A few days have passed and the qualifying matches drew near for the Hexide Dance crew. Because time was limited, they must execute their routine flawlessly.

Luz and Amity have managed to plan a new dance routine for the whole club on their second day of practice, giving them only five more days to memorize it

Today marked the seventh day, the last day of their practice. With Luz as their leader, she began to get nervous and unaware of her actions

The fact that the competition is set for tomorrow made her overwhelmed and cold towards her crew. Yet, she doesn't realize it

With only a few hours left before the campus closes, gathered all of her crew to practice their routine one last time. With King being their guard during their practice hours, they can make sure that the elites won't suspect any activity inside the room. 

The freshman took the lead again, making Amity slightly disturbed because she was assigned the leader and Luz was only her assistant. And yet, she acts like she takes full control over the club.

She only sighed and crossed her arms to her chest. Once all members were present, Amity and King boarded all of the windows and doors. 

Luz was now pacing back and forth, looking down to her phone, watching the time goes by. With this, she was struggling to speak nor pay attention to her crew. 

There, Viney decided to get Luz's attention by placing a hand on her shoulder. The teen snapped when she felt it, making her scream and jump back. 

"Woah!" Viney reached out to her. "Luz, are you okay?" 

Amity followed from behind. "You've been acting... pretty weird these past days. Is everything alright?" 

"W-what? Yeah! Yeah, everything's great!" The freshman was quick to respond, sounding irritated from the two girls. "Just... G-go back down, I'll take the stage." 

The two nodded and headed down with the rest of the crew. Not long after the assembly, Luz took a deep breath as she gathered all her strength to keep her calm and focus. 

"Right, as you guys already know, the Qualifying matches are tomorrow and we still have troubles with some of the steps." 

Gus and Willow shared worried looks when they heard Luz's voice. She sounded weak and scared. But when Gus tried to speak, Amity suddenly stopped him and shook her head "no"

The boy understood and followed. At this point of the competition, the whole dance club started to get worried for her, some may even fear her at times of mistakes during their hours

"So we need give everything in today's practice! I am not gonna stop nor rest until we nail this thing! I'll show Boscha that I'm a better leader than her!"

"Luz..." Amity muttered,  getting Luz's attention. "You're taking this too far. We are all tired from yesterday's practice because you forced us to break our limits and-" 

Luz gritted her teeth. "I'm just leading this club to get through Qualifying matches! No one will vote for us if we messed up tomorrow, Amity!" She interrupted. 

Her eyes started to tear up and anger started to show. King and Gus gasped and stepped back among the group. 

Being a second year, Viney decided to step forward to Luz, facing her right in her eyes. Luz on the other hand stayed silent as she tried to avoid contact with her upperclassman

"Luz." Viney calmly called her

"W-what? We have no time to talk, Viney. We must-" Before she could even finish talking, The older teen suddenly pulled her into a hug. 

The freshman was stunned yet speechless. Her hands were shaking, hesitating to hug her friend back. She felt like this was something she needed but something stood in her mind. 

"Don't show weakness." 

Being in charge of the club made Luz change and become one of them. The pressure, the stress, and the mistakes she has done. It was all getting into her.

Instead of hugging back, she gritted her teeth out of anger before pushing the older teen away from her. 

"V-Viney!" She shouted with a broken voice

Everybody gasped from the scene, especially Amity. Jerbo and Barcus were quick to rush towards Viney to back her up while King and the others stood shocked in their position. 

Amity's eyes widened. As much as she wanted to run towards Luz to calm her down, something was suddenly stopping her from even moving. 

She just stared at her, feeling more worried than before. But when Luz shifted her gaze onto the elite, her eyes widened as she realized her actions. 

She backed away and glanced around her teammates. Seeing their fear made her unexplainable emotions get the best of her. 

"V-Viney... I'm so sorry." She managed to stammer out, stuttering in some parts. 

The older teen growled and exchanged an angered look to Luz. "Whatever." She then walked away, leaving Luz alone on the stage. 

