"First, I'm gonna talk about this past weekend." Abby starts the pyramid.

I knew Abby could talk about so many things. Like about how Maddie and I both got two solos. Or maybe about the big Christi blowout after awards. Or she could talk about Paige forgetting her solo and running offstage. Or maybe, just maybe, about the fact that Vivi-Anne, Paige, Mackenzie and Nia did not place. Or about how Chloe was fifth, Brooke was third, I was third and second, and Maddie was fourth with one of her solos.

Basically, Abby could spend hours talking about everything that happened.

"I am very disappointed. Every single one of you could have done better in your solo." Abby mentions, "Moving on, I want to forget about last weekend. What's gonna happen this week?"

"It's the ALDC Showcase." Paige points to the chalkboard, where "ALDC Showcase" was written.

Badly, but it was written on it.

"Thank you." Abby tells her, "Yes." She walks to the other side of the chalkboard, "We're doing the new number "Sugar Daddies" at the showcase. Maddie, you won the overall high score at the competition. Boom. Nia, forgot the solo, kept dancing, made it up, went on, finished with the music. Genevieve, your solos were third and second. You beat Maddie with one of your solos, but she beat you with her other one. Chloe, did a great job. There were some other situations. You're here. I want to see that attitude improve onstage, yes? You never know who's watching you."

Maddie

Genevieve   Brooke   Nia

Chloe   Paige   Vivi-Anne   Mackenzie

"All right, I have a few surprises during the showcase." Abby says.

Nicole: When the word "surprise" comes out of Abby's mouth, you've got to watch out 'cause she doesn't notice the difference between good surprises and bad surprises.

"I don't want to pressure you, but in the audience, at the showcase, is going to be an agent coming to seek new talent and looking for new clients to sign." Abby announces.

All of us girls cheer as we look at each other.

Having an agent come to the ALDC is the best thing that could happen. Well, ever since the argument last weekend.

"Moms." All the attention went back to Abby, "You are going to be performing in the show, as well."

We all cheer as the moms look at Abby, clearly confused.

"Oh, Cathy, you're going to be the choreographer." Abby continues.

"So, you guys are in for trouble." Cathy laughs.

"Nationals are getting closer and closer. With every competition, you get better, and you get stronger." Abby says, "So, this showcase is going to be a nice chance to entertain rather than compete, but it all is leading up to nationals, because what do we want?"

"Win!" We all exclaim.

After pyramid, the moms go to the viewing room while Paige, Chloe and Nia start learning the group dance. Maddie, Brooke, Mackenzie, Vivi and I go back to the dancer's den.

"Did anyone know about the Broadway agent beforehand?" I ask.

"Nope." Brooke answers, "It's really cool, though."

"Yeah." Maddie agrees, "A real agent is coming to see us perform this weekend!"

"We have to be perfect." Mackenzie comments, "And then--"

"We are going to Broadway." I finish, "It's the perfect plan. And then, we get a show that stars eight people."

"And we'll all be on Broadway." Brooke smiles as she looks around, "Wait, where's Vivi?"

We all look around, just to find out that Vivi had left the room.

"I guess it'll be seven instead..?" Maddie shrugs.

"Maddie! Genevieve! Brooke!"

"Group dance." Mackenzie stands up and walks over to the door that leads to studio "B", "Good luck."

"Thanks." I say and follow the other two girls into studio "A".

We all take a prop and start learning the routine with the other three girls.
The day later, I took a small break from one of the jazz group dances and sat on the floor of the dancer's den. There were a lot of dancers in there. They were all either in small conversations with friends, asking questions to other people, or just minding their own business.

"How you doing?" Giselle sits down beside me.

"Tired." I answer, "I'm all sweaty, it's just the third rehearsal of the day, and mom said that she had an announcement to make later."

"I'm also nervous about the announcement." She says, "But I don't get why you're so tired."

"Maybe because I skipped school and came to dance earlier than usual?" I mention, "It's probably that."

"Evie!" Mackenzie runs into the dancer's den, taking all the attention, "I meant Evie Turner."

The other dancers went back to do their own thing as Mackenzie ran over to the two of us.

