Hey all! I've planned out the rest of the story, and there's only going to be 6-7 chapters left, including this one. I can't believe we're almost finished, this is incredible. Thanks for everyone's ongoing support!
"Five, six, seven, eight." Riley watched Addie, Emily, and Kendall rehearse their trio for the Factory Awards performance. She'd already run her solo countless times, and was feeling confident. "Arch back, collapse to the floor, roll onto stomach, reach out."
To stay warm, Riley was pacing around the rehearsal hall backstage, stretching her legs every now and then. The studios were performing in alphabetical order, so since Tandem began with a T, they were one of the last studios to perform.
"What studio are we at now?" Lyla asked her.
"I think we're at E," Riley replied. "They just announced En Pointe."
En Pointe L'Academie de Danse was Kara Kwang's dance studio. It was French for 'On Pointe Academy of Dance', but in French the name sounded more elegant. Kara was the dancer who had put OPAD on the map as a legitimate, credible dance studio.
"That's the one," Riley said, laughing. "So they're only at E."
"But did you guys watch Savannah's dance earlier?" Addie asked, from where she was sitting on the floor. "It was amazing."
"Yeah, well her dancing is amazing in general," Riley said.
"You'll be better," Emily said.
"I hope so," Riley replied. "But CDI has won this thing two years in a row. They're going for a three-peat, and if they do, it'll be because of Savannah."
The speaker sounded. "Next to the stage is the team from Lincoln, Nebraska, it's Fresh!"
"This is taking forever," Riley groaned.
"Tell me about it," Lyla said. "How many more studios do we have to get through?"
"I honestly think about twenty," Kendall said.
"Do you guys want to go into the audience to watch?" Emily asked.
"I don't know, I don't want to psych myself out," Riley admitted. "You guys can go, though."
"C'mon, Riles, it'll help to know what you're up against. Besides, your two biggest competitors already danced," Addie coaxed.
"Yeah, and that's just from our Nationals," Riley replied. "We haven't even mentioned Joslyn Henley or Sloane Williams."
"Oh, Joslyn won in the southwest division, right?" Lyla said. "She's incredible."
"Yeah, she's a thousand times better than I am," Riley groaned.
"But Sloane isn't competing a solo, she and Aspen Lane are doing their duet," Kendall pointed out.
"It doesn't make my competition any tougher. Going up against Kara and Savannah at Nationals was already extremely difficult, and Savannah beat me," Riley grumbled.
"But she didn't win Miss National Soloist," Addie reminded her. "Your dancing is special too, Riles. You make the audience feel something. A lot of dancers can't do that."
"Did you see the poll for the Factory Awards? On which soloists people believe will come away with the Factory Dancer of the Year title?" Kendall asked, holding up her phone. "Riles, you're leading the polls with 56%."
"That doesn't make me feel much better," Riley mumbled.
"Well, Savannah, Kara, Aspen, Sloane, and Joslyn are also all options. So over half of the voters think you'll win, even when up against five other girls. That's pretty good."
"Who's second?" Addie asked.
"Sloane, with 21%. Joslyn has 10%, Aspen is at 5%, and Savannah and Kara are both tied with 4%," Kendall rattled off.
"Wow, the east coast is really representing at the Factory Awards this year," Riley said.
"Well, Sloane and Aspen kind of came out of left field this year," Lyla mused. "Including Savannah and Kara kind of tailing off in terms of dance ability, they've surpassed them. They're the new kids on the block."
"They're both only fourteen," Riley moaned. "And they're exceptional."
"But you've got so much more experience than they do," Lyla replied.
"I'm old," Riley admitted.
"Riley, stop worrying, will you?" Addie groaned as the next dance studio (Kensington Palace of Performing Arts) was called up to the stage. "You'll be fine."
"I know," Riley sighed, taking a deep breath. "I'm just a worrywart."
But the nerves didn't go away. As the studios continued to be called to the stage, the butterflies in Riley's stomach were worse than ever. So she picked up her phone and texted Lucas. I need you, can you come backstage?
Sure, came the immediate response. Lucas found Riley curled up into a tight ball against the wall, doing breathing exercises. "Riles?"
"Lucas, I'm a mess," Riley burst out. "I don't think I can do this."
