Mountain

1.18

I was sitting in the juice bar with my tablet, calling James who was at school. "Hey Iz, what's up?" He answered.

"Hey, not much. How are you?" I asked him.

"I'm pretty good. How's the line positions?"

"You're second row." I said to him.

"Of course I'm in the middle. I didn't even do an audition."

"I know how you dance, James."

"Who did you put in the back row?"

"Umm... Emily."

"Really? That's funny."

"So how's maths going?"

"It's good. Don't even worry about it, we'll go on that date in no time." We both smiled. "Okay, okay, test me."

"What is the volume of a cube that is 2 by 2 by 2 inches?"

"Umm... 39?"

"Really?"

"No wait wait, I know this. 34."

"No!"

"Somewhere in the 30s."

"No. Not even close. Can you please just think? Like seriously?"

"I'm... I'm losing signal. I can't... I can't... hear... you."

"James."

"I'm just kidding."

"You have to stop playing all the time. We're all counting on you."

"I know."

I may be a little disappointed. I mean, I did kinda wanna go on a date with him but you know, it's also more important that he gets here for regionals so that we can work on our routine.

"I actually have to go though." He said.

"Okay."

"Wait. It's 8 cubed inches." I smiled. "See you."

I sat at the studio making some flash cards in maths to help James. Riley came over and sat next to me. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Making flash cards for James." I said.

"For James?"

"Yeah."

"What is going on between you two?"

"Nothing. We're just friends. I'm just helping him with maths. He's in the second row, we need him in regionals."

"I've seen the way he looks at you. Definitely more than just friends. He gives those goggley eyes." I scoffed. "I'm telling you, he likes you."

Just before the rehearsal was supposed to start, Riley, Emily and Stephanie were missing.

Riley came in running the studio and we all turned to look at her. "Emily and Stephanie are leaving the studio." She said.

"What!"

I don't know why they're doing this to everyone. Regionals is just around the corner.

"I overheard my parents talking to Emily and she was saying that they're planing to move to Elite." Riley explained.

That's the worst thing they could do.

"What are we gonna do?" I asked Kate.

"I don't care if I need to take my grandma we're going to regionals." Chloe said.

"Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna audition from B troupe." Kate said.

"They still hasn't been accepted to Elite." Eldon pointed out. "We still have hope, they haven't even audition yet."

"So we're supposed to wait for them to get into Elite going into regionals and then beat us? We have to do something now." Riley said.

"There's Giselle. There's Beth, Charlie. We can do this." Kate said.

No Beth. Just not Beth.