"The moms are rehearsing their dance!" Mackenzie exclaims, clearly excited for the "unfortunate" situation for the moms, "We're all in the viewing room watching it!"

"I'll go." I stand up and look back to my sister, "You interested?"

"Nah. I've got two tap duets to get ready for." She tells me and Mackenzie takes my hand.

We both rush to get to the viewing room, where all the girls were laughing.

"Look at them!" Chloe laughs as I sit beside her, "Where's your mom?"

"What do you mean?" I ask and look down to studio "A", "Where is your mom?"

"Running late." She answers.

"I think I saw Nicole talking with Abby." Nia comments.

"When?" I look over to her.

"Maybe about ten minutes ago." She answers.

"She was at the front desk, and then they both left to the shop." Brooke adds, "Whatever they were talking about, they were very secretive about it.

What could they be talking about? Maybe she really does not want to perform? But she wouldn't be secretive for something all the moms want to do.

Maybe there is something else we haven't been told about. Mom also said that she had an announcement to make later today, but it was to Giselle, Zane and I. Whatever the secret is, it is a family issue.

And I do not like the sound of that.

I went back to watch the moms make fools out of themselves. It was like a preschooler class. Melissa was embarrassing herself. Christi was whining about not wanting to do it. Kelly was trying to show off, but she didn't do it well. Holly was the perfect one, the favorite, and the best one. Cathy was just the poor teacher that had to deal with all of them. And it looks like Mom was the kid that hated it so much, her mother couldn't even get her out of the car.

To make my suspicions even worse, Mom said that she would wait for another day to make the announcement.

The day after that, I had been rehearsing a lot of dances. Thankfully, I got to meet up with Zane, Giselle, Maddie, Riley, and more people. The crew had been following us all the time and filming almost everything.

What much did they have to film for a forty-minute episode?

As we rehearsed the "Sugar Daddies" group dance, Abby decided to call the moms in.

"Come on in moms-- I have a big announcement today." Abby starts.

That just remembers me of the announcement Mom did not make.

"We have a casting associate from Telsey + Company coming right here to my studio to look at all of you." Abby announced and Maddie gasps, "The new production of "Annie" that's going back to Broadway."

We all clap and smile.

"Cesar is the representative that will be in town. He wants you to have a picture and a resume." Abby explains, "Apparently, Cathy and Holly have somewhere better to be, so please make sure they know what's going on. I don't want their kid to be left out because they're not here."

Both of them were most likely working. It was surprising that Melissa, Kelly, Christi and Mom spent so much time at the studio. Then again, I don't really want to know why. I can live with the doubt.

"How can the moms spend so much time at the studio?" Maddie asks as we get back into our positions for the group dance, "Holly and Cathy are probably working, but do the others not work?"

Apparently, Maddie could not.

The day of the audition was the day. According to Abby, it was cleaning day.
I handed Zane the mop as I walked into studio "B", where Kenzie and Kassidy were taking out some cardboard boxes.

"Incoming!" Maddie announced as she walked into the room with a broom.

Kassidy left the room as Maddie started cleaning and Kenzie took more boxes. I took two boxes and followed Kenzie back to the main entrance, where Chloe was cleaning the desk and Giselle was organizing it. Riley and Nia took the chairs outside as I placed the boxes on the floor. Melissa took the boxes as she followed Olivia outside. The two of them took the boxes to the garbage dump nearby.

"Everything has to be perfect!"

Abby kept yelling at everyone. At least she was working too.

"Eves, we need help at studio "A"." Brooke says and I follow her.

There, some other students took the props to the dancer's den, which had to change its name to the dancer's storage. I helped Jake take a huge prop and take it to the dancer's den, where Kelly was organizing them. I ran to studio "B", where Maddie was still cleaning, but Kennedy and Paige were now helping her. Chloe opened the door and yelled:

"Go to studio "A"!"

"I'm about to finish." Maddie tells her.

As soon as she finishes, the four of us make our way to studio "A", where Abby was with a couple other dancers. After a little pep-talk, Giselle styles my hair into a ponytail.

"This is it." Chloe whispers.

We could hear Melissa talking outside.

"He's here." Mackenzie whispers, "The agent."

We all look at each other as the door opens.

