Bring It On by Jasmine Beller Page B

saw this cool combo on TRL last night and I’m trying to break it down. Help me?”
    â€œSure,” Emerson answered. Thank you, thank you, thank you, she added silently to Sophie. She lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and headed over.
    The twins came in as Sophie started showing Emerson the steps. They were talking to each other, ignoring Emerson and everybody else, but that was normal.
    â€œWhy is it so quiet in here?” Ky asked when he entered. No one answered. He shrugged. Bounced his basketball a few times, then stashed it in the corner.
    He doesn’t seem mad at me, Emerson thought. She wished she could just focus on the moves she and Sophie were working on instead of trying to put everybody who came through the door into either the friend or enemy camp. Make that enemy or not-enemy camp. Right now Sophie was the only one who really felt like a friend.
    Ill papi came in, followed by Sammi a few moments later. Neither looked especially happy. But neither paid any attention to Emerson.
    Then Gina entered, and the whole group came to attention. “I have an announcement,” Gina said.
    Here it comes, Emerson thought, trying to brace herself.
    â€œWell, two of them, actually,” Gina continued. “I’m pleased to announce that Sammi Qian will be sitting in on our classes. She’s a talented dancer, and Maddy and I think she’s someone who might be a great part of the Performance Group somewhere down the road. Everyone give her a big welcome.”
    There was some applause, but not much. Emerson felt bad for Sammi. The lack of enthusiasm didn’t have anything to do with her. It’s just that everyone knew Sammi had been brought in as a replacement for Devane.
    Gina used her fingers to push her curly hair away from her face. “Second, I’m sorry to say that Devane will no longer be with our group.”
    â€œSorry, right,” Emerson heard someone mutter. She thought it was Fridge.
    â€œDoes someone have something to say?” Gina asked, her voice crisp and cool, her eyes narrowed on Fridge. Clearly Gina thought he’d been the speaker, too.
    Max raised her hand. “Go ahead,” Gina told her.
    â€œWhy?” Max asked.
    Gina hesitated a moment. “Maddy and I had decided to put Devane on probation for changing the choreography at the Gulliver Academy show,” she answered. “That was unacceptable to her, so she chose to leave Hip Hop Kidz.”
    â€œWhy?” Max said again.
    Gina frowned. “I don’t know what you’re asking.”
    â€œWhy was she going to get probation?” Max burst out.
    â€œI’ve just explained it. She changed the choreography. She could have ruined the performance for all of you,” Gina said, color rising to her cheeks.
    â€œAll of us?” a girl—Emerson was almost positive it was Becca—said very softly. “Don’t you mean one ?”
    â€œYou still think no one believes it’s my fault that Devane got kicked out?” Emerson whispered to Sophie.

CHAPTER 10
    â€œHey, Sammi!” ill papi called as they left class.
    He knows my name, Sammi thought. And he’s using it. Nice.
    She turned around with a mid-level hair flip. “What’s up?” she asked, with another hair flip. Too much, she told herself. He’s gonna think you have dandruff.
    â€œI just wanted to ask you what the name of the hamburger in Aqua Teen is,” he said, pulling a notebook and a pen out of his pocket.
    â€œUm . . .” Sammi thought frantically, trying to remember any names she’d heard during any of those Adult Swim cartoons Sophie watched.
    â€œEEEE!” A buzzer sound came out of ill papi’s mouth. Loud and harsh and inhuman. “Wrong. There is no hamburger. There’s a meatball. Are you telling me you don’t know the difference between a hamburger and a meatball?”
    â€œI’m a vegetarian,” Sammi sputtered. She