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𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗣

chapter eighteen:
a dancer's tips !

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IT WAS FINALLY opening night for Beauty and the Beast, and Violetta would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous.

Listen, she might've thought this whole Menkies competition was ridiculous, but it did mean a lot to Miss Jenn. Not to mention that they had all watched North High's production of the show the previous night, and it was actually pretty good. It was no secret that North High had a higher budget with their fancy costumes and their elaborate sets, but East High had heart. Violetta had faith they would do okay.

Currently, everyone was either running around on the stage or scrambling in the bomb shelter to get ready for the show. Violetta, already in her red Silly Girl dress, sat at one of the tables. She was applying some more blush to her face so she wouldn't get washed out from the stage lights when a new figure appeared behind her.

It was EJ, not dressed in his costume yet. Well, not full costume. He had his large Gaston eyebrows and sideburns on.

Violetta instantly laughed loudly. She dropped her blush brush onto the table and covered her mouth with her hand in effort to stop her laughter, but it was no use. He just looked too ridiculous. EJ rolled his eyes and hopped up to sit down on the counter.

"I'm sorry," Violetta let out. "I'm so sorry."

"No you're not," EJ replied. "Go on, laugh all you want."

"You just look funny."

"That's actually really great to hear from your girlfriend."

Violetta rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You excited for opening night?"

EJ smiled down at her. "Yeah, you?"

She shrugged, adjusting her dress a little bit in the mirror. "Kind of. Hate that it's for a competition, but it's whatever. But I get to dance, so that's a plus."

Athena suddenly came over near them with Natalie. Both Ricky and Athena had braces on their wrists after Ricky's fall when the rope snapped, and since neither of them had Understudies, they just had to deal with it. They had come up with the idea, though, to bedazzle Athena's brace so it would look prettier on stage, so that's what Natalie was doing.

"You doing all right?" Violetta asked to Athena, who had sat down so Natalie could start to place rhinestones on her wrist.

"Not at all," Athena answered.

"Why don't you laugh at EJ's Gaston eyebrows and sideburns?"

Athena let out a sigh and stared at EJ, but she didn't laugh at all. "I'm not in the mood."

EJ blinked in shock and glanced down at Violetta. "Athena? Not making fun of me for once? Something really must be wrong."

"Yeah, it's the fact that I feel like my head is going in circles."

"Athena, you're going to do great," Violetta insisted. "And I'm not just saying that as your best friend. We've all seen you at rehearsals. You're a natural up there."

She shook her good hand out in front of her — a nervous habit that she had. "I just wish I would play the piano right now. It always calms me down, but my stupid wrist . . ."

"Okay, half hour call!" Natalie announced, walking across the bomb shelter after finishing Athena's bedazzlement.

Violetta looked up at EJ. "Can you tell me that Be Our Guest is going to go well?"

EJ smiled softly at her and took her chin in his hand gently. "Be Our Guest is going to be incredible, mostly because you're in it."

"That's a lot of pressure."

"Wildcats!" Miss Jenn shouted. "Villagers! My friends and allies." Violetta stood up from her chair and moved to join the circle, standing in between EJ and Athena. "As you know, there is a judge out there in the audience tonight who is very important to the future of this theater program. He is going to score every performance, our music, our sets, Lord help us, even me. And in two weeks at the Menkies, we could win . . ." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Fifty-thousand dollars."

Violetta felt EJ nudge her side as exclaims of joy sounded around the room. She grinned to herself and nudged him back. Fifty-thousand dollars was actually insane.

"So tonight, we are going to put the U in Utah!"

None of them laughed or reacted at that. Seb was the only one, who just clapped once to give Miss Jenn something. Violetta shook her head fondly. How precious was he?

Miss Jenn focused her attention on Ricky and Athena. "And to Ricky and Athena, some words of inspiration. My deep and shameful disappointment in your recent accident has mellowed to a sort of, uh, numbness, so there's that."

"Were those supposed to be the words of inspiration?" Athena questioned.

"Yes, they were." The bomb shelter was now stuck in a tense silence, because literally nothing about that was inspiring. "Okay, where is LeFou?"

Big Red ran into the room, holding a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. "Sorry I'm late. Just some dry heaving."

"Dude," Ricky said.

He gave Ricky an incredulous look. "Dry."

Ashlyn bent down and picked up a huge basket of flowers, one a lot like the one Big Red had given to her on the opening night of High School Musical. "Um . . . Biggie, I got you a little something for your big debut. There's a card and everything."

"Oh, wow."

Big Red then gagged and ran back out of the room with his hand covering his mouth. Violetta awkwardly clasped her hands in front of her and nodded. Yep. Big Red, for sure.

Ashlyn turned to face all of them. "He's ready."

All of them dispersed around to do their own thing before the show would start. Violetta went back to her table and sat down. She fixed a little more of her makeup before she noticed Athena pacing behind her in the mirror. Violetta turned around in her chair, and saw that Athena was smoothing down the skirt of Belle's blue dress with her hands over and over again. She was also repeating lyrics under her breath even though she knew them by heart.

