RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"Right now, we are working on the early stages of our regional routine."

The dancers struck their poses, watching as Emily paced in front of them. A wide, exaggerated smile stretched across her face as she clapped her hands with theatrical enthusiasm.

"That was really good," she said brightly, then almost instantly her expression dropped. "For B-Troupe," she added dryly. She gave a dismissive wave. "Take five, and we'll be back."

Miss Kate entered the studio. "Before you take five," she said warmly. "I just wanted to let you guys know that we have dance camp tomorrow, which means you guys will get a day off."

A ripple of excitement buzzed through the dancers.

RILEY - FORGOT HER SISTER HATES HER ATM
"Having a day off is awesome! It's great to relax and spend the day with my sister."

The dancers all gathered around. "What are you guys planning on doing on your day off?" James asked with a grin.

"Yeah, we should all chill," Eldon chimed in.

In the middle of the cheerful chaos, Michelle's voice cut through. "I've never been to the beach."

James immediately perked up, "Yo, let's go to the beach!" he declared.

MICHELLE - NEVER BEEN TO THE BEACH IN HER 15 YEARS OF LIVING???
"I'm so excited to go to the beach. I haven't spent time with anyone away from the studio, but hopefully, this will solidify some friendships."

Just as the excitement reached a peak, Emily's voice sliced through the air like a blade.

"Actually," she interrupted smoothly. "The E-girls and I will be running the dance camp, so we won't be able to join you."

"Yeah, and I'm out too," Andi quickly added, a few eyes drawing her way. "I promised Miss Kate I'd help with the studio."

The announcement barely made a dent in the group's mood. If anything, there was a subtle sense of relief about the E-girls' absence. Though someone wasn't particularly thrilled that Andi wasn't going.

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"You know what? I'm excited to have a day away from the E-girls. It's just weird that Andi would pass up a chance to hang out without the E-girls

Across the room, the E-girls huddled together, whispering among themselves as Riley lingered a few steps away. She hesitated before slowly walking towards them.

Emily noticed her, her features twisting into a sneer of pure disdain.

"Where do you want me?" Riley asked meekly, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"At the beach," Emily sneered, whipping her head away from Riley without another word.

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"When Emily rejects me from dance camp, it hits home."

Watching from a distance, Michelle noticed the exchange and frowned slightly. She moved toward Riley and tapped her gently on the shoulder, offering her a small but genuine smile.

"You should come to the beach, Riley," Michelle said kindly, leading Riley away from the cold circle of E-girls and back toward the warmth of the others.

RILEY - EX E-GIRL
"I'm not an E-girl, and I never will be again."

...

The morning light filtered softly through the studio windows. Papers and class lists were scattered neatly across the desk, and the faint sounds of little kids running around in the background gave the room a low, familiar hum.

Andi sat across from Kate, a highlighter in one hand and a stack of papers in the other as she worked through the upcoming schedule. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she flicked her eyes over each page, marking the classes one by one.

"Do you think you would be able to do back-to-back ballet lessons next week?" Kate asked, flipping around the schedule for Andi to see. She leaned forward, squinting for a second before nodding. "Yeah, that should be fine."

"How's Nayvee going with J-Troupe?" Kate then asked, placing her notes down.

Without looking up, Andi gave a nonchalant shrug, continuing to swipe fluorescent streaks across the paper.

"She's happy Giselle became her acro teacher, and she and Noah are like BFFS," Andi spoke, she paused her highlighting, giving Kate a curious look. "Why do you ask?"

Kate shrugged, "Just wondering,"

Andi couldn't help but feel sceptical about Kate's questioning. Andi and Kate did share a close bond over many things, mostly when it came to her family.

"Has your mother been at home much?" Kate then asked, and a knowing look appeared on Andi's face.

This was an interrogation...and she had fallen for it.

Andi placed the highlighter down, leaning back into the chair with her arms folded. "I know what you're up to."

Kate frowned, "I apologise that I care about my dancers."

"Nothing's changed, Kate...if something did-" Andi didn't know how to finish that sentence.

The room all of a sudden felt heavy, and Andi suddenly felt uncomfortable. Kate's heart twisted as she reached out, rubbing a comforting hand along Andie's back in small, reassuring circles.

"It's going to get better," Kate said softly, her voice brimming with both hope and understanding.

Andie gave a small nod, pressing her lips together as she reached for another schedule. "Whatever you say," She spoke grimly.

