Showtime! by Sheryl Berk Page A

attached to it.
    â€œI want everyone to start over from scratch,” Toni finally announced. “No candy that melts, drips—”
    â€œOr makes me sneeze!” Gracie piped up.
    â€œPrecisely,” Toni replied. “I know we have very little time, but I want every outfit to be clean, bright, beautiful, and dance ready.” She turned to Bria. “And no snacking on your costume till
after
the competition. Clear?”
    Bria nodded and remained silent. She had a Sour Patch Kid in her mouth.

    Once the girls had changed and cleaned up, Miss Toni pulled the giant wooden chocolate bar out of the closet again.
    â€œI was wondering what happened to that thing,” Liberty said.
    â€œLadies, I have come up with a finale for our dance that is going to make the judges’ mouths water.” Toni dragged the prop into the middle of the room.
    â€œI want the four of you to lift this candy bar high in the air, as high as you can. And Gracie, I want you to do a backbend on top.”
    Gracie crinkled her nose. “On top of there? In the air?”
    Scarlett raised her hand. “Miss Toni, Gracie is a little scared of heights.”
    â€œAm not!” Gracie insisted.
    â€œGracie, remember the Ferris wheel at the state fair last summer? Remember how you screamed, ‘Get me down from here’?” (Scarlett kindly left out the part where Gracie threw up.)
    Gracie’s cheeks flushed. Scarlett didn’t want to embarrass her, but she knew there was no way her little sis could do this stunt.
    â€œI can do it! Let me try!” Gracie pushed past Scarlett and climbed onto the chocolate bar.
    â€œArch your back, keep your hands and feet planted firmly,” Toni instructed her. “Do not wobble or you will fall. Clear?”
    Gracie gulped. “Yeah.”
    â€œLiberty and Bria, you are in the front; Rochelle and Scarlett in the back. When I say ‘lift,’ lift.”
    Gracie stood tall with her arms above her head as the girls heaved the chocolate bar high in the air above their heads.
    â€œI’m a little dizzy,” Gracie whispered to Scarlett. “It’s so high!”
    â€œClose your eyes!” Scarlett told her. “Don’t think about it. Just imagine the cool Dance Diva jacket you get to wear on Saturday.”
    â€œI do?” Gracie asked. “My own?”
    â€œYup,” Rochelle chimed in. “All blinged out and beautiful!” She winked at Scarlett.
    Gracie lifted her arms over her head, pushed her hips forward, then reached for the ground, keeping her arms by her ears, just as Miss Toni had shown her.
    â€œPerfect backbend!” Miss Toni applauded. “Do it like that on Saturday, and we’re going to be the team to beat.”
    That’s what I’m afraid of
, Scarlett thought. Being beaten again by City Feet would be beyond humiliating. It could even mean the end of the Dance Divas’ competition season.

Chapter 12
I Spy

    â€œLook at all those awesome rides!” Gracie gushed as they pulled into Hershey Park. “Oooh! I can smell chocolate. Can you smell it, Scoot? Can we go on the rides? Please, Scoot? Pretty please?”
    Scarlett didn’t know why she agreed to sit next to Gracie the entire three-hour ride to Hershey Park. Maybe it was because she gave her those big brown, puppy-dog eyes.
    â€œDon’t you want to sit with Mom?” Scarlett suggested.
    â€œNo! I want to sit with the team,” she insisted. “I’m a Diva. Oh yeah!”
    She sang her own made-up tunes for the first forty-five minutes, then insisted on playing a game of Uno. At one point, the bus came to a quick stop, and the cards went flying everywhere.
    â€œCool!” Gracie giggled, tossing the rest of the deck in the air.
    â€œReally?” Liberty complained, picking a draw 4 card out of her lap. “Your little sis is a lot of fun,
Scoot
.”
    Scarlett was relieved when they finally got off the