"Viney-" The freshman tried to reach out to her again but she stops mid-way, hesitating to run after her. 

"Damn." She sighed. "What's going on with me?" 

Moments later, Luz knew she couldn't just stand there and feel sorry for herself. She shook all her thoughts away and faced her crew. 

"Alright, get into your positions. We still need that practice." She announced, turning on the speaker to play the selected audio for their performance.

All of her crew had no choice but to follow orders. There they stood where they were assigned as they waited for Luz's next instruction

Once the music started to play, the freshman rushed to the center of the stage to monitor her team's movements. 

"In five, six, seven, eight!" 

Everybody started dancing according to their plan. Everything was in sync and all was beginning to look good. On the other hand, Luz stood in the middle, watching everyone's performance

The one member that stood out the most for Luz was no other than Amity. Her movements were so elegant and all the steps were perfectly executed. 

A weak smile formed on the teen's face, enjoying watching the elite dance. As for the moment, Luz couldn't figure out why Amity is the only person that can make the freshman smile even at tough times. 

She once hated her for being an elite. And here she shows why she was named one. Luz was glad that she and Amity had finally made amends several days ago but she still had that same guilt every time she looks at her. 

"I'll fix this, Amity. I promise." 

But Luz's smile didn't last for long. She immediately snapped when she realizes someone has made a mistake in the supposed step in the performance

She gritted her teeth as she walked toward the person who had failed to do the step. The music paused, all eyes were now on her. 

Everybody started to tremble in fear as Luz came closer. All were worried about who was Luz after. Not long after, Luz stopped in front of the one she calls "Failure"

"King." 

"Weh?" The poor boy nervously gasped, taking a few steps back. "Oh shoot, did I mess that part again? I'm so sorry, Luz I-" 

"How many times do we even have to practice that part for you to get it right, King?! It's not that hard!" Luz interrupted. 

Amity steps into the scene. "Luz, calm dow-" 

"DO IT AGAIN!" The freshman shouted once more, sounding more angered than before. "We're not stopping until you get it right!" 

Viney and Willow rushed towards King. "Back off, Luz!" Her upperclassmen shouted back. 

"Why are you being like this? You said that dancing is supposed to be fun but look at you now!" 

The teen laughed. "Fun? I just broke this club, it's my responsibility to build it back again before Boscha or any of the elites find me!" 

"Goddammit, Luz!" Viney finally snapped and took hold of Luz. "You're still thinking about that?! Didn't we plan that we're gonna fix this together, as a team! We're with you!" 

"I made this mess, Viney!" Luz started to tear up, showing her weakness to all of her friends. "How could I fix all of this if we can't even get the steps right? Do you know how hard it is for me that remember the fact that I broke the club and its members, even Amity's career!" 

The elite's eyes widened when her name was mentioned. After all this time, the freshman still carried the guilt when she first appeared. As the days slowly get closer to the qualifying, the more anxious Luz gets. 

"We need to make this perfect, I NEED TO MAKE THIS PERFORMANCE PERFECT!" Tears were now freely flowing down her face, confused and scared. "I may be a freshman but I'm doing my best to make it up for her!" She shakingly pointed a finger towards the elite. 

Amity hated to see Luz freak out like this. She gritted her teeth and pointed to herself. "M-me? Luz... you don't have to do any of these I swear-" 

"I DO, I NEED TO FIX THIS. I RUINED EVERYTHING FOR YOU, AMITY!" 

Unaware of her actions, Luz suddenly walked towards Amity and held both her hands, still looking down to avoid meeting her gaze.

"You said it yourself, I ruined everything." 

At that moment, The elite started to tear up as well. She pulled one hand away from Luz's grip, cupping her cheeks after. 

"Luz, please. Calm down."

"I need to fix this, please." The freshman replied before pulling away, facing the rest of her crew. 'But how could I do that if we keep messing up?" 