ANDI - BALLET DANCER
"I don't really talk about my family, Kate is the only person who understands...but even talking to her about it is really weird."

KATE - STUDIO OWNER
"I hate seeing Andi and Nayvee this way, I really wish I could make this better for them."

...

Daniel, West, Riley, James, Eldon and Michelle finally made it to the beach. Their arms were full of beach bags, towels, umbrellas and a few random gadgets they insisted were "essential" for a perfect beach day.

JAMES - BEACH ENTHUSIAST
"I'm excited for our day off. I hope to get to know Michelle better and show her how amazing the beach is."

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"I think a day at the beach will be good for us."

As they trudged through the soft sand, they all let out a triumphant shout.

"Oh, we're finally here!" Daniel cried out, and in almost unison, they all collapsed dramatically onto the ground, laughing breathlessly.

Without missing a beat, West jumped out and proudly brought out a tiny, plastic fishing rod. His excitement was palpable as he jogged toward the shoreline, waving the toy in the air.

"Just wait till we start fishing!" West exclaimed, a huge grin on his face.

James watched him, pushing his sunglasses up onto his forehead.

"West, man, you can't fish with that," James called out, trying to reason with him as West knelt by the water's edge, dangling the bright plastic hook into the ocean.

"Of course you can, Andi and I tried this a week ago." West shot back confidently, flashing James a look that dared him to disagree. "What do you call a pole with a rod and a hook?" West challenged, holding up the toy as if it were a prized possession.

James just stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"West is so weird. He can sometimes be weirder than Andi."

"A three-year-old's toy," James shot back dryly, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"Like, is he kidding, or is he being serious?"

West turned back to the water, determination on his face. He flicked his tiny rod again and again, trying to catch an imaginary fish on his hook. His face scrunched up with effort, completely convinced that with enough patience, he'd land a catch.

Several seconds of failure later, West stood up.

"Um, you know what, guys? Maybe the fish are sleeping," he said with a completely straight face.

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"I hope he's just kidding."

...

While the boys continued goofing around by the shoreline, Michelle wandered over to Riley, her gaze caught on the delicate silver chain glinting against Riley's skin. She tilted her head slightly, smiling.

"That's a nice necklace," she said warmly, gesturing toward it.

Riley smiled as her fingers brushed lightly over the chain. "Thank you," she replied, "Emily let me borrow it."

I guess no one has ever heard the words 'Emily' and 'let me borrow it' in the same sentence, as a ripple of confusion moved through the group. Michelle furrowed her brows.

"She let you borrow it?"

"Yeah," Riley said with a small shrug, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"Before my grandmother passed away, she gave Emily her necklace and me her watch. Sometimes, I borrow Emily's necklace, and she borrows my watch. But, um, they're the only things we have to remember our grandmother by."

"So, Riley, how's all the drama with the E-girls? Being kicked out and all?" James piped up, his tone teasing but light.

Riley tilted her head to the side and gave him a tight smile, clearly trying not to make a big deal of it. "I know they're dramatic sometimes, but they're not that bad," she said.

The rest of the dancers immediately erupted in laughter, exchanging knowing looks.

"They're brutal, and you know it," James teased, raising an eyebrow at her.

Riley let out a reluctant scoff, finally nodding in surrender. "Okay, maybe they are."

WEST - HIP-HOP DANCER
"The E-girls are like when you get a new pair of boots, and you walk in the rain, and you realise there's a hole in them and your socks are wet... that's what the E-girls are like."

Eldon, unable to resist, jumped up dramatically, throwing his arms into the air. "This is someone being terrified by the E-girls!" he declared, before taking off at a sprint across the beach.

James chased after him without hesitation, calling out in a monstrous voice, "I'm a dramatic E-girl monster!"

Their ridiculous act drew more laughter from the group.

...

Andi was sprawled across the worn couch in Studio B, staring blankly up at the ceiling. She had no idea what to do with herself. Miss Kate didn't need her help anymore, and she'd rather die than tag along with the dance camp, and her little sister Nayvee was busy in J-Troupe rehearsals.

There was nothing for her to do.

Or... maybe there was.

She did admit, she was upset she had missed a chance to hang out with her friends at the beach. Rolling onto her side, Andi grabbed her phone and checked the time. It was almost noon. She let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through her hair before sitting up. The studio felt too empty, too quiet, without a purpose in making her stay.

"I guess the beach wouldn't be too bad," she muttered to herself.

