Aunty Kenzie

Chapter 1: Finding Out

"Kenzie, can you go and get your sister? We're going to be late for dance." Mom says.
"I'm eating, Mom!" I say through a mouthful of Cheerios. Mathew and Michele laugh. Tyler and Ryan don't look up from their jam sandwiches. "Just go see if Maddie's awake, Mackenzie." Greg says. I sigh and push my bowl away.

I mutter to myself as I walk up the stairs. "I'm fourteen," I complain. "I know I'm still tiny and everyone still thinks I'm adorable but I don't want to be treated like an eleven year old any more!" I knock on Maddie's door. "Maddie!" I yell. "Maddie, get up!"

She doesn't answer, so I push the door open and go in. She's sitting on her bed looking at something small and white. "What's that?" I ask. She jumps and shoves the thing under her bedcovers. "Was that a cigarette?" I ask her, raising one eyebrow. "I won't tell Mom." She shakes her head.
"No, it wasn't a cigarette."
"A candy stick?" Mom doesn't like us eating those. "No, it's not a candy stick. Just...forget about it, Kenz." She gets off the bed. "Are we late for dance?"

I turn my phone on and check the time. "No, but we will be if you don't get dressed now. Hurry up, but not too fast. I want to finish my Cheerios."

"Is Maddie coming down?" Mom asks when I get back into the kitchen. Mathew, Michele, Ryan and Tyler are gone. I pull my Cheerios toward me. "Ugh!" I groan.
"What is it?" Mom puts a dishtowel back in the drawer. "They've gone soggy!" I complain and start eating again. "Don't spill milk on your dance clothes." She reminds me. "Is Maddie coming down or not, Mackenzie?"
"Oh yeah," I take the spoon out of my mouth. "She's coming down, I just don't know when she'll be down."

Five minutes later, Maddie appears and Maliboo charges at her, nipping her ankles like she does every morning. Usually Maddie laughs when she does this but she pushes her aside roughly with her foot. "Mom!" But Mom saw. "Madison!" She says. "Don't treat Maliboo like that!" I rush to pick Maliboo up. Maddie has tears in her eyes. "Don't be a baby, Maddie." Mom tells her. Maddie grabs the car keys off the table and storms out. Mom and I look at each other. I look down at Maliboo. "What do you think's bitten her? Besides you, of course."

When I get in the car, Maddie's eyes are dry and she looks at me, she doesn't ignore me. Mom turns the radio on. I reach for Maddie's hand. "I'm sorry I got you in trouble Maddie, I just didn't like you kicking Mali."
She sniffs. "No, I'm sorry Mackenzie. I shouldn't have kicked her, she was only playing, I know." She smiles. "Thanks for forgiving me. You look pretty this morning."
I smile and flick my ponytail. "Thanks! So do you."

I push open the ALDC doors, excited to get in and see the pyramid ranking. Gino's leaning against the wall like he is every morning, Gia watching him from behind the desk. I swing my dance bag over my shoulder. "You better get out of here before Abby sees you." I tell him. "You know you aren't allowed in here, get your butt out!"
"Mackenzie!" Maddie tells me off.
Gia's covering her mouth to hide her smile. I'm not allowed to insult Maddie's precious boyfriend but I do it anyway. It's too fun to stop. She used to do it, when she used to hate him.

Maddie kisses Gino right in the hallway. "Ew!" I grab her arm and drag her away. "Come on, Mads, Abby will yell at both of us if we're late!"
I mouth "go away" at Gino over my shoulder as we leave. He's taken away too much of my big sister love time and I don't like it.

"Girls! Line up!" Abby shouts.
I line up next to Maddie. Nia, JoJo, Kalani, Kendall, Paige, Brooke and Sophia line up next to her. Our moms come in and Holly smiles at me. I like Holly. She's the one mom who always keeps her cool. "Time for the pyramid." Abby says.

"On the bottom is...Kalani." Kalani nods. "You tripped Mackenzie in your duet and she fell and so did you, so you didn't win. Watch your feet."
She pulls the next card off. "Brooke. Your sister duet with Paige was good but it didn't win."
The next one comes off. "JoJo. Your solo came third."
"Nia. You worked hard in the group dance and your turns were perfect."
"Sophia. As always, you were stunning."
"Paige. You worked harder on the duet than Brooke and it showed."
"Kendall. Your solo was stunning and you won."
"Maddie. Your solo came second but you won the group dance for us."
Jill frowns. I know what she's thinking. How is Kendall below Maddie when Kendall won the solo section? I think that's unfair too.
"At the top is Mackenzie. You were absent but your solo last week won the competition, you were flawless in the group dance and you won your singing competition."
Everyone claps and Mom beams at me.