"Wake up you two party animals!" My mom shakes Liv and I awake. We had to say goodbye to New York and hop on a plane back to Los Angeles.
Not much happened on the plane other than sleeping because Liv and I stayed up really late and were completely exhausted come morning. If you can even consider waking up at five am morning. We didn't even land on our home grounds until nine am. My mom somehow was energized enough to drive Liv and I back to our house.
We get there and Liv and I walk up to my room and fall into an instant sleep. We don't sleep for much longer because I have a lot to get done for Australia today. When I say we I mean that I dread packing so I make Liv help me. We successfully finish packing everything that can be packed for Australia today. I don't know what I would do without Liv keeping me on top of my stuff. I'm a literal mess.
Liv and I go to Churro Calientes for lunch then go to the ALDC together and take a Hip Hop class. Liv was very greatful to be in the class and she got to meet Aiden. After class Liv and I clean ourselves up and we go to the Grove for a bit of shopping.
We go back to Liv's house and my mom meets us there. We have another combined family dinner with the whole gang. Liv's parents, my mom, Liv's older brother Trey, his girlfriend Casey, and lastly Liv's little brother Jake. It was so much fun. I even got to stay the night at Liv's.
***
In the morning the next day my mom picks me up and we go home. I spent the day as a complete lazy day. Doing nothing but lounging around in my sweat pants. It was my last day before Australia, It was a very nice Wednesday. It probably was the last nice and relaxing Wednesday for a while.
Sadly the day leaves me and it's the big day. Time to get on a plane and go to Australia. But let's not get ahead of ourselves that's later tonight, I cannot overlook the fact that I get to go on Ellen today!
The girls are all flying back in from their home towns today. They should have gotten back in early this morning. We're all going to go meet at the studio and spend this day as a preparation day.
We're going to receive all of our ALDC Australia clothing. Which we have to shove into a separate suitcase, not excited about that but it needs to be done. Abby's going to be going over rules, guidelines, and information about ALDC events. We're getting competition information and anything else she might need to tell us. It's going to be a boring morning. I'm glad I get to leave at noon to go to Ellen with Abby and my mom. The rest of the girls have to stay at the studio and sign a bunch of headshots. I'm glad I've already finished all of mine Abby required because if not that's what I'd be doing on the plane ride.
My mom and I arrive at the studio pulling in another suitcase for all my ALDC Australia clothes. The rest of our stuff in packed into the car waiting for later to be put on the plane.
"Hey Katie." The girls greet me when I sit down next to them on the bleachers in the hallway. My mom takes a seat with the other moms.
"Hey." I reply sitting down. I'm wearing comfortable black leggings and a short cut white hoodie. I'll be changing and looking presentable at Ellen later so I don't really care about how I look too much right now.
"Wow you missed me so much." Maddie messes with me when I sit down next to her.
"Do you want me to be happier?"
"Yes, you're suppose to be super excited to see me. Do it over again."
I roll my eyes and get up and walk back down the hallway and out the door. I pull the door open with a big smile on my face and run down the hall with my arms open. "Oh my gosh Maddie I've missed you so much it's been like three whole days! I started to forget what your voice sounded like!" I mock evidently annoyed.
"Awe thanks, but you might want to tone it down a bit it's only been three day."
"Maddie Nichole Ziegler I will fight you."
"Fight me bro, it's on!"
Maddie and I joke around and tackle each other to the ground fake fighting. Kalani is the last one to walk in right when Maddie and I are in the middle of fighting each other. She is completely oblivious to the fighting and just steps right around us. That right there was straight up evidence that this is nothing out the ordinary for us.
Our fight is soon stopped when Abby starts passing out our ALDC Australia clothes. All of us girls are spread across the floors with our suitcases organizing the clothes and making sure we have all the right stuff. The clothes are really cute and I'm excited to wear them. Some of them are even personalized with our initials or names on certain articles of clothing. We have to pack every ALDC Australia article of clothing you could ever think of including hoodies, t-shirts, tank tops, leggings, crop tops, shirts, dance tops, shorts, booty shorts, sweat pants, jackets, hats, the list goes on and on.
Finally after we get all that stuff packed Abby starts the boring lecture about all the rules and guidelines. Apparently there is a lot of stuff that we cannot do. Of course the cameras are filming everything.
"Let's talk about events. A majority of our events all eight of you will be there. However, the rest of the events only half the team will be there. Which means only four of you are going to be participating at those events. Who is at those events will change depending on your behavior that week, your mother's behavior that week, and how you do at competitions."
Holly has the most annoyed look on her face right now. "This isn't going to be a repeat like last time is it? Where Nia and Jojo are constantly not including at any events?"
"Holly I've already explained how the girls will be able to participate at events. I'd make sure your daughter does well at competitions and you behave."
Holly rolls her eyes, "Abby this isn't fair by any means."
"It's completely fair. Why are you acting out like this, are you putting your bets on your daughter doing bad at competitions?"
