Let's get this show on the road. I'm going to play around a bit with pov: and things like that during the chapter depending on what we need to see. I don't want to be limited to just one character but I will mainly stay in Bella's head. I do want this to be her story but there are definitely parts later we are going to need to see through another pair of eyes.
This chapter has the group dance to "Summer Nights" by the cast of the most awesome musical ever "Grease". The song is sung by a wide variety of people in the cast and because I am basing some of the movements in the dance off of whether it's Danny or Sandy singing I will mark which character sings what lines in the song lyrics.
S~ for Sandy,
D~ for Danny,
PL~ for any one of the other Pink Ladies, and
TB~ for any of the other Thunder Birds. I hope that's not too confusing. I just want to make it easier for any of my readers who have not seen the movie.
Chapter 20- Top Twenty
POV- Bella
I stood in the shadows next to Alice as the lights around the stage lit up. The crowd roared and I felt myself bounce on the balls of my feet. This was it, the show was starting. Alice took my hand and we held onto each other as the crowd quieted. I placed my hand on Angela's shoulder hoping she would understand my wish for good luck without speaking. She smiled back at me with a short nod in my direction before stepping forward to take her place at the front, right along the edge of the stage. We were all in our line waiting for the cue to move.
Cat's voice rang out around the room as she addressed America and the crowd roared out again. The excitement backstage rippled like an electrical current as the dancers all fidgeted. Mars was waiting in the shadows whispering into his microphone. From my spot in the middle of our line I was unable to see any of the boys from where they were hiding around the corner.
"Hello America, I'm Cat Deeley and in what is shaping up to be one of the most interesting and playful seasons of So You Think You Can Dance ever. It is my pleasure to introduce you to your top twenty!"
Mars flashed us the signal and the lights on the floor dimmed. We raced forward using the cover of darkness to get into place. I caught sight of Cat standing up in the stair case and briefly saw three people sitting in the judge's box. I didn't let myself focus on the crowd, who had started screaming again, I didn't look back at the judges to see who would be sitting with Mary and Nigel, and I most certainly didn't let myself look at the seven giant cameras, hooked on cranes, swinging around the room catching our every movement on tape.
I caught sight of the silhouetted boys as they took their places on the stage opposite us and then it started. The lights came on in a wave of yellows and pinks. The live audience screamed and my thoughts briefly wondered about where in the crowd my mom and best friend were sitting. We hit the opening pose and my every thought snapped to my dancing as our music started and John Travolta's voice started the opening lines to the song.
D~ Summer lovin' had me a blast.
The spot light above the boys flared bright as they all took an opening pose, Emmett ran a comb threw his hair, Jasper fixed his sun glasses, and Jake popped his collar, all of them trying to personify the legend that was bad boy Danny Zuko. It was hilarious and the audience's screams and whistles only added fuel to the fire.
S~ Summer lovin' happened so fast.
As Sandy's voice sang out, opposing Danny's as the female lead it was our turn to demand a little attention. We couldn't have as much 'fun' as the boys did with their poses since Sandy's character was far more innocent but everyone made it work. Alice fluffed her skirt, Rose lowered her dark pink glasses over her eyes, and I flipped my pony tail. Olivia Newton John, eat your heart out.
D~ I met a girl crazy for me.
The boys all did a little pop step and swung their arms in our direction as we skipped forward a step.
S~ Met a boy cute as can be.
We played along with the character, each of us putting ourselves in the place of sweet, innocent Sandy telling her friends all about the boy she had fallen for over summer break. Little did she know he was only an arms reach away telling his friends all about the lucky 'babe' who'd caught his eye while he was at the beach.
D&S~ Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights.
Tyce had brilliantly worked in little solos throughout the song. Whenever the pink ladies were singing one girl would step forward or place herself in the middle and get about a half second of lime light. It was the same for the boys. Whenever the T-birds sang a line one of them would slide forward or make himself known.
TB~ Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more
Did you get very far?
PL~ Tell me more, tell me more
Like does he have a car?
[Everyone]
Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
The two giant spot lights that had been fixed separately over each of the groups faded away so the whole stage was flooded with light. I turned with the other girls around me as we faced the boys and seemlessly our two pods folded together. I spun around in front of Jake and he hoisted me up onto his shoulder.
D~ She swam by me, she got a cramp.
I grabbed my side, faking a cramp in my side, and let myself fall backwards over Jake's shoulder. Jake helped me get my feet back underneath me and I landed on my toes in time for him to grab my hand and pull me back around to his side so we could dance together.
S~ He ran by me, got my suit damp.
D~ I saved her life, she nearly drowned.
S~ He showed off, splashing around.
D&S~ Summer sun, something's begun, but uh-oh those summer nights.
Uh well-a well-a well-a huh
I left Jake's side and skipped over to the other side of the stage. Alice and Jane met me there and we danced together facing the crowd. This was the part in the song where the three of us would get our half a moment of fame.
PL~ Tell me more, tell me more
Was it love at first sight?
Three of the boys came up behind us and we partnered off. The boy who took my hand was named Laurent. His skin was a few shades lighter than Mars' and he had to be close to six foot. His back ground was similar to Edward's with strong ties in Ballroom but there was almost no similarity to the way that they moved. Edward and I had never had a problem working together. Laurent's style was far more showy, his legs were longer and I always felt like I was trying to keep up when we danced.
