All Kids Go (Dance Moms Fanfic)

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Brooke sat on the stage in Nick’s lap, laughing and smiling for the first time all day. The stage was big and looked very professional. Brooke loved Energy Dance competitions. She loved the feeling she got after performing on the stage. She loved everything about it, especially because she always did really good at Energy.

“And first place in the junior small group goes to…drum roll please.” The announcer said.

Brooke cheered and stomped her feet and clapped Nick’s hands for him. Brandon wasn’t there to see the award ceremonies. Gianna called a cab for him to take him to the airport. Brandon was also going to be suspended for three weeks from the studio. Brooke giggled as Nick goofily kissed her neck. She held Paige’s hand in hers and Nick’s in the other.

The announcer took a deep breath in and said, “It goes to number 103, ‘I’m Just a Kid.’ Come on up here you guys.”

The kids jumped up and screamed. Brooke hugged Mackenzie. Mackenzie’s eyes filled with tears of happiness. She thought, Maybe Ms. Abby will let me have more lead roles. Brooke hugged Nick as the group ran up to get their award. The announcer bent down to Mackenzie’s level.

“And tell us your name, you little star.” The guy said.

“Mackenzie.” She smiled.

Melissa started to cry in the audience.

“And what studio are you and your friends from?” The guy asked.

He put the microphone in front of Mackenzie as she said, “Abby Lee Dance Company.”

The guy had one last question. He asked, “And who taught you this dance?”

“Gia and Ms. Abby.” Mackenzie smiled.

“Give a round of applause for Ms. Abby and Gia. They did good.” The man said. “And give another round of applause for these wonderful dancers!” The announcer said.

The company took a bow and went and sat back down. Next up were the duo awards. Nick sat back down and Brooke sat back in his lap. He had an arm around her back and one around her stomach. He folded his hands on her side. He smiled and kissed Brooke’s cheek in front of everyone. Brooke’s jaw dropped as she turned her head to look at him. She kissed him right on the lips. Nick nearly fell back as he laughed.

“Ew, Brooke,” Maddie laughed.

Chloe smiled, “Yeah guys, that’s gross.”

“Boys are icky,” Mackenzie said with the cutest, straightest face.

Brooke laughed and put her arms around Nick’s neck. Then suddenly, she heard, “And in second place, junior duo/trios we have number 37, Life Goes On.”

Brooke smiled for Chloe and Paige. They did good, but as Abby says, second is the first to lose. Nick whispered that in Brooke’s ear. She nodded. She’d been told that a thousand times before. Brooke clapped for them. Chloe and Paige were happy with second. They knew they didn’t do as best as they could, but they did alright. They thought that they were going to get a lot lower than second place. When the girls came and sat back down, Brooke congratulated her little sisters. Chloe and Paige smiled in return. The announcer went on to award the teen duos and trios. They announced tenth through fourth place when Brooke curled up in his lap, nervous.

“In third place,” The announcer said, “is Twenty-One from the Abby Lee Dance Company.”

Nick gave Brooke a tight squeeze as she got up. Remembering that second is the first to lose, she watched as the duo from Candy Apples accepted their award for second place. Her feet still bare, Brooke smiled for the girls. As they announced the winner, Brooke leaned over to congratulate her. The bowed and as she was coming up, Brooke was going down. Taylor’s plaque went right into Brooke’s face, cutting a big line down her cheek. Brooke ran off crying, holding her cheek. Barely anyone saw what happened, and those who did didn’t have enough time to react until Brooke was already back stage.  

Nick jumped up and ran off with her, Maddie and Paige not too far behind. They went off to the bathroom. Nick sat outside the bathroom. His feet hurt from his new jazz shoes and his back ached from standing for so long. Brooke cleans herself up with the cold water in the bathroom with the help of Maddie and Paige.

“Tenth place in petite solo awards goes to Howdy Hey from the Candy Apples Dance Center!” The announcer said. That was Vivi Anne. Cathy bowed her head and Abby jumped for joy. The announcer made his way up to first place, “And first place goes to Cry from the Abby Lee Dance Company!”

Mackenzie jumped up and down and ran to receive her award. The announcer remembered her name. Right after that, Christi got up and ran out of the auditorium. Nick was sitting, leaning against the wall. Christi called his name from down the hall. He jumped up and ran to her.

“She hasn’t been out of the bathroom for like, fifteen minutes.” Nick wagged his head. The two of them could still hear the faint cry from Brooke.

Christi walked into the bathroom and sent the two little girls out. Nick sat outside, waiting on Brooke. What was taking so long? Christi walked out of the bathroom, minutes later. Brooke wasn’t too far behind her. The three inch long cut had already started scabbing over. Nick jumped up from his seat on the wall and tackled Brooke with hugs. Brooke started crying again.

“I have a black eye and now I have a scarred up face. Soon it’s gonna look like my parents beat me!” Brooke cried.

Nick hushed her, “It’s okay. On the bright side of things, we leave in the morning.” Nick said. “And Brandon isn’t here, and I don’t care that you have a scratched face or bruises all over your body. I don’t anyone will…” Nick rubbed Brooke’s back. “And we can have a night together.”

“What will we do?” Brooke asked, making fun of Nick’s idea. “Sneak out and wander around the hotel in the late hours of the night?”

Later that night, Brooke laid in her bed next to Paige. She was wide awake. Her phone on the brown bedside table buzzed. Brooke watched it as it danced around the table. She finally picked it up and looked at the screen. Nickky Dobbs, The screen read. Brooke slowly leaned up, answering the phone. She didn’t have to say anything, he automatically said, “I’m outside.” And then hung up. Brooke slowly got up out of her bed and snuck out.

She grabbed her room key and slid her feet into a pair of flip flops. She walked out of the room trying not to make as much sound as she did. She walked with Nick silently down the hall to the elevator. They found the indoor pool to be dark and abandoned. Brooke smiled at Nick as they walked inside. Brooke pulled off her t-shirt and she shimmied out of her sweat pants. She took a running start and dove into the pool. Nick stripped down to just his red and blue plaid boxers. The two swim like they’re little kids again.

Eventually, Brooke stood near the wall, watching Nick do flips in the pool. When he didn’t come up from his last one, Brooke didn’t know where he was going to pop up. He came right up in front of her. Nick slid his hand around her waist as he kissed her. Nick picked Brooke up and set her on the edge of the pool with her feet still dangling in. Nick ran his fingers up and down her back, getting further and further down. Nick started to kiss her neck and her shoulders. Brooke got that warm fuzzy feeling inside of her that she didn’t know how to explain.

“I love you,” Nick said, kissing Brooke’s neck.

Then all of a sudden the doors to the pool room go flying open and all of the dance moms walk in, Abby included. And Kelly stood there too, dressed in her pajamas.

“Mom,” Brooke said. “Didn’t know you were here…”