You're Looking For Too Long
> Chapter Three: You're looking for too long.
INT - Studio 3 - Afternoon
Jewels and Suzie's rehearsal.
As competition got closer, the girls spent more time a day rotting away- I mean, rehearsing! —in the studio. This meant that the girls who competed in the smaller dances showed up sooner, which led to Suzie and Jewels practicing their duet in the hot pink studio 3. The pink is so hot, it’s a literal eyesore.
Auntie Sam can be seen sitting on the folded acro mats, watching intensely as Jewels and Suzie look at each other TWO counts too long. Therefore, instead of the split second, they looked at each other for three seconds, which messed up the entire dance. By the time the two girls actually finished the routine, the song had been finished for a bit. Sam sat back, silent for a few seconds before clapping slowly, slow, slow golf claps, clearly pissed off,
“Great, great, great. Now you messed up the timing…” She glared at the two girls, her country accent SEEPING, “Which one of you wanna tell me why?”
h
Jewels and Suzie were quieter than silent, if that’s even possible. You could not only hear a pin drop, but you could also hear Jewels’ anxious hair toss and Suzie’s blinking. Sam inhaled. “It’s because you looked at each other for too long”. Jewels and Suzie avoided eye contact while Sam continued, “Your look is for a SPLIT SECOND, not three seconds, like, I know youre in love and all but-”
Jewels finally spoke up, “WHAT?!” more so screamed, “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!”
“Yeah! I don’t know what you mean.” Suzie adds, “Are our characters in the dance in love, but the relationship is toxic, do they know it won't work no matter how much they love and they're sorry?”
Sam facepalmed so hard it caused the room to shake a bit,
“Is that what it was like during the Badussy War?” Jewels whispered to Suzie, Suzie tilts her head, is this bitch stupid?
“Jewels, the Badussy war didn’t happen!” Suzie told her, but Jewels looked at Suzie with the most deadass glare ever,
“Yes, it did! Chatgpt told me that the Badussy war was what the new history unit is about!”
“Jewels, no, it didn't! Wait- ChatGPT-!” Suzie was cut off by Sam,
“I DONT GIVE NO DAMN ABOUT NO CHATGPT YALL ARE PISSING ME AWF RIGHT NOW”
—
INT - The Studio 1 - Day
When Kori walked into the studio, she noticed Joella in the corner,
“Damn my solo slayed” she heard Joella mutter. By solo, Joella means the one point in her group dance of 12 people where she completely fucked up the timing so she was doing the wrong part at the wrong time while everyone else was together. Kori could tell; it happened all the time. Kori usually doesn't have a sense of embarrassment, but Joella, on the other hand, never has a sense of embarrassment. If Kori messes up a dance, she wants to crawl up in a hole and rot away underground, whereas Joella thinks that any part of a dance she does wrong was something she was told to do by a teacher as a "Featured part". It really doesn't look like a future part, though; it looks like a trainwreck.
As Kori walked up to Front Desk Lady Lisa, the door opened again. Lydia walked in and stood next to Kori. She smirked and lightly draped her arm around Kori.
“Good afternoon, Front Desk Lady Lisa,” Kori spoke. Lydia sounded chill about everything, which sent chills down Kori's spine. “Will you be at the competition this weekend?”.
Front Desk Lady Lisa smiles, “Awww, thanks for thinking of me. Unfortunately, I gotta stay here, I operate the elementary school classes”. Just like Sam, she had a country accent, which caused Kori to wonder, “Where does Ms Lexi find all these country bitches”.
“Oh! Thats a great question! I met Ms Lexi at Aldi.” Ms Lisa said, Kori nodded her head, random place to meet but you go girl. “Anyways, Yall should get in that studio before Ms Lexi gets there.”
As Kori and Lydia walked into the studio, they noticed Captain Diva Crystal in her own little world, posing in front of the mirror, Jewels recording Captain Diva Crystal, and Suzie standing in the corner, looking full of horror.
“Kori! Thank god you're here!” Suzie wails, “Jewels thinks the Badussy war actually happened! But it didn't!”
“What's a Badussy?” Lydia questioned. Jewels stared Suzie dead in the eye, which caused Suzie to scream, “DON'T LOOK AT ME!”
“The Badussy war DID happen! ChatGPT said so!” Jewels defended herself once again, Kori just shook her head in confusion,
“What do you mean, ChatGPT?!” Kori exclaimed. Suzie cleared her throat, “Well, instead of actually doing her schoolwork and learning the material, Jewels plugs the questions into ChatGPT and takes the answers it gives her without a pinch of salt or sugar. So for THIS unit, she put the questions into Chatgpt, and it said, ‘Sure Thing! Here's facts about the Badussy War.” Suzie inhales deeply, catching her breath. Jewels looks at Suzie like a lost child, her eyes blinking twice, “How did you get that so accurate?”
Kori only scoffed; she rested her hand on Lydia's shoulder subconsciously, “PFFFT- Jewels Suzie watches your every move like a baby seeing someone pretty for the first time!”