TB~ Tell me more, tell me more
Did she put up a fight?
On the word fight all of the girls on stage took a swing at their male partners. The guys dodged the blows and then the dance moved on.
[Everyone]
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh
Alice was paired with Edward and he spun her forward so she could take her bow. She jumped back to him and he lifted her easily up and tossed her into the air. Another dancer caught Alice and the three of them vanished from my view as Laurent led me forward. On the third count he spun me away from him and I hit a pirouette on my left foot. My only goal was to hit as many spins as I could before the spot light moved to Jane.
D~ Took her bowling in the arcade.
S~ We went strolling, drank lemonade.
D~ We made out under the dock.
S~ We stayed out 'till ten o'clock.
I managed seven full turns before Jane stepped forward with her own personal T-bird escort, Mike. I had a moment of evil inspiration where I thought about the fact that I could trip him since I had to run behind him but that seemed too spiteful for my taste. I didn't like him, but that didn't mean I wouldn't kick his ass in this contest fair and square. I would dance circles around him and I would have lots of fun doing it.
D&S~ Summer fling, don't mean a thing, but uh-oh those summer nights
TB~ Uh well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more
But you don't gotta brag.
PL~ Tell me more, tell me more
Cuz he sounds like a drag.
Everyone gathered together, center stage and we hit a full group dance set. There was no particular form to this run of moves. Everyone was windowed and the crowd started yelling again as Emmett and James raced forward and hit a synchronized back flip. I was impressed that neither of them ever missed that move. I'd only learned how to do an aerial a few days ago. I was pretty sure I would never have the muscle to hit a standing back flip. Ever.
[Everyone]
shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop,shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, YEAH!
S~ He got friendly, holding my hand.
D~ While she got friendly down in the sand.
S~ He was sweet, just turned eighteen.
D~ Well she was good you know what I mean.
We split into two groups. Girls in the front row, boys in back. My partner for this move was Jasper and he was far easier to understand than Laurent had been. This was probably the closest thing to a climax move in the dance. Jasper grabbed my hand and I spun on my toes as he pulled me forward. He lifted me up by my waist and laid me on the floor. He spun around and grabbed my wrists, pulling me through his legs and back to my feet in one swift motion.
PL~ Woah!
The lights flashed with the beat and I gave myself over to the music. The dance was fast and exciting. I wasn't sure Broadway was the best way to start the season. It was a fun style but it was also a dying style, an unfortunate but true statement. The art of Broadway was slowly dying in society as 'grinding' became the most sophisticated move that the average person knew. Grinding was not dance. It was fun and I would admit to having done my fair share, but it wasn't dancing.
D&S~ Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but uh-oh those summer nights
[Everyone]
woo, woo, woo
PL~ Tell me more, tell me more
How much dough did he spend?
TB~ Tell me more, tell me more
Could she get me a friend?
On the word 'friend' everyone on stage froze for a split second. Emmett was standing center stage with Erik and all eyes were on them. Erik was on his knees and Emmett was looking down at him like he couldn't believe what Erik had just asked him. Emmett pulled a thin, black comb out of his jacket pocket and snapped Erik in the nose with it like they did in the movie. The audience laughed and Emmett pulled Erik to his feet. The move only took a few short seconds and then everyone was off again as the song slowed down.
S~ It turned colder - that's where it ends.
D~ So I told her we'd still be friends.
S~ Then we made our true love vows.
D~ Wonder what she's doing now.
Everyone on stage paired up. I was paired with Jake again as we hit a group pose similar to the one when we had first paired up. Jake and I danced a for a few counts each pair doing something different as we danced to the song. As the song ended and Sandy and Danny believed their summer love was gone I let Jake's hand slip through my fingers and turned my back on him. The last few notes of the song trailed away and the lights faded so we were left in darkness.
D&S~ Summer dreams ripped at the seams,
bu-ut oh, those su-ummer niiiighhhts....
A spot light fell on Cat and the live audience roared. I spun on my toes and everyone hurried to get off the stage. Jessica and Ben were up first so everyone let them slip ahead as they bolted into the darkness back stage already pulling at the string of their costumes. My heart was racing but I was in control as I tried to catch my breath. Dancing on stage was so exhilarating!
POV- Cat (I'll try my best at this, don't hate me if this is kind of rough. I think Cat's annoying but I'm going to try to not write her like that.)
The spot light flashed over to my spot on the left as the dancers turned and ran backstage. I waited a moment for the crowd to calm down and fliped my cue cards over.
"Go Cat, you've only got thirty seconds left." My manager's voice spoke to me through the small ear piece hidden in my left ear. I smiled warmly at the camera and lifted the mic to my face.
The crowd was still screaming so I raised my voice to be heard over them. "There they are America. Your top twenty! Give it up for them. That was Summer Nights from the beloved musical Grease. That dance was choreographed by our very own lovely Tyce Diorio."
