SYTYCD Blog Only Teaser

“Edward!” called Alistair. “Come into the office. Please!”

I walked into the production office. Carmen was inside, along with Chloe. “Everything okay?” I asked, sitting down.

“Perfect, really. We’ve been offered to do another season,” Alistair beamed. “I was wondering if you’d like to continue working with us, as a choreographer and as an All-Star?”

“I’d be honored,” I chuckled. “This season has been awesome and the challenge of choreographing is beyond any description.”

Carmen clapped her hands, bouncing in her chair. “Which brings us to our next little tidbit of information. You’ve been nominated for an Emmy.”

“Say what?” I squeaked.

“For the party salsa group routine,” Carmen nodded. “And you’re in good company, too. Travis, Sonya and Nappy Tabs are also up for Emmy’s as well. Congratulations!”

“Plus, Chloe is up for best host of a reality show,” Alistair added, patting Chloe on the knee. “We’ve got a lot of things to celebrate!”

“And So You Think You Can Dance is up for best reality show,” Chloe smirked. “Lots of accolades. Congratulations, Edward.”

“Thanks. You, as well,” I smiled. “Talk about surreal.”

“You’re hitting it big, kid,” Carmen squealed. “You were on the hot tamale train when you competed and it’s transferring over to your professional career.”

“And let’s not forget the love connection,” Alistair snickered.

“I’m going,” I sang, getting up. “I have to warm up before Bella and I rehearse today.” I waved, leaving the office. Inside my rehearsal studio, I was micced up and did some quick stretches before Bella arrived. We reviewed what we learned and then spent some time getting fitted for our costumes. After that, we performed our foxtrot as many times as we were able before Bella went to go rehearse with Alice on the stage with Sonya.

Alice behaved herself, but she was distant with Sonya and Bella. Bella was happy about that, whereas Sonya wanted Alice to really get into the piece. Alice seemed uninterested and she stomped away at the end of the rehearsal when Jasper appeared to work with Bella on their Bollywood number. I could tell that Bella was tired, but she muscled through. However, when we practiced our hip hop number with Tabitha and Napoleon, Bella was favoring her knee and not dancing full-out.

“Okay, folks, tomorrow, we’re doing camera blocking and finalizing our choices for costumes. We’ll be spending most of our time in here,” Alistair said. “Take care of yourselves and get a good night’s sleep.”

“If only I could walk,” Bella grumbled. She noticeably limped and I swept her off her feet. “Really?”

“You’re getting massaged and spending time with the physical therapists,” I argued.

“I agree and I’ve got the doctor on his way,” Alistair said, arching a brow over his thick glasses. Bella didn’t respond as I carried her to the backstage area with the massage tables. A small woman with sleek black hair and funky glasses, Maureen, worked on Bella. Alistair came in with a doctor, not the one who had worked on her before and they made the decision to give Bella a steroid shot in her knee. However, they’d give it to her tomorrow night since there would be no rehearsals the morning of the taping. It would give Bella an opportunity to adjust to the steroid shot. However, Alistair insisted on Bella coming back to my apartment with me. I didn’t argue and neither did Bella, saying she didn’t want to spend the evening with Alice, who was acting like queen bitch all during their rehearsal.

However, as I was carrying Bella out of the studio, I saw Alice glaring at us and something swirling in her eyes. I didn’t know what it was, but certainly it was something that was no good.

So You Think You Can Dance Teaser

“Back straight, Bella,” I said as we glided across the hardwood floor. She was off today and crabby. We were rehearsing our foxtrot and it was not gelling together. When she accidently stomped on my foot with her heel, I grabbed her hips. “Bella, what’s going on?”

“The pressure,” she muttered, limping over to the edge of the studio. She picked up a water bottle and chugged it. “And all of the rehearsals. I’m hurting and …” Tears splashed onto her cheeks and she slid down the wall. I shot a look to the producer. They cut the video and slipped out of the rehearsal space. As soon as the door closed, I was on the floor and Bella was in my arms. She lost it, sobbing and clinging to my t-shirt. “I’m trying my best, Edward, but I’m so tired. My leg is killing me and this dance with Alice is … it’s horrible. It requires so much trust and I don’t trust her.”

“What is it about the dance?”  I asked. Bella reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She showed me a video of a rehearsal. It wasn’t the difficulty, but the possibility of Alice doing further damage to Bella’s knee. “Have you spoken to Sonya about this?”