“WHAT?!” Jewels literally screamed
“Okay! Okay! Okay! I do NOT!” Suzie interjects.
The door opens suddenly. Arrietty storms in with an annoyed look on her face, and Acacia soon follows. Crystal turns to face the girls who just entered the room,
“Huh? What's going on?”.
Kori laughs, “Crystal, tell them what we were just talking about!”. Crystal raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth a bit, “I dont fucking remember”.
Acacia rolls her eyes, Arrietty glares at Crystal, “But you were there”.
“Bitch she was making faces in the mirror!” Kori practically yelled, “All out here going mmmph OuuuuGH I’m so pussyyy! Yassss!” Lydia laughed at Kori's impression, and so did everyone else, except for Crystal, “Bitch when you got a face like mine, you cant help but get so enamored by yourself!”, Crystal meant no malice in her statement, but Kori was feeling devious today, so she gasped whole-heartedly and clutched her chest, “OH MY GOD Did you just call me ugly?!”
Unfortunately, Crystal knew what was going on. Kori was going to play a mind game and set her into a trap where she regrets everything she's ever done and thinks everyone hates her. Not today, Korinne Scott King, not today.
“Well, yes, I did.” Crystal spat, “You look like you got hit by the fortnite battle bus, no number one victory royale for you. Fucking busted ass bitch.”. The other girls gasped; Arrietty was cackling all evil like, “Damnnnn Kori, you gonna let that slide??”
“ARRIANNA, STOP INSTIGATING!” They all heard Ms Lexi yell. Arrietty jumped and hid behind Acacia,
“Damnnnnn,” Kori muttered. Crystal just tossed her hair in the mirror and stood up to join the line, where Ms Lexi was walking back and forth in front of them.
“Soooo, how was your day?” Ms Lexi asked, “I didn’t see most of you yet”.
Suzie suddenly opens her mouth again, “Jewels thinks the Badussy war actually happened because she copied and pasted her history assignment into ChatGPT, and then the computer started yapping about the Badussy war”.
The mention of the Badussy War caused Ms Lexi to freeze.
“I know right- isn't she so-”
“The Badussy War IS Real!” Ms Lexi declared, “I fought in the war, I was a lieutenant in the faces. I defeated Da Boyz with my face card. One. At. A. Time.”.
Jewels’ face lights up, “See I TOLD YOU SUZIE!!!”. Despite the traumatic backstory Ms Lexi just told all the girls, Jewels really showed no sympathy; she just cared about the fact that ChatGPT was right, which made her right automatically because AI isn't real.
“Anyways, enough about that, we’re gonna run our dance and then I want to refresh you guys on answering questions and all that Jazz.” Ms Lexi tells her girls.
—
Tired isn't even the right word to describe Koris's state right now. the right word would be absolutely winded, which is two words but you can make it one word by saying absolutelywinded and ignoring the spell check, or ignoring Grammarly.
Anyway, the correct word to describe Kori's state right now would be absolutelywinded. Even though that is her state right now, there was still an hour left of rehearsal which now felt like being locked in one of those weird Public Bathroom Games on Roblox. Something Kori did NOT wanna experience again.
As Kori laid on the floor, staring at the ceiling, counting how many lights there were, she saw a pale girl with dark hair and gojo eyes standing over her,
“Kori?” At this point, even though it hadn't been a while at all, Kori recognized that voice all too well. She recognized Lydia's voice at this point more than she could ever recognize Acacia's voice. Lydias quiet, but not as quiet as Acacia. Nobody is as quiet as Acacia.
“Hi, Lydia”, Kori groaned as she sat up. She looked around to see all the other girls sitting around Ms Lexi, Lydia soon joining. Ms Lexi cleared her throat, “Alrighty… Pretend I'm the awards dude. Anyway, the award for… Biggest Diva goes to Crystal!!!”
Crystal walks up to Ms Lexi, “So, Crystal, why do you think you got this award?”.
Crystal stands there for a second, Kori looking at her expectantly, “Well, I think I got this award because I outserved all of you bitches and i ran fucking CIRCLES around you all!”
Ms Lexi rubbed her forehead. “Rephrase that, Crystal, anyways NEXT”
Crystal sits down, Ms Lexi clears her throat, “And the award for the most oblivious goes to Jewels!”
Jewels clapped and walked up to Ms Lexi. “My god, you really don't know what’s going on, do you?” Ms Lexi cleared her throat AGAIN. “Anyways, Jewels, what does this award mean to you?”. Jewels grabs the mic and looks at the fake audience in front of her, “Umm, this award means that I am distinguisheder, and specialer than the other contestants.”
“Cmon, girl, do you not know basic words?” Arrietty shouted out, “Don’t you mean More Distinguished and More Special?”
“Shut up, Arrietty! You couldnt get a cool award because youre too bitchy!”
