Red Hook
The next day we started training for the first qualifying rounds. Carlos took Moose and me to work on some tricks. I was catching on pretty quickly but not so much of Moose. I helped him out and he thanked me.
I met Robot, I don't know his actual name but all his movement are robotic, even when he's not dancing which is weird but also kind of cool.
I got to see everyone's strengths in dance and some weaknesses. One girl which I forgot her name, she's good freestyling, but not the best with choreography.
But I realized that at this moment I am surrounded but loads of talented dancers.
At one point in training, we had a dance circle and everyone was doing their moves and cheering each other on. I love how supportive they are of each other, they kind of remind me of how the MSA crew was.
A wave of sadness washes over me at the thought of my old crew. I wonder how they're doing at school now.
After the dance circle, Moose, Natalie, Jason, Luke and I went to the part of the loft where they're these small cushions on the walls and floor with a styrofoam pit in the middle.
We all do flips going into the pit. The pit was so soft to land on but difficult to get out of.
"Wee," Natalie screams while doing a front flip into the pit. Luke and Jason help her out. I walk around the pit getting ready to do another flip into it. Before I could get to my spot Moose pushes me.
I let out a yelp because it caught me off guard.
I glare at Moose for a second.
"Come on, Tess. I couldn't resist, the pit was right there and you were standing next to it. You made it so easy," Moose says.
A devilish idea pops into my head.
"Okay, fine. Now, will you be a gentleman and help me out?"
"Of course," Moose sticks his hand out and I grab it "my fair la- ahh,"
Moose didn't get to finish his sentence because I pulled him in.
He resurfaces and throws a styrofoam block at my face. I pick another one and throw it at his face. We keep throwing the block back and forth. We had thrown so much that a good bit of it has gotten out of the pit.
Jason walks over and starts throwing blocks and Marco while Marco was distracted. Soon everyone joined in on the block fight.
Luke walks into the room. And see's us throwing the blocks at each other. We all stop throwing the blocks and freeze.
"I'm not saying you should stop, but who's gonna clean this up?"
All of us look at each other and run away from Luke, heading to another room.
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That's hows the next few weeks went. School and dance. School and Dance. Those were the only things that mattered. Of course, when I had time I would hang out with Camille and Yasmine's friends, but the time I would hang out with them was being cut short.
There would be times at practice when we would goof off. One time someone messes with the boombox room and started the Macaranea, instead of working on our choreography we all started doing the macarena.
While dancing Moose danced over to me and spun me around. I was laughing so hard that day.
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One day after lunch me, Moose, Camile, Yasmine, and her friends were playing charades and I was on Moose's team and we were up.
I was trying to get the work so Moose staring twerking, just like he did in the grandma suit two years ago.
Everyone was laughing at what he was doing.
"Jitterbug... Um, booty shakes," I yell.
"Yes," Moose cheers.
I pick up my card.
"Okay, um. You told me about this teacher of yours. In fifth grade, you had a teacher who had this." I tell him.
"Oh, a facelift," Moose guesses.
"Yes," I cheer.
"Go," I say to him. I stare at his actions and get confused, He walking around weirdly with his arms bent oddly. "What are you?" I ask confused.
Moose starts to make monster-like.
"Oh A raptor," I guess.
"Yes," Moose says and walks over to give me a hug. We dance around each other, savoring our victory.
"How do you guys even do that?" Yasmine asks dumbfounded.
We stop dancing and Moose wraps his arm around me.
"We can read each other's minds," he answers as he rests his head on mine.
"Aww, you guys are so cute," Daisy gushes. "How long have you been dating?"
"Oh, no, no, no. It's not like that," I try to explain. "We're just... friends."
I hear someone's phone go off.
"No," Moose says and checks his phone.
What wait?
"Correction, everyone we are best friends." Moose corrects me.
Everyone Awws at the cute statement.
I see Camille whisper to Yasmine and Yasmine smirks what me.
'What' I mouth to her.
She says nothing but just smirks at me.
"Anyways, sorry guys. I have to go, I'm in a rush and it was cool to meet you." Moose says referring to Yasmine's friends. "But I got to go. And so do you," Moose grabs my hands and drags me off with him in whatever direction we're going.
"Where are we going?"
"We have practice."
"Oh yeah, right."
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At practice, Moose had to tell Luke something so they went outside to talk.
"How's dating him going?" A girl with red hair named Alex asks me.
"Oh my god. How many times do I have to tell you guys that we aren't dating," I sighed?
"You two might as well be a couple the way you act around each other," Alex says.
I roll my eyes and start walking away.
"It's so obvious that you too like each other, everyone knows it but you two."
"Alex, Moose doesn't like me like that, trust me I know. Plus let's say we did like each other, it would ruin our friendship, and it would be so awkward and weird."
"Tess, can I talk to you for a second," Moose tells me as he runs to me.
"Sure," I say to him. "Alex, shut up."
Alex shrugs and walks in the opposite direction.
"Hey so I won't be able to go to the battle of Red Hook this week," Moose tells me.
"What?"
"I got some chemistry thing on the same day, and I can't miss it."
"Oh, then I don't want to go," I say to him.
"Tess, you have to, Luke needs you. You're an amazing dancer and Luke thinks so too. He can't have two amazing dancers not be there for the first round."
"I guess."
