Step It Up Read Free Page B

costume, and not about this …” She put a pair of monkey ears on top of Liberty’s bun. Rochelle burst out laughing. This was paybackfor her soaked shoes and every snarky comment Liberty had ever made!
    â€œThis is ridiculous!” Liberty cried. “We’re going to be the laughingstocks of Dance Fusion!”
    â€œNot if I have anything to say about it,” Toni assured her. “You’re going to stop the show.”
    She demonstrated what she wanted them to do: Rochelle would roll across the stage and Liberty would leap and flip over her. The timing had to be perfectly synchronized. There was not a split second to hesitate or make a mistake. It was some of the most complicated choreography Toni had ever created for them.
    â€œYou gotta admit it’s a pretty cool dance,” Rochelle said to Liberty as they tossed their bags on a bench in the dressing room. Gracie was already there, getting ready to run through the group routine.
    Liberty shrugged. “Whatevs. It’s not any cooler than what my mom just choreographed for a hot, new pop star.”
    â€œToni knows what she’s doing.” Rochellecouldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. Wasn’t she the one who was always questioning her coach’s out-of-the-box ideas? Amazingly, she was learning to trust her; they all were. Except maybe Liberty.
    â€œI would have gone for sequins—chocolate-brown velvet with gold sequins,” she said. “Not fuzz.”
    â€œFuzz is fun,” Gracie piped up. “My cat, Mr. Mustard, is fuzzy.”
    Liberty continued to fume. “Please do not compare me to your raggedy feline,” she said. “If you’re going to call me an animal, at least make it a mink … or a chinchilla.”
    Oh, great
, Rochelle thought to herself,
that’s just what we need: for Liberty to turn this dance number into a chinchilla chasing a banana!
    â€œDon’t pick on my kitty,” Gracie said, pointing her finger in Liberty’s face. “You take that back.”
    Liberty smirked. “Take what back?”
    â€œWhat you called Mr. Mustard. A Raggedy Ann sea lion.”
    Rochelle couldn’t help but giggle. Gracie had quite a way with words.
    â€œAnd don’t laugh at me, Rock!” the little girl shouted at her. “It’s not funny!”
    She ran out of the dressing room, practically knocking Bria over on her way in.
    â€œWhat was that about?” she asked.
    Liberty shrugged. “Grace Face tantrum. Nothing new.”
    â€œBecause you insulted her kitten,” Rochelle reminded her. “You can’t just tell everybody off because you feel like it. Right, Bria?”
    Bria looked up, startled. She hated to take sides. “Um, I guess?”
    â€œAll I said was my costume could be a little more stylish,” Liberty explained.
    Bria bit her lip. “Maybe Liberty has a point? I’m kinda partial to sequins and BeDazzling myself.”
    Anya walked in and overheard them. “Tell me about it. My costume looks like the Milky Way exploded.” She held up the leotard that Bria andher mom had adorned. Every inch was covered in silver and gold stars. “Bria, this is hideous.”
    â€œIt’s gorgeous!” Bria insisted. “We’re supposed to sparkle and shine.”
    â€œSparkle and shine, yes. Blind the audience, not so much.”
    â€œThere’s no such thing as too much sparkle,” Liberty interrupted. “You just have to be dazzling enough to carry it off. A plain Jane can’t handle it.”
    Anya’s eyes narrowed. “Did you just call me a plain Jane?”
    Liberty smirked. “Would you prefer Ordinary Anya?”
    â€œI’d prefer you to zip your lip,” Anya warned her.
    â€œI’d prefer you all to zip your lips,” said a voice at the doorway. It was Toni, and she looked furious. “I could hear you yelling all the way down the hall in