|Pyramid|
we head into the studio for pyramid and Abby isn't here yet..
"well once again i'm not very happy when i left that competition everybody was gloating how amazing you were the big winners you didn't blow me away.. i think all of you would be interested in knowing that our duet Sugar and Spice did not win there was a mathematical error and that means Sugar and Spice Maddie and Kendall were not the overall highscore duet/trio so Greensberg North Carolina which we thought was a smashing success turned out to be a big let down" Abby says
"i watched the group number i saw some superb dancing and i saw some horrendous dancing..Kendall who place did you take?"
"Sophia's." Kendall mumbles
"Sophia's, did you look how she would've looked doing that number?" Abby asks
Kendall shrugs
"you don't know? well i'll tell ya no way."
Kendall starts to cry and Chloe goes over to hug her
poor Kendall..
"listen to me every single one of you when you're here rehearsing and you keep screwing up you need me ti stand there and point out every mistake, can't you see it?!" Abby yells
i look down
"Kendall, you worked your way up that pyramid and now you're right back where you started from" Abby says revealing Kendall's headshot
"next Maddie, all for one, one for all it's about the team..Kendall's there you went with her"
"Nia you did an okay job i just don't see the feet getting any better"
"moving on Paige, you placed in the top five that's an improvement"
"moving up Chloe, i thought you really stood out starting the group dance..was the group fabulous? no. i think if your mother was more honest with you like she used to be two or three years ago you would continue to improve"
"and next Camila, i hear all the time...oh look how good Camila is..Camila is a star..Camila is such a good dancer, well i don't know where they are seeing that because you aren't as good as you were last year you need to be here all the time, stop paying attention to what your sister is doing it's dragging you down."
i bite my lip and i look to Chloe.
"and on top of the pyramid Mackenzie."
we clap for Kenzie
Mackenzie
Camila Chloe
Paige Nia Maddie Kendall
"it's,like you bumped your sister right down there does it feel good to be up there?" Abby asks
Kenzie nods
"well guess what you are back in the group routine if you can go against nine year olds and win then you can dance with a nine year old"
we clap for Kenzie
"this weekend we will be attending to Intensity Dance in Woodbridge Virginia..your replacements will be at the competition along with the rest of their studio."
"Mackenzie you have a solo not only are you in this weeks group routine but you are going to be featured in the number aswell that's cause this week a acrobatic routine"
oh lord have mercy on us all.
"Chloe i know acrobatics is not your forte.. but your mom as stood out there and told me on several occasions you have your standing back tuck so that's how the number is going to start." Abby says
oh no,
"oh no Chloe is not doing a standing back tuck.." mom says
"oh yes she is" Abby says
"no Abby i refuse nope Abby she does not have permission.." mom says
"you just said she had it." Abby says
"i said that months ago." mom says
"right it should be better" Abby says
"Chloe do you think you're confident enough?" Abby asks
"be honest Chloe." mom she's
Chloe shakes her head
"why would you come and tell me that your kid can do a back tuck? when parents come and tell me things it's because they want me to work it in the routine..your other kid can do it?" Abby says
"no! Chloe you're not doing it in the routine..you know Chloe is afraid of gymnastics tricks she's not allowed to do it! you know what you had Paige to do a standing back tuck in the dressing room and she broke her foot!" mom yells
i cover my ears but it doesn't keep the arguing out
"no i didn't!" Abby yells
"yes you did!" mom yells
"you said i want to see that standing back tuck! Chloe, you are not doing it in the routine!" mom yells
"the more we sit here and argue the more they aren't practicing" Kelly says
i take my hands away from my ears
breathe.
"i'm not arguing, i invited a child to do a trick and her mother said no..Chloe and Camila you both were supposed to do solos this week but after the performance your mother just gave we're going to hold off on that." Abby says
"kay." mom says
|Group Rehearsals|
we learn the group and it's a good routine
"i'm letting you all go you're dismissed, go through that door." Abby says
we exit the room and we go into the dancers den
"will Miss Abby actually make Chloe do a back tuck?" i as,
"i hope not." Chloe says
"she better not because you'll get hurt." Brooke says to Chloe
"she can't..the producers won't let her." Maddie says
"hopefully not." i sigh
|Two Days To Competition|
"now you all realise i've had to put an extra class in because we are doing an acrobatic routine this week, so let's spread apart and do some drills quickly" Abby says
we do some drills and everyone does a tuck and i try but i fall..
why, out of all times why did i have to fall now.
"okay..no what was that?" Abby asks
"go." Abby looks to Maddie
"you okay?" Brooke whispers
no.
i nod
Chloe tries a front handspring
"and she's the one who her mother thinks she can do the back tuck..you're so crooked all that alignment..in that left split comes out in everything." Abby says
Chloe starts to cry
i look down
i can't believe this is my life and my sisters life.
