meet with your mentors next Friday, four thirty," Gary informed them. "The big bosses will be coming to see how it'll go, so be on your best behavior. We don't want them pulling the plug now, do we?"

The group shook their head.

"Besides that team of five," Gary continued, "there will be a trio, a pair, and two solo acts. You guys will find out who's in which next Friday. De la Rosa, Prescott, Campbell, Parker, Blue, Hessenheffer boy and Young—got that?"

Rocky nodded along with the others with the exception of Gunther, who seemed a little aloof from the head host.

"Alright. See you twelve on Friday, see the rest of you in a month or so." With that, he left. The others also departed soon after.

Cece turned towards the much smaller group, eyes wide and lips in an amused smirk. "Well," she breathed out. "Who got Gary's panty in a bunch?"

Rocky shrugged. "Maybe his tanning bed's not working well again. He does look a little pastier than usual," she mumbled. She climbed to her chair then eased back onto it, blowing out a tense breath. She had half a mind not to finish her Home Economics homework. The idea of burying herself under the blankets tonight sounded delightful enough to outweigh the anxiety of having to hurry in her paperwork tomorrow.

One train ride away, Rocky, she thought hopefully. One train ride away.

A loud, sharp gasp from Tinka drew her—and Cece's—attention. "Yes!" the blonde exclaimed happily as she pressed her phone closer to her ear. "Yes! Oh, I am glad! Thank you, Papa. Yes. I will see you in the later. Ich liebe dich, Papa. Bye."

"What is it, Tinka?" Gunther inquired of his sister.

Tinka lifted her eyes up at him, according it with a wide, triumphant grin. "Papa said he checked the interconnected net for us, because he knew we couldn't wait…" She grasped his arm with a severity of excitement. "We got the parts!"

Tinka laughed a child's laugh, while Gunther's features gave way to a similar enthusiasm. Cece quickly pulled out her phone to access the school's website. Rocky, on the other hand, was too inundated with the rapid beating of her heart to pay much attention to other things happening outside the siblings' conversation.

Tinka placed her hands on her hips, in a posture similar only to the school play's iconic blonde antagonist. "I am Sharpay," she announced.

Gunther responded with a two-step tap dance. "And I am Ryan."

"And we are—Um…"

"Rocky."

Rocky turned around and found Cece with a foreboding expression shadowing her face. The auburn-haired dancer offered her the phone, seemingly afraid. Rocky's heart stilled before she braved the results. "No turning back?" she asked her best friend. She lingered only shortly for her reply. She fixed her eyes on the screen, reading the cast list carefully while scrolling up.

Ryan Evans – Ian Krauss

Sharpay Evans – Rosey Grammar

Gabriella Montez – Fiora Now

Troy Bolton – Randy Moore

Understudies.

Jason Cross – Robert Guidecelli

Zeke Baylor – Jordan Sawyer

Martha Cox – Juliette Estrangelo

Kelsi Nielsen – Cassandra Poe

Taylor McKessie – Jordan Hill

Chad Danforth – Tyler Reese

Ryan Evans – Gunther Hessenheffer

Sharpay Evans – Tinka Hessenheffer

Rocky looked up at Cece when she read the next name in the list of major characters, her heart dead cold in her chest.

to be continued. . .