In the kitchen everyone was having lunch.

Luke was almost done washing the dishes when Bree approached with her plate, Luke closed his eyes and sighed impatiently "Do you want me to wash it?" Bree asks.

Luke scoffs "No, it's okay I'll wash it, it was just...bad timing, you know" Luke says in an offended and irritated tone, Bree makes an irritated face at him.

"You said you were fine with It" Bree questions, Luke nods his head several times "Yeah, I am... we're still friends, right ... I mean friends who don't talk and barely look at each other's faces but... friends" Luke forces a smile.

Bree rolls her eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asks. "No, because I know you don't even want to be in the same room as me these days so don't waste your time." Luke snatches the plate out of her hand.

Bree gasps "You're ridiculous. I thought you were different to be honest!" Bree says quietly and angrily "Oh I'm sorry I'm not the tall, perfect, blond guy you call Mike!" Luke says in the same tone.

Bree groans softly and walks back to the table, she sits down next to Skylar "Is everything okay?" She asks, Bree takes a deep breath "Yeah, just nonsense" she says, Luke glares at her.

Suddenly Paige comes running into the penthouse with a wildly grin "Mack! Mack! Ma Ma Ma Mack!" Paige comes skipping, McKayla who was sitting next to Chase at the computer in the corner of the room goes over to her.

"What happened? The last time I saw you this excited was when you stole a kiss from the guy you thought was Shawn Mandes." McKayla crosses her arms. "That's a story I'm going to want to hear." Skylar says.

"What matters is that the guy was hot and that was a kiss I'm sure he'll never forget" Paige says, McKayla rolls her eyes "Anyway, it has nothing to do with that" she says.

"So what is it?" McKayla asks "Remember the guy who picked you to go study at the Austin Swing Dance Academy in Chicago a while back?" Paige asks "Yeah, Jhonatan Austin. What about him?" McKayla asks.

Paige picks up her cell phone "Well a little birdie told me that he and his mother who owns the Academy are thinking about opening a new dance school here in Centium City!" Paige squeals.

"Wait, what?!" McKayla smiles. "Exactly. And he's going to be scouting potential students at the dance competition that's happening downtown this weekend." Paige says.

"Paige this is amazing!" McKayla says "Mack we need to enter this competition!" Paige puts her hands on her shoulders, McKayla looks surprised.

"Wait, weren't you kind of kicked out of that school your first day?" Luke asks "That's exactly why she needs to enter the competition. To show Jhonatan that he was wrong to let you go!" Paige says "I left because I wanted to" McKayla says.

"Yeah. Because of me" Chase smiles smugly "Relax your ass over there Princess. There were a lot of other reasons besides you" Paige says, Chase galres at her annoyed.

"I don't know Paige. I haven't really danced in a while and if I get accepted I'll still need to make time for Elite Force" McKayla says "No offense Mack. but this Academy and dancing hasn't been your dream since...Always" Bree asks.

"Well, yes, but I love being part of the team and being a hero." McKayla says. "There's no reason you can't be both." Chase says, she looks at him. "You think so?" She smiles with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Yeah! You can't miss this opportunity. It's a second chance for your dream. An even better one because this time you won't have to leave me to achieve it." Chase grins gently and softly, McKayla giggles, blushing as Chase gently runs his hand down her arm.

"Come on Mack, we've been dreaming about this since we met!" Paige says expectantly. McKayla sighs and gives Chase one last smile before the decision "Okay I'm in" she says.

Chase hugs her "Yes! Yeah!" Paige cheers "Okay I'll go register..." She looks at the phone in her hand, her smile disappears "Oh crap!" She complains.

"What's up?" Kaz asks walking up to her. "It's not just a dance competition, it's a dance group competition!" Paige says upset.

"What?" McKayla looks at her phone. "It says that there will be several groups competing and that in the end 20 people will be chosen to win scholarships." Paige explains "Woah! 20?" Bree says "Yeah" she says.

"The chances are good, you can't miss this" Oliver says "Yeah but we'll never get at least 6 more dancers to form a group with us" Paige sighs in defeat.

Kaz looks at her with pity and looks around "Well there are 6 of us" he suggests getting ready for everyone in the room, Paige and McKayla look at him.

"What?" Paige asks "Yeah, we can form a dance group" Kaz suggests, Paige laughs "And do any of you happen to know how to dance?" She asks.

"Chase knows" McKayla says, Chase smirks "Would you do that?" McKayla asks, his gaze softens "For you?" He scoffs "I'd even dance naked" he says in a joking tone but on delay he realizes how wrong it sounded.

Everyone looks at him with frowns, Chase blushes clearing his throat "I-I meant that I would embarrass myself for you if necessary... Kind of like I did right now" his voice thins. McKayla holds back a laugh "Not a bad idea tho" she says quietly just for Paige to hear, she giggles.

"Okay, what about the rest of you?" Paige asks, "It doesn't really matter, Paige. The focus is on you two. After all, in the end, you're the ones who are going to be chosen from our group for the scholarship." Kaz puts his hand on her shoulder.

Paige looks from his hand to his face blushing slightly "And on the bright side there's no danger of us outshining you guys" he chuckles "Would you do that for us?" Paige asks "Of course!" Skylar says "Why not?" Bree says.

"Of course, we're a team" Luke says "In fighting and in dancing" Oliver smiles, McKayla smiles excitedly "You just need to teach us the basic steps and you guys can take care of the rest" Kaz says, Paige smiles wildly.

Paige and McKayla look at each other excitedly "Okay, let's do this!!" Paige says excitedly and everyone cheers.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

Later, everyone was rehearsing at Mission Command.

