In the school auditorium, Coach Nordland and Mr. Otto were the supervisers of the final recital like they do every year.
"I've seen co-advisors come and go during the finals," Mr. Otto explained, "but this is going to be the best one yet due to Ms. Candy Cherry being in the show."
"Candy, Candy, Candy," growled Alice. "Why can't I be the lead star?"
"You were the lead the last three years," explained Coach Nordland. "In fact, you were the youngest lead we'd ever had in the junior finals."
"Do you hear that?" Alice rubbed in at Candy's face. "I'm the lead star three years running."
"Wouldn't it be nice if I was the star for once?" Candy asked. "This isn't a showcase for nothing." Though she was still confused about their school final.
"At the RDA, "Kiki explained. "Finals are usually in recital form. Each and every segment will be judged by the two principals. This year, the three of us are going to do a tap dance routine to 'The Little Mermaid'. You're playing the heroine herself, Daniel is the prince, and I get to play the sea-witch."
Daniel looked at Candy and then blushed. By the door, Bennie and the Jets were getting ready for an epic prank on the principal. Candy didn't want to see her big brother get in trouble, so she decided to follow him.
XxoxX
Outside the auditorium, Candy could see them holding a fake name list for Principal Cherry and wondered what was going on.
"Every year," whispered Bennie, "Aunt Regina gives a tour to the newcomers for orientation. However, this year she's going to lighten up with a little fake name prank."
"Bennie," whispered Candy, "you're gonna get in trouble."
"It was all my idea," admitted Dawson. "I thought it'd be a good way for her to lighten up, even after that Indian tea incident."
"Oh, yeah," recalled Candy.
"Guys!" Dakota shouted. "The Sour Cherry has blown up!"
"That means Principal Cherry is coming," whispered Bennie as they started getting ready.
Guiding a group of new students, including Chloe, Principal Cherry showed the entrance of the auditorium. "Now that we're all here," she said, "I'm going to take the time to know your names, besides Chloe Levi." Taking a list from Bennie, she read the names. "Anita Bath?" she asked as the newcomers started to laugh. "Ivana Kiss-Mapits?" The students continued laughing, much to her irritation. "Mia Goofball?" It was then the students started to burst out laughing.
"Writing a new song, Bennie and the Jets?" tattled Alice from the door. "'Cause only you can come up with names that lame."
"Name that lame," Dawson whispered to himself. "That's a perfect line."
"Cadets Bennie, Dana, Dawson, and Dakota," Principal Cherry scolded, "since this is the finals and I don't want the superintendent to freak out again, I'll let this slide. Although I hope you three are available this weekend, because the the Salinas twins accidentally broke the music player thanks to them juggling water balloons."
"Oh, yeah," recalled Dana. "Those two and their water balloon routine."
Principal Cherry looked at Candy with a smile, knowing that she'd do a great job for her tap dance routine. "Not if I can help it," whispered Alice.
XxoxX
On the night of the finals, everyone was gathering around for the show. Backstage, everyone was getting in costume. In her dressing room, Alice was dressed up just like the princess whom the prince fell in love with in the end. Seeing the tap shoes that Candy, Kiki, and Daniel were going to wear, she took them and hid them behind the cardboard octopus.
After Alice left, Candy, Kiki, and Daniel came in wearing their costumes and noticed that their tap shoes were missing. Daniel panicked, but Kiki calmed him down. That was when Candy got an idea. "We don't need tap shoes for this," she said as she took off her stockings. "We can do a contemporary/ballet routine. This isn't a nautical-themed fairytale for nothing."
Kiki and Daniel agreed to the plan.
Xxoxx
Later, during Alice's number, she looked at the audience and winked. "Baby's got blue eyes like a deep blue sea," Paisley whispered to Raelynn.
"I know," whispered Raelynn."Where I long to be is far away from her."
"Let's hear it for Alice Levi and her waltz!" shouted VP Cherry. "Now for our final act of the evening, Kishnori Gauer, Daniel Kinji, and my Little Sugar, Candice Cherry and their tap dance routine to 'Blue Eyes'!"
By the stand, Bennie and the Jets performed the song. "On a blue blue day," narrated VP Cherry, "a young mermaid came up to the service to see what the land of humans is like."
From the curtain, Candy, Kiki, and Daniel came in and danced contemporary, much to everyone's surprise. Principal Cherry didn't know what was going on, but VP Cherry did.
Onstage, Candy imagined them being like "The Little Mermaid"; during their time, she refused to give her voice to the sea witch and decided to show herself to the prince.
After using their imagination, everyone froze for a few seconds. Alice thought Candy was cheating and was going to get an F, but instead, everyone cheered.
"No, no, no!" shouted Alice. "You're all suppose to be booing! I should never have gone through the trouble of hiding their tap shoes in order to ruin their performance, get them kicked out, and become the star again!" Realizing what she said, Alice covered her mouth, and boy was everyone mad!
"Cadet Levi!" shouted Principal Cherry. "You know better than to sabotage acts. It's a disgrace in the theater arts. I'm afraid we're going have to put you summer school."
"No! No!" begged Alice. "Anything but that! Where will I get my expensive new bathing suits?"
"Ms. Levi," VP Cherry replied, "why don't you try recycling for a change?"
While Raelynn and Paisley were kicking out a crying Alice, everyone rooted for a wonderful performance. "Holding back the tears," Candy finished, "I ascended to the land of the air spirits, holding back the pain."
The End.