With a few quick taps, she shot a text to Michelle: "Coming to the beach. Save me a spot."

The sun was warm by the time Andi made her way down the sand path, her sandals dangling between her fingers. She spotted her friends immediately, watching them toss a frisbee back and forth, laughing together...they looked like a group of friends. Not a dance team.

Michelle was the first to notice her. She lit up and waved enthusiastically.

"Well, look who we have here!" Michelle called out with a bright smile. "Come and join us! We could play dance frisbee?"

Andi grinned, the heavy feeling in her chest lifting slightly. She let her shoes fall onto the sand, feeling the warm sand between her toes, and took off running towards the group. Her sundress fluttered wildly around her knees as the ocean wind tugged at the fabric.

Breathless but excited, she skidded to a stop, her body colliding into West, who immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What's dance frisbee?" she asked, curious.

"So you toss a frisbee, you do a dance move, you catch a frisbee, you do a dance move," Michelle explained, looking amongst the group.

Andi nodded, a smug grin on her face. If anyone knew Andi, she was competitive in nearly every sport. "Alright, let's do this."

Without wasting a second, Michelle darted over to her beach bag, rummaging through it until she pulled out a small portable speaker. She flipped it on, and music immediately began blasting into the salty air, setting the perfect soundtrack for the rest of their day.

...

The sun was high, the ocean breeze cool, and the dancers were still messing around on the beach, laughing as they tossed the frisbee back and forth, adding silly dance moves with every catch. Everything was carefree—until a sudden shift in the air.

Riley froze mid-step, her hands flying to her neck in a panic. Her face paled as she frantically patted the sand around her.

"Where's my necklace?" she cried out, her voice tight with worry as she dropped to her knees, scanning the ground.

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"We were having the best time at the beach, but then I had to go and lose my necklace. That's Emily's necklace. That's the only thing we have to remember our grandmother by, and I don't think Emily will be happy about it."

The group immediately went quiet, the fun draining from the atmosphere in an instant. They all knew how important that necklace was to Riley.

"Where was the last place you had it?" West asked, stepping closer, concern on his face.

"I had it on when we were playing," Riley said, her eyes wide and frantic.

"Okay, then it shouldn't be too far," Andi replied, already crouching down and sifting through the sand nearby.

Everyone sprang into action without hesitation. They combed the area carefully, pushing aside handfuls of sand, checking under towels and bags, and retracing every step Riley might have taken. The minutes dragged on, and the tension grew heavier with each passing second.

Andi could feel her stomach knotting up. She was getting seriously worried about Riley. And with a sister like Emily... well, no one even wanted to imagine how badly this could go if Riley came back empty-handed.

"Wait, I think I found it!" Eldon suddenly shouted, his hand shooting up in the air.

In a flash, the whole group rushed over to him, hope lighting up their faces.

But as Eldon peered closer, his excitement quickly faded.

"Nope, never mind," he said with a disappointed sigh. "False alarm."

A collective groan rippled through the group.

"We need to spread out," Andi suggested quickly, thinking fast. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"Okay, yeah, let's do that," James agreed, grabbing Andi's arm to pull her along as the rest of A-Troupe split up, determined to find the missing necklace before it was too late.

...

Andi and James strolled slowly across the beach, the warm sand shifting under their bare feet. Truthfully, they weren't putting much effort into necklace searching — more just wandering and kicking at the ground half-heartedly.

"So why did you join us last minute?" James asked, nudging the sand with the toe of his foot, his tone casual but curious.

"Because I got bored," Andi replied, her eyes scanning the ground, searching for even a glimmer of silver in the sunlight.

James scoffed quietly under his breath, just loud enough for Andi to catch it. She stopped walking and turned to face him, her brow furrowing.

"What?" she demanded.

James shrugged, stopping as well, and looked at her with a teasing grin.

"You didn't want to come to the beach before. Now you're here. Why?"

"I told you Kate needed help," Andi said sharply, crossing her arms.

"See, I don't believe that," James said, tilting his head slightly, as if trying to read her mind.

Andi's face twisted with confusion and a flash of irritation.

"Why does it matter? We need to find Riley's necklace," she snapped, spinning on her heel and walking off without waiting for a reply, leaving James standing there, puzzled.

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"There's something about Andi that confuses me, bro. I know deep down Andi didn't want to come to the beach, but now that she's here, I don't know, something's up."