McKayla stood at the front, her gaze unforgiving as she watched the other members of the group struggle to keep up with the choreography. She was responsible for the choreography, which put pressure on her.

She knew that if they didn't do well in the performance, Jhonatan might form a negative impression of her as the choreographer, and this would be considered in the evaluation. As always, McKayla took dance very seriously.

"No! That's not it!" McKayla exclaims, stamping her foot. "The count was wrong and, more importantly, your feet were awkward. I want precision, people! Let's start from the beginning!" she says.

Bree walks over to Paige and Kaz, who looked extremely tired. "Jeez, what's gotten into her today?" Bree says breathlessly. "Oh, it's just Sergeant Mack in action," Paige says, sighing. Kaz frowns. "Sergeant Mack?" he asks.

"Let me explain about McKayla to you," Paige puts her hand on Kaz's shoulder. "McKayla is intense when it comes to dance. She turns into 'Sergeant Mack' as if this crazy military training officer persona takes over," Paige explains.

"There's no room for mistakes, and she wants everything perfect. And you'll need some endurance to keep up," she sighs. Luke furrows his brow. "Oh, great. I hope 'Sergeant Mack' hasn't forgotten that we all need a break every now and then," he says.

"She's just under pressure to erase any bad image she thinks she left for Jhonatan," Paige says. "Whatever, she's going to pay my physical therapist later," Kaz says. Paige laughs.

"You're so funny," she says in a flirtatious tone that makes Kaz blush, but it's not very visible because the color on his cheeks blends with the sweat and heat.

Meanwhile, Chase was on the sidelines, trying to hold his breath to avoid drowning in sweat. "McKayla, maybe... maybe we could try a more... gentle approach?" he suggests, his voice weak.

McKayla turns to him, raising an eyebrow. "Gentle? I'm being gentle; I just don't want my choreography to be misunderstood!" she says.

"I'm just saying that... maybe we should take a break. They're almost out of energy," Chase insists, trying a reassuring smile.

McKayla, focused on adjusting Luke and Bree's posture, responds with a tender tone. "Chase, I know it seems like a lot, but we have very little time and a lot to decide and practice... we don't have time for a break," she says.

Chase tries a sympathetic smile. "I understand. I just wanted to make sure we're not overdoing it," he says.

McKayla looks at him with a soft smile. "I know you're worried it seems like a lot, Love. But I know when I'm overdoing it," she says. "Are you sure?" Chase says sarcastically.

McKayla gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Trust me, I've been doing this since I was a baby. Now, everyone, let's go. One more time!" she returns to the group, and Chase sighs in frustration.

At the back of the studio, Oliver was leaning against the wall, clearly exhausted. Skylar was by his side, trying to keep him alert. "You can't pass out now, Oliver. We need you for the next round," Skylar says.

"I'll try, Skylar. I just hope 'Sergeant Mack' doesn't make me do 10 push-ups" Oliver replies with difficulty.

"Come on guys! Remember the contest is this weekend. Until then, we have to have those steps down pat!" McKayla says.

The group members, panting and red-faced, started exchanging tired glances. Bree was leaning against the wall, with a look of pure resignation. "I never thought dancing could be so... exhausting," she murmurs to Oliver, who was trying to stay upright.

Oliver, sweaty and breathless, says, "Me too. I thought we were just... dancing. Not running a marathon!"

"We're not stopping!" McKayla shouts, finally turning to the group with a determined expression. "We're going until everything is perfect!"

Chase tried to intervene again, approaching McKayla with a concerned look. "Macky, please," he says. Hearing the tone in his voice, she rolls her eyes. "Okay, 5 minutes," she says.

Everyone leaves the room groaning, Paige walks past Chase drinking water "Hope she's not that demanding in bed or she'll kill you" she says, Chase raises his eyebrow intrigued.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

Five minutes later, the group gathers, clearly exhausted. McKayla, still with her determined expression, observes the tired faces of the others.

"Come on, one more time!" McKayla shouts, but the group members just look at her with tired expressions.

"McKayla, I can't. I have super speed, so I've never experienced what it's like to run a marathon... until now," Bree says, leaning against the wall with a tired smile.

"And I thought dancing was about having fun, not surviving an endurance test," Kaz says, breathing heavily.

"If this keeps up, I'll need a masseuse and a therapist," Luke says. "The therapist isn't her fault," Paige says. Luke looks at her, annoyed.

McKayla, seeing the frustration in the group, tries to maintain her composure. "I just want everything to go well. I would feel terrible if you all went out there and embarrassed yourselves because of my choreography," she says.

Paige, trying to lighten the mood, approaches McKayla. "Look, McKayla, maybe it's time to take it a bit easier. We don't want everyone leaving here with a 'Need a Vacation' sign," she says.

The group, already exhausted and nervously laughing, starts to leave. "Sorry, Mack, but we need a break. If I keep going, I'll end up doing more 'desperation' steps than dance steps," Bree says.

"Wait, are you guys giving up?" McKayla asks. "No, not giving up... we need to rest," Skylar says.

As the group leaves, McKayla watches them with a mix of frustration and disappointment. Chase puts a hand on her shoulder. "They just need a break!" he says.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

Later, McKayla is sitting in the corner of Mission Command, absentmindedly spinning a bottle.

Soon, Paige approaches and sits beside her. "Mack, is everything okay?" she asks. "Yeah..." McKayla sighs heavily. "I just ruined everyone's fun... I'm such a hypocrite," she laments.

"I always said dancing is about feeling and letting it flow. And now I've just ruined their experience with it," she says. "Aw, Sargeant Mack," Paige hugs her, and McKayla rolls her eyes.