"N-not everything has to be perfect, Luz," Willow replied

Augustus stepped up, still holding King close to him. "Yeah, we love Dancing because we found it fun and relaxing...But you're taking the fun of it

"Because you all aren't serious about it! Do I have to do everything here myself or-" 

"YOU'RE BECOMING AN ELITE, LUZ! YOU BECOMING LIKE BOSCHA!" Willow shouted to interrupt, making Luz and the others gasped. 

Willow herself is now angered by their so-called leader. She couldn't take any of the blames the freshman has given to her team. She had to stand up and stop this

"You used to hate and rebel against elites for their corrupted ways. But look at you now, you're just like them." She added, showing disgust towards Luz

"I-" The short-haired teen was speechless, unable to reply nor fight back. She backed away from the crowd, looking at each and every one of them

They were worried for Luz. Only Viney and Willow showed anger towards her. But after she heard what Willow yelled, she realized that she herself has become an elite. 

"No..." She muttered after realization. Y-you're right... I-" The freshman kept on stuttering, repeating some of the words. 

"I'm better, I'm not like Boscha..." she backed away, falling to her knees

Amity sighed and kneeled in front of Luz, cupping her cheeks to make her look into her eyes. "Now, you know what I feel." 

"A-Amity..." 

"Listen, Luz. I know, it's been hard for you when the Dance club left. But that doesn't mean that only you get to go through this. You're not alone, we're all here for you. I know, I'm an Elite and I shouldn't be saying things like this, but you opened up my eyes, Noceda. You showed me how wrong and corrupt the elite system is." 

"I know what you feel, I've been there. Ever since I was little,  my mother forced me to pursue and continue her career in dancing with my siblings. I hated it, the pressure and stress were killing me and it made me the angry teen that you met a few days ago. But not anymore, you're here to change me. I couldn't say thank you enough, Luz Noceda." 

The freshman's sobs weakened and yet she couldn't say or reply. Instead placed her hand on top of Amity's and continued crying. 

"Hey... Don't cry- Ah!" She gasped when she felt Luz pulled her into a tight hug. Her cheeks blushed when she felt her body compressed with the freshman's

"Amity... Thank you." Luz finally stammered out. 

The elite smiled and hugged back. "No, thank you. I promise we're getting through this, together." 

After a few seconds, both teens parted away from the hug. Amity was the first one to stand up, helping her friend get back too

But when they realized that all of the crew was staring at them, Amity's cheeks reddened from all the attention. But all that matters to her is that Luz is finally alright. 

Luz wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry. I really am." She told her crewmates. "I was just so overwhelmed that it got to me, I was too serious and-" 

"Hey." Willow stopped her. "It's alright, Luz. We just didn't know that you're going through that." 

Luz nodded and smiled before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you, Willow." She then parted away and faced King, Gus, Jerbo, and Barcus

"You guys..." 

All 4 boys smiled. "It's alright, Luz. We're just glad that you're okay." 

King then stepped in front. "I promise to work harder. I'm not giving up just yet, Luz. I want to help you as much as I can." 

"Awh, buddy!" Luz laughed and gave King their signature high-five move. "I'm sorry." 

"All is good, promise."

After Luz learned she was never alone with the pain she felt, the heavy feeling on her chest lifted. She was thankful for having them as friends, but there was one more person that she needs to apologize to. 

She looked to her right, seeing the upperclassman she admires. At first, Viney avoided any contact with her, she won't even look at Luz for the way she acted. 

The teen sighed and approached her. "Viney, I'm so sorry... I need your help, please." Her voice cracked. 

Viney didn't look back nor reply, making Luz's eyes tear up again. She hated seeing her friends in a state like this, she needed to do something. 

"Viney, please, I'm so sorry! Please for-" 

Before the freshman could finish, Viney charged at her and gave her the tightest yet comforting hug she ever had. 

"Kff!" Luz gasped as her eyes widened from the quick event. "Viney..." 

"Of course, I forgive you, dude. Please don't cry, we love you and we're here for you." Viney cheered

Luz couldn't help but smile as she finally hugged her friend back. She needed this, she couldn't handle managing the club by herself, she needed her friends to help and support her

"I know we just met a few days ago but-" Augustus began to cry from the emotional scene. "I already loVe you guys!" 

