To Be a Broken Smile (sequel to Tumbling Down - DM Fanfic)

Not Just Me (Ch.19)

Something weird is happening to me. And it's truly terrifying.

I'm sitting at lunch, waiting for Chloe and Paige. Chloe comes first, and at first glimpse, all I see is blonde hair.

But my brain doesn't register the blonde hair as Chloe; it registers as Kayla. I gasp when she sits.

Chloe: What?

Then, I realize it's Chloe.

Me: Oh um...nevermind.
Chloe: Okay...?

Same thing happens with Paige, but I don't make a sound. Nobody realizes. Phew.

Why am I associating every blonde with Kayla?

This is so freaky.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Abby: Don't turn your foot in!

This is the first correction she's made that I haven't thought was directed at me. It's all on Clara.

But I mean, she'll get there. She'll spend a lot of time at the bottom of the pyramid, but she'll get there.

I pull her up for the last time in our duet, then walk down the middle of the room with her to end the piece.

Abby: You're both really gonna have to work together to make this piece spectacular! Feet and legs. Feet and legs. Work on 'em!

Me and Clara nod.

Abby: Go get the rest. We got our costumes this morning. We have to try them all on and practice in them.

We nod again and jog out to the den where everyone else is.

The group costume is black, not too elaborate. Mine and Clara's group costumes are purple and a little blue.

Like a bruise.

I shove the thought from my mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The sound of an aerosol hairspray can always seemed calming to me. For whatever reason, this duet is really scaring me. Clara hasn't done much competition, especially with teen dancers. I can't dance above and beyond because it will look like an uneven dance, but I can't be sloppy. Even though we've rehearsed like a thousand times, it still bothers me.

Doing Clara's hair, makes me realize all this. And if the dancing is screwed up, everything else better be in order. Hair being perfect is necessary.

Clara's hair is to be in a half ponytail with a bow in it. While putting said bow in, I remember all our old hair piece issues.

"The hairpiece is sewed into the head!" Abby always used to say. Now that it doesn't happen anymore, she doesn't.

Clara: Ow!
Me: Oh, sorry.
Chloe: You'll get used to it. Hairpieces have to stay in or Abby gets mad.

Chloe stands.

Chloe: Makeup is all done. I gotta get my costume on.
Me: Okay. Thanks.

I finish Clara's hair with a spritz more of hairspray, then cover my head in it as well.

I run the harder parts of the dance with Clara. All my worrying seems to be for nothing, because she's nailing all of it...

Abby: Duet is on in 10 minutes!

...but that doesn't help now.

Me: Come on.

Me and Clara walk down to the left wing. We practice a couple lifts in the short amount time we have.