I waved to where Tyce was sitting and the camera flashed to his face briefly. The camera returned to me and I continued as my manager counted down my time in my ear. "After this short break, we'll introduce our judges and see what our top twenty have been up to the last seven days. This is the grand opening of season five, "So You Think You Can Dance." I'm your hoast Cat Deleey."
"And cut, perfect timing Cat. The commercial break's exactly two and a half minutes. Go down to the main stage infront of camera three. After you introduce the judges talk about the pranks." I glanced up to the lighting booth and got the thumbs up from the managers.
I chuckled to myself as I walked down the winding staircase along the side of the stage. Every year the dancers did something crazy. They would all change costume, they would show up at the wrong studio on purpose, mess with each others music. Little things that were funny but never enough to get aired on the show. This years cast of characters had gone above and beyond with the prank war and that was to good to be left a secret.
The station had been cautious of letting them start the prank war at first. We didn't want anyone getting hurt and we couldn't cover damages to the studio building. It had taken some bargaining but since we knew they would prank each other anyway we had agreed. I personally loved the idea as long as the pranks stayed clean and no one got hurt and the extra cameras were brilliant. We had prime footage of all the big pranks thanks to Emmett and Alice.
I walked across the stage and stopped in front of camera three near the judges. I caught Mary's eye and she waved at me. I threw her and Nigel a smile. I glanced around the room to make sure for myself everyone was in place. The choreographers were all present and in their designated chairs. The family members we had flown out were in their chairs in the upper level.
"Twenty seconds Cat."
I glanced up to the lighting booth and nodded my head so they would know I had heard them. I fluffed my hair and let a smile take my face as the count down began.
"7,6,5,4-"
The house lights fell and the stage lights turned blue as the spot light fell on me.
"3,2,1. You're on beautiful, make FOX proud."
I got the cue from camera three and the red light flashed on.
"Welcome back America. We just saw our top twenty perform their very first dance of the season, and what a season it is turning out to be. Tonight we have ten partner dances show casing styles from all over the world. We have a spicy Rumba, a softer Viennese Waltz, and even an exciting high energy Bollywood routine. But what kind of show would this be without the voice of reason. I am of course talking about your-"
I trailed off suggestively and smiled when the crowd joined me in saying the word judges. I waved my hand up to where my friends were sitting and the camera turned to Nigel.
"Mr. Nigel Lythgoe." The crowd clapped and a few whistled as Nigel waved his hand and flashed a smile around the room. I waved my hand in the direction of Mary, who stood up and waved to the live audience as the camera swung in her direction.
"Ms. Mary Murphy."
More claps and screams. Mary sat down and the camera moved on to our third judge. I didn't know the man well but he had been one of the guest judges during the call backs and he expressed a wish to come back. FOX had graciously welcomed him back thinking that his sharp tongue and negative attitude would help with ratings, kind of like Simon on American Idol.
"And joining us once again Mr. Chris Skobel."
All of the judges smiled until the camera was off of them and then I moved myself farther into the center of the stage. Our first pair of dancers were getting changed but they needed more time to get in place. It was my job to distract everyone with our prank story so they would have more time.
"This week America, our dancers learned who they would be pairing with and what dance styles they would get to face for week one but, not everything went as planned. Before we get to the first dance of the night let's see a little clip of our dancers at the studio as they got into some mischief the likes of which the show has never seen."
I glanced up at the big screen and the camera moved from my face to show the prank reel. The shot we had was of Alice talking to one of the stage directors. It had come to her attention that Emmett considered himself a master at pranks and she wanted to pull one small stunt on him. Our manager agreed and gave her a small black hand held camera.
The film moved to a shot of Alice and Jane as they talked to someone holding the camera. "You know how to trigger the launcher right Jasper?" Alice asked as she showed the camera a sling shot like device with a pie in it. The camera swung around so we could see who was holding it. Jasper smiled into the lens and waved. "Yes, Alice you already showed me. Just get outside so I can set it."
The camera flipped back around and showed Alice and Jane slipping out into the hallway and Jasper flipped a switch on the sling shot and hooked it over the door handle. When the door opened whoever was on the other side would be in for a treat.
The screen flipped to a shot of me. I smiled up at the camera and some of the people in the crowd giggled. "Unfortunately for Alice, her prank would be sprung on the wrong person." The camera moved to a shot of the door opening. We could hear Alice in the hall as she yelled for Leah to move but it was too late. The pie flew and as it hit Leah, the audience burst into cheers. We had a clip of Leah and Emmett turning on Alice and then a shot of them shaking hands, agreeing to the terms of their war, before the screen moved back to me.
"What started as a simple prank moved to a full fledged war. With Alice and Emmett taking the leads on opposite sides. All week the two master minds planted pranks designed to see who really was the prank master. Unfortunately, not all of the traps hit their intended targets."
Another clip played on the big screen and we watched as once again the door to the lounge was rigged with a trap, this time a sack of flour with a tear in it set to fall on the next person through the doors. The door swung open and we all had a split second to see Bella and Edward's faces before the bag exploded. Bella jumped and they both vanished in a cloud of white powder. We had a shot of Bella and Edward yelling at Emmett before they both left the room.
The screen turned off and the camera turned back on me as the spot light fell.