"Guys, look who's here." Melissa walks inside, being followed by the agent.

"As you know, I work for Telsey + Company, we cast Wicked, In the Heights, South Pacific." The agent tells us, "We're always looking for young talent."

Genevieve: I was really excited that Cesar was finally there. I thought: "Hey, maybe I am the one who's going to get the "big break". Who knows!

"And even for you guys, we just did a movie where we found little kids for Disney films." We all look at each other as we gasp, "We never know when we're gonna find that next star."

After he told us everything, we went to the dancer's den. Some people were rehearsing their dances, some other people were going over their lines, and other people were even singing a little.
I was sitting in the back, going over the lines with Mackenzie.

"Pipe down, all of ya'. Go back to sleep." I read, "It's all right, Molly. Annie's here."

"It was my mama, Annie." Mackenzie reads.

"It was only a dream, honey." I look at Mackenzie, "Now, you gotta go back to sleep."

"Annie." Mackenzie looks at me, "Read me your note."

"All right, we're ready to begin." Abby says from the door, "Let's go. Genevieve."

I look at her and then to Mackenzie. Mackenzie smiles as she walks back to Melissa.

"Good luck." Maddie smiles as I stand up.

Mom was, again, nowhere to be seen.
I enter studio "A" and walk up to the table where the agent, Cesar, was sitting.

"Hey." He smiles, "How are you?"

"Good." I smile as I stop on front of the table, "How are you?"

"Good." Cesar answers, "What's your name?"

"Genevieve Turner." I answer as I hand him my resumé and headshot.

"Start with the dancing part." Cesar tells me, "Then you choose if you want to sing or act."

"Okay." I walk up to the middle of the room and turn to face him.

I perform the one-minute-fifteen-second version of my "Handclap" solo. I worked with that for the past two days to make it seem like it always was that short.

"What are you going to do now?" Cesar asks.

"Acting." I answer as I walk over to the corner of the room.

I run over to the middle of the room, in my best attempt to act surprised.

"Pipe down, all of ya'." I say, "Go back to sleep."

I turn to my other side, pretending that Molly/Mackenzie was there.

"It's all right, Molly. Annie's here." I tell "her".

"It was my Mama, Annie." Giselle reads.
She was standing by the dancer's den's door.

I knew she said she wasn't going to audition, but I didn't think that she would be the reader.

Even though I was surprised, I didn't let it show. I just continued acting.

"It was only a dream, honey." I continue, "Now, you gotta go back to sleep."

"Annie." She reads, "Read me your note."

"Again?" I ask.

"Please?"

I take a crumpled note from my dance shorts.

What can I say? I thought it down to the last detail.

"Please take care of our little darling. Her name is Annie." I look at the note, even though there's nothing written on it, "She was born on October 28th. We will be back to get her soon. We have left half of a silver locket around her neck and kept the other half--"

"So that when we come back for her, you will know that she's our baby." Giselle finishes.

She laughs for a moment and reads again:

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, now they're laughing."

"All right." I pretend to be annoyed, "Do you want to sleep with your teeth inside your mouth or not?!"

"Gee, I dream about havin' a mother and a father again. But you're lucky. You really got 'em." Giselle finishes reading.

I look back to Cesar, who was in awe. I then start singing:

The sun'll come out tomorrow
Betcha bottom dollar that tomorrow
There'll be sun
Just thinking about Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs
And the sorrow
Till there's none
When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely
I just stick up my chin and grin and say
Oh!

The sun'll come out Tomorrow
So you gotta hang on til Tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow, Tomorrow
I love ya tomorrow
You're always a day away
When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely
I just stick up my chin and grin and say
Oh!

So you gotta hang on till Tomorrow
Come what may

I take a deep breath as I sing the final notes

Tomorrow, Tomorrow
I love ya tomorrow
You're always a day away

I close my eyes as I sing the final high note. As soon as I finished, I opened my eyes and looked back to Cesar, who was taking notes.

"Amazing. That's all for today." He looks at me, "It was nice meeting you, and I'll see you at the showcase."

"Thank you." I smile.

He smiles back as I open the door and walk into the dancer's den.

"Please tell me that wasn't a recording and it was you singing!" Maddie exclaims.

