Nick was absolutely speechless when he saw Chloe walk out from behind the curtain in her costume. She looked so beautiful and gorgeous. He didn't even have time to complement her before Abby was pushing both of them out the door, towards the stage. The moms and girls followed them and took their seats in the audience.
Chloe and Nick were backstage. Chloe was a little nervous considering she was about to perform the dance that almost killed her in front of about two thousand people. Chloe and Nick stood to the side, as the duet that was performing on stage before them walked off the stage.
"Now, let's welcome number 102, this is Nick and Chloe performing, Safe." Chloe and Nick walked out of stage and got in their opening positions. Christi who was sitting in the audience pulled out her iPhone and started to record. The music started playing and Nick walked up to Chloe and picked her up, they danced perfectly in sync and the whole audience seemed to be captured by their dancing.
"When love just...isn't safe." The music finished playing and the whole audience was completely silent. Chloe and Nick looked at their group from ALDC and all the girls were smiling. Paige gave them both a thumbs up. Abby looked like she was about to cry, because she had tears in her eyes, and the moms were completely still.
About a minute later the announcer called them off stage and the whole audience started clapping. Chloe and Nick got a standing ovation and everything. As soon as they were backstage, Nick picked Chloe up by her waist and spun her around. Chloe laughed as Nick twirled her in the air, and finally sat her down on the ground, her landing on her feet.
"That was amazing!" Chloe said excitedly. Still smiling like a little girl on Christmas Day.
"I know! You were amazing Chloe!" Nick said, looking in her brown eyes, wanting her to see that she was pure perfection in his eyes. Chloe looked up and met Nick's gaze, her cheeks quickly turned a bright shade of pink.
After looking at each other for about two minutes straight, Nick and Chloe decided to walk back to the dressing room. When they walked through the door, they were greeted by what felt like a thousand hugs, when really it was only their team. Chloe and Nick walked over and took their seats by Christi. Abby walked in soon after, with a huge smile on her face.
"Well...first that was an amazing performance! Secondly, all the judges and the people who run this competition are just completely stunned, you two danced that well together." Abby said walking over and giving each of them a hug.
"Are we all ready for awards?" Abby asked, starting to walk over to the door once Chloe had put on her ALDC hoodie. The girls and moms nodded. Chloe and Nick walked side by side the complete time and then soon they went back up in stage and sat down waiting for the awards to start. While all the moms and Abby took their seats in the audience.
An hour later they were finally in the junior category for the duets, and they were up to the first overall duet and Chloe and Nick had not been called yet.
"And your top scoring junior duet today is....Safe! Nick and Chloe from the Abby Lee Dance Company!" Everyone from ALDC went crazy they all stood up and clapped. The moms and Abby clapped while all the girls jumped around high-fiving each other and screaming. Nick and Chloe walked up and accepted their trophy.
After the awards were over Nick and Chloe walked back to the dressing room. Once again they were greeted by a ton of hugs and high-fives. Abby walked in behind them, and gave them each another hug.
"That was amazing you two. What you two performed on stage together today was magic, and I hope neither of you ever lose it. There was something special on that stage between you two today and the whole audience and all the judges saw it." Abby complemented them, she looked like she was about to cry but, she was Abby so, it was not likely.
Everyone was packing up all their belongings because they were getting ready to leave. Chloe walked out from behind the curtain. She was now wearing her yoga pants and hoodie with her tennis shoes. She walked over to Nick and held out his hoodie that she still had for him to take.
"What's this?" Nick questioned.
"It's your hoodie. From the night I spent the night at your house." Chloe answered, still holding the hoodie out to him. Nick pushed the hoodie away and farther into her arms.
"It's yours now, you can keep it." Nick said smiling, looking at her.
Chloe felt herself blushing and quickly looked away, smiling shyly.
Everything was now packed and the team began filing out of the room, ready to walk out and get on the bus and go home. Once they were outside everyone was helping load stuff and soon enough they were on the bus on their way back to Pittsburgh.
On the way back everyone decided that they should stop somewhere and get something to eat for dinner. Of course Abby had to have everyone looking professional so all the girls had to change in the small bathroom that was on the bus.
They decided to stop at Olive Garden. Everyone walked in and ordered what they wanted. Chloe sat between Nick and Paige. Paige gave Chloe a nudge on the arm and cocked her head towards Nick. Chloe looked back at her and rolled her eyes playfully.
An hour later everyone was full and ready to start heading home again. Outside of the restaurant though, Christi saw the perfect spot to get a picture of Chloe. Every time they went away she liked to get a picture of Chloe.
"Hey Chlo, how about you go stand in front of that really pretty tree." Christi said, pulling out her iPhone to take a picture, and pointing towards the tree. Chloe walked over and stood in front of the tree; Nick stopped and stood next to Christi who was taking the picture.
A minute later the picture was taken and everyone was back on the bus, getting comfortable in their seats. Two hours later all the girls were asleep and the moms were talking quietly, not wanting to wake the girls or Nick up.
Chloe was sitting by Nick on the bus, and whenever they seemed to fall asleep sitting next to each other, Chloe always seemed to end up resting her head on his chest or shoulder. Nick didn't complain and neither did Chloe, because laying her head on Nick's chest or shoulder, made Chloe feel safe. Like not a thing in the world could hurt her when she was with Nick and Chloe knew that Nick wouldn't let anything happen to or hurt her.