"Ben and Jessica are in place. Finish the prank tape and introduce them for after the break." I nodded my head ever so slightly so they would know I had heard them and turned my smile on the camera.
"Alice and Emmett have both proven that they are indeed masters of pranks in the SYTYCD studio, but it would seem both of them need to work on their aim. Will they ever hit their intended targets? We'll just have to wait and find out. After this short break we will get to see who our first couple is and what style they pulled out of the hat." The camera moved up to where Ben and Jessica were standing on the loft stair case and they waved at the camera.
"And cut. Great job doll. We have another two minute break."
I nodded and moved back over to my spot out of the way near the judge's booth. The break didn't last long and then I was back on stage announcing Ben and Jessica.
"This week our dancers got to meet their partners for the first time and then they chose their first styles. Take a look at this."
A short clip flashed on the screen as Nigel called Ben's name and introduced him to Jessica. They hugged and then it moved to a clip of me holding out the magic hat for them to pick a card. Jessica reached into the hat and pulled Jive out.
"And action." I stepped forward and flashed my smile at the camera.
"Up first, we have Jessica and Ben with a fiery Jive routine."
My spot light flicked off and I scurried to get off stage as the stage lights turned pink and purple. Jessica was dressed in a bright pink dress with a plunging neck line and Ben stood opposite her in black dress pants and a button up shirt, his tie matched Jessica's dress and they started to move as their music played around the room.
The dance was fiery and sexy. Jessica demanded total attention as she moved with Ben. I wasn't a dancer so I didn't know all of the technical terms but I'd been with the show long enough to know it wasn't a strong dance. Ben was uncomfortable and Jessica seemed more interested in the camera than in staying with her partner.
The music ended and the crowd cheered. I jumped up on stage and waved them over to me.
"Come here darlings that was wonderful." Jessica flew to my side and I wrapped an arm around her waist as we turned to face the judges.
"Nigel what did you think of our first dance?"
POV- Bella
There were monitors in all of the dressing rooms and I watched as Ben and Jessica got critiqued by the three judges. The judges had liked the dance and they gave their compliments to the choreographer. They thought that Ben and Jessica both needed more time to learn to work together but they saw potential. Where Mary and Nigel saw hope, Chris saw crap. He was harsh and handed out his judgment without hesitation.
"It was a good dance, but I'm not sure how either of you got to this point with moves like that. You didn't show any emotion and your dance suffered for it. I hope for your sakes you can learn to dance together but, I don't see that happening anytime soon. Jessica dear, you really should stop watching the camera. I promise you'll get plenty of air time, but it won't be air time you're proud of if you don't focus on your dancing. Ben needs you to pay attention or you'll drag him down with you."
The crowd didn't seem to know how to respond to that. A few cheered; a few booed him and Jessica looked like she'd been slapped in the face. Chris Skobel was back and he was even meaner than before.
Jason was flying around the chairs where Edward and I were sitting. Our Grease costumes were on the floor in the corner. Jason had said we could pick them up later. Edward was desperately trying to dry his hair. Jason had shoved his head under the faucet in our sink to try and eliminate some of the grease.
"Bella use this, clean your face off. I'm going to start working on your hair."
Jason tossed me a wet cloth and I started wiping off the make up I had needed for our first dance. We had both already changed into the Bollywood outfits. I tightened the ties around my ankles and made sure the clear straps on my top would hold. The bright green outfit was adorned with beads my ankles and wrists were adorned with gold bracelets.
Edward had his hair dry enough so it wouldn't drip and he pulled on his vest. His pants were similar to mine, tight around your hips baggy around your legs. Both costumes were embroidered with gold thread but where mine was green, his was sky blue.
Jason had the gold circlet threaded through my hair. The green ribbons and beads hung in my hair and jingled whenever I moved my head. He sat Edward down and fixed his hair. I glanced at the screen, Alice and Mike were just starting their dance after the third commercial break. I didn't get to watch as closely as I would have liked. Jason brushed make up around my eyes and over my cheeks before he clipped the thin veil in place. The veil was a soft green color with a gold chain that hooked to the circlet in my hair on both sides of my face.
"Ok you're done, go go. Good luck to you both. Go find Mars, he'll get you in place. You look great, have fun. Go, no time to waste."
Jason pushed us both out of our little dressing room and into the dark hall. I put my hands on Edward's hips and followed along behind him as we made our way through the maze that was back stage. Mars waved us over to him and positioned us just off the side of the back entrance. We would be going on right after Alice and Mike before the commercial break.
I glanced down at the screen so I could watch some of their dance. Alice looked great. Mia Michaels had put her in a simple, elegant, sheer black dress. The dress ended just below her knees and had a soft fabric tie around her waist. Mike matched in a pair of black pants and a black tank top.
The song they were dancing to was slow and elegant. I didn't know the song but the idea behind it was a beginning relationship. Girl meet boy, they fell in love, they hit a few bumps on the road, it almost tears them apart, they overcome. It was a very classical contemporary dance and they did a great job. Mike was totally in his element and he worked well with Alice even if it was clear her height threw him off.
Edward took my hand in his and kissed the back of my knuckles.
"Ready?"
I nodded. "I hope so."
"Good luck."
"Thanks."
