We head back to the dressing room, where Nia and Brooke are waiting with the moms. They clap as we walk in. Mom wraps me in a hug. "Good job, Vivi! I'm so proud of you. You did so well!" She plasters a giant smile on her face, and mine falters. It's just an act for the cameras. I could have tripped on Kenzie and stumbled around and fallen off the stage, and my mom would still say the same thing.
Abby struts in with Gianna tailing behind her. "Good job today, girls. Paige, you have to work on your timing. You're still too slow on the turns and too fast on the kicks. Maddie, you were great. Chloe. You danced okay, but obviously there was a headband issue. It was really dangerous for you to try dancing without being able to see. You could have-"
Christi bristles. "Abby, we can talk about this outside. Don't blame Chloe for my mistakes."
Abby waves her off. "Mackenzie and Vivi. I thought your duet was cute. Mackenzie, you did well. Vivi, you forgot your dance onstage. If this was any of the other girls, I would be screaming at you right now. But because it's your first time, I'll let you go. However, if you want to be at the level that Mackenzie is right now- or better than her- you're going to have to work really hard. Cute doesn't mean that you win. Yes?"
"Yes, ma'am!" I say enthusiastically.
Kelly snorts. "It's almost like Abby's a drill sergeant in the army." she whispers loudly to Christi.
"She is!" Christi whispers back, and they giggle. Brooke, Paige, and Chloe smirk, hearing their mothers' joke.
There are still two hours left until awards. The competition still needs to run the teen and senior duets and trios, and tally the results. Abby calls it. "Girls, let's go out to lunch. Get changed and we'll drive you to a restaurant that I like around here."
We quickly take off our makeup and get changed. Abby leads us to the bus, and we get back in. This time, though, I get the seat beside Mackenzie, Chloe sits with Maddie, Brooke and Paige sit together, and Nia sits alone. They've obviously known each other for a long time- they're really comfortable with each other.
We get to the restaurant. It's this retro- looking diner with cool seats at the bar and these big U- shaped booths. The moms and Gianna sit in one booth, and Abby sits with us. The producers still have cameras trained on us, but they're all eating too and aren't really watching us. The food there isn't bad: burgers, chicken strips, fries, milkshakes, the usual. At the end, three giant ice cream sundaes are delivered to our table. The producers smile. "This is a gift from Abby, okay girls?"
We nod excitedly. "Thank you, Miss Abby!"
We dig in. The ice cream is so giant that our stomachs are all bursting by the end, and we let the moms share too. When we finally finish, it's time to get back for awards.
I think about how I forgot the dance, and my stomach turns. This time, I know it's not the ice cream. If Kenzie and I don't place, it's my fault. The anxiety digs in.
YOU ARE READING
Vivi-Anne at the ALDC
同人小说What if Cathy's daughter Vivi was a talented dancer, and kept dancing at the ALDC? And what happens when Vivi becomes better than Mackenzie?