"And when you come back you can tell me all about it over pizza and ice cream,"
"Okay fine, I hate that you know me so well. Those are my weaknesses."
"Keep practicing I got to go back to campus and practice some engineering."
"Alright be safe. Don't blow anything up."
"I'll try," Moose says as he gives me a hug and walks to the elevator.
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After a few days of practice, we were ready for the Battle of Red Hook. Me and the rest of the house of pirates walk into where the battle was going to take place.
"Welcome to Red Hook. The first round of the World Jam," The announcer spoke.
"Are y'all ready for the battle?" The announcer shouted.
The crowd around us started cheering and yelling in excitement.
"Red Hook, you ready? Pirates, you ready? Let's get 'em," The announcer walks off the stage-like area where we are supposed to dance.
The other group walks out with a guy walking on his hands and knees with a leash around his neck.
What the hell?
The man on the leash starts growling. Then finally the music starts to play.
The other group starts to dance and do some tricks. We're all observing them as they dance.
The groups start throwing chalk and putting other hands as they clap to make more of a dramatic effect. It was pretty cool though.
Finally, it was our turn to start.
We start the choreography that we learned and go all in.
We start off pretty well all of us being in sync and feeling the music. We change our formation into a diagonal and keep dancing with me being in the middle. We change our formation again and I front and center. After a few moves, I get picked up and we through the white chalk in the air creating a cool effect. The crowd whoops and cheers for us.
The other group starts again doing some tricks and an actual headstand. After the person doing the headstand falls, we start dancing again.
A few of us clap chalk in their faces as we dance and flip over each other. Then Jason does and back handspring and lands in the spilts making everyone in the building go crazy.
The other group starts us again and a girl emerges from the back doing quick but impressive hand movements along with the music.
She looks intimidating
Jason cuts off her movements and starts dancing and throwing chalk in the air. We all go out behind him doing the moves. We get in our final formation and Robot guys come out having us all do the robotic movements. Some people fall out of formation one by one creating a cool effect. We back the other group up to the wall at this point. I know we are going to win.
The crowd is hyping us up. The music finally dies and everyone goes crazy. Everybody is chanting for us telling the announcer that we should win this round.
The announcer comes from the shadows and goes to the middle of the floor.
"And the winner is... The Pirates," The announcer guy says and points his oddly shaped staff at us.
All of us crowd each other and hug each other. Congratulating each other.
I can't wait to tell Moose about this.
"The pirates are going into the next round," the Announcer guy yells.
I hug the twins and Natalie, and finally Jason.
"You did good kid," he says to me.
"Thanks," I say and we do a little handshake.
The crowd starts chanting "Pirates, Pirates, Pirates" over and over again, making us joyful and proud of ourselves.
(Y'all know I can't really describe dancing scenes so here's the video. The part where that one dude gest lifted up, just pretend it's Tess)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHRD776jSWE&ab_channel=Jahmed1472
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We get back to the loft of the pirates and we go into the speaker room to chill for a bit.
Natalie digs around in Luke's bag and pulls out a camera. She points the camera at Luke and presses which I'm guessing is the record button.
"No, no, no," Luke says to her.
"Yes, yes, yes," Marco cheers.
"Now it's time for you to be on camera, my good-looking Pirate," Martin teases.
"You want some makeup baby?" Marco adds.
We all start laughing.
I walk over behind Natalie and sit down.
"So captain Luke, our fearless warrior, how do you do today?" I say in a terrible narrator voice.
Natalie turns and laughs with me.
"Ok you had your fun, no give me the camera," Luke reacher for the camera.
"Uh, uh, uh," I say to him.
"It's not so easy being on this side eh?" Jason pokes fun a Luke walking toward him.
"Yeah, why don't you keep walking?" Luke jokes.
"Oh look at this guy," Jason says and walks away towards the kitchen.
I get up and follow him because I'm in need of some Gatorade.
"Hey lil sis," he says to me opening the refrigerator, "What do ya need?" Jason has become an older brother to me in the few weeks I've known him and that's what he calls sometimes along with 'Tessie' and 'T.'
"Any Gatorade in there?"
"Yeah, light blue, orange, red, gray, and yellow."
"Give me the orange. I'm in an orange-y mood today."
Jason tosses me an orange one and I try to open it. I struggle with it for a couple of seconds and I hear a snicker from Jason.
"Will you shut up and help me?" I ask handing him my drink.
"Sure T," he laughs slightly and opens it without a sweat.
"I weakened it for you," I say trying to save my dignity.
"Oh sure," he says sarcastically.
I roll my eyes and take a sip.
"Has loverboy made a move yet?" Jason asks.
"What? Are you talking about Moose?"
"I take that as a no. One of y'all needs to make a move. It's killing me here."
"Sorry to tell you this but it's gonna keep killing ya because there's nothing going on between me and him."
"Sure," He says sarcastically.
"Listen T," he speaks up again. "Moose obviously likes you and you like him. Make a move before you give me gray hairs."
"Just dye your hair gramps, because nothing is gonna happen. By the way, can you take me back to campus?"
"Sure, I guess."
We walk out of the kitchen and towards the door.
"Aye y'all I gotta take T back to campus, see you later," Jason announces.
A chorus of 'Bye Tessa' comes back to me as I wave goodbye.
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Wooo. Another chapter guys. I hope you enjoyed and I am excited because my favorite scene is coming up YAY. Anyway have an amazing day