I bit down on my bottom lip as I thought about what we were about to do. What if I missed the flip? We'd worked all week on that one flip. It was only about three seconds long and if I missed it, it would knock the entire dance on its ass.
Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his side. "You're freaking out."
"What if I mess up?"
"Then we make it work."
I scowled at the dark. How was he so calm? I was a mess inside and bad at hiding that. My heart was racing and I could hold still as I shifted my weight from foot to foot. He let out a sigh and kissed the spot right below my ear.
"Would I let you fall?" He asked in a hushed whisper. His breath tickled my ear and I shivered at his touch.
"No."
"That's right, I promise you won't fall. You're going to do great. Just put yourself into the emotion. This is what you do."
I nodded. This is what I did. I was a dancer. I could do this, no problem. The rush from the first dance was still pumping through my veins and I tried to turn my nerves into excitement. We had worked hard on this dance. We would be fine. And if we weren't, then I would get to fail with Edward. I was dancing with Edward. We could do this.
I hadn't noticed that Alice and Mike finished their dance and I jumped when the crowd came to life. Cat pulled them over in front of the judges. Mary loved them or really she loved Alice. She clapped her hands and gave Alice a first class seat on the hot tamale train. Mary had mentioned before that Alice was quickly becoming her favorite and I cheered with Edward and the crowd as Alice did a little happy dance.
Chris was harsher. He liked Alice well enough but thought she still had a lot of work to do on learning the new style. Mary got mad at him and they fought for a second before Cat split them up and he continued with Mike.
"Mike it was clear to me that this is your intended style. If this was the best you could do with your own dance style then I don't think you will make it far in this contest. You were holding Alice off the ground for most of the dance but it was she who kept you from falling on your butt."
Cat dismissed them and Mike and Alice jumped off stage to stand with Ben and Jessica in our designated spot on the ground near the judge's booth. I was bouncing in place as Cat started talking about Edward and I.
"Our next two dancers already know each other." Cat said with a smile as I watched the monitor by my feet and waited for the cue from Mars. "They've danced together once before, during the callbacks and shared a life threatening accident that could have easily killed them both. Let's see how Edward and Bella took the news when it became known that they would dance together again."
"I love you Bella! Kick some ass girlfriend!!"
I blushed as the very familiar voice of my best friend yelled at me from the crowd. I didn't know where she was sitting but I couldn't wait to see her again after the show.
"Was that Summer?" Edward asked me.
I nodded and rolled my eyes. "Yeah. that was her."
"Good friend."
I shook my head. "Loud friend."
He shrugged. "Same thing."
I glanced down at the screen and watched the clip that America was seeing on their TV screens at home. It was a shot of Nigel telling Edward that I was his partner. It showed me as I ran across the stage and locked my arms around his neck. Edward spun us in a circle and then the clip changed. Cat held out a black hat and invited me to pick a card. I watched with Edward as the Bella on the screen pulled out Bollywood and we both stared at it dumb struck.
I missed the cue but thankfully Edward was watching Mars. He grabbed my hand and we both raced down onto the floor. I took my spot on the far left of the stage near the front where Edward had his spot in the back on the right.
Cat said our names and her spot light fell. The lights on stage turned a soft blue color as the music started. As I made my way to the other side of the stage the lights got brighter so they almost matched the color of Edward's outfit.
Jinke Sar Ho Ishq Ki Chaaon
Paanv Ke Neeche Jannat Hogi
Jinke Sar Ho Ishq Ki Chaaon
Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya Chaiyya Chaiyya
Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya Chaiyya Chaiyya
Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya Chaiyya Chaiyya
Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya Chaiyya Chaiyya
I still didn't know the true translation of the song but it sure was beautiful. I hit the opposite side of the stage at the end of my first set and started the Belly dance set. I could see Edward out of the corner of my eye as he started to move away.
Silly boy couldn't get away from me. I let myself fall into character and a sly smiled spread across my face. I turned my body so I was facing him and beckoned him forward with my finger. He took a few steps back and some of the people in the audience laughed as he tried to avoid me.
I was insulted, how dare he not want to dance with me. I took a few steps forward and shook my head slightly at him as I reached out and took his hand. Stupid boy.
I pulled him to me and we started the first run of partner moves as the tempo picked up. The lights moved from blue to green and yellow. Edward remained reluctant through our first set of partner moves so I stepped away from him and danced on my own.
As I came to the end of my run I took a deep breath and slowed my heart down so I could focus. Here it was, the flip. I spun away from him, only to turn back and run into the double step. I threw my arms down and kicked off as hard as I could. Please don't fall.
My feet hit the ground a split second after they left and I was standing in front of Edward. I did it! Edward grabbed my hips and I pushed off of the ground as he lifted me into the vertical lift. I hit the V kick and he set me back on my feet. I spun around again and pulled Edward to me so we could dance some more. He followed along and we moved together back across the stage.
The beads in our costuming clicked as we moved and I took a few steps away from him and listened to the audience cheer as Edward did his flip behind me. They didn't hiss so he must have landed right. I hoped he was in place because I didn't have time to look. I spun quick on my toes and launched myself sideways.