“She’s aware of my concerns with Alice and so far, things have been fine, but it doesn’t stop my fear that Alice is going to fuck me up,” Bella hissed.

I kissed her temple, holding her tightly. “Look, we have to finish this rehearsal, pretty girl. I need to teach you the rest of the choreography. I was not expecting to choreograph a foxtrot, but when Louis Van Amstel had to have his appendix out, I was forced to come up with something. So, let’s at least get the rest of the choreography learned and then we’ll get out of here. I’m taking you home with me.”

“But, I have a rehearsal with Jacob tonight,” Bella whispered. “Not filmed, but yeah … we want to make sure our contemporary piece is up to snuff since we’re both contemporary dancers.”

“No. You don’t,” I said, shooting a text to Jacob using Bella’s phone. “Ha! He agreed. He’s going to spend time with the physical therapist. You all have been working yourselves to the bone.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “I think you’re right.”

“No thinking … I am right,” I snorted. “Now, can we finish this?”

“Let me just wash my face and then yes,” she replied. I stood up, helping her to her feet. Bella ducked out and I got the camera crew back into the studio. We finished going over the dance for our foxtrot. Bella was still moving stiffly, but I knew it was due to physical exhaustion and her knee bothering her. After the producer removed our microphones, I packed up our bags and led Bella down to my car. 

So You Think You Can Dance Teaser

I rolled my eyes, agreeing to pick him up. I made it back to my apartment with enough time to hose off the sweat. I grabbed a protein bar and some water, making my way to the car. Peter was waiting for me and I drove us to the studio. We went backstage. I had my costume checked, tightening it in a few spots. Peter just hung out since Jessica, his contestant, was eliminated. Though, he was on deck to step in for any male All-Star in case of injury. Benji, the guy partnered with Alice, was dealing with a calf injury, but was muscling through it.

“Edward! We need you!” barked the stage manager. “You and Bella are opening up the show!”

“Shit,” I grumbled, grabbing the hat and letting the costumer affix it my head. Darting out to the stage, Alistair arched a brow with a grin. “Sorry. My run this morning went a little long.”

“It’s not a big deal, Edward,” he chuckled. “You both ready?”

“Yes,” Bella said, her voice wavering. She was still freaking out about the hotel cart.

“Okay, we’re going to run this twice,” Alistair barked and we went off stage.

“You okay, Bella?” I asked.

“My knee is hurting,” she said, gesturing to her braced leg. “I spent some time with the physical therapists, but I woke up with it being swollen and a lot of discomfort. I may have to have a steroid injection, but I don’t want to resort to that.”

“Guys, you’re on in three … two … go!” one of the production assistants whispered. We rolled out and danced our hip hop routine. I could tell that Bella was marking it and there was a tight look in her eyes. We finished our performance and waited for the proverbial audience to finish their applause.

“Bella, are you okay?” Alistair asked, walking onto the stage.

“I’m hurting, but I’ll be fine,” Bella said, favoring her leg.

“Chris, did you get what you needed for these two?” Alistair asked the director.

“Definitely. We may add a steady cam in the middle, but you guys will be fine,” Chris answered.

“Go to the physical therapist, Bella. You’ve got time before you have to perform with Jasper,” Alistair said, rubbing her arms. He gave me a look and I swept her in my arms.

“Edward! I can walk,” she laughed.

“Too bad,” I snickered. Carrying her to the back, Ryan spent a half hour massaging Bella’s leg and then giving her some stim and ice. She wasn’t as stiff as before, but she was still in discomfort. “Tonight … you have a date with my hot tub, Swan.”

“Okay, okay,” she grumbled. “Do you think I’ll need the cortisone shot, Ryan?”

“I’ll call the doctor to have him examine you before your performance,” Ryan said. “Let me know how you feel tomorrow or send me a text if it feels worse.”

Edward and Bella, Hip Hop

So You Think You Can Dance Teaser

“Is it me or is Alice acting more secretive?” Rose asked as we sat down during our final rehearsal with Sonya. “She’s being all weird.”

“Define weird,” I said, stretching out my knee. It had been tight the past few days. The therapists worked with me to keep it loose, but it was still bothering me. Plus, the rare three days of rain in Los Angeles was the main culprit along with the insane rehearsal schedule.

“Weird, like on the phone all of the time and acting nice to most of us … well, except you,” Rose replied, arching a perfectly sculpted brow toward me.