"There goes the baker with his tray, like always," Athena sang to herself, and Violetta got a sad yet fond smile on her face. "The same old bread and rolls to sell."

"Athena, you're sending yourself into a spiral," Violetta stated.

"I can't help it. It's my first lead and this show is basically resting on mine and Ricky's shoulders because we're Belle and the Beast—" She stopped and stared at Violetta. "Do you think I should check on Ricky?"

Violetta raised an eyebrow at that. "He'd probably help calm you down, 'Thena."

"Okay. Yeah, okay. I'll be back."

She watched as Athena rushed out of the room, shaking her head once she was gone. Those two had to get back together soon, or Violetta would be stuck slamming her head against the wall forever. That would cause her a major headache, however, and she did not want that.

"Cast and crew, this is your places call," Natalie's voice then echoed over the loudspeaker.

Considering she was in Belle, Violetta moved to go backstage. When she got there, she spotted EJ standing by the curtains, also there because he was also in Belle. She smiled to herself and walked up to him, linking her arm through his. EJ glanced down at her and grinned as well.

"Can't wait for you to act like you're obsessed with me," EJ commented.

"Oh, get over yourself," Violetta argued playfully. "You're going to do great out there, by the way."

"Same to you."

Ricky suddenly appeared on center stage. Violetta and EJ instantly shut up, staring out at him so the show could began. Ricky placed his hands on his hips and turned his head to look off into the wings, acting very regal. The orchestra started to play the opening music and the curtains rose. Violetta started to clap with the audience as they noticed Ricky, and Ricky turned around to face them.

"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle," Mr. Mazzara read. Violetta had absolutely no clue how Miss Jenn convinced him to do that. "Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle, and offered him a single rose in exchange for shelter from the bitter cold."

Steph then went out on the stage in a traveling cloak and a witch's nose, holding the big rose prop. She had been given the role of the enchantress, which was her very first major role. As one of her friends, Violetta watched in pride as Steph acted out what she was told to. Steph was twirling her hands dramatically and she was showing off the rose. Ricky was standing off to the side, staring at her curiously.

"Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift, and turned the old woman away."

Ricky shielded himself away from Steph. He then pretended to laugh and pointed into the wings, telling her silently to leave.

"But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within."

Steph walked around Ricky in a circle, waving her finger at him. She hit his arm once she made it to his other side.

"And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress."

Steph lowered the hood of her cloak and ripped off the witch's nose, throwing it to the side. She spun herself around a couple times, looking absolutely gorgeous. Violetta nodded at her, smiling to herself. Ricky then got to his knees and pretended to beg for her forgiveness.

"If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken."

She handed the rose prop to Ricky. Fog started to roll onto the stage. and Steph threw her long skirt around to move it.

"If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time."

Steph positioned herself in front of Ricky, still waving her skirt around. Ricky ducked behind her to shield himself so he could transform into the Beast. Steph moved off into the wings, and Ricky stood back up, now wearing his Beast mask and his Beast makeup. Ricky stared at the rose prop and looked at his paw in shock. The audience began to cheer, and Violetta reached out, taking Steph's arm in her hand as the lights dimmed.

"You did incredible," Violetta told her.

Steph grinned. "Thanks, Vi. I have to go get into my next costume, but have fun with Belle."

Violetta looked up at EJ as Steph walked away, unlinking their arms. "Go out there and act like a jerk. Shouldn't be hard for you to do."

"I actually hate you," EJ replied.

"No, you don't."

If only she had any idea how he didn't hate her, not at all — it was actually the opposite of that.

Violetta smoothed down the skirt of her dress, watching as Athena walked on stage with a single spotlight, beginning the song. She let out a deep breath. Time to shine.

═════════ • ° • ✰ • ° • ═════════

THE FIRST ACT was actually going pretty smooth. There hadn't been any mistakes in the songs or in the acting, but it was time for the big Act One finale — Be Our Guest.

Violetta was back to pretending to be another inanimate object. First a disco ball, and now a spoon. At least this one made sense, because the utensils did dance in the original version of Beauty and the Beast.

"Wildcats!" Miss Jenn began, all of them gathered in the bomb shelter before the performance. "This is going fine. I am mostly proud, and I heard Big Red has not thrown up in over twenty minutes."

Violetta shook her head and tried to lean closer to Athena, but it was kind of hard in her spoon costume. "Oh, honey. That's so not true."

"Every great performance needs an X factor. Something special that puts it over the top. A little birdie has just told me where our Menkies judge is sitting, and I'm thinking that with just a few minor adjustments, we can make this gentlemen feel every bit as welcome as the intruder that my mother clubbed over the head when I was a girl."

Violetta tilted her head in thought.

"I thought she just hog-tied him," Seb admitted.

Miss Jenn nodded at him. "She just hog-tied him. When the next song begins, I have directed Benjamin Mazzara and his lighting-ists—"

"They're called grips," Natalie cut in.