"You know, you're being too hard on yourself for something you initially didn't even know you were going to do. Are you sure you're okay?" she asks.

McKayla nods. "Yeah. I mean... like Chase said, it's a second chance, but I think I'm messing everything up," she says. Paige pats her back. "No, you're not," she says.

"You know, maybe I'm just nervous. Part of me was already seeing this dance dream as something distant now that I have all this," she gestures around.

"What do you mean?" Paige asks. "Have you ever been afraid of... losing your talent? Having a talent for something, everyone admiring it, but the constant changes in life pushing it away from you and you losing it completely?" McKayla says thoughtfully.

Paige takes a deep breath. "Mack, dancing is your essence, it's your rhythm. Nothing is going to take that away from you," Paige says. McKayla smirks. "But what if I get rusty or lose my rhythm..." "You won't!" Paige says.

"Your rhythm is everything that's part of your life, what drives you. Trust me!" Paige says with determination.

"I've been knocked down so many times regarding this dream," McKayla says. "But you keep getting up to try again, and each time Sargeant Mack comes back with more grit and strength. That's incredible," Paige says sincerely.

McKayla chuckles. "Being a superhero and fighting villains is way easier than landing a big opportunity as a dancer," McKayla says. Paige puts her arm around her.

"Yeah, life isn't easy. That's why my dad always said I should give it all up and become a lawyer... but here I am," Paige says. McKayla looks at her.

"Thanks for being in this fight with me from the beginning," McKayla says. Paige hugs her tighter. "Of course, it won't be Sargeant Mack who's going to scare me off," she says. "Stop calling me that," McKayla complains. "Too late, it's stuck now," Paige says.

"Feeling more relaxed now?" Paige asks. McKayla shrugs. "Because if you're not, I can call Chase and he'll get you nice and relaxed," she says. "Ugh, I was expecting that," McKayla moves away and rolls her eyes.

Paige laughs. "You know, he can show you a dance that only he can do with you," she nudges McKayla, who blushes. "Stop it!" she says. "He's the one who started it," Paige says.

"When I think you're maturing..." McKayla says frustrated. "Never Mack, never!" Paige exclaims, laughing.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

On the terrace, Bree is listening to music, trying to let go in the rhythm.

Luke slowly approaches her as she misses a step and groans in frustration "Uhg what a shame" she says to herself. Luke takes a deep breath.

"Bree?" He says, Bree looks at him looking over her shoulder and rolls her eyes "Is everything okay?" He asks.

Bree sighs and scratches her head "Yeah I'm just trying to loosen up" she says "It doesn't seem to be working" Luke says, Bree gasps in annoyance "Look Luke if you're just here to make fun of me then leave before I...""Woah! Woah!' Luke interrupts her and approaches her.

"No need for all this violence. Okay. Look, I came here because I wanted to apologize to you," Luke says, Bree turns to him, "I acted rudely towards you just because you exposed your thoughts and feelings. That's not fair" Luke says.

Bree looks surprised "Oh... I forgive you then" she crosses her arms "And what about the dancing. I meant that maybe it's not working because you're not clearing your head. And also if we're going to have to dance together in the competition, I don't see why we shouldn't rehearse together" He suggests.

Bree scoffs, Luke frowns "What do you think I can't dance?" He says offended, Bree shrugs "Well. I agree I look like someone who can't dance" he says frustrated, Bree hides her amusement.

"But..." He turns up the radio "Wait for your jaw to drop girl" Luke grins "I doubt it" Bree says "Uh...I wouldn't do that" he says softly.

♬ Closer By Ne-Yo ♬

0:17 ━●━━━━━━━━ 3:00

◂◂ ∎∎ ▸▸

The music starts playing and Luke approaches Bree who rolls her eyes "♪Closer, closer...♪" The music starts. They start facing each other, with their feet together. Luke tries to make eye contact, but Bree looks away, clearly uncomfortable.

Bree smiles "You're Exaggerating, you know?" she says, Luke shrugs with a twinkle in his eye. "That's what I do. But it's just for you." He winks, trying to reconnect with the dynamic they had, and always had.

"♪closer, closer, Woo!♪" They move slowly from side to side, their movements are stiff and disconnected. The rhythm of the music is an attempt to ease the tension, but Bree still seems reluctant.

"♪Turn the lights off in this place. And she shines just like a star♪" Luke steps forward with his right leg, pulling Bree with him. She hesitates, but eventually follows the movement, her body beginning to relax a little.

"♪And I swear I know her face. I just don't know who you are♪" They repeat this twice, with Bree beginning to accept the closeness. Luke's grin widen.

"♪Turn the music up in here. I still hear her loud and clear♪" When they reach the gentle turn, Luke grabs Bree around the waist and she turns, still a little hesitant, but with a look in her eyes that is starting to soften.

"♪Like she's right there in my ear
Telling me that she wants to own me♪" They spin together in a circle, the initial tension beginning to fade as they move.

"♪To control me♪" Luke pulls Bree into a quick spin "♪Come closer!♪" She does a little twirl with an expression of surprise and reluctance, but also a visible desire to let herself go.

"♪Come closer!♪" They embrace, with Luke wrapping Bree in a protective embrace. The dance becomes more fluid and the connection between them begins to reestablish itself.

"♪And I just can't pull myself away. Under her spell I can't break♪"The couple begins to take side steps, Bree's expression becomes more relaxed and she looks at Luke with a more loving look "♪I just can't stop (I just can't stop). I just can't stop (I just can't stop)♪" Luke notices this and smiles, which makes Bree feel more at ease.

