Flying (Fight Song Book 2)

Chapter 10: Game On

Just wanna say, I realise I put a rehearsal schedule in a while back for the amount of class hours they put in and I've decided I'm going to work around that and kind of ignore it because otherwise they're dancing all the time and there's no time for any drama to happen whatsoever so it's gonna get boring. Friday's classes will remain optional and their Nationals rehearsals will remain to running late. They're still gonna be at the studio from 4pm, but there's gonna be breaks and stuff where they just kinda chill a bit too so they're not overworked, so Joe has time to work with Sophia and Cinzia and they have time to rehearse out of hours their solos, duets and small group. Think of it like The Next Step. Sorry for my complete disregard for continuity, I hadn't thought this through when designing the schedule.
I also apologise for updating literally once a month. I'm gonna try and get better at that!

Joe's PoV

Shirley agreed to letting Sophia, Cinzia, Mikey and Alfie pair up for a duet competition and allowed Dianne and I to instruct and choreograph for them. When I'd told her this morning, she hadn't seemed all too pleased I'd gone and volunteered her for it, but considering her only dances for Nationals are our duet and the two group dances, she couldn't really object.

"So Sophia is dancing with Mikey and Cinzia with Alf, yeah?" Zoe asks. After hearing Alfie was working on a duet and we were helping him, my sister begged to be a part of some of the rehearsals. She doesn't often get to see Alfie dance, and considering it's during our free time she really wanted to watch. None of us had any objections, so, she was 'observing' the class.

"Yep," Dianne nods in response.

I have to say, she looks particularly cute today. Her hair is in that half up half down style which is my favourite, and she's wearing leggings and a tank top that make her body look amazing. I think they're new, because I've not seen her wear them before.

"What styles are we thinking?" I ask. "I want equal effort put into this, so Dianne and I will choreograph some and put forward suggestions and corrections, but ultimately they're your dances, and all A Troupers choreograph their own duets."

Whenever I teach duets, I always make the dancers think for themselves - even the J Troupers I make come up with concepts at least. It not only helps them expand their creative minds, but it also means less work for me, which is always a bonus.

"Alfie and I were thinking of contemporary," Cinzia smiles. "A dark theme too, like a kidnapping or possession or something."

A lightbulb suddenly goes off in my brain, and I look to Dianne and I can tell she's had the exact same thought.

"Joe and I actually auditioned for the Nationals duet with something like that," she says before I get the chance. "We were gonna use it for Nationals, but it's more of a Regionals standard dance and it's not one that shows off chemistry, which is one thing we really have going for us. We can teach you that if you like and you can edit things and make it your own?"

"Omg our saviour is here," Alfie fake bows, making Zoe laugh. "Yeah, please, that'd be great."

"What, why don't we get that choreography?" Sophia whines.

I sigh. I have no idea what's gotten into her, but she's behaving worse than J Troupe. I don't say it aloud though. Truth be told, I'm slightly scared of Sophia.

"Well what style would you like to do?" Dianne asks, trying to be helpful.

"Dunno," Sophia shrugs. "I haven't even spoken to Mikey before today."

Dianne and Zoe roll their eyes simultaneously, and I groan. It's like she's being deliberately difficult.

"Doing a hip hop routine would be cool," Mikey says.