Free Showstopper by Sheryl Berk

feelings’ kind of thing?”
    â€œCheaters never win,” Toni answered. “But I suppose Justine cheated in changing her routine to copy ours.”
    â€œWe all know Justine’s batty anyway,” Liberty quipped. “I say we forget it ever happened.”
    â€œI say you go out there and win us first place,” Toni insisted. “Then I’ll decide how to handle your fibbing to the Feet.”

House of Cards

    As City Feet strutted off the stage, Liberty raised her hand to high-five them.
    â€œNice,” she said. “What do you call that routine—‘Four Strikes You’re Out’?”
    â€œI call it a winner,” Regan replied. “Especially when you go out there and do your pathetic best to copy it.”
    â€œOh, you mean the baseball thing?” Rochelle asked. “Yeah, it’s not happening.”
    Mandy’s mouth hung open. “Huh? Gracie said you were doing a dance with baseball bats!”
    â€œYou shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” Bria pointed out.
    â€œI told you we should have put in chopped liver and penguins,” Gracie said, pouting. “You guys need to trust me more!”
    Liberty pushed Regan aside. “Out of the way,” she said. “Let us show you how it’s done.”
    The Divas took their places on the three-tiered platform Toni had built. They waited patiently for the host to announce them: “Performing a jazz number to ‘Luck Be a Lady,’ please welcome, Dance Divas in ‘House of Cards’!”
    As they had rehearsed, Rochelle ducked down to let Gracie leapfrog high over her head. Gracie’s shoes and hat were trimmed in jingly bells that tinkled as she flipped and flitted around the stage. Each girl brought her own character and style to her role: Anya’s ace was a delicate ballerina
en pointe
; Rochelle’s jack was a cool and confident hip-hop dancerbreak dancing on the floor; Bria’s ten of diamonds did a sparkling tap time step; and Liberty and Scarlett were a lyrical king and queen in all their royal splendor. Liberty’s crown twinkled under the stage lights as she pranced around in a white vinyl catsuit with green and purple piping. They did an impressive fifteen
fouetté
turns in perfect sync before Liberty hit a switch on her waistband to reveal a “hidden” element of her costume: all the seams lit up and flashed in time to the music!
    The audience oohed and aahed, especially when Gracie stood on Rock’s shoulders and jumped onto a trampoline. When she bounced back up in the air, she did a forward somersault. At the end of the number, all the girls stood in a line and fell backward, like a house of cards toppling over. There was thunderous applause and whistling; one judge gave them two enthusiastic thumbs-up.
    As they dashed off the stage, Toni grabbed Liberty by the elbow. “What happened todoing your costume without any help?” she asked. “How many electricians did it take to rig up those flashing lights?”
    â€œNone,” Liberty insisted. “It was actually an old Halloween costume that I found at my next-door neighbor’s yard sale.” She showed Toni the label on the back: it read BUZZ LIGHTYEAR.
    â€œSo you recycled it?” Toni asked her.
    â€œYup, and I glued all the gems on the crown myself,” she said, taking off her headpiece. “Scout’s honor!”
    â€œYou’re not a Girl Scout,” Rochelle pointed out.
    â€œOkay, then Diva’s honor. I really did it all myself. My mom was way too busy choreographing Pitbull, and I needed something to do in the hotel all day.”
    Toni nodded. “Then you did a great job, which I hope teaches you a lesson—you don’t need to rely on your mom’s help or connections.”
    Liberty smiled. It felt good to do something by herself for once. “Who knew?”
    â€œI did,” Toni replied with a