ANDI - BALLET DANCER
"James needs to drop whatever he's thinking right now. I don't even know why I came down here. Maybe I didn't want to be alone. I just... I don't know."

Eventually, the group trickled back together, gathering around Riley, who stood anxiously waiting.

"Any luck?" Riley asked, her voice small.

Everyone shook their heads, the mood heavy and defeated.

"No, it's hopeless," someone muttered.

Riley's face fell, her hands fidgeting nervously.

"Emily's going to kill me. That's our grandmother's necklace," she said quietly, voice cracking with guilt.

ANDI - BALLET DANCER
"I feel for Riley. This situation has turned out terribly, and there's no way we can find that necklace after covering nearly every inch of this beach."

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"Emily would rip Riley's head off if we don't find this necklace."

The dancers stood there, uncertain and helpless.

"What are we going to do?" someone finally asked.

Suddenly, James's face lit up with a mischievous, knowing grin.

Andi groaned immediately. "I know that face," she muttered, watching helplessly as James took off running.

"Yo, I got an idea!" James called over his shoulder, and instinctively, the rest of A-Troupe sprinted after him.

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"I've got a plan to find Emily's necklace. But I won't do it for Emily. I'll do it for Riley."

James finally skidded to a stop, pointing excitedly toward a man strolling along the sand, sweeping a metal detector in wide, lazy arcs.

Everyone's faces brightened with a surge of hope.

"Hey," James said as he approached the guy, casual but urgent. "Do you think we could borrow that metal detector?"

WEST - HIP-HOP DANCER
"James's idea to try and find the necklace with the metal detector—I mean... genius. A necklace is metal, and he has the detector."

James gestured toward Riley, who stood back looking anxious.

"She just lost her necklace," James explained. "It's her grandmother's necklace."

The metal detector guy grinned, clearly proud of himself. He held up something shiny in his hand.

"I'm red hot today. Look what I just picked up! It's gold, baby!" he crowed, flashing a chunky gold ring for them to see. "So, if you want to borrow this metal detector, I'm afraid you're gonna have to come up with $100."

The group collectively froze, stunned.

Andi's jaw literally dropped open.

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"I think it is ridiculous that he asks us for $100."

WEST - HIP-HOP DANCER
"You know, we just asked you for a metal detector, but no, you gotta charge us $100? Selfish."

ANDI - ANGER ISSUES 101
"Is he actually for real?"

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"There is no way we are coming up with 100 dollars. There's just no way."

Andi, frustrated beyond belief, stepped forward.

"Are you serious?" she snapped, storming up to the guy.

"Andi, no," James warned, trying to grab her arm and pull her back.

But Andi yanked free and glared daggers at the man.

"You're a selfish prick," she hissed before spinning around and storming off down the beach.

Without hesitation, the rest of A-Troupe followed, shooting glares over their shoulders as they left the metal detector guy behind.

...

"Okay," West sighed as the group trudged back toward their spot on the beach. "Thanks to James, we have fifteen dollars and five cents."

"Which means we need to come up with eighty-four dollars and ninety-five cents," Andi said, doing the math in her head with a sigh.

"How are we going to do that?" Daniel asked, frustration evident in his voice.

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"James had the idea of borrowing a metal detector to find my necklace. But unfortunately, the guy who owns the metal detector won't give it to us unless we come up with $100."

Michelle glanced around, noticing the defeat on everyone's faces. Her eyes lit up with an idea.

"I have an idea," she said brightly. "We're going to do what we do best."

DANIEL - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"When Michelle says 'do what we do best,' I'm kinda confused. What are we going to do, start drama to get the metal detector?"

"Follow me!" Michelle shouted, already taking off at a run.

WEST - HIP-HOP DANCER
"She means to do what we do best. I don't know what that fully means, but I know that when we do it, it will be great! The best."

Michelle sprinted over to her speaker and hit play. Music filled the air as she dashed over to two nearby tables, beckoning the others to follow.

MICHELLE - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"We dance all the time. So why not raise money by dancing and doing what we love to do?"

ANDI - BALLET DANCER
"Michelle's idea is amazing. People pay to watch dance all the time!"

DANIEL - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"Michelle's idea is really good. I think that we all enjoy dancing, and I'm sure people at the beach would enjoy the entertainment."

WEST - HIP-HOP DANCER
"Yeah, dancing for money is a good idea! I mean, I'd pay to watch a dance. But I'm a dancer, so I don't know if that would make me easier or harder to convince."