The beads on our costumes pinched as I rolled over Edward's back. The last of the difficult moves was over and we hadn't missed a one. I landed crouched on my knees and Edward jumped to his feet as soon as I was off his back. I launched myself forward and he caught me flipping me over so I landed on my feet again as we moved forward on the stage.
The lights brightened as we moved, the green giving way to orange as the now familiar lyrics played around us. I kept my pace with Edward easily and let myself enjoy the moment. The crowd only added to my adrenalin and when the music ended I threw my hands in the air.
The audience roared and I caught sight of my mom and Summer holding up a giant poster with my name on it. I lowered my hands and Edward weaved his fingers through mine as Cat called us over to her.
"Come here you two, that was fabulous."
She hooked her arm around Edward and pulled us right in next to her. I took a few slow, deep breaths to try and catch my breath as I looked up at the judge's booth. They were sitting there watching us. Mary had a smile on her face and Nigel looked pleased but my eyes were drawn to the man sitting with them.
The first time I had met Chris Skobel he scared the crap right out of me. As far the dancing world was concerned, he was fairly new on the scene but he was making big waves. He had a few award winning dances and was known across the country for tearing people apart. He only accepted the best and anything under that was a failure as far as he was concerned.
I knew I should have cared about Mary and Nigel. They would be with me for the whole show, but I couldn't stop myself from watching him. The compliments I had gotten from Chris were close to how a chef would feel if someone like Gordon Ramsey or Wolfgang Puck said their cooking was good. He had said during the callbacks that he would see me in the top twenty and I was desperately hoping I hadn't let him down.
Cat brought me out of my thoughts as she turned her attention onto Nigel. "So Nigel, what did you think of Bella and Edward?"
Nigel smiled. "If life threatening events make it possible for two people to dance like that on week one, I'm going to set it up so all of our pairs almost get run over."
Some of the audience members laughed and I flushed deep red. Why did we have to talk about the van? Was I the only one who wanted to forget about that?
"I don't think that's a good idea Nigel but I agree there is something about the two of you together that makes it feel like you've been dancing for years." Mary said with a smile.
Cat held her mic out to us. "What did you to think about getting Bollywood week one?"
I rolled my eyes. "It was a challenge, but getting to work with Nakul was a great experience."
"We wanted to do everything in our power to make him proud and really give a good example of his culture's dance to the rest of the world." Edward added.
Cat smiled and looked up into the crowd. "And how did you think they did Nakul?"
He was here? I turned my head with Edward as we followed Cat's gaze into the sea of people. To the left of the judges booth there was a collection of chairs separated from the rest of the live audience. Nakul was sitting there with more of the choreographers. He stood up and clapped his hands in our direction when the camera moved to him.
I smiled up at him as he waved down to us and I could tell he had been pleased with our performance.
"There were a couple of places were the hand movements could have been cleaner." Nigel continued, "but if I hadn't known that this was your first time doing Bollywood I never would have guessed it."
Cat spoke into her mic. "What did you think Chris? Did they sink or swim?"
Chris looked down at his notes before resting his chin on his fingers, which were woven together in front of him. He smiled. "I told you, you would make it to the top twenty Bella."
I nodded. "Yes, you did."
"I love watching you dance Bella. I have never been shy of admitting that. You caught my attention during the callbacks and I think dancing with Edward only made you stronger. You could have used another week to make that dance perfect, but everyone here could use another week. There's just something about the pair of you." He turned his attention to Edward.
"Edward you bring a technical strength to the dance. Your lines are clean, you're sure of every move you do. You're going to be a powerhouse in this competition I'm sure of it. The only thing you seem to lack is a deeper emotional level to bring you into the character of who you're dancing. Dancing is really just like acting, except you do all your own stunts. Bella brings that emotion and so much more when she dances and you pull each other up."
He bowed his head to show he was finished talking and Cat turned back to the camera.
"After the break we're going to see two more dances including a sexy Cha Cha and a Viennese Waltz. I'm Cat Deeley and this is So You Think You Can Dance."
The camera light turned off and Cat turned to face us.
"Good job both of you. You can go down the stairs right there and stand with the others until the show's over."
We nodded and hurried down the stairs. I kept hold of Edward's hand as we neared the others and only let go when Alice jumped me. She threw her hands around my neck and I pulled her into a hug.
"That was great, Bella!"
"You too Alice, congratulations on the train ticket."
Alice laughed. "That was so unexpected. I mean its only week one. Has she ever done that before?"
"I don't know."
I gave Ben a hug and we exchanged "good jobs" and "thank you's" with him and Jessica and Mike. The lights flashed as the commercial break ended and I turned back to the stage with the others as Cat started speaking again.
I watched along with Edward as first Emmett and Leah took the stage followed by Jasper and Victoria. Leah's dress blew my mind. The sleek dark purple fabric hugged her every curve, leaving large holes in the sides so people could she her creamy tan skin. Layered around her hips, adding to her movements as she dancing with Emmett were fluffy purple and black feathers. Leah and Emmett might butt heads back stage but on the dance floor they were two powerful dancers and were clearly going to be some tough competition.
