The Secret Friendship

Chapter Eighteen

Chloe POV:

At Studio 19, we did not have a pyramid like we did back at Abby’s. However, our teachers did always take a few minutes at the beginning of our rehearsal to talk about how the competition went our first day back.

“Congratulations for Chloe for bringing home first place last Saturday!” Katie congratulated and the room applauded me. The win felt great. It still didn’t seem surreal that I had beaten Maddie and that she’d stood up to Abby for me. We hadn’t talked since the competition but I’d been meaning to check up on her to make sure things were going okay. I knew she had a lot on her plate and that getting second place at a dance competition was probably the least of her worries at the moment. We had another local competition coming up in a few weeks but if Maddie decided to go forward with her break, we likely wouldn’t go head to head this time.

After a long rehearsal of working out some kinks in our group dance and then doing a ballet class, I was nothing but a puddle of sweat. Mom had dinner on the table, which was Caesar salad, but I insisted on hitting the shower first. Since they’d all eaten already, I sat alone while Dad watched TV in the living room and Mom helped Clara with her math homework in the office. My phone buzzed as I put a fork full of salad into my mouth. It was a text from Maddie.

“Call me?” It read. With my forkless hand, I texted back,

“Eating. Can it wait five minutes?”

“Yes.”

Once I cleaned out my bowl in the sink, I went upstairs and made the call. Instead of greeting me with a simple hello, her first words to me was,

“I did it. I told Abby. I’m taking a break.” She sounded out of breath, as if she’d had to run from the beast herself.

“Good for you! How’d she take it?” Once the words left my mouth, I realized how dumb of a question it was. Maddie apparently thought so too.

“How do you think she took it?”

“You’re right. Stupid question. How she react? Did she scream? Yell? Throw things?” She let out a slight chuckle on the other line.

“She was very upset. She didn’t yell though…or throw anything. She sternly told me that I was making a huge mistake and that I was regressing and that I was throwing everything away just like Mackenzie.”

“Wow…”

“Oh, and that I was shitting all over her.”

“I’m sorry, Maddie.”

“It’s fine. It’s done. I feel terrible. This whole time I thought this was what I wanted and that it was the right thing to do, but now I just feel so wrong. Maybe this is a mistake.”

“Just play it by ear. You might find a break to be relieving. In a week if you still feel this way, go back.”

“It will be quite a while before Abby forgives me though.”

“Abby isn’t the only teacher at ALDC…and if she won’t take you back, you’re always welcome at Studio 19. I can put in a good word for you…and I mean you’re Maddie Ziegler…who doesn’t love you?”

“Well more people love Chloe Lukasiak. Thanks, girl. I feel better already.”

“I’m glad. I’m glad you finally stood up to Abby and are taking a much needed break.”

“I’m glad too.”

I knew Maddie would probably be dancing again before long. Dancing was just as much a part of her as her brown hair and blue eyes. She was born to dance and while I felt this break would benefit her, I knew this was not the end.