"♪And I just can't bring myself away. But I don't want to escape♪"Bree spins around when she's in front of Luke. He smiles with a glow of joy and affection, which makes Bree let out a spontaneous laugh

"♪I just can't stop (I just can't stop)♪" Luke spins Bree around as she laughs softly "♪I just can't stop (I just can't stop). I just can't stop♪"The lightness of the dance is beginning to dissolve the last barriers between them.

"♪I can feel her on my skin♪" They walk forward in sync, holding hands. "♪I can taste her on my tongue♪" Luke's gaze at Bree is full of hope and a little pain, while Bree's gaze becomes more understanding and soft.

"♪She's the sweetest taste of sin♪" For the end, they slowly turn around, Bree in front of Luke "♪The more I got the more I want. She wants to own me♪" They end up in a romantic pose, Bree with her head resting on Luke's chest.

Bree feels her face flush as she hears Luke's heart beating rapidly, Luke briefly closes his eyes preserving the moment.

"♪Come closer! She says come closer, hey♪" They are both now smiling, visibly relaxed. Bree and Luke pull away a little and look at each other with a slightly, hesitantly in love expression.

Bree gives a small laugh, and Luke returns it with a relieved smile.. "Where did you learn to dance like that?" Bree asks, lost in his eyes, "Who do you think Mack's partner was in dance rehearsals when she was little?" She gives a light laugh.

Bree chuckles, now completely at ease, surrenders to Luke's presence, hugging him. Luke hesitates at first but hugs her back.

"I hate how much I need him in my life. He's the one who messes up and fixes the world for me," Bree thinks and Luke hears. He spent the entire dance controlling the temptation to hear her thoughts.

At that moment he got a little carried away "Only he could make me like the smell of grease and diesel" she thinks, Luke holds back a laugh remembering the mechanical work he was doing earlier.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

The next day, the day before the competition, everyone is in the room.

Oliver and Kaz are sitting in front of the coffee table and Oliver slowly tries to reach his head on the table "Ow! Ow! Ow!" He grunts with each movement he makes, feeling his arm ache.

He takes a sip and Kaz frowns at him. He tries to return the mug to the table "Ow! Ow! Ow!..." "Oh give me that" Kaz takes the mug from him and puts it on the table himself.

"Sorry, I think I overdid it in yesterday's rehearsal. Skylar and I shouldn't have practiced that lift." Oliver says. "Are you sore like that because you lifted Skylar?" Luke asks.

Skylar looks at Oliver holding back a smile, Oliver snorts nervously "Of course I lifted Skylar. After all, the other way around would be weird, right?" He laughs nervously, Skylar nods in amusement.

McKayla walks in "Alright, everyone," she says, trying to sound enthusiastic, "Hi" Everyone says it without much enthusiasm.

McKayla sighs "Look. I'm so sorry, guys. I didn't mean to push you too hard. I shouldn't have let Sergeant Mack take over just because I got nervous." She says "It's okay Mack. Honestly, your attitude explains why Chase must like you." Bree says, Chase frowns "You guys are just alike" she smiles.

McKayla lets out a relieved laugh at her friend's good humor "Can we give it another shot?" She says.Everyone looks at each other "Please Guys.I've got an idea!" She smiles wildly.

"How about we each come up with our own dance steps for a bit? That way, it'll be more personal and fun!" McKayla suggests.

The group exchanges puzzled looks. Bree raises an eyebrow. "Wait, you want us to just make up our own steps? Like, just freestyle?" She asks.

McKayla nods. "Exactly! I trust each of you to bring your own rhythm and creativity into it. We'll see what happens!" She smiles.

"That's a great idea Love" Chase smiles gently "Um, Mack, are you sure about this? My 'creative' moves usually involve tripping over my own feet." Kaz chuckles.

"Yeah, and my 'freestyle' usually looks like I'm having a seizure." Oliver says.

McKayla laughs. "I'm serious. I trust you all to come up with something great. Just let your hearts guide your steps. We all have rhythm inside us, even if we don't always show it!" She says.

Paige, shaking her head with a grin, says, "Aw I'm so proud of our Sergeant Mack. She's getting back to being just Nice Mack." she says.

"Sounds fun!" Skylar adds. Luke grins. "And if we're going to be cleaning the next day, we might as well earn it." He says.

McKayla laughs and claps her hands together "Deal! But I'm confident that with your unique moves, we'll come up with something amazing. Let's just have fun with it." she smiles, Chase gives her a spontaneous kiss on the forehead "That's my Macky" he says proudly.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

The next night. It was competition day.

Chase, Luke, Kaz and Oliver wai anxiously for the previous group's performance to end.

They all wear matching clothes but in different colors. Chase wore a navy blue dress shirt open at his chest, exposing a chain he was wearing. The shirt was tucked into his pants. With a leather belt and maroon leather shoes.

Luke wore a similar outfit, in black. Oliver in pink and Kaz in mustard yellow. "Yeah, we have a full house." Chase sighs and he scans the stage and the venue and syncs with the sound to make sure that he won't dance wrong.

"Nervous?" Luke asks them "Nope. It'll be fun" Kaz says "I don't care about anyone else I'm going to dance with Skylar" Oliver smiles wildly.

Soon McKayla and the girls approach, Chase who was fixed in the audience caught feels someone poke his shoulder.

He turns around and sees McKayla with her arms behind her back and an expectant look on her face. "What do you think?" She says, showing off her look.

McKayla wore a cropped top made of a vibrant blue fabric with sparkles all over it, it was a light fabric with a chain as a strap, the light fabric just fell over her breasts forming a cleavage.

She wore low-waisted wide-leg pants, leaving her a strip of clothing underneath the Calvin Klein she wears.the pants had several pockets in a soft denim tone. and completed the look whit white sneakers.