Jasper and Victoria had an opposite style. Instead of sexy and scandalous, their song was slow and passionate. The Viennese Waltz dealt with long lines and steady backs. You had to keep your arms strong and hold the shape of your dance as you moved back and forth across the stage. Victoria's dress was a floor length, sheer purple number and her mane of natural blazered hair had been wrapped tight in a bun.
Both groups received good comments from the judges. Chris wanted to see more passion from Jasper and Mary thought that although Leah and Emmett had done a great job with the Cha Cha that they might be in trouble if they got a different style.
As group after group performed their dance for the judges, they joined the rest of us down on the floor. We would exchange hugs and compliments and Alice poured attention over each of the costumes. She was upset that her dress was so simple whereas some of the other girls got to wear far more attractive outfits.
It felt like the whole show only lasted a few minutes, but before I could blink my eyes Cat was waving us all up on stage. The girls started hurrying up the stairs in their heels and most of the boys just jumped the side of the stage.
Edward jumped up onto the stage and I was heading to join the line for the stairs as he held out his hand to me. He grabbed my wrists and I jumped, being barefoot had its advantages. He hosted me up into his hold and we joined the others gathered around Cat.
"Well, there you have it America, your top twenty for season five! Remember to call in after the show to vote for your favorite couple. Tomorrow we will see which three couples fall into the bottom. The six dancers who fall into the bottom will be given a chance to dance for their lives and perform solo's for our panel of judges. Once the judges have made their decision, we will have to say goodbye to one boy and one girl. We'll see you here tomorrow 8/7 central on Fox. I'm Cat Deeley and this is So You Think You Can Dance."
The theme song for the show started playing as the cameras swung around the stage. Cat lowered her mic and started dancing and the rest of us followed suit. Edward took my hand and I let him spin me in a circle. Another strong hand took mine as Jake pulled me to his side.
"Bells, is your mom here?"
I nodded along as Alice jumped to my side and I took her hand so we could dance.
"Yep, she's here with Summer."
I stayed on stage with the others as the crowd got to their feet and started gathering their things. I heard my name being called and turned to find Summer racing towards the stage.
Alice stayed by my side as I ran to the edge of the stage. I jumped down and threw my arms around Summers neck as hers locked in a vice hold around my waist.
"Bella it's so good to see you. You did so awesome. I can't believe you're really doing this. I missed you so much."
Summer could have rivaled Alice in the fast talking category. I held her out at arms length and looked her over as she did the same to me. Summer had always been a few inches taller than I was and her white blonde hair hung down her back. She was a sight for sore eyes and I missed her so much.
I pulled her back into a hug and we jumped up and down a few times. Alice shifted next to me and I suddenly remembered my manners.
"Summer, this is Alice."
Alice stepped forward and shook hands with Summer. Summer's eyes turned into saucers as she recognized Alice from the videos we had watched.
"You're the Jazz dancer from New York!"
Alice nodded and another pair of warm arms grabbed me and pulled me into a hug.
"Oh Bella baby, you were so beautiful on that stage. I'm so proud of you honey."
I locked my arms around my mom's neck and started crying. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed her until she was here in my arms.
"Mom, it's so good to see you. This is Alice. She's one of my friends. Oh, and here comes everyone else."
As more of the live audience members started to file out Edward, Emmett, Angela and Rosalie walked over to where I was standing with my family and sat on the edge of the stage so I could do introductions.
"Edward." My mom grabbed his arm and pulled him off the stage into a big hug. "Thank you for saving my baby. I can't tell you what that means to me. How can I ever repay you?"
Edward wrapped his arms around my mom and hugged her back.
"It was nothing, Ms. Swan."
"You will call me Renee. I demand it."
"Yes ma'am." Edward said flashing her one of his brilliant smiles as she finally let him go. He moved to my side and I introduced the others.
"Mom, Summer, this it Rosalie, Edward's brother Emmett, and this is Angela."
My mom gave Alice and Angela both hugs and Summer moved to my side. She and Edward exchanged glances and it looked like she was sizing him up. Summer was the only one other than Alice who knew about Edward spending the night in my room.
She walked around him and flashed him a small smile before moving closer to my side.
"I approve but, if he does anything stupid I could totally take him."
She glanced up at Edward and narrowed her eyes. "You will take good care of my best friend or I will hurt you."
He nodded. "I give you my word."
"Good." She moved back over and started talking with Alice.
Jasper, Ben, Jake and Erik joined us and I did another round of introductions.
"-And the tall one on the end is Jake. Mom do you remember Charlie's friend, Billy Black?"
She nodded. "Of course I do."
"Jake is his son. He's from the reservation down by Forks."
My mom smiled up at Jake. "Jacob Black? Look at how big you are now. I remember when you were born. Bella's told me all about you of course. It's nice to meet you."
"Good to see you again too, Renee."
Emmett tapped Edward on the shoulder.
"Ed, mom and Dad are over there. We should go say hi." He pointed off to the other side of the room where a tall man with blond hair was standing with his arm around a woman's waist. The woman had soft caramel colored hair and a warm smile.
Edward nodded and took my hand. "Would you like to meet my parents?"
"Definitely."
I excused myself from the others and told them we would be right back. Edward kept ahold of my hand as we neared the couple and the woman pulled Edward into a hug as soon as we were close enough.