“That’s normal, Rose,” I snorted. “I’m used to her snide comments, ire-filled glares and sneaky behavior. I constantly have my eye on her since she’s such a bitch. I don’t want her to try something that would cause me permanent damage. You know?”

“Have you heard from your incubator?” Rose questioned, taking a healthy swig of her water.

“Oh, yes. She’s bitching about everything, but I’m not really talking to her. I just delete her voicemails and erase her text messages. However, I’ve seen a few of them before they were erased from my phone. Why did she come if all she was going to do was complain?” I sighed, confused as hell. Shaking my head and tossing my sweaty hair up into a messy, sloppy bun, I leaned back. “Whatever. We have the dress rehearsal tomorrow and the show the day following. She’s leaving after that. She’s not staying for the results. At least, I don’t think she’s staying for the results. She never said that she was. I only got a ticket for the performance, not the results show.”

“Renee’s up to something, Bells,” Rose said cryptically.

“Probably, but I’m not worrying about it,” I countered.

“Okay, ladies, let’s run this one more time,” Sonya said, clapping her hands. “I think we’re good until your dress rehearsal tomorrow.”

We got into our open positions, waiting for the music to start. The Asian sitar began for ‘Pop, Drop and Roll,’ and our dance began in earnest. This piece was about geishas, dancing and interacting with each other. It was a fun piece, but hard on the knees since we did a lot of deep pliés. Thankfully, I did not have to interact with Alice. She was working with Tia and Maggie while I danced with Rose and Jessica. Our final run-through was successful and we were free until the dress rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. 

Girl's Dance ~ Contemporary/Jazz

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BPOV

I was so comfortable and content. I sighed, snuggling closer to my pillow. But, my pillow squeezed me. What. The. Fuck. My eyes flew open and I saw that I was in an unfamiliar room, snuggled on top of a man. Blinking up, I saw that I was on top of Edward. He was still asleep, holding me protectively to his chest.

Despite his hold on me, and the comfort I felt with him, I needed to go to the bathroom. I had to pee and I felt so gross since I hadn’t showered after that marathon rehearsal with Travis. I wriggled out of Edward’s arms and tried to sneak into the bathroom. However, once I put my feet on the ground, I let out a yelp when I put my weight on my left leg, collapsing back on the bed. Edward shot up, his eyes bleary and looking completely befuddled. He scrubbed his face. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice deeper than usual.

“I tried to walk,” I frowned. “I couldn’t.”

“It’s probably because you didn’t stretch out last night and the pain from the injury,” Edward said, yawning. He walked over to me. He pressed his hand to my knee, massaging it gently. “It’s still pretty swollen.”

“I’m going home,” I whispered. “My time on the show is over.”

“You’re not, angel,” he said. “You’re stiff, sore and a bit clumsy because you just woke up.”

“Says the man who can move normally,” I chided. He gave me a smirk. I shifted on the bed, still uncomfortable with my need to pee and how gross I felt.

“Do you need help?” he asked.

“I have to go to the bathroom and I can’t stand my own stench, Edward,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “Travis is a slave driver.”

He swept me in his arms, carrying me into the bathroom. I squeaked when he put me on the counter. He darted back into the bedroom, coming back with a bag. “Rose packed your stuff,” he explained.

“You are not going to help me shower,” I deadpanned, blushing furiously.

“As tempting as that may be, no,” he chuckled. “And I think a bath would be better suited for your soreness. The tub has jets.” He turned on the water and put some bath salts and bubbles into the tub. “While you soak, I’ll make you some breakfast.”

“Nothing too heavy,” I argued. “I’ve got a girlish figure to maintain.” He rolled his eyes. “Oh, and can you help me down off the counter?”

“Anything for you, angel,” he said, lifting me off the counter. He kept his large hands on my hips as I steadied myself. He looked at me, his eyes swirling with so much emotion. Blinking a few times, he stepped back. “Take all of the time you need, pretty girl. Holler if you need help. I wouldn’t mind the free show.”

“Hey,” I giggled, smacking his arm.

Alice and Nahuel "Turn the Beat Around" by Gloria Estefan

Rose and Demitri, "Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation

Jessica and Alec, "Shake a Tail Feather" by Ray Charles

Bella and Tyler, "The Garden" by Mirah

Jane and Mike, "Jai Ho" from the movie, Slumdog Millionaire

Maggie and Jacob, "I Want to be Loved by You," by Sinead O'Connor

Show Opening Number, "Love Runs Out" by OneRepublic

Results Show Opening Number, "Let the Groove Get In" by Justin Timberlake