"But you've done this before," Lucas reminded her. He sat down next to her. "How is this any different than Nationals?"
"There's more pressure on me. I'm a National title holder. I'm Miss National Soloist. I have an expectation to uphold, and I don't think I can do it," Riley whispered. Tears were beginning to form, and she willed them to stay where they were. She couldn't ruin her eye-makeup now.
"Oh, Riles," Lucas sighed, putting an arm around her. "Forget about everyone's expectations," he said seriously. "You go out and dance your heart out, for your team, for your parents, for Maya, for me, and most importantly, yourself. You've done this dance a thousand times. This dance won you your National title. This dance got you into your dream college. It's all muscle memory now, right?" Riley nodded. "Exactly. You're more ready than you think you are. The more you doubt yourself, the more likely it is that you'll have an onstage disaster."
"It's just that I don't want to let anyone down if I lose," Riley whispered.
"You won't," Lucas insisted.
"How do you know that?" Riley breathed, closing her eyes to push the tears back.
"Because everyone you're afraid of disappointing will be cheering for you no matter what. If you lose, it's okay, because that means a phenomenal dancer beat you. But I've been watching every single dance, Riles. I haven't seen anyone dance as well as you can."
"You're biased," Riley accused, sniffling.
Lucas laughed. "Maybe. But I'm also being objective. You are the best dancer here. Don't forget that."
"I won't," Riley said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Luke."
"No problem." He kissed her hair. "Get out of your head and into your heart. Don't dance for anyone but yourself."
Riley swallowed. "Okay."
"You can do it." Lucas stood up. "We all believe in you."
"Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome Tandem Dance Studio to the stage now," the MC announced. "They are from Manhattan, New York, and are the Pacific Coast National Champions!"
Riley stood backstage with the Tandem Trio, waiting to see which number would be announced first. When the trio was announced, Riley gave the girls hugs and watched them walk onstage to begin their dance.
But she didn't watch them. She tuned out everything, because she knew she was next. Not bothering to rehearse her choreography, she focused on the performance she had to give. She was no longer a Paper Doll, per se, but that didn't mean she'd forgotten what it'd felt like to be one. She could still relate. And she would channel every pent up bit of frustration into her dance.
The girls finished their dance and exited the stage on the opposite side of where Riley was standing, so she didn't get a good luck hug. Her number was announced, and she took the stage. The lights hit her and with one deep breath, she felt her nerves settle.
She was at home.
"We would like to thank everyone for coming out to this year's Dance Factory Awards. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Kaia Briggs, the founder of the Dance Factory Awards. Every year, we invite fifty of the top studios in the United States to come compete at this competition. Every studio that wins their respective Nationals earns an automatic invitation. We determine the other studios by their success within the last dance season.
"I just want to bring to light how this competition is judged. Our awards are determined by scores. Each studio was allowed to submit two dance routines: one solo and one group routine. That group routine was either to be a large group, small group, duet or trio. The scores the judges give each performance are added together to determine the studio's overall score. For example, if the soloist scored a 284 out of 300, and the group scored a 291 out of 300, the studio's total score would be a 575 out of 600. Compared to the other 49 studios competing, maybe the studio in question would fall in the top 10. But it varies every year.
"I want you to join me in giving each dancer here today a round of applause, and we will welcome the studios that finished in the 50th to 30th range to the stage first. They will be given trophies, and then asked to leave the stage to make room for the remaining studios," Kaia said. "Without further ado, our fiftieth placed studio, with a combined score of 426.39 points, please welcome Overture to the stage!"
The next studios were announced. Riley and the rest of the Tandem team waited backstage anxiously. They already knew what score they had been given, but they didn't know where they would fall. Riley had received a perfect score with her solo, but the trio hadn't done as well, unfortunately.
"We're definitely not in this group," Erica told the girls. "We scored well above five-hundred points. I think these twenty-some studios all scored below the 500 point mark."
Sure enough, Erica was correct. But as studios kept getting called to the stage, the point margins were getting larger and larger. For instance, the 21st placed studio earned a 520.35, but the 20th placed studio earned a 540.11.
"Our sixteenth placed studio, with a total score of 566.08 is Fresh!"