"Absolutely not. I just know how you've treated Nia in the past and I'm not going to stand for it."
"I have treated Nia with everything that she deserves. If you would not interrupt me I would like to continue." Holly doesn't say anything and Abby continues to explain her rules.
We listen to them carefully and regardless of how many rules there are, this is going to be an awesome time. I've never been outside of the country so this is going to be an extremely fun experience for me. Going down under for my first time out of the country is amazing!
After we've received all of the information it's time to leave for Ellen. The girls wish me luck then my mom and I get in Abby's car and she drives us to Ellen. We get to the recording set and we put on our identification keys that Ellen sent us. The keys allow us to get in the back entrance. One of the Ellen workers brings in my makeup and clothes so we don't have to carry them. They make me feel like I'm royalty or something.
We go inside and a man directs us through the hallways until we arrive at my dressing room. There on the wall it say Katie Rose. I get a picture taken in front of it and we enter the room. On this inside there is a gift basket filled with candy and Ellen stuff. I get changed into my clothes I brought to wear on the show. A black long sleeved shirt, a black choker, and some cute tan tie shorts. I begin doing my makeup as my mom does my hair. Abby, my mom and I talk while this happens.
"Who is the other guest?" I ask completely forgetting to see about that earlier.
"I don't know Katie." My mom says.
"I don't know either but I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." Abby replies.
The tv in our room begins playing which mean the show has started. It's Ellen's opening monologue. We laugh at the jokes and I stretch for later. I finish getting ready and eventually a man comes and gets me who is the stage manager. He leads me backstage as Ellen prepares to welcome me.
"Our first guest on the show today is a teen sensation that is shaking up the industry. From her amazing dances to her acting she can do it all. Remember she's only fourteen! Please welcome Katie Rose preforming a solo called She's Gold!" Ellen says and I walk onto the stage as the audience claps.
First I'm going to be doing my solo performance so I stand in the open area. Abby choreographed this dance for me to do on Ellen quite a while back. I love the dance and it goes perfectly. The audience erupts with claps when I finish. "That was amazing! Give it up for Katie Rose! We'll be right back after the break to talk to her!"
I have to exit the stage again when we roll to break so I can take off my dance shoes and put on my normal shoes which are heeled ankle boots. Once the break is officially over I'm signaled to go back on to the stage. I enter stage left and meet Ellen at the chairs.
"Welcome! So glad you're here." Ellen gets up and gives me a hug.
"Thank you so much, I can't believe I am here." I say then Ellen sits down and I sit down on the long couch across from her.
"So obviously you're a really good dancer and you're on the show dance moms. Tell me what thats like."
"Thank you and well the most simplistic way to put it is crazy. We just started filming for the new season about two week ago and I think there is already there is just so much drama."
"You girls don't get included in the drama though, right?"
"Absolutely. All of us kids just try to stay away from it and let the moms deal with it themselves. I definitely could do without the drama but it what it is you know."
"Right, so the show is very time consuming but do you do anything else?"
"Yes I do. I act and model as well as dance."
"Where have you recently acted and modeled? If you're allowed to specify."
"Um well I just did a shoot with Teen Vogue, I'm doing an upcoming project with Target, I was just in a music video with my friend Aiden Kol. So yeah lots of fun stuff, my schedule is jam packed which is a blessing and a curse."
"Yeah and you're going on an Australian tour soon with the cast of dance moms."
"Yes I leave for Australia tonight."
"Wow that's insane. Do you ever just want to be a normal kid?"
"For sure this is all been quite a learning curve for me, I went from being the average LA Teen to being whatever you consider me now. I do wish things could go back to the way they used to be sometimes but I know I have so many amazing opportunities and I'm so grateful to be able to be living this life."
"Good, you're very humble I love that."
"Thank you." I smile.
"So when you do have time to be a normal kid what type of stuff do you do?"
"I love hanging with my friends, watching YouTube, reading, listening to music. Just the typical kid things I guess." I laugh.
Ellen laughs too, "So you said you like to listen to music?"
"Yes." I nod my head.
"Who's your favorite group or band?"
"Five Seconds of Summer all the way. Their music is so good and relatable. I know like all the words to every singe song. Hopefully someday I'll be able to see them play live. I'm kinda like the biggest fan girl there is. It's embarrassing almost." I laugh.
"Bahhh!" Someone yells from behind me.
"Holy guacamole!" I scream in fear and jump up from the coach. I jerk my body around to see my favorite band of all time standing right before me. Five Seconds of Summer. Ellen laughs at my reaction.
"I actually like guacamole." Michael the dyed red haired one says.
I look at Ellen then back at them. "I promise we don't bite." Ashton the curly haired one replies to my silence.
"Is this real?" I look to Ellen and ask.
"I mean sure." Ellen shrugs.
"Oh my gosh somebody pinch me." I say I cannot believe that I'm in the same room of Five Seconds of Summer my all time favorite band.