"Arabian Nights better do well you're dismissed i want to talk to yous two." Abby points to me and Chloe
"come here." Abby says and me and Chloe walk over to Abby
"i don't think you girls deserve a solo not the way your mother speaks to me in the pyramid i want what's best for you guys as my dancers..it's what time we have one day and now we're going to start it..we could've been finished it could be done by now, Chloe let's go" Abby says
|Solo Rehearsals|
we learn my solo and it's to the sing Moral Of The Story by Ashe
"sitting out in the parking lot was not good for you! look at that!" Abby yells as i do my turns
"come on kid do it right."
i do my ending pose
"you're up against you replacements..if you lose it just shows them that they're better then you and i think they are!" Abby says
i nod
"dismissed, go."
|Competition Day|
we arrive at the competition and i'm kinda nervous
we get to the dressing room and i start my makeup for my solo
"Mackenzie you're my first one up alright? so you cannot miss a trick understood. you have to nail every single trick if the legs aren't straight and the feet aren't pointed you're not gonna win go through it the pressure is on you, you won last week and i say it every time you know getting to the top is one thing but staying there is another thing" Abby says
we go to the audience to watch Kenzie dance
Kenzie performs her solo and her costume is stunning
but then she forgets her routine and i know Abby is going to be livid
"good job Kenz!" Kelly says
"how did you think you did Mackenzie?" mom asks
"i think i did well" Kenzie says
"well well well you go out there and forget your dance like a deer in the headlights." Abby says
"you went like this.... so Mackenzie let's go through all that you did wrong, you choreographed your own dance at the end which i don't really appreciate, you were early on the music you know i don't wanna be mean i don't wanna be nasty i would love to walked in here and had you run and hug me and be so thrilled with your performance but that's not what you do, you were going to be the overall high score eight and under go out there and do what you did, you went out there and screwed up and you know what she's not ready to do a big girl dance i don't know what religion you all are but i'd start praying because it's all we have left." Abby says
i get ready for my solo
Camilas costume:
"Chloe when you go out onstage we should have goosebumps..Camila you need to make the audience feel something." Abby says
i nod
"girls if we bump into those girls who replaced you, you will be nice and you will say hello like i have taught you" Abby says
"okay make me proud..you always make me proud, don't let whatever is happening get to you both." mom hugs us
i nod
we go out to the hall and we head backstage
"hey ladies!" Abby says
"hi Abby!" one of the studio Bleu moms say
"girls this is Bella and this is Kaeli..tell them how old you are." Abby says
"i'm eleven." Bella says
"were you not ten at that audition?" Abby asks
"i just turned eleven." Bella says
"oh you did..okay" Abby nods
"and Chloe you're eleven?" Abby asks
Chloe nods
"we'll best of luck ladies" Abby says
"yeah i'm confused why they had to ask their moms how old they are" mom says
"they just had birthdays because they compete at different age you know how it is." another mom says
"January first is the age" Abby says
"no i'm just wondering." mom says
"are you making fun of our kids."
"no! no! i was just wondering because we've had people all the time saying fake ages" mom says
we go backstage and i make through my routine
Bella performs her solo
and she's a very good dancer
Kaeli performs next
and she's also very good
and i'm worried
"good luck Chlo, i love you" i hug Chloe
Chloe performs her solo
and she was phenomenal
i'm really worried because i'm the youngest in the age because i'm nine
"good luck" Chloe hugs me
"please welcome to the stage Camila, Moral Of The Story" the announcer says
i enter the stage and i perform my solo
i think i did a good job
my turns were clean and my technique was good
i exit the stage and Chloe hugs me
we head back to the dressing room and the girls come over and hug us
"good job!" Kelly says
mom hugs me and Chloe
"you guys did good" mom says
"what did you think of Chloe and Camilas performance?" Abby asks
"i thought Chloe's was good and i was very honest with Chloe i thought she did it better in the studio..i know Chloe can be great i've seen her be great" mom says
"well we need to get back to being great" Abby says
"i realise that and i said to her." mom says
"Camila." Abby says
"i thought Cami was good i just didn't think it was her best performance" mom says
"well two years ago every performance was her best performance." Abby says
"Cami isn't seven anymore." mom says
"yes exactly so she should be even better than what she was at seven." Abby says
"and i'm sorry Kelly if this offends you but Chloe and Camilas future can't be at the expense of your two kids"
"Melissa you can tell them all about it right?"