"We're getting into the nitty-gritty ones now," Lyla remarked as the next studio only scored thirty tenths of a point higher.
"Our fourteenth placed studio is Kensington! They received a 567.10!"
And so the list went on. California Dance Institute received eleventh place with a 579.64, which was shocking to many people. They'd won the Factory Awards last spring. "I guess Savannah's solo didn't help their chances," Addie remarked. "I can't believe she fell out of that turn sequence. She's usually exquisite in that aspect."
"En Pointe L'Academie de Danse takes ninth place with a score of 571.39!"
"But Kara was amazing?" Riley questioned. "Maybe their other dance didn't score so well."
"Has Joslyn's studio been called up?" Emily asked.
"Not yet," Riley replied. "Nor has Sloane and Aspen's studio."
"In sixth place, it's Miles of Dance with 575.53 points!" Kaia announced. "Please give us a round of applause for the studios placing 29th to 6th!"
The audience did. The cheers were deafening, even with the girls standing backstage.
"Can we get the remaining five studios to come out to the stage please? And if all of the fifty studios could come back onstage and head towards the back and sit down, that would be lovely. We have some individual awards to give out now," Kaia shouted, struggling to be heard over the applause.
The applause died down as the Tandem Troupe made their way onstage, along with Joslyn's studio (Fire and Ice Dance) and Sloane's studio (Modern Contemporary Arts), and two other studios that Riley didn't recognize by name.
"Before we announce the rankings of the top five, there are a Factory Awards to give out to individual dancers. First, the top dancer from the group of Pacific Northwest studios...it's Kara Kwang!"
Everyone clapped as Kara received her trophy.
Kaia announced the dancer from the Pacific Southwest, the Mid-Northwest (Joslyn), the Mid-Southwest, and the Atlantic Southeast (Aspen).
"Wanna bet it's you who wins our division?" Lyla whispered, and Riley giggled. "Shush," she groaned.
"And our top dancer from the Atlantic Northeast, it's Riley Matthews!"
"Told ya!" Lyla sang.
Riley shoved her gently before walking up to receive her trophy. She was really doing well in her final year of competitive dance. She hoped that her studio would win here today so that she could end on top of the dance world. She thanked Kaia and returned to where her teammates were standing, setting the trophy on the ground.
"Now, we will announce the fifth-place and fourth-placed studios," Kaia said. "After that, we will hand out awards for numbers that particularly impressed the judges this evening."
"Trying to draw out the suspense," Emily whispered, and the Tandem girls giggled.
"The fifth-place studio is...Julie Barrett Dance, with a score of 576.39!"
"Our fourth-place studio is The IN-dustry!" Kaia said. "This is their first trip to the Dance Factory Awards, so please give them a huge round of applause for doing so well! They scored a 579.12!"
"This is agonizing," Riley grumbled. "I just want to know if we won!"
"Patience," Addie chastised. "We'll know soon enough."
Josh and Maya were in the audience, but not even paying attention to the spectacle unfolding. They were discussing Riley, yes, but of her relationship with Lucas. "I can't believe Riley didn't tell me," Maya was saying as a studio was receiving an award for fifth place.
"Riley probably just got caught up with all of what's happened. She's been breathing, sleeping, and eating dance for the last six months, you cant blame her for being a little distracted," Josh reminded his girlfriend.
"I know, but if she were in my situation, I know she'd want me to tell her the truth," Maya sighed.
"Just talk to Riley after," Josh said. "No matter how famous she gets, she's always going to have time for you."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I am. But if I'm wrong, you know I'll always have time for you."
Maya blushed. "Don't say sappy stuff to me in front of people!"
Josh leaned in and kissed her deeply, and she kissed him back. "You know it's true," Josh teased.
"Is it?" Maya whispered, so softly that Josh could barely hear it over the cheers of the third-place team.
"It is. There will never be anyone in my life that could replace you." Josh intertwined his fingers with hers.
Maya leaned her head on his shoulder. "Good."
A/N: A little sappy Joshaya fluff at the end because there was a review asking me for one! You're welcome! I agreed, I thought there was a little bit of Joshaya missing from this story.
Dresses: www dot polyvore dot com slash cgi slash set?id=181772447
Does Riley's studio win? Let me know what you think!
Lauren.