"Oh Edward honey, that was so great. You both did fantastic."
She moved on to Emmett. Emmett wrapped his arms around the woman and pulled her off her feet into a hug.
"Good to see you mom, Dad." He added glancing over at where Carlisle was now embracing his youngest son.
I waited until they were done greeting each other and Edward took my hand again. "Carlisle, Esme, this is Bella."
Esme pulled me into a hug and I wrapped my arms around her.
"Edward's told us so much about you dear. I can't believe how many of the dancers on this show are from the Forks area. We talked to your dad just a few days ago."
"How is Charlie?"
"He's doing wonderfully, no need to worry. He talks very fondly of you dear. He called to talk to Carlisle after he got the call about your accident."
"Can I talk to you Edward?"
Carlisle kept his eyes on Edward. Edward nodded and patted my shoulder.
"Sure thing."
"It was nice to meet you Bella." Carlisle said quickly as he and Edward walked away. Esme and I walked with Emmett back over to the others and Emmett introduced his mother.
I hopped up on the stage so I could sit next to Summer and Alice but my eyes were glued on Edward. Carlisle had pulled Edward aside and they were far enough away that I couldn't hear. Carlisle's back was to me and I couldn't read Edward's lips as he spoke.
"Alice?"
I tapped on her shoulder to get her attention. Alice turned to face me, she followed my gaze to where Edward and Carlisle were talking.
"What's up B?" she asked, scooting closer to my side.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure. Can you tell what he's saying?"
Alice and I watched as Carlisle and Edward whispered together. I might not have been able to read his lips but his facial expressions were not those of a happy person. He had a smile on his face and he was nodding along to what ever Carlisle was saying but there was a crease in-between his eye brows and his jaw was locked.
"I'm sorry Bella. I can't tell. Do you think they're arguing?"
"I don't know."
Emmett moved so he was blocking my view and smiled down at us.
"Did you two have fun during the show?" He asked.
Alice smiled and started talking about her dance with Mike. Rose and Erik joined in and I tried to pay attention to what they were saying. Emmett was still blocking my view of Edward and Carlisle and I had a funny feeling he was doing it on purpose.
A crew man came around and started asking the dancers to return to the stage.
"We need everyone back on stage. Family and friends are going to have to leave now."
I moved to give my mother a hug.
"Bye mom, thanks for coming down here."
She kissed my forehead. "Good luck with the rest of the show Bella. We'll be watching from home. I'm so proud of you honey."
"Thanks mom."
She moved aside and Summer locked herself around me.
"Bella I'm going to miss you so much. You better kick everyone's ass."
"Hey!" "Who's side are you on?" "That's not very nice."
A bunch of my new friends who were within range to hear Summer speak acted offended. Summer flashed her winning smile and hooked an arm around my shoulders.
"I like all of you just fine and I'm glad Bella's got good friends, but I'm on Bella's side one hundred percent. So don't take it the wrong way if I don't wish the rest of you good luck." She turned back to me. "Good luck with the rest of the show Bella." She leaned in so she could whisper in my ear. "And good luck with your boy toy. He's even more attractive in person." She pecked my check and then walked away with my mother.
I watched as Emmett pulled his mother into another bone crushing hug. I looked back over at Edward. He and Carlisle were walking back to the group. Edward gave his mother a quick hug before walking back over to me.
"Good bye Bella." Esme waved to where I was standing and I smiled at her.
"Good bye Esme, it was nice to meet you."
Carlisle waved in my direction as well but I didn't have a chance to respond. Edward grabbed my hand and we followed along behind the others up onto the stage. Cat congratulated everyone on a great show and told us the busses would be waiting out back.
I followed along with Edward as everyone made it out back. Jason was waiting with our costume boxes.
"You both did a great job today." He said as he tried to hug me around the box I was holding.
"Thanks for all of your help, Jason."
He waved it off and Kevin joined us. "It was nothing, this is what we do. I'll see you both at your next fitting."
We waved as they walked off with the other crew members and Edward helped me load our boxes in the baggage compartments above our seats.
"Your mother seems really nice. I was glad I had the chance to meet her."
Edward smiled up at me as I sat down next to him.
"I could tell she really liked you too."
He didn't say anything more and I didn't want to push him into telling me what he and Carlisle had been talking about. It wasn't any of my business. If he wanted to talk about it he knew I would listen. Once all of the dancers got on the bus, the driver asked us to sit down and we were on our way back to the studio.
~Darkrose
I'm sorry this took so long to get typed up. It got so long I couldnt find a place to stop it. (OVER 10,500 words!) I've also got more classes starting up on Monday so I've been spending a lot of my free time with my friends as they all head off to different parts of the country for college and up at my new school trying to learn the layout of the campus. I'm still getting lost. (I hate feeling like a freshman all over again!)
I'll try to keep my updates as quick as possible but I'm having trouble finding time on the computer and I dont want to put anything up before I'm sure its good otherwise the story turns to crap. I refuse to write crap. Please stay with me, I'm not stopping this story until it's finished and I'm definitely not running out of inspiration. I love working on this story.
R&R let me know what you think of my story. An author is nothing without feedback, both positive and critical...And they make me smile!