"—to spotlight our judge. And then I need you all to make him feel especially and uniquely welcome." Athena shared a very confused glance with Violetta. "Any questions?"

Gina lifted up her feather duster. "Many questions."

"Should we just do what we rehearsed?" Seb inquired, speaking for all of them. "Doesn't that feel a little desperate?"

"It feels that way for a reason, Sebastian," Miss Jenn insisted. "Besides, Carlos is a seasoned professional who can roll with anything, right?"

Carlos didn't say anything. In fact, he hadn't said anything all night except for his lines on stage. He was kind of freaked out after seeing Antoine was actually on fire when he played Lumière at North High's show. Carlos sent a look to Seb, who had been translating for him.

"He says help," Seb voiced.

The time had finally come. Violetta stood in the wings, waiting for the song to begin. Athena's arm was locked in hers. It was clear that Athena was nervous about dancing. The two of them were opposites in that way — Athena was more confident in her singing but not her dancing, and Violetta was more confident in her dancing but not her singing. Violetta was giving her little reminders, trying to calm her down.

"Let Gina lead you across the stage," Violetta said. "I'll be near you in the kick line, but you've got that down. And remember, spot during the turns at the end. I don't even know why I'm telling you this because you know this by heart."

"It's making me feel better," Athena responded.

"Glad I'm here to help."

"Thanks, babe."

Natalie then signaled to Athena that it was time to go on. Athena squeezed Violetta's arm before letting go. Her and Carlos went to the middle of the stage to stand in front of the golden door set. Violetta then rushed behind it, joining the rest of the dancers. A spotlight then shone on the stage.

Violetta couldn't see much, but she did see Gina push a chair further onto the stage, which meant that it was almost time. The golden doors then moved away to reveal the dancers dressed up as spoons, forks, and knives, and they all smiled at the audience, placed in different positions.

A spotlight shone directly on them, which also shoe on a man in the audience. Violetta didn't have time to dwell on that as Gina pushed the chair so Athena scooted over into the spotlight. She stood up, forming two parallel lines with the other dancers. One by one, all of the utensils swept by Athena. Violetta shared a bright grin with Athena as she passed her, reassuring her that it was going to be fine.

Violetta moved off to the side momentarily before coming back on stage with a platter when Carlos was leading her across the set of the dining room. Her and some others lifted up a person dressed as a napkin and took him across the stage, Athena ducking underneath their lines. They set down the napkin before going off stage.

She then got a dish costume strapped onto her back, and she moved across the stage. Violetta stopped in her spot and twirled around the dish prop before going back off stage. She took off her dish, and EJ handed her her spoon prop. Violetta gave him a gracious smile and went back out on stage, moving across it with her spoon while dressed as a spoon.

Violetta ran back off stage and practically threw her spoon at EJ before rushing across the stage again, a bright smile on her face. This number was a lot of running around, but they had practiced it so many times, so she was basically used to it by now. She grabbed a glass and lifted it up, walking forwards with a grin.

They all then started to be sad, and Violetta and the others ducked down, going back into the wings. She stopped and stood beside Gina, trying to catch her breath. Gina lifted up her hand, and Violetta gave her a gentle high-five. Only a little bit left to go.

Kourtney then skipped on stage, taking Athena with her. Violetta hyped herself up for a moment before going back on stage, pushing a cart now. She went back to the other side of the stage and paused for a moment before going back out. Her and Kaden then started to throw foam cubes that they were pretending was sugar into the crowd. Ever since rehearsal started for this number, they had a competition to see who could throw the farthest.

Violetta won.

Everybody besides Athena and Kourtney went off stage. They dropped all of their props, and Violetta grabbed onto Kaden's hand, starting their chain. She ran back out onto the stage while the chain from the other side rushed out as well. Violetta put her hand on Athena's back, making her the center, and gave her a small nod.

Together, they all started to do their kick line choreography and sing the rest of the song. Violetta, Carlos, Kourtney, Seb, Nini, and Gina then all left the kickline, leaving Athena and the other utensils. Their little group moved to stand on the table, still singing their song.

Athena then stepped forwards, her hands on her chests. The rest of the utensils moved back, letting Athena have her moment. Athena extended her arms out to her side and started to turn herself around. She gradually got faster and faster. Violetta watched in pride, her smile widening as she still sang the song, noticing that Athena had followed her instructions and remembering to spot.

The end of the song almost came when Athena turned back to the table and waved. Violetta grinned at her before Athena turned back to the audience. On the last note, she laced her fingers together and raised her clasped hands to her chest, crossing one foot behind the other. Golden streamers erupted from behind her, and the auditorium erupted in applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a fifteen minute intermission," Natalie stated. "If you don't buy at least twenty dollars worth of concessions, you do not support art. Thank you."

Everyone waited in their ending positions for the curtain to close. But as Violetta looked out into the audience, breathing heavily with possibly the brightest grin she had ever had on her face, she knew that this was her calling. This was what the universe wanted for her.

∘ ₊ ✧ ──── ✧ ₊ ∘

I miss prince ricky bring him back