"you know sometimes people make mistakes, you make mistakes Abby too" Melissa says
"i made lots of mistakes" Abby says
"okay so have i" Melissa says
"you're more worried about your friendships with all of these women than your own kids and you know it." Abby says
"no i" Melissa says
"same thing about worrying about a guy instead of your own kids!" Abby yells
"my kids.." Melissa pipes in
"going from one man to another instead of just worrying about your kids" Abby yells
Maddie starts to cry and i walk over and i give her a hug
"we have a happy household" Melissa says
"well your kid doesn't look very happy to me, really?" Abby says
"yep" Melissa says
"i think Sophia Lucia rocked her world one more thing all of you kids need to listen up..if one person really has the dreams and the passion to do this for the living nothing should get in your way..Melissa listen to what i'm saying." Abby says
"i'm hearing you!" Melissa says
"nothing should get in their way not your personal life not their dad's personal life not some other kid it has nothing to do with that, Maddie needs to focus the dance studio is the place she thinks of as home!" Abby says
"i know that." Melissa says
"and you ripped her out of that and made her sit in the parking lot for twelve hours..i feel sorry for Maddie she had a good thing going, Melissa you're doing your kid an injustice" Abby says
Abby then leaves the room
and Maddie runs behind the curtain
"it's okay to cry though" Jill says
"no, she has all this makeup on it's not okay to cry" Melissa says
"she's upset! that woman just berated her mother her father everybody." Jill says
"you know what it is what it is, i have a wonderful life!" Melissa says
we get ready for the group routine
"okay girls if you're dressed come over here" mom says
mom helps us runs through the routine
we then head backstage and studio bleu enters first
their dance was absolutely phenomenal
there's no way we are winning
"this is entry number 26 entitled Arabian Nights" the announcers says
we do the routine and i don't think it was my best time
but i think i pulled it off..hopefully
|Solo Awards|
"we are ready to move into our divisional overalls" the announcer says
for Kenzies category
she got third
"we're gonna jump to elite junior solos"
"fourth place Miss Isabella with Over And Over"
"your second runner up from our elite junior solo division of competition is Miss Chloe with Haunted"
i clap for Chloe
"you're second runner up from our elite junior solo division of competition is Miss Kaeli with There's Always Hope"
dance gods, please let me win.
"last but not least your top spot in the elite junior solo division is Miss Camila with Moral Of The Story"
i smile and i get my award and my mom is beaming
even though i won, Abby will have an excuse of the reasons i only won because of whatever
she doesn't like when i win..why? oh because i'm a Lukasiak.
"moving now into our elite junior small groups"
"in fifth place act number 10 Cell Block Tango"
"fourth place is act number 26 Arabian Nights"
Maddie gets our award
"and last but not least that top spot from our elite junior small group of competition belongs to Act number 47 Studio Bleu"
i clap for the other team
we go back to the dressing room
"hey girls good job" Holly says
"congratulations Cami" Kelly says
"thank you" i smile
mom hugs me and Chloe
"i'm so proud of you because you went out there and did your best, and i'm proud of you because you showed Abby that you are an even better n dancer than you were seven" mom says
i smile
"she'll find an excuse why i won." i mumble
"what?" mom asks
"she'll find a reason why is won..like i danced later than everyone else or Kaeli made a mistake..like she won't give it to me because i did good." i whisper
mom sighs
"i'm sorry" mom whispers and hugs me
Abby comes in seething
"national champions to fourth?! you just proved my point the break..the parking lot..the work ethic..national champions against amazing dancers to fourth." Abby says
"so if they danced to the best of their ability then who's responsible?" mom asks
"Chloe's back tuck" Abby says
"Chloe take a little check and imagine if you equally as flexible in the right snd the left and if you were on top every single monday!" Abby says
"Abby her school gets dismissed at four thirty she comes.." mom says
"so she's late and Camilas late" Abby says
"we'll pick my kids up and see if you can get them here on time." mom says
"why won't you get them an early dismissal on Mondays" Abby asks
"because they're not getting an early dismissal because they're going to School." mom says
"i guess your moms happy with mediocre too." Abby says to me and Chloe
"stop picking on my kids! my daughter went out and won and you can't give her the credit for it! why? because you can't accept that she is a good dancer!" mom yells
"i'm not picking on your kids! and yes she won?! so what? it's early in the season! there's no way that performance would've won nationals or any competition she ever did last year!" Abby yells
i cover my ears
please stop.
"you pick on the children!" mom yells
"cause you're an idiot!" Abby yells
"you are hit the biggest idiot i know!" mom yells
"get of your phone and watch your kids! and worry about Chloe's left leg!" Abby yells
please stop, please stop.
"Abby there's so many things i could say to you right now and i'm going to say nothing." mom says
"really Christi? really?" Abby says
"okay fattie, fattie, fattie, fattie!" mom yells
"if that's all you got bring it on!" Abby yells
"exactly that's the point you're ugly to the core" mom says
"really Christi?" Abby says
"girls why don't you guys go outside." Kelly says
"did you hear what your mother is saying? that's what she's teaching you." Abby says
"that's what you just said about her mother!" mom yells
we exit the room and i start to cry
i wanna go home, i don't wanna come back here.
Brooke hugs me
i keep crying
"it's okay.." Brooke whispers
i hate it here.