Bree wore a similar outfit in black, Skylar in hot pink, and Paige in yellow. McKayla also wore her hair in a high, frizzy ponytail.

Chase's eyes light up as his jaw slowly drops "Damn" he sighs, McKayla frowns "Uh...I mean...oh my you look...You're breathtaking" he blushes laughing.

McKayla smiles, Chase takes a deep breath "I don't think I've ever seen you so beautiful and so hot" he tries to hide his nervousness in a soft tone "Same" she looks at his clothes.

Everyone gathers around "Are you ready?" Paige asks "It's showtime Elite Force!" Luke cheers as they hear their song start to play "Hands in the center" Bree puts her hand in the center.

Everyone puts their hand on hers and throws it up, cheering "Let's Go!" Kaz shouts and they run to the stage.

♬ Gotta Be Me by Ross Lynch and Mia Mitchell ♬

0:17 ━●━━━━━━━━ 3:00

◂◂ ∎∎ ▸▸

Everyone enters the stage and the crowd cheers with their excitement. They form a circle and spin gently. "♪Yeah! Come on!♪" The boys are on one side of the stage, and the girls are on the opposite side.

"♪You and me are meant to be
Like a brand-new board and the awesomest wave♪" Chase stands in front of the other boys. He performs a central solo featuring expressive dance moves, such as slow dance steps and gestures that mimic having an intimate conversation.

McKayla looks at him with her arms crossed, with the other girls positioned behind her.

"♪Thing is, honey, I'm your need
Forever chilling and trying to catch some waves♪" He performs a solo of quick side steps and a series of synchronized jumps, adding energy and rhythm to the music. The other boys follow him in a delayed manner as if they were mirrors of his movements.

"♪Without you, I sing the blues
'Stead of rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll♪" They execute rhythmic dance steps and synchronized arm movements mimicking guitars, in sync with the music.

"♪So I'm hoping you'll miss me too
And you're down with who I am since I broke the mold♪" They perform a sequence of dynamic steps and fast spins.

"♪March to the beat♪" Luke and Chase march forward, exchanging grins that grow with each step. "♪I march to the beat gonna do my thing♪" They perform a joint sequence, starting with a side-to-side sliding step.

"♪March to the beat♪" They stand back to back, moving their feet to the rhythm of a stationary march. "♪I march to the beat gonna do my thing♪" Luke throws his head back onto Chase's shoulder, and they smile smugly.

"♪Come on and feel this beat cause I gotta be me♪" They turn to face each other and do a double high-five. "♪You let me move those feet and they'll set you free♪" They finish with a series of energetic spins and steps, highlighting the partnership. Kaz and Oliver join in.

"♪Come on, you need to see that I gotta be me♪" All the boys stop side by side, facing their respective girls. "♪I gotta be, gotta be, gotta gotta be me♪" They take steps like small jumps, moving closer to the girls.

"♪Come on and feel this beat cause I gotta be me♪" They move around the girls. "♪You let me move those feet and they'll set you free♪" Chase spins around McKayla, placing his hand on her waist as he circles her.

"♪Come on, you need to see that I gotta be me♪" The girls start moving forward, swapping places with the boys. "♪I gotta be, gotta be, gotta gotta be me♪" The boys finish with a pose, Chase with crossed arms and Luke resting an arm on his shoulder, staring at the girls.

"♪Like you, I'm original.♪" McKayla steps forward from the others. "♪Trying to move this world from where it's at♪" McKayla performs smooth sliding steps and slow spins, moving her hips.

"♪You're laid back and I get stressed
Yet whenever we're together, we're more than that♪" She performs fluid dance steps and synchronized arm movements. The other girls follow.

"♪My motto is 'seize the day and night'. And yours is 'let's go with the flow'♪" McKayla performs a solo with spinning movements and energetic steps, wearing a delicate, charming, and confident smile.

"♪That's no reason to say goodbye♪" Paige steps forward, swaying her shoulders and waving. "♪Not if you're fast enough♪" Bree spins forward and throws her head back, raising her arm. "♪For a girl on the go♪" Skylar does the same on the opposite side.

"♪March to the beat♪" The girls form a line, moving one shoulder in sync with their hands on their hips.

"♪I march to the beat gonna do my thing♪" They move closer together, swaying their hips side to side in sync.

*"♪March to the beat♪"* They turn to the other side and repeat the movements. "♪I march to the beat gonna do my thing♪" The boys watch from the opposite side and mimic making comments.

"♪C'mon and feel this beat cause I gotta be me♪" They shift their focus slightly away from McKayla and Paige.

"♪You let me move those feet and they'll set you free♪" McKayla and Paige spin and do a tumble followed by a spin.

"♪C'mon you need to see that I gotta be me♪" Paige and McKayla kneel on the floor, swinging their hair forward and then back. "♪I gotta be, gotta be, gotta gotta be me!♪" Kneeling on the floor, they move their hips while Bree and Skylar jump over them as they lower to the ground.

The crowd goes wild, and the boys cheer for them. The instrumental part of the song begins, and the boys and girls come closer together.

McKayla faces Chase as if challenging him. Bree steps back, moving her shoulders as if pushing Luke away. Oliver extends his hand to Skylar, and she takes it, spinning around. Paige approaches Kaz with a spin, and he holds her at the waist.

"♪March to the beat♪" Chase starts with marching steps forward and backward, performing a fluid 360-degree spin. Facing McKayla,"♪I march to the beat gotta do my thang♪" McKayla performs a sliding step forward and backward, with smooth spins and arm movements in wave-like patterns.