"Gus stop crying-" Willow laughed and patted his back

"No, shush, we need more drama." Jerbo joined

Everybody then started to join in the laugh, trying to forget all the negativity that just occurred. But while the rest of the team joked and laughed around, Luz walked towards Amity and pulled her away from the crowd. 

"Oh hey?" 

"Hey... I just wanted to say sorry for all of that. I didn't realize that I was a jerk." 

"Don't worry about it. You were under pressure and we should have helped you. Every elite starts like this, but you, Luz, managed it well." 

"Seriously? Does that mean Boscha had a hard time too when she was starting to be an elite?" 

Amity chuckled. "Y-yeah I think so. She couldn't handle everything by herself so I helped her. That is when she grew colder because all she cares about is her career and the dance club."

The freshman giggled. "And this is why I'm against the elite system. If only there's a way to stop this. Maybe, Boscha is not that bad once we get to know what she felt, I mean, you and she built the hexside name in the dancing career!" 

"And that's why I idolized her." Amity started, looking back into Luz's eyes. "But that was before I met you, Luz. You're much stronger." 

"Amity... I-" 

Once again, Luz was interrupted when they all heard a loud noise coming from the front door. All of their attention shifted to the direction of the sound, and what they saw shocked all of them. 

"Is that so?"  a familiar voice laughed

"Shoot they found us, scatter!" King tried to make an escape again but Viney was quick to grab him. 

The front door was boarded with several chairs at first but it all scattered when the doors flew open. With this, Luz quickly rushed in front of Amity and looked for the one who opened it.

Their position was exposed to any elites but the halls seemed empty and no one was entering the doors. 

Until they all heard someone calling in that same direction, it gets louder as its shadow grows bigger. All of the teens inside the room started to tremble in fear, afraid that it might be an elite from other clubs

But Luz and Amity took the position in front, protecting their friends as they wait for the stranger to come inside and show itself. 

"W-who's there? How did you open the doors?!" Luz called out. 

"Just the rightful owner of this club" They replied before stepping into the room, there she revealed herself and shocked almost everyone. 

Amity's eyes widened, showing fear towards the person standing in front of them. "N-no..." She backed away, hiding behind Luz. 

As for Luz, her reaction was the same. she couldn't believe she returned this early. 

"B-Boscha!" 

The pink-haired teen laughed. "Hey losers, did ya miss me?" she placed her hands on her hips. "I'm back from the hospital, it was pretty boring there but you get the point" 

"It's a shame though, Amity. You replaced me for that pathetic freshman." 

"N-no! Boscha, I would never do that to you I swear-" 

"Oh can it, Blight! I heard everything." She began walking towards the stage. "You've become soft since I left, you lost your representation as an elite."

She then pushed Luz away and went for Amity, placing her thumb on her chin. "And worse, you showed weakness." 

"Get away from her!" Luz immediately pulled Amity away as she stood in front of the first elite in the Dance club. 

The teen smirked. "And your the freshman who broke my club as soon as I left. I wasn't even gone for a good 30 minutes and you managed to scare all my members. I'm surprised Amity stayed with you." 

"I'll fix it, I promise! But... how did you know?" Luz asked, confused. 

Boscha laughed as she took a few steps back, waiting for the right time to show the invaders what she brought.

"I got my own set of eyes here at the campus. Even if I'm away, I know everything."She smiled, snapping her fingers as if she was signaling someone. 

When Luz was about to shout back at her, she heard multiple footsteps coming this way. She tried to back away but it was too late, they're here

"Holy sh-" 

The upper elite smiled and clapped her hand. "Oh no need to worry, Noceda. We all knew your secret club from the start. Me and ALL OF THE ELITES."

There that stood behind Boscha was all of the standing elites in all available clubs. All were staring at one particular student. 

"Surprise, surprise, Luz. I'm taking back my club."