The day the TikTok dance trend “The Robot Arm” took over, Mia and her crew of misfit influencers decided to conquer it. Mia, a self-proclaimed dance prodigy, had already mastered the move in 37 different ways. Her best friend, Jax, a guy who once tried to do a backflip off a couch and ended up in a pizza box, was determined to keep up. They practiced in Mia’s garage, surrounded by neon lights and a playlist so loud it rattled the neighbor’s cat.
“It’s simple,” Mia said, demonstrating the move with the precision of a surgeon. She raised her left arm, bent it at a 90-degree angle, and froze. “Now you.” Jax mimed the motion, but his arm looked like a broken windmill. “You’re doing it wrong,” Mia groaned. “It’s not a robot—it’s a confused alien!”
On the day of the school talent show, the gym was packed. Mia and Jax took the stage, sweatpants and all. The music started. Mia’s arm moved like a piston. Jax’s? A wobbly spaghetti noodle. As the crowd snickered, Jax panicked and added a random moonwalk, which turned into a full-blown pirouette. The judges covered their faces. Then, to everyone’s shock, the principal, Mr. Grumbles, burst onto the stage in a sequined vest, doing the dance with the grace of a drunk penguin. The crowd erupted. Mia and Jax high-fived, their faces red but grinning. By lunch, the video had 10 million views. The next day, “The Robot Arm” was replaced by “The Confused Alien,” and Jax was a hero.”