Chase gives her a charming smile. "♪March to the beat♪" They move to the left and right, performing short steps and light spins. "♪I march to the beat gotta do my thang♪" All the couples move closer to their respective partners, forming a circle. McKayla and Chase are at the center, leading the dance.

"♪C'mon and feel this beat cause I gotta be me♪" Each couple performs dance steps towards and away from the center, with McKayla and Chase in the middle.

"♪You let me move those feet and they'll set you free♪" Energetic and joyful movements, such as jumps and spins, are performed in sync with the beat.

"♪C'mon and feel this beat cause I gotta be me♪" McKayla and Chase perform a combination of contact dance steps, such as spins and lifts, while the other couples stay in a lateral line. "♪I gotta be, gotta be, gotta be me!♪"

"♪C'mon and feel this beat cause I gotta be me♪" Bree and Luke move in a zigzag pattern around the center, with synchronized steps and fluid arm movements.

"♪You let me move those feet and they'll set you free♪" Paige and Kaz perform a sequence of rotation steps and slide across the stage, following the rhythm of the music.

"♪C'mon and feel this beat cause I gotta be me♪" Skylar and Oliver take a freer approach, performing freestyle movements, adding energy to the performance.

"♪You let me move those feet and they'll set you free♪" All the couples perform a series of coordinated steps, like crossing steps and hand-in-hand spins. "♪I gotta be, gotta be, gotta be me!♪" They finish in a central position with a final impactful gesture.

They close with a central group formation, holding hands and raising their arms in a celebratory movement.

Everyone gives them a standing ovation as they give each other a group hug.

Everyone gets off the stage and soon comes face to face with Jhonatan Austin "McKayla" he says, McKayla who was holding hands with Chase turns to him.

"Mr. Austin! Good to see you" McKayla greets him "Uh Chase this is Jhonatan Austin" she introduces them "A pleasure met you sir, I'm Chase Davenport" Chase greets him.

"Likewise. Wow, that was quite a performance. I must say, you guys are talented. I mean, I already knew that, but I never imagined seeing all your talent again, McKayla," Jhonatan says.

McKayla smiles "Thank you" she says "But it was a very nice surprise indeed. So does that mean you're willing to continue where we left off?" Jhonatan asks, McKayla looks surprised.

"Really?" She says, "Yeah. I've already decided who will get the first scholarships. I'd love for us to have one more chance, McKayla, and I promise this time you'll be valued the way you deserve to be..." Jhonatan says, McKayla gasps with a smile.

"...just like your boyfriend" Jhonatan looks at Chase, his smile disappears and McKayla is shocked "Wait, what?" Chase asks "You're going to get a scholarship too" Jhonatan says.

McKayla smiles, Chase scoffs "I'm sorry sir but...I'm not a dancer" Chase says, Jhonatan frowns "Then we'll make you one" he smirks.

Chase is speechless "You have talent and unmatched precision, boy, but I see that you have something that stands out above all of this... feeling" Jhonatan puts his hand on Chase's shoulder.

McKayla can't help but smile excitedly at this. "You two and that girl..." Jhonatan points to Paige. "Her name is Paige." McKayla says, "Oh, yeah. You three already have places in my new Academy" Jhonatan winks and leaves.

McKayla and Chase look at each other in surprise "We did it!! Guys! We got the scholarships!" McKayla celebrates "Yes!!" Paige runs to her and hugs her while Chase runs his hand through his hair with a surprised smile.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

After the competition, everyone else in the group stayed at the celebratory party that was going to be held downtown. But McKayla and Chase returned to the penthouse.

Chase locks the door as McKayla gives a spontaneous laugh of happiness. "I can't believe it, I did it! That we did it, I'm finally getting back on track with my dream" McKayla says with a joyful smile.

"I know, it's unbelievable" Chase says, McKayla turns to him "Are you going to accept the scholarship?" McKayla asks, Chase sighs "I don't know" he says.

"This is your dream. I don't want to get in the way." Chase says, McKayla tilts her head with a smile. "You won't get in the way. You'll walk with me through it." McKayla says.

"But that's your thing" Chase walks over to her, McKayla giggles and shakes her head "It stopped being just my thing a long time ago Chase" she says softly.

McKayla sits on the couch "Dancing alone lost all meaning after the first time I danced with you" she looks at him with a sparkle in her eyes, Chase frowns briefly and heads towards the couch.

"But when we first danced, and every other time I used my bionics. It's not fair," Chase says sitting down next to her, McKayla shakes her head, "I'm not talking about our dance on my birthday." She says.

Chase is confused "I'm talking about when you did the refrigerator dance at the school dance and I taught you how to dance. I'm talking about when you created dance steps to teach me math" she laughs gently.

Chase smiles, holding back a laugh. "I'm talking about the feeling. The beat that's inside you, I'm talking about what Jhonatan saw today." McKayla looks into his eyes with a tender look.

Chase grins "but that's all you" he says and puts his hand on her cheek "You are the beat of my life" He says softly.

McKayla blushes and approaches him. "Because you are the rhythm of mine" She says it almost like a whisper.

"So what are we waiting for to start following the steps of this dance?" Chase looks away to her lips "I don't know" she says in a melting tone.

Chase leaned closer, his fingers gently tracing McKayla's cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with affection. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch tender and intimate.

Without breaking eye contact, Chase leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a soft, lingering kiss.

McKayla responded with equal tenderness, her arms wrapping around his neck as she melted into the embrace. The kiss deepened as their passion grew, their movements becoming more synchronized and fervent.

Chase held the back of McKayla's neck with a gentle touch, pulling her closer, McKayla focuses on the taste and soft touch of his lips against hers.

