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mikki
this time i was ready. completely. to be honest, all thanks to berkleigh. i don't know why, but i still felt so much anger toward her for no reason. maybe it was because she was everything i wanted to be. friendly with press, clean record with abby, pretty and a great dancer. but that anger morphed into passion. i signed up for four more classes and spent all my time on dance, coming home at about 8pm every night and up at 7.
"alright. let's go." abby motioned for us to begin.
berkleigh and paris were at a disadvantage without experience, but i was at an even further disadvantage from leaving without notice and consequently being in abby's bad books.
"ok. looks great. should we have paris and berkleigh do it themselves. mikki's doing it herself later."
what? brady gave me an encouraging smile.
"be so good she can't critique you," he mouthed.
"not going to happen," i muttered back.
berkleigh messed up in her try. she didn't know the combo, she was obviously late and making it up as she went.
honestly.
"critiques. lilly."
"you need to make a lot more eye contact with the judges. you're not making faces."
"gianina."
"you guys are second guessing yourself and berkleigh, you're watching paris in the mirror."
"you guys weren't together."
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maggie
"what scares me is that we have two girls on stage tomorrow, who don't know the dance, have never danced with these kids and have never danced under this kind of pressure," ashley began, shaking her head.
i nodded. "i think abby's best bet will be mikki at this point."
"she is never going to choose your daughter," amanda, berkleigh's mom decided to chip in.
"why not?"
"you left. you left this team."
"because my daughter was having a hard time!"
"your daughter was having a hard time? from what i've heard, your daughter had it the easiest!"
"you haven't heard anything."
"oh really?"
"yeah."
"you'd be surprised."
"i'm sure i'd just be disappointed."
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mikki
"let's get mikaela here," abby sighed. i made my way into the corner, brady giving me a last shoulder squeeze. i couldn't think straight.
so i didn't. i just danced. the thing about training for so many hours is that the routine gets imprinted into your brain and you don't have to think. you just feel.
"critiques," abby gestured, looking annoyed.
"i think it was really good," sarah grinned, giving me a thumbs up. i nodded and returned her smile.
"me too," press said, looking at me. i raised my eyebrows and gave her a tentative smile. she didn't smile back.
"i expect more," said abby, rubbing her forehead, "i expect perfection, mikaela."
perfection.
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brady
stressed mikki is a scary mikki. she'd been overworking herself, dancing and stretching and breaking her back as she tried and tried to improve.
"hey," i coughed, tapping her shoulder, "mouse?"
"what?" she snapped, whirling around.
"um, i was just asking if you want to get ice cream with press and i after rehearsal?"
"i can't. i have more work to do."
"mikki! stress is what made you leave last time, you don't want it to happen again."
mikki stared at me, hard. i felt my face turn red at the intensity of the stare.
"press won't want me there."
"it'd be a good chance to make up with her."
mikki looked at me again and smiled. "ok then."
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mikki
mistake. mistake. mistake. press was glaring at me with a mixture of shock and anger.
"what's mikki doing here."
at least she didn't say 'she'.
"i invited her," brady replied easily, slipping into a seat. "look, this is ridiculous. i don't know what you were arguing about that made you like this-" he gestured vaguely, "but it has to stop. i know you missed each other and i know you still want to be friends." press opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again.
i just looked at her. it wasn't my fault and i didn't start it. it was childish, but press had to apologise first.
she did. "sorry. mikki, i'm really really sorry."
"it's ok press. i missed you."
there was an awkward silence between us.
"finally," brady groaned, clapping us on the shoulder and making me lurch forward, "sorry miks. you're paying for ice cream today."
"come on!"
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