Une Fleure Fanée

Week 10 Part 6 (Friday)

     "Alright, so there is a new game plan. You guys are going to do some school, then we're getting you guys chicken nuggets from McDonald's, then clean up the dances, get on the bus, then get Ruby Tuesday's, go to the hotel, where you guys are going to have a new rooming style, and then sleep," Gianna reports, and me and Ellie take a minute to compute the information before saying our thanks and heading to Studio C.

     I am going to definitely be finished with school by mid-May. We have so many hours of school, I'm becoming days and days ahead of the schedule. I may be able to start sixth grade earlier as well. You're too stupid to even graduate, Lilliana. Your As are so low, do they even count anymore as As. I look at my grades. They're barely reaching 90s and 91s. I guess my mind has been so out of focus lately, that it's been hard to maintain my grades. Skinny people get by by their looks instead of their grades, Lilliana. Too bad you aren't skinny.

     As I begin a small test, Brady and Hannah file in, followed by Sarah, and Pressley, and Gia. Pressley and Gia seem like besties again. And why is Sarah here? Isn't she not supposed to be here? Gia also takes a camera out and begins vlogging the whole thing.

    She pans over to me and I smile at the camera, giving a small wave. She pans over the rest of the kids, and then she puts the camera away. After a grueling hour of school, one of the producers, Kory, brings in a box for us to examine.

     "50 States of America Puzzle," Brady reads aloud, and we all excitedly open the box and turn around all the pieces.

     We finish the puzzle in five minutes. I may be dense, but I know where the states are. I take a couple of photos of the puzzle on my phone before we break it down and continue with our schoolwork.

     At about noon, the moms walk in with our McDonalds. I already had a cereal bar, I can't have anything else. Gia and Pressley fawn over Pressley's discovery of barbecue sauce, and I dish out my fries and nuggets to Hannah and Brady. There's no use in letting it go to waste. I get some disappointed faces, but I think they're beginning to give up on trying to get me to eat.

     "Girls, moms, Brady, time to finish up the dances! Sarah and Michelle, I know you're here, stay back!" Ms. Abby yells from Studio A.

     Sarah looks like she's about to cry. We all give her a long hug before we are forced to abandon her in Studio C. She doesn't deserve to not dance. She auditioned and made it like the rest of us. You shouldn't have made the cut, Lilliana. Ms. Abby must have had something wrong with her when she was choosing the cast.

     "Brady, you're going to go first. Girls, go sit on those boxes over there. Moms, come over near me," Ms. Abby directs, pointing over to some white boxes.

     I go onto the white box next to Elliana. I'm anxious to perform my solo. What if it's bad compared to Gia's and Brady's? And what if I forget what we're learning today? Brady gets into his starting pose and begins to dance. His emotions have improved, but it gets lost sometimes.

     "Turbulence, turbulence. It's out of control. Low, long, long, long. Long. Back knee, back knee. Moonwalk," Ms. Abby calls out before finishing up the blocking of his number.

     His choreography doesn't seem like it suits him very well. He could use something more mature, but you get what you get. Gia goes next. It's sassy, it's fluid, it's jazzy. Overall, it's probably the best solo she's performed while at the ALDC.

     "I want to work with Lilly privately before I re-block the group dance. I want you guys to finish the choreography with Ms. Gianna, Brady can be the swing for Lilly. I'm sure Lilly will pick up very quickly," Ms. Abby tells us.