Studio Showdown by Samantha-Ellen Bound Page A

Caroline grabbed the kettle from where it had just boiled and slowly poured the water into her teacup.
    The smell of Earl Grey wafted over to where Ellie and I were sitting opposite each other on two couches in the teachers’ room. It was like being in the naughty corner.
    â€˜Would either of you care to explain to me what that was all about?’ Miss Caroline added a dash of milk to her tea and turned around, her eyebrows raised.
    Ellie and I glared across at each other before Ellie flung herself back on the couch, crossing her arms. I picked up the cushion next to me and stared at it.
    â€˜Girls?’ Miss Caroline prompted. Her teaspoon hit the side of the cup as she stirred.
    Clink , clink, clink.
    Still, neither of us said anything.
    Miss Caroline sighed. ‘I chose you two girls to choreograph a routine because I’ve been so impressed when you’ve helped me out with your duos. I know you love dancing together and I know you’re best friends, so I’m pretty surprised to find that you two haven’t been working well at all. Why didn’t you say something to me? Why haven’t you sorted it out?’
    â€˜Because Ellie took over the dance and didn’t even listen to my ideas!’ I blurted.
    I couldn’t help it. I hated fighting with Ellie and I wanted it over, but I also felt like I needed to stand up for myself and let her know that teamwork meant working together, and just because I wasn’t as obsessed with dancing as Ellie was and didn’t want to become a rich and famous celebrity from it, like her, it didn’t mean that my opinion didn’t matter.
    Ellie sat up straighter and leaned forward so far she almost fell off her couch and onto mine. ‘Well, you should have spoken up sooner!’ she shouted back. ‘By the time you’d told me, it was too late and I was upset because I thought you hated my dance so I didn’t want to do yours!’
    â€˜You don’t get to decide everything in our friendship!’ I said. ‘Being best friends means we’re equal, not that one is better than theother!’ And then I was so upset that I threw the cushion at her.
    Ellie ducked it and looked at me in surprise. I swear a tiny smile crept onto her mouth but it was quickly replaced by angry Ellie. She picked up the cushion and threw it back. Her aim was really off, though, and it flew over the top of the couch.
    â€˜You called me a princess!’ she yelled. ‘I don’t know why you’d want to dance with me anyway if you think I’m such hard work!’
    â€˜Well, you didn’t even come to my show on Sunday!’ I said, and then I started crying, because that was what hurt the most. ‘You said you’d be there and you didn’t show up. And we won! Benji and I won, the first time we’ve won anything together, and it would have been nice if my best friend was there to share it with me!’ Then, because the first cushion had sailed out of reach behind the couch,I picked up the smaller, shabbier one that had been underneath it and threw that. ‘You’re a bad friend!’
    Miss Caroline stepped away from the bench. I blinked; I’d forgotten she was there.
    â€˜I think I’m going to leave you two to sort this out by yourselves,’ she said. ‘It seems you have a lot to talk about.’ She walked towards us and stopped at the end of the couch. ‘When you do – and I know you will – come and find me and we can have a chat about how we can put your two dances together. I actually think they were both quite brilliant from what I saw of them. Imagine how much better they’ll be when they’re put together.’ Miss Caroline gave us both a big look over the top of her teacup and walked out of the room. At the last minute she poked her head back through the doorway. ‘Oh, and go to town on the cushions, girls. I’ve wanted to replace them forages.