They shared another, more passionate kiss, each one a testament to the depth of their feelings. Their embrace was filled with a profound sense of intimacy and commitment, making the room around them feel like their own private universe.

McKayla runs her hands down the open chest of Chase's shirt. He pulls away slowly "Okay..." He sighs and he unbuttons his shirt taking it off. McKayla blushes intensely as Chase throws his shirt aside on the couch, she smiles and puts her hands gently on his chest looking into his eyes.

As their kiss continued, McKayla's hands remained on Chase's chest, feeling the powerful thrum of his heartbeat. She leaned into him, her touch growing more confident and intimate. Chase responded by deepening the kiss, his hands sliding up her back, drawing her even closer.

Chase's hands traced gentle patterns on her back, his fingertips skimming the fabric of her cropped. The connection between them was electric, every touch and kiss conveying their shared devotion.

They break the kiss and look into each other's eyes in a mixture of nervousness and anticipation "I...I don't know how to do this, I don't know how..." McKayla says nervously her skin taking on an intense pink color.

Chase begins let her hair down "It's okay...I know" he says softly, McKayla soon notices his bionic eye activate she blinks twice with butterflies in her stomach but very intrigued

She softens her gaze at him and he quickly touches a button on a nearby tablet that dim the lights and lower curtains on the living room windows.

McKayla looks around and at him with a shy smile "We'll take our time, no pressure. okay" he caresses her face, McKayla bites her lip and nods.

She approaches him and unhooks the chain strap from her crop top, Chase swallows hard and breathes faster. He runs his hands over her legs, looking into her eyes tenderly as he rests his forehead against hers.

Chase finds the end of her crop top and starts lifting it up, he stops halfway "May I?" He asks just to be sure, McKayla nods, Chase makes a face of slight despair mixed with anticipation.

He pulls the crop top over her head and tosses it to the floor, but before he can look at her, he pulls her into a hot, passionate kiss, drawing her closer to him. McKayla sighs loudly in the middle of the kiss, feeling a satisfying sensation in feeling her skin touch directly against his.

Chase lays her down on the couch, holding her legs tightly, placing them on his hips. McKayla bites her lip slightly uncertainly and Chase notices.

Chase brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, his touch tender and loving. "You are so beautiful" he murmured, his voice filled with admiration. looking closely at her.

McKayla's smile widened, her eyes meeting his with a look of deep affection "I love you so much" she says caressing his cheek, Chase smirks and moves his lips to her neck.

McKayla holds his arm, running her fingers over his biceps as he runs his hands over her torso, as if he were tracing every detail of her with his fingers, trailing kisses from her neck down.

McKayla takes a deep breath "Chase..." She lets out a loud sigh, throwing her head back, Chase stops for a second in disbelief at the scene but in immense happiness.

McKayla runs her hand over his belly as their eyes meet, She starts kissing his neck as well, pulling his waist closer to hers with her thighs.

Chase puts himself completely on top of her biting his lip and wrinkling his nose to content a groan. He pulls her in for another tender, passionate kiss as the growing tension between them becomes more and more palpable.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

Meanwhile the rest of the team was at the post-competition party.

Everyone is at a table eating portions of fries and barbecue when Mike approaches them "Hey Guys. Nice presentation, you guys rocked it!" He says kindly, everyone thanks him and Luke looks at the glass in his hand.

"Mike! You came" Bree goes to him and hugs him "At least I know they never kissed. Yes I was invasive in the mind reading, but I couldn't help it" Luke thinks.

"Yeah, I wanted to congratulate you guys" Mike says "Aw that's very kind of you" Bree smiles gently. Luke takes a deep breath and gets up from the table, leaving.

Bree turns to look at him thoughtfully "Is he okay?" Mike asks worried "Y-yeah he must just be tired" Bree gives a forced smile.

Skylar and Oliver leave the table to order drinks for everyone, Paige and Kaz remain at the table while Bree talks to Mike.

"Thank you, Kaz, for supporting Mack and me in this group performance," Paige says, biting a toothpick. Kaz smiles gently. "Of course! It's your dream, and we're your friends. We will always help."

"So you only helped me because we're friends?" Paige asks with a piercing look. Kaz frowns. "Well... yeah, what else would I be?" He laughs nervously, blushing slightly.

"What do you want to be?" Paige asks softly, with a flirtatious tone. Kaz chuckles. "What do you want me to be?" He smiles with a hint of challenge.

Paige shrugs innocently. "Maybe more than a friend," she says with a shy smile. Kaz is momentarily speechless, his eyes widening in surprise. "Really?" he asks, his voice full of anticipation. Paige nods, her smile growing. "We get along so well. And it just seems to happen naturally."

Kaz looks thoughtful, scratching the back of his neck. "I also think you're really charming... and attractive... a dangerous combination." Paige smiles seductively. "Wow... you don't waste any time," Kaz says, his voice a bit shaky.

"Going slow isn't an option for me," Paige says confidently. Kaz takes a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Not for me either... I think," he says, letting out a nervous laugh, which is soon joined by Paige's infectious laughter, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Do you feel like going out?" Kaz asks, pointing to the door. Paige grins widely and winks at him. "Totally, cutie," she says, standing up gracefully. "Whoa! Okay," Kaz says, standing up quickly, his eyes gleaming with excitement. They head out together

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

In the living room McKayla and Chase exchanged another hot and passionate kiss on the couch.

Both sweaty, Chase grabbed the shirt he was wearing to cover their waists when they were done.

McKayla lies on the couch with Chase on top of her, they kiss, the kiss becoming more wild, McKayla moans in the middle of the kiss and Chase breaks it whit both letting out a loud sigh, their lips taking a few moments to pull apart.