“Okay, okay, okayyyyy,” Crystal interjects. “Arrietty, shut up, and Jewels, please use correct language. If you answer your question like that at the competition, I will personally snatch the award and say that Beyonce had the best solo”.
“Next!” Ms Lexi shouts, “And the award for 'Most Unserious” goes to Miss Kori King!”. Kori cheers and walks up to Ms Lexi, “Kori, I heard you got a new teammate, what do you think about her, tell us about her.”. Kori could SEE the smirk on Ms Lexi’s face, “Well uhh, Lydia is very sweet, and uhh, shes very beautiful, very beautiful dancer, and I think her, I think she’s pretty…. Cool if you ask me-”
“You go, girl give us nothing!” Cheered Suzie, Jewels threw her modern shoes at Kori, “BOOOOOOO”. Ms Lexi just shooed Kori away, Kori sat back down next to Lydia as Ms Lexi chose her next victim, “Suzie since you wanna be such a big mouth! Youre up!”, Suzie just smiles, seemingly unnafected simply because she has NO idea how Ms Lexi will verbally violate her at almost 8:00 at night. “So, Suzie, the judges picked you as the Most Obvious Person… Now tell me, what was your duet with Jewels like?”
“OBVIOUS?!” Suzie shrieked, “Anyways, it was really fun. I just remember missing my queues simply because I was so captivated by the beautiful girl that is my partne- I mean duet partner!”
“Awwww! So sweet!” Jewels swooned; she clearly had no idea about the connotations or what a connotation even is.
“So umm, Suzie, I dont think you know this but usually people arent that… how do I word it, Fond of their duet partner” Kori spoke, ruining the moment, Suzie just flipped off Kori with a smiley face,
—
INT - Kori’s Bedroom - Night
After a long day of homeschooling, and then rehearsals, and then witnessing Jewels and Suzie being all sappy and shit, and being tormented by Lydia, Kori finally got to go into her pink bedroom, and crash onto her bed. Except when she jumped onto her bed, she lost grip of her phone and it landed smack on her face. When she picked her phone back up, she noticed she had accidently pressed the wrong buttons, and she called Lydia
“Oh no!” Kori panicked, trying to click the hang-up button, but it didn't work. Lydia had already picked up the phone. “hello? Kori?” Lydias voice was heard through the phone, “Did you need something?”
“Oh my god, I am so sorry, Lydia. I just accidentally dropped my phone on my face.”
“Do you need an ice pack?”, Lydias tone sounded incredibly serious, but Kori couldnt tell,
“I can't tell whether you're joking or being serious,” Kori told Lydia,
“I’m being dead ass” Lydia clarified, “Do you need an ice pack? Did your phone like slam onto your face?” Kori only scoffs playfully, “Nahhhh, I’m fiiiiiine, just a bit startled.”
“You poor baby,” Lydia whines through the phone, Kori blushes, “Shut up Lydia!”
—
INT - Suzie's Living Room - Night
Suzie’s situation was quite different, she sat on the couch watching TV while eating a bowl of oatmeal. Onya watched as Suzie's attention was glued to the TV.
Onya could tell something was up though; Suzie usually is never this brain dead, she’s too much of a smartass.
“Suzie, is everything okay?” Onya spoke softly. Suzie turned to her adopted mother, nodding. Yet Onya wasn't having it, there was absolutely no way in hell that Suzie was okay, this Suzie isnt normal. Then it hit Onya… Yes Onya is smart but it doesnt really take a smart person to figure out what is on Suzies mind, it’s Jewels. Of course it is! Who else would it be? Ginger Rogers?
“Let me guess, is it Jewels?” Onya asked,
“Mom, I told you everything was fine,” Suzie retorted. Onya chuckles softly. She walks over to the couch and sits next to her daughter. “Suzie, it doesn't take rocket science to know when something's bothering you.”
“But Jewels isn’t bothering me; she never has. She’s an angel,” Suzie told her mom. Onya smiles and nods, “I never said Jewels was bothering you; I’m just saying, baby, your feelings… Do you think maybe it's time to tell her how you feel?”
Telling Suzie that was like telling the Rizzler that he has no Rizz.
“Mom! I can’t do that!” Suzie is in panic mode now, but Onya was just chilling. “Why not, Suzie?”
“Because as the future captain of this team, I can’t do something like that. If I tell Jewels, that will ruin the relationships between everybody on the team, which is something Crystal has worked so hard to build! It’s stupid!”
“Sweetie it’s not stupid, I mean have you heard the shit that some of those girls say?”, Onya chuckles, “You just gotta go for it, I know you can”
“You're right, I gotta go for it,” Suzie repeats
“I need to get a girlfriend before Kori or else I’ll be rizzless forever!”
“Whoa, whoa, woah, I never said THAT!”
“Thanks, Mom! I’m gonna rehearse my rizz face in the mirror!”
With that, Suzie ran upstairs. Onya sighed before shouting, “PLEASE DON'T!
—