Later that night, Ariya came over to Fern’s bunk with her arms crossed and an annoyed glare. She looked like she wanted to roll her eyes as she talked. “It was stupid of you to volunteer yourself like that. It’s going to put a target on your back.” The other girls in the room who weren’t sleeping looked over, eager to see what they assumed was about to be a catfight.

Fern laughed, feeling uncomfortable as she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bunk. “I couldn’t let that man yell at a girl like that who's as small as a twig. Besides, we both wrote down our names to be team leaders, so didn’t that put a target on our backs already?” It was stupid and careless to act rebellious so early, but the teen just couldn’t sit by and watch the girl be yelled into tears.

Kimmie had thanked her when they were walking to shower and asked for a hug. She felt so frail in Fern’s arms that she felt awful for the girl. She wanted to ask her if she really wanted to do this or if someone in her life, like a manager or stage parent, was forcing her to. The younger girl sniffled and wiped tears off of her face the entire time Fern managed to catch her walking around. Thankfully, another girl who shared a room with her took the girl into a corner and spoke to her. Having witnessed this, Fern couldn’t agree with Ariya’s behavior even if the other girls were more experienced with the industry and what it took to survive in it. It came off as callous and made her start to look at Ariya’s demeanor in another light. She watched as the other girl just shook her head and continued with her scolding.

“They asked us to write our names down directly because we’re two of the only three adult trainees here. You jumped into something and now the staff will have their eyes on you. They will scrutinize anything you do; soon enough, they’ll find whatever they can to demote you. Or worse, cut from the team.” Ariya gave a look that made her appear extremely exhausted. Like by just having to explain this to the other trainee, she was wasting energy.

This caused Fern to have a hollow feeling in her chest as she laid back down and the lights went out. Her dreams weren’t much better, becoming filled with imagery that made her want to vomit. The trainers expressed disappointment in her actions and kicked her out without a moment of hesitation. She goes home to her friends and mother, who are all heartbroken over what happened and even a bit disappointed that she didn’t make the group. Just knowing she didn’t make it sent the blonde into a tailspin. Her whole life was ruined and college applications were months away. Slaving away part-time with her dreams dead was her only option as an adult woman trying to enter the industry. The label spread what she had done and nobody would give her a chance. Fern was left with nothing, having sacrificed so much for not even a single scrap.

With these nightmares clouding her mind, her first dance practice the next morning was harder than usual. Each girl spent half an hour stretching and filling bottles of water to drink once the dancing began. Fern noticed the practice room was overwhelmingly hot and when a trainee asked why, Teacher Song was brief with her explanation. For the past three years, the building’s heat hasn’t really worked along with the AC. Sometimes it wouldn’t turn on at all and others it would without them knowing. This was one of those days, so the girls would have to push through the increasing heat until lunch. By the worried looks on everyone's faces, they knew doing this was risky but were too scared to say anything. Fern opened her mouth to speak up as team leader but froze once she remembered the night before. Slowly, she moved to the back of the group and kept to herself.

Fern was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with the first set of dances compared to the other girls. But to her relief, they were pretty easy. Teacher Song took the lead, standing in the front with a sweatsuit on and no shoes. She played a performance video for them to watch, then danced the routine slowly three times. Song lastly danced it at its proper speed, stating each move she made aloud. It was a popular song that was mainly composed of a bunch of hand movements. She told them not to worry about being in sync yet, as they were just practicing each step alone. Synchronization would matter when they were assigned group members to perform with for weekly evaluations. That's when they needed to use every ounce of energy they had to look professional, not like the newbies they were. The long-haired woman finished the dance for the fifth time before the amazed girls and pointed at them, panting heavily.

“Get into groups. One of five and another of six. Space out and when the music starts, begin the routine I showed you all. Discuss who does what amongst yourselves.” Teacher Song said, putting her hands on her hips and walking off to drink some water.

The girls looked around, unsure of themselves, before finding groups. Fern started to look herself but was stopped by an anxious Kimmie running over. The younger girl had her braids up in a bun and struggled to speak as she faced her team leader. “Me and some other girls wanted to know if we could be in a group with you. I promise that we’ll follow everything you saw properly.”

Said girls were all on the younger, quieter side. Fern didn’t really know them well, but they looked scared out of their minds to perform. And as a new leader, Fern felt it was best to help them even if it was just this once. She nodded, beckoning the girls over to complete the group. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ariya scoffing before joining a group made up of more experienced trainees. It was clear the brunette saw her kindness as a weakness and this bothered the teenager. Sure, they were competing for a spot, but that didn’t mean she had to be a dick to those in need. Poor Kimmie had been struggling the entire class, shaking when they went in and hiding behind the others whenever Teacher Song asked her a question. Fern didn’t think the girl would last much longer, so she wanted to make her final weeks less difficult. If Ariya saw that as wrong or stupid, Fern doubted they’d get along well as time went on.

“Okay, why don’t we get to know each other before choosing positions,” Fern said in an attempt to calm the younger girls down. She tried her best to swallow her nerves as she continued. “My name’s Fern and I’m turning twenty soon. How about you guys?”

Kimmie was the first to speak, clearing her throat before doing so. “You already know my name from before. Thank you again for that. I know I'm only thirteen, but I swear I'm taking this seriously.”

One of the other girls, a kinky-haired teenager, jumped in. “She will! We all will. I'm fourteen, but I've always wanted to be a dancer and I promise I'll follow your lead. Please, just help us get better. Please.” Her eyes were watering as she choked up and shut her mouth.

Fern felt her chest tighten. All the girls wanted it just as badly as her. Here she had been thinking that no one would take her seriously because of her age. When these girls were younger than her and felt like they had no chance. They had barely done anything, but these kids felt hopeless against the others. The teenager wanted to hug them and call their parents for help. Because no environment should have a bunch of middle schoolers shaking in tears about their careers. She took a breath and controlled herself. They all signed up for this, so they had to be serious. She would treat them as equals and lead them to success until the trainers everyone choose teams. Then she'd cheer them on from the sidelines.