The Final Dance
I walk with her to her house and see Sarah and Andie's little brother.
Sarah looks at me and shakes her head at Andie.
"Your school called," Sarah starts.
"I know I said things would be different but-" Andie speaks but is cut off by Sarah.
"I know what happened. No more excuses Andie, I'm sick and tired of this. You're going to your Aunt's in Texas and that's final." Sarah enters the house without another word to Andie.
Andie turns to me. "Go back, I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."
"Andie it's fine-"
"I know how important that school is to you. Just go back and I will catch up with you later." She smiles sadly at me.
I nod and start walking back to MSA and wonder what is going to happen to the group.
************************************************
Chase POV (Surprise)
After hearing what happened to Andie from Tessa I grow angry. I need to talk to my father. I can't let Andie take the fall for this.
I storm into my dad's office and stop right in front of his desk.
"It was my idea,"
"Your idea for what?" dad asks confused.
"To compete in The Streets. If you're gonna throw someone out, it should be me."
"Don't be ridiculous," my dad sits down in his office chair. "I'm not throwing you out. How would that make me look," he mumbled the last part.
He only cares about his image and it's aggravating.
"I'm not about to let her take the fall for this."
"I should have never let her in. It didn't uhh benefit us in any way."
"Not everything we do has to benefit us. Some people, Andie in particular do what they love just because. Isn't that why we started dancing in the first place?"
"Look," my dad starts, "I have a lot to do for the fundraiser and so do you. My decision about Andie is Final. We're done here." He grabs his work bag and exits the room. Leaving me there to sit in my own anger.
**********************************************************
Tessa POV
The next couple of days went by slowly. The crew wouldn't see or talk to each other. At lunch, no one sat where we would all used to sit together. I would eat my lunch in the Art room with Maddy as she talks about shading and how warm colors are better to paint with than cool colors. It's not like I found Maddy annoying. I just missed my crew.
By now almost two weeks have passed and I haven't heard from anyone, Not even Andie. Anytime I would come around her house, Sarah would open the door and tell me that she was busy and to come another time. I just wanted to check up on my friend.
One day at lunch I decide to sit outside. I exit the doors and see members of our broken crew scattered across the courtyard. Still, no one sitting at our old table. Since there were no other open tables I decided to sit under a tree and eat my lunch. Maddy comes at sits by me along with some other people from our art class and starts chatting. I tune out the conversation and scan the courtyard again.
"Who are you looking for?" Maddy asks.
"No one," I answer with a sad smile, and the conversation keeps going like it never missed a beat.
******************(I'm sorry about the time skips)********
It was the night of the fundraiser and I am wearing a mermaid dress that was long and light blue with silver heels and with a silver purse. My job was to explain to whoever asked about the art what the art was describing or what it was trying to capture. The music was boring and I almost fell asleep several times but I had to stay awake to make sure the fundraiser goes well.
All around the ballroom I see my friends serving drinks, and attending guests.
"Isn't this amazing," Maddy says to me. "I love dressing up ad going out like this, don't you?"
No, I enjoy wearing sweatpants and lounging around all day.
I nod and smile at her. She walks away talking to guests about the artwork on display and I hear my ringtone go off.
I pull my phone out and see a text message from Missy. '8th and Main. The Streets are on tonight!' I put my phone back and my purse and look around the room. I don't want to be here another minute and tell these guests about the art we have here. I tell Maddy that I have to use the restroom and start walking towards the exit of the building. I don't care if I have to dance by myself, I am going to The Streets tonight. As I am walking out I make eye contact with Chase, I motion with my head for him to go with me and he smiles and nods back. I keep walking to the exit and toward's the direction of Andie's house to convince her and Sarah that we should still compete tonight.
I hear lots of footsteps behind me and turn around to see everyone having the same idea as me. I scan the group to make sure everyone is here but I realize that we're missing Moose. I feel sad that he didn't want to go. So I give the rest of them a hug and keep walking.
****************************
I knock on Andie's house door and wait for an answer. Sarah opens the door and her eyes widen looking at the group of people standing behind her door.
"Hey," Chase says with a smile "is Andie here?"
"Andie," Sarah calls "It's for you."
Andie walks into our eyesight and looks confused.
"What are you guys doing here?" She asks.
"Andie, we're going," I say.
"8th and Main, The Streets, we need you," Chase says.
"No," Andie rejects "What about the fundraiser? You could all be expelled."
"Forget the fundraiser," Monster says. "We don't want the school to move."
"It's time we took a stand," Hair speaks.
"Like you," Caleb adds.