"Okay." I say, "It wasn't a recording and it was, in fact, me singing."

"That was amazing!" Nia hugs me.
Chloe was next, followed by Nia and Paige.

While the auditions continued, I sat on the back and watched as everything happened. Melissa was upset at Mackenzie because she didn't want to sing. Nia was upset that she didn't sing. Paige, Maddie and Chloe thought that they could do better, but unlike Maddie and Chloe, Paige didn't think so much about it.

I was personally proud of myself, and I know Mom would have been too, if she was here. My phone was in my dance bag, that was besides Melissa, who was currently mad, so I didn't want to dare to go take it. I decided to just relax as everything happened.

The next day was the tech rehearsal and the showcase, and another day Mom wasn't there. I obviously saw her in the morning, but she said that I had to take the bus to Maddie's house and Melissa would take me.

Looks like Melissa knows what's happening too.

Maddie doesn't. Mackenzie doesn't either.

I'll start calling this the "Genevieve luck".

Melissa took us out of school during lunch, so we were at the place at twelve in the afternoon. Five hours later, two run-throughs, a lot of tears and "I'm hungry", we were finally getting ready to start performing.

About ten numbers in, we had to get ready for the "Sugar Daddies" group dance. The one of the show, that also meant that Cesar was expecting for the group dance to be perfect.

We were backstage, waiting to go in, when Gianna gave us our props.

"There's only four props." She says, "So Maddie and Evie are not going to have one since they dance on the middle."

"What do we do with our hands?" I ask.

"Make something up." Gianna answers and Maddie and I look at each other.

"Do you remember that really old game we used to play before?" Maddie asks.

"Oh, yeah." I smile, "We do the hand movements?"

"Yeah, but just that." She says, "We don't need to start jumping around."

"Next up is a junior group dance, "Sugar Daddies"."

Maddie and I walk onstage and get into our poses.

After we finish dancing, we walk offstage.

"That game was really worth it after all." Brooke comments as Maddie and I hug.

"It looked like we rehearsed it." I comment, "It looked so good, Mads!"

"I know!" Maddie exclaims, "I think everyone liked it!"

Chloe left and started her way back to the dressing room.

She looked a little upset, but why?

We didn't have time, so we continued performing and everything. I performed my "The Roaring 20's" tap solo too.

After the final curtain, we all got ready to go to the party.

"Hi! Hey girls!" Cesar claps as he walks up to us.

Mom was talking with Melissa while I hung out with Maddie, Chloe, Nia and Paige. Chloe still looked upset, but she didn't look upset before we performed "Sugar Daddies".

At least that it had something to do with the dance.

He hugs Brooke, Chloe and Maddie before he turns to me.

"I'll just talk with Genevieve for a second." Cesar says, "Come on."

I try not to smile as I follow him down the hallway and Mom follows us.

Cesar: Genevieve is a star. It's obvious. She pulls you in, and when you think that she has nothing else to offer, she surprises you. I dare to say that she is a triple threat. She sings, she dances and she acts. She does all of those things, and she's amazing at it.

"I can see the potential in you." Cesar tells us, "You can be one of those kid actors we see in New York all the time. You have so many options. You could star in a movie, be on television, even be on Broadway, if that's what interests you. What are you most interested in?"

"I've always wanted to be on Broadway." I answer, "But, now thinking about it, everything sounds amazing."

"And it is. You've got the spark." He continues, "You are passionate about what you do. That's what you showed every single time you were out on that stage, and right now. If you guys are ever at New York, we would be interested in seeing you." He looks at Mom, "Your kid is a star."

"Thank you." I smile.

"Thanks." Mom smiles.

"Well, I gotta go." Cesar stands up, "But it was an absolute pleasure meeting you, and I am sure that you'll take the world by storm one day."

We stand up and shake hands. He smiles at Maddie before leaving and Maddie hugs me.

"Congrats!" She exclaims, "That was so cool!"

Melissa, however, didn't seem that happy, along with Christi. Mom went to talk to Kelly, who actually seemed happy about it. I went back to the snack table with Maddie, who couldn't stop smiling. Nia hugged me and Paige started talking about all the possibilities about me becoming