As the music thumped, the group sprang into action, dancing their hearts out. Riley set down a pink hat in front of them, hoping people would get the idea.

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"As soon as I see people dropping money inside the hat, I feel relief. Maybe we can do this."

JAMES - BREAKDANCER
"I told you! Michelle comes up with the greatest ideas."

MICHELLE - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"I think my plan is working."

ELDON - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"I even saw the metal detector guy throw in a quarter."

ANDI - BALLET DANCER
"I don't think I've ever had this much fun dancing with my friends as much as I am right now."

Finally, the music wound down. The dancers bolted toward the hat, eager to see how much they'd collected. After a quick count and deciding they probably had enough, the group raced off to find the metal detector guy.

"Yo, metal detector guy!" James shouted as they spotted him.

"A hundred bucks in the pink hat, all yours," Eldon added, holding it out.

The guy peeked into the hat, smirked, and nodded.

"I said I would, and I will," he said, handing over the metal detector.

MICHELLE - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"Getting the metal detector is a huge relief. We've been stressing about this necklace all day, and it's finally a sign of hope."

Everyone crowded around as James led the search, sweeping the metal detector methodically over the sand.

"Anything yet?" West asked, just as the detector started to beep.

"Oh yeah, right here!" James exclaimed, excitement lighting up his face. Riley knelt down and dug eagerly into the sand.

"No," she sighed, pulling up a bottle cap.

They kept walking, and soon the machine beeped again.

"What is that?" Daniel asked, peering down.

"Glasses," someone muttered.

ANDI - BALLET DANCER
"Okay, so far we have found a bottle cap, glasses, and money, and I swear to God, James put the metal detector over some kid's head, and it started to beep. But no luck on the necklace."

It felt like forever until — beep, beep, beep — the detector screamed to life again.

"Oh, right here!" James shouted.

Michelle immediately dropped to the sand, digging quickly. Moments later, her hands brushed against something.

"Is that it?"

Riley gasped as Michelle pulled the necklace free.

"It is!" she cried, hugging Michelle tightly.

James grinned widely, hoisting the metal detector into the air like a trophy.

"We'll be welcome, thanks to the metal detector guy," he said proudly.

"Hard work pays off," Andi said, smiling as she looked around at her friends, who were beaming with relief and joy.

...

It was the next day, and everyone—minus the E-girls, sat around Studio A, stretching and chatting.

WEST - HIP-HOP DANCER
"We had an amazing time at the beach."

ELDON - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"There was no drama; it just felt like a group of friends. I feel like we're all becoming closer with Michelle."

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"I was a little nervous when I lost my sister's necklace, but we found it, and at the end of the day, we had a great time."

ANDI - BALLET DANCER
"Even though I was at the studio most of the time, I'm still glad I came down to the beach."

Everyone laughed, reliving their favourite moments. The light, happy mood filled the room—until the studio door swung open.

Emily and the rest of the E-girls strutted in.

"Well, I'm so glad you guys had such a fun time at the beach," Emily said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Oh yeah," West said, barely hiding a smirk.

"We did have fun," Eldon added.

"Should definitely do it again," Michelle chimed in.

James caught a glimpse of Emily's necklace gleaming in the studio lights and couldn't help himself. He leaned back, smirking.

"Hey, that's a nice necklace, Emily," he said casually.

Riley immediately tensed up, her hands tightening around her stretching band.

RILEY - CONTEMPORARY DANCER
"When James mentions the necklace, I get a little anxious because she doesn't know that I lost it... and I'd like to keep it that way."

Emily beamed, looking down at the silver chain and touching it protectively.

"Aw, thanks," she said sweetly. "My grandmother gave it to me."

The group struggled to stifle their giggles. A few snorts escaped. Emily frowned, suspicious.

"What's so funny?" Stephanie asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, it's bec—" West started, only for Andi to lunge across and slap her hand over his mouth.

"How was dance camp?" Andi blurted, forcing a bright smile.

Emily narrowed her eyes but shifted her attention back to herself. "It was good. You know, it was nice doing something productive for the studio," she said pointedly, shooting a glare at Andi's way.

"I bet," Andi said, matching Emily's fake smile with one of her own.

The E-girls scoffed and made their way to the other side of the studio.

ANDI - BALLET DANCER
"At the end of the day, one day off can't change Emily's attitude toward the rest of us dancers."

*cough, cough*

I hate this chapter, let's pretend it doesn't exist...bye