"If MSA doesn't want you then," Smiles begins to say.
"Then we don't want you," Kido says sternly. I hold in my laugh at that.
At least she has the spirit.
Smiles turn around to Kido "What are you talking about?"
I hear Andie laugh along with Chase.
Thank god I wasn't the only one who found that funny.
"We do want Andie. We want Andie in yes, right?" Smiles asks.
The group all answers yes.
"Look," Fly says "you brought us together and took the fall for use when we should've done more."
"Andie, that's why we're here," I say to her.
"We've made a lot of mistakes but now's our time," Chase says.
"We can go all the way. If we don't try then it was all for nothing. So are you in?" I ask with a smile.
"I can't," Andie says sadly.
"Why?" I ask
"I promised Sarah that I would finish packing tonight." She explains.
"Andie?" Sarah calls for her. "Can we talk for a minute? And bring in Tessa."
My face twists with confusion. Why me?
Andie grabs me, "we'll be right back."
I walk with Andie into the kitchen with Sarah.
"Hey Ms. Sarah,' I greet her.
"Look, I made a promise to your mom," she looks at Andie "And your mom that I will always keep you two safe and help take care of you. I want to keep it."
"I know," Andie says. "I understand that and I am done fighting."
"You know, you remind me a lot of your mother. You have her passion. She was a really go friend to me, and I'm really good friends with your mom Tessa. Just like you guys are to them."
"I just feel like I've finally found this place where I belong. I found the people who believe in me," Andie wraps her arm around me and side hugs me.
"I believe in you too. I've seen a change in you. You should go tonight," Sarah says.
"Really?" Andie asks.
"She'd want you too,"
Andie squeals and hugs me tight.
"And Tessa," Sarah says. I turn around to face her. "Keep her out of trouble,"
"I will ma'am.
Andie grabs me and walks to the door.
"Wait," I say
"What?" Andie asks.
"Can I borrow your clothes for dance? I don' think I can do our dance in a tight dress and heels."
"Sure come on," She leads me upstairs to her room.
(Clothes Tessa puts on. Without jacket and hat)
**********************************************************************
We all walk together and enter the building where The Streets is taking place. There are groups everywhere in different clothes dancing like crazy. I look around hoping to see if Moose is already here and I become disappointed that he isn't.
"He'll come, he wouldn't leave you hanging like this," Andie assures me.
When we get to a good spot we see this group wearing all red and masks dancing. It looks pretty good. We all were amazed by the dancers here and we were having a good time until we heard an annoying voice.
"What part of 'y'all don't belong here don't you understand?" Felicia asks us.
"Why don't you chill?" Andie says back. "
We get to a good spot and see 4-1-0 perform. We're just trying to perform her just like everybody else."
"Yo homey," another annoying voice speaks up, "This is how it is: This is a closed event. You're not invited. For locals, only" Tuck 'explains'.
"Besides that jazz-funk, y'all pulled at the Dragon ain't gonna cut it here." Tuck sassed.
"Neither will those moves you've been doing for the last five years," Chase speaks up. "And by the way, I really liked your place, but I think the fish made it smell better."
Tuck pushed him back and grabs his shirt.
Chase, you sometimes need to learn when to stop talking.
"Watch your face. I'll knock you out, ya hear?" Tuck threatens
Then our crew and the 4-1-0 crew are spitting venom at each other. The Dj speaks up.
"You boys fighting in my house now?"
The almost fight gets broken up and the 4-1-0 takes the floor.
"The moment you've all been waiting for. At this time let me introduce the five-time reigning champ. Give it up, make some noise for the 4-1-0," DJ Sand announces.
The 4-1-0 start doing their routine. They do tricks and flips and their dance is overall pretty good. No, it's not good it's amazing, and it will be hard to beat them. They come off the stage and start dancing on the floor and doing backflips off of walls like it's nothing. They roll, flip, and jump over one another making it look very clean.
The music changes and the energy of their choreography change too. People start sliding across the stage and doing more tricks. Then their music changes back to what was playing when they began and I could tell that their dance was ending. Their dance ends with someone doing a flip over another person who was doing a backbend.
"Check it out baby, that's what I'm talking about," DJ Sand cheers. "Give it up to the 4-1-0." The crowd goes wild.
"Alright, you've seen them all. Now you tell who the hottest crew in Baltimore is." Dj Sand yells in the mic.
"Alright y'all let's hit it," Missy encourages us.
Then these security guys push us back and block us from getting to the stage.
"Yo B, we from the hood," Missy yells.
"Yo, this is a neighborhood battle," Tuck teases. "You're out of luck, now go home."