Chase looks at her closely, softly and breathlessly, he licks his lips which now have a deep, burning red color mixed with the light pink of her lipstick. McKayla does the same and after a second they both stare at each other and let out a chuckle.

"Did we really did that?" McKayla says breathlessly and in disbelief with a soft smile. "Yeah we did." Chase pulls away a little feeling a burning sensation on his back that he hadn't even seen but was covered in light scratches.

"How are you feeling?" He asks lying down next to McKayla on the couch.

McKayla lays on his chest looking up into his face with a gleaming gaze and a smile she can't wipe off her face "I feel great. That was... even more amazing than I could have imagined" she says shyly.

Chase nods with a grin "I know. It was...Pleasurable doesn't even come close. I don't think there are words to describe what I felt right now" He sighs, McKayla laughs.

"Damn. I feel like I can't walk" she hugs Chase's shirt over her "Good because I don't want you to go anywhere" he kisses her forehead.

"I love you so much Macky" he puts her thigh on top of him "I love you too Chase" McKayla briefly closes her eyes resting on his chest. They enjoy a beautiful moment of silence.

"Are you hungry?" Chase asks, breaking the silence. McKayla frowns "Seriously?" She says indignantly "What? I'm serious, We didn't even stay for dinner with the rest of the team." Chase laughs, McKayla tilts her head.

She sits on the couch covering herself with his shirt "Look. I can make us dinner, everyone will be out until midnight. We have time." Chase puts his pants over his lap, covering himself.

McKayla thinks "We can have dinner and then...do something else...again" Chase suggests whit a fliry smile. McKayla lets out a laugh in amusement "What other time will we have the penthouse all to ourselves? We can't let this opportunity pass us by," he says softly.

"Oh Chase Davenport, when did you stop being that little boy who barely knew how to flirt without stuttering?" McKayla says, Chase shrugs, playing with the chain around his own neck.

McKayla's phone beeps and she sits further down on the edge of the couch and Chase approaches her as she looks at the notification. "Who is it?" He says before he starts to kiss her back and shoulder tenderly.

"My dad. He said he saw our performance on the internet and he's proud..." McKayla says looking at her phone while Chase still kisses her shoulder "He asked what I'm doing?" McKayla says.

She and Chase exchange a long look for a second analyzing the situation "I'm at the post competition party, celebrating" she types, Chase laughs.

"Did you just lie to him?" Chase asks, McKayla puts her phone aside. "No. Technically," she says. Chase frowns and thinks, McKayla holds his face and kisses him as he laughs.

"Mm" Chase breaks the kiss "By The way, I think I'll take the scholarship" He says, McKayla smiles "Really?" She says lighting up a smile.

"Yeah! I mean, you're gonna need a dance partner after all, aren't you?" he says, McKayla gasps with a smile "Yes! Oh my god! Yes!" She hugs him tightly.

"We're going to have so much fun!" She says, Chase rubs her back with a gentle smile "I can't wait to have you as my dance partner. It's going to be amazing" McKayla says excitedly.

"Yes, you know, this may even be your dream, but I found out what mine is..." Chase says "what is?" McKayla asks "To live every step of your dream with you, just like you always accompany me in the steps of mine" He grins.

McKayla melts inside "Damn you're so cute" she says and he pulls her in for another kiss.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

At the party, Bree and Mike are at a table talking. Mike notices that Bree doesn't seem to be focusing on him 100% because every ten seconds of the conversation she looks at Luke outside.

Mike turns his attention back to Bree, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity.

"So, Bree," Mike saus, his tone gentle, "I've noticed that Luke seemed a bit off. Is everything okay between you two?" He asks.

"Oh, yeah, he's probably just tired from the competition. You know how it is." Bree tries to maintain a casual demeanor.

Mike studies her for a moment, then continues, "I can't help but wonder... is there something more going on between you and Luke? Maybe... something you're not telling me?" He asks.

"What? No, Mike, there's nothing more. We're just friends." Bree's heart skips a beat, and she forces a smile.

Mike's eyes soften with concern. "You sure? You seem a bit... distracted. And, well, it seems like there might be more to it." He says

Bree shifts uncomfortably, her gaze flickering towards the door where Luke is now standing outside, kicking at some loose stones absentmindedly. "Honestly, Mike, there's really nothing between us. I'm just... concerned about him." She says.

Mike tilts his head, studying her closely. "You're sure? It just seems like there might be some feelings there. I don't want you to feel pressured or anything." He says.

"No, no. Really, Mike, everything's fine. You know I care about Luke, but not in that way." Bree's hands fidget with the edge of her napkin, and she forces a chuckle.

Mike watches her closely, noticing the subtle signs in her body language "Alright. I trust you. But if you ever need to talk, I'm here." He nods.

"Thanks, Mike. I appreciate it." Bree's smile is a mix of relief and sadness.

Outside, Luke continues to kick at the stones, his thoughts a whirlwind. He glances back toward the party, catching a glimpse of Bree's concerned expression through the window.

"Better just...move on" He sighs and shakes his head, trying to push away the thoughts of what might be going on inside.

━━━━━━━ •♬• ━━━━━━━

A/N - Hey Guys!!! This chapter was kind of long but I hope you liked it because a LOT happened.

I want to know what you think? What's your favorite part?

And what are your expectations for the next chapters since we are almost at the end of this long journey?

What would you like to see in the next chapters, tell me? And if you have songs you'd like to see in a scene, feel free to tell me because I want ideas.

Which character do you want to come back in the next chapters?

Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoyed it. I can't wait for the next chapters, don't forget to comment and vote, see you in the next one 😘