Une Fleure Fanée

Week 12 Part 2 (Monday)

     "Guys, on the minibus!" Mom yells to all of us, and we all file out to the minibus.

     I sit next to Sarah on the minibus. Pressley has a crush on Brady. I giggle to myself as I open up my laptop and find a movie for us to watch.

     Sarah and I decide on the brand new movie Missing Link, and as we're watching it, Gia exclaims, "Oh my God, we're going to die!"

     "Wait, why?" we all ask, getting a bit nervous.

     "The venue has a haunted ballroom and a hidden room," Gia announces, and I get excited.

     The longer I resonate with the fact there are ghosts, I start to get a little creeped out, and then ashamed. I've never really believed in ghosts before. You're foolish for believing in ghosts, Lilliana. You're stupid and you don't deserve to be with these smart people.

     "Time for the ghosts!" Pressley announces as we pull up to a blue building that is our venue.

     "It doesn't look scary..." I mumble, confused at how this bright building could have a haunted ballroom.

     "Well, we'll find out!" Brady optimistically exclaims, an undertone of dread lying just on the surface.

     We all nervously, but excitedly, get out of the minibus and grab some luggage to take in. As we walk into the venue, we don't see the ballroom yet. As the moms confirm all the information, a map on the wall shows us the room in between our venue and where we are right now.

     "Are we ready?" Mackenzie asks, and we all shake our heads no.

     As we approach the door, we all grasp each other's hands, sling our luggage onto our shoulders, and open the door. There are no lights on. The moms enter right behind us. We all look around with our eyes.

     "Maybe it's not-" Hannah begins to suggest, but suddenly we're met with a loud clang, something crashing into something else in the opposite corner.

     Immediately, we all start screaming and running for the door. I nearly trip over my duffel bag, but I manage to get to the door, Brady, and Mackenzie holding them open for us. All the mothers run out after us, screaming and having a cow as well.

     "I guess you guys found the haunted ballroom," Ms. Abby announces from behind us, and we all yelp in surprise, jolting back.

     Ms. Abby laughs and then orders, "Okay, so the photo ops will be at the back of the stage so the front of the stage is clear for dancing. I want everybody to put on their leotards under their glorious ALDC merch. Today, we will be doing Body and Soul, solos, and Thought and Prayers, as well as two rounds of mock auditions in between. The first photo op will be right at the beginning, and the last at the end. So girls, leotards, boys and moms, help set up."

     All five of us grab our leotards and set off to find a bathroom around here, eventually finding a one-stall. Not wanting to do any more walking, we all take turns. Everybody who I get glimpses of while they're walking out looks so much better in the leotard. I go last, examining myself a bit in the mirror. I don't look half-bad in it. I see some more bones showing, and I walk out, sliding the ALDC sweatshirt over.

     Retracing our steps, avoiding the haunted ballroom at all costs, we find our way back to the auditorium. All the headshot booths are already set up, so we all start goofing off in the auditorium, stretching out and doing random tricks on the stage as the fans file in, trying to contain their excitement.

     "Guys, look at the little kids!" Sarah exclaims, getting all giddy as we make our way to the back at the headshot booth.

     All the four and five-year-olds. Little innocent beans that probably don't know the crushing disappointment of life. Don't know life's secrets. Don't know my secret. All the fans, young and old, don't know of any eating disorder that I've had. Bulimia or anorexia.