"That's mad wack B," Missy says being offended by Tuck's actions.
Andie sneaks past the security guard and makes her way to where DJ Sand is.
"Andie," I yell out.
I see her trying to talk to the DJ but he's not listening to her.
"Hey, yo," Andie tries to speak up over the crowd.
The crowd turns their attention on her and starts booing.
I will break all of y'alls kneecaps if you keep booing
"Look," Andie tries to speak but the crowd keeps booing.
"Some of you guys think we don't belong here. It doesn't matter where we're from-"
"You're not the valedictorian," Someone yells from the crowd
"You're right, you're right," Andie admits. "Let me say something. The Streets are supposed to be about different people coming together."
The crowd get quiet and I look around and notice Director Collins is here
Oh shit
I look beside him and see the Moose and Sophie are here too.
At least Moose is here.
"We call this a battle but what are we fighting for?" Andie says. "We're all here because we all have thing one thing we do. We dance right? Being a part of The Street used to mean more than turf or power. It was about bringing something new to the floor. And it shouldn't matter what we wear, what school or neighborhood we come from. Because the best part of The Streets is, it's not about you you've got, it's what we make of what we got."
The crowd cheers and agrees with her. I see Moose standing right beside me and I give him a small hug and hold his hand listening to the rest of Andie's speech.
"So, if the 4-1-0 is too scared to defend their title against us, then hell, we'll be outside doing our thing where The Street started"
The crowd cheer again and everyone starts heading outside.
"You ready?" I ask Moose.
"Yeah, a little nervous though."
"You got this, you'll do great."
We start running outside then Moose stops.
"Why did you stop?"
"I have to do something before we start. Go ahead"
"Okay," I let go of his hand but he grabs my hand again and pulls me close, and kisses me on the cheek. Then he runs off.
Wow.
I snap out of my mini trance and run outside. And it's pouring down rain. My curls start sticking to my face and I meet with the group.
Then randomly the lights shut off and our music starts playing and we dance.
We start dancing using our phones as flashlights and the crowd 'oo's and 'ah's.
Then cars headlights turn on and we put our flashlights away and roll out of our formation and start dancing again. The crew dances around Chase and Chase does a knee spin ending the first part of our dance.
Then part of us go back and law on our backs as Moose comes into the center and starts 'controlling' us with his hands. He steps over someone and does his dance.
(You know what I suck at describing dance scenes so here's the video. When all the girls come out and do that dance Just Imagine Tess there too)
At the end of the song, we all pose and look forward and hold it for a couple of seconds. The song ends and everyone cheers and rushes forward to congratulate and compliment us.
The crew gest together and hugs each other. I run to Moose giving him a big hug and he picks me up slightly and swings me around. He drops me and turns to hug other people in our crew.
"Hey Moose," I hear Director Collins yell. "I think you might be in the wrong department at MSA," Moose yells and we congratulate him.
Andie comes back running over to us. I give her a hug and she high fives Moose.
"See I told you we could help each other out," see tells Moose.
"Yeah, yeah whatever," Moose says back and smiles. He and Andie fist bump and blow it up just like how he taught us on the day we met. Then Andie messes up his hat and pulls me back over to the crew.
I talk with Chase a little along with Andie and Hair and we're all laughing. As I'm laughing a turn away and see Sophie kissing Moose.
When did this happen?
My heart breaks a little but I realize I can't do anything about it. We're not dating and he can kiss whoever he likes. I still feel sad though. Andie notices my frown and looks behind me.
"His loss," She says to me.
Missy walks over to us and we all start dancing.
"Go us, Yeah, we killed that. Woo, Woo," Missy shouts.
Kido walks over and jams with us a little.
"Okay I gotta go," Missy says and dances away.
I see Andie looking at Chase and I nudge her.
"Go get your mans," I say to her. She walks over to him as he walks over to her.
Chase grabs her face and kisses her. The whole crew whoops and cheers.
Moose walks over to me with a smile plastered on his face.
"I won the bet!" I say to him.
"What bet?"
"That one," I motion to Andie and Chase kissing.
"Okay you won, what do you want?" Moose asks.
"I'll redeem it when you least expect it."
"Okay, that's unsettling," Moose admits and gives me another hug.
I guess everything worked out. We won and beat the 4-1-0. Now, what's next.
That's the end of Step Up 2. Would you like for me to write the rest of the series or leave the book as is? I would be adding it to this book so it's all kept together in one place. I'm thinking about doing it for the rest of the series but I'm still thinking about it
Have a good day :)