Studio Showdown Read Free

his water bottle. ‘I can take her.’
    â€˜Yeah, righto, Mr Tough,’ I said.
    Benji’s eyes twinkled and he swung his water bottle in my direction, like he meant to splash me, although his thumb was over the opening. I flinched away anyway. He laughed. ‘You’re such a scaredy cat.’
    It was nice that we could joke around with each other. When I first met Benji, it was so awkward, I dreaded every lesson. I didn’t feel comfortable dancing ballroom and I definitely didn’t feel comfortable standing so close to him! But now, it’s kinda different. He’s beenreally patient with me and all the stupid little mistakes I make, and he always cheers me up when I feel down. Even if some of his jokes are terrible!
    â€˜If you’ve finished annoying me,’ I said, ‘I’d like to go over those last steps, please. And the octopus swizzle, with the wrap and spin.’
    The octopus swizzle is a more complicated move, which comes down to having perfect coordination and timing. I think if Benji and I could pull off those harder steps, we’d really have a chance at winning the ballroom competition.
    â€˜Anything you say, princess,’ Benji joked. He reached out to bring me into our jive hold, which started with one of my arms behind my back in a half nelson.
    I felt my cheeks grow warm, so I launched straight into the steps to cover it up.
    â€˜Steady on,’ said Benji, pulling me gently toa stop. He caught my eye and grinned his silly crooked smile. ‘And, a one-two-three-four …’
    We began to slowly go over our jive steps, concentrating very hard on being precise and staying in sync with one another.
    â€˜So Ash said you and Ellie get to make up a routine for the end-of-year concert,’ Benji said as he adjusted my lower back so I wouldn’t get an injury if he tipped me back.
    Ash and Benji are good friends because they’ve done some hip hop stuff together. They’re kind of like brother and sister. Benji and I have a good friendship too, but I don’t know, he’s kind of cute and I might like –
    Well, never mind.
    â€˜Yeah,’ I said quietly, shifting my spine against his palm. ‘It’ll be fun. I guess.’
    â€˜You don’t sound too excited,’ Benji snorted as we went through our pushspin with a half windmill, which is a move where we both stepback and in and then Benji spins me one way, then the other, and then he turns me behind his back while we switch arms.
    â€˜No, I am excited,’ I insisted. ‘It’s really nice of Miss Caroline to give us the opportunity, but, it’s just …’
    â€˜Ellie’s taking over?’ Benji said.
    I gave a little giggle as I turned out and away from him. ‘How did you know?’
    â€˜That’s Ellie,’ Benji said. ‘Lean out to the side a bit more, yep, that’s right.’ He twirled me back in. ‘You know she probably doesn’t mean to, it’s just, that kinda thing is right up her alley and she gets all excited and carried away.’
    â€˜I know,’ I said. ‘But I don’t think what she has in mind is what Miss Caroline had in mind when she offered us the dance. And I have some ideas too.’
    Benji stopped me mid kick. ‘So, speak up.’
    I looked down at my toes. ‘I don’t want to argue with Ellie or hurt her feelings,’ I said.
    â€˜Yeah,’ agreed Benji. ‘’Course not. But it’s not just her dance. And you have some great ideas. You’re really creative. So don’t let Ellie boss you around.’
    â€˜She doesn’t mean to!’ I defended my best friend.
    â€˜I know that,’ Benji said. ‘But stand up for yourself. Like what you did with your mum when she put all that pressure on you for that last competition. Or you won’t be happy and it’ll be a waste of the opportunity Miss Caroline gave you.’
    I took a big