"On it." Calum the black haired one walks to the other side of the coach with the other three trailing behind him. He pinches my arm and I am in reality.
"Ow." I slap his hand away laughing.
"Geez you asked someone to pinch you." Calum puts his hands up surrendering then sits on the coach.
"Alright so let's talk all of you." Ellen says. The Five Seconds of Summer boys and I sit on the on coach across from Ellen with me in the middle. Luke and Ashton on my left and Michael and Calum on my right.
Ellen begins to ask the boys a lot of questions then incorporates me into some of them. I'm just on another level, I'm not really processing what's going on, I'm kinda just here.
"When we come back from he break The Five Seconds of Summer boys, Katie Rose, and I are going to be playing heads up." Ellen says and the camera stops recording.
Ellen has us follow her over to the open space where I performed my dance earlier. I get to hug all the boys and chat with them a little bit in between the break. My feelings toward this are through the roof.
"Welcome back everyone and I'm here with Five Seconds of Summer boys and Katie Rose. To make the teams even one lucky Katie Rose and Five Seconds of Summer super fan is going to be able to join one of the teams." The crowd cheers loudly. Ellen has the winner pre selected so she looks down at one of her cards, "Wendy Festburgh." Ellen say and a girl from the audience jumps up and joins us onstage. All of us give her a hug and say hello. "So Wendy you're playing heads up who do you pick for your winning team. You can pick two people."
"Um." Wendy looks over all of us. How nerve racking this reminds me of picking teams in dodgeball. You never want to be the last one picked, "Ashton and Katie." Wendy picks.
"Yeah!" I high five her then Ashton does the same.
"You guys are going down." Ashton trash talks the other two.
"It's not that I don't like you guys it's that I don't think that you'd win." Wendy says.
"Wow savage mode Wendy." Ashton comments.
"Right." I agree laughing.
"Okay okay, lets start this game." Ellen halts us being distracting. "Wendy it's a good thing you put Katie on your team because these boys are terrible at games every time they're on this show."
"That's a lie—" Michael stops talking when a montage of the boys failing at games goes on the big screen. "That's a fact." Wendy laughs.
"That's what I though Michael." Ellen gives him a look, "So we're playing Heads Up in the game one person from each team will have the iPad and hold it up to their heads. It's basically charades and the other people on your team will try to guess whatever it is that's on your iPad. Flip down means correct and flip up means pass. But there's a twist." Ellen says, "When you hear this noise," A cow noise plays on the speaker, "You pass the iPad to another teammate." Ellen hands out the iPads and we have Wendy going first on our team with Ashton and I guessing and with Calum going first on the other team with Luke and Michael guessing.
We play the game and it's super fun yet stressful. I'm super competitive in the sense that it's not even funny how competitive I am. However my amazing team ends up winning the game. We make sure to rub it into the other team's faces. The game is super fun and the boys give Wendy a pair of tickets to their show tonight in LA. Casually I'm leaving for Australia tonight and can't go. How convenient.
The boys preform their new song later and it's so good and I can't believe I finally get to see them preform live. Even if it wasn't at an actual concert being on Ellen and watching them here is pretty darn cool if I can say so myself. Maybe even cooler.
After that the show ends I cannot wait for it to air on television. It's going to be so cool! I get a picture taken with Ellen and the Five Seconds of Summer boys and post it to my Instagram. Captioned, What a great time today on Ellen with @LukeHemmings @CalumHood @MichaelClifford @AshtonIrwin and the star of the show the lady behind all the craziness @TheEllenShow Make sure to keep an eye out for when the episode is released!
After the show we have to stick around because we're not allowed to leave until the audience has left. So Ellen, the Five Seconds of Summer boys, Abby, my mom, myself, and the rest of the Ellen crew hang out backstage. "You looked so good dancing." Abby compliments me.
"Thanks." I reply.
"Hey Katie!" Ashton calls my name.
"Yeah?" I ask.
"Calum wants to know how to do those spiny things you did on stage earlier."
"Can I teach you?" I ask Calum who is laughing and clearly didn't want to know how to a turn in the first place.
"Why not." He replies laughing.
I show him how to do the turn and the other boys join in trying. They all are terrible and aren't even as good as normal beginners. The boys ask me a lot of questions about dance and I reply laughing at their terminology.
Soon it all has to end and it's time to leave. I give everyone a hug and say goodbye then Abby, my mom, and I go to Abby's car and ride back to studio.
***
"So... How was it?" Maddie asks me cheerfully when I join the girls in the office after passing by heaps of suitcases in the hallway. I don't know whose they are because all of the team's girls and mothers suitcases are already in the cars. Maybe it's Abby's stuff?
"It was awesome and guess what?" I answer Maddie.
"What?" Jojo's asks obnoxiously.
I give her a look and laugh, "I got to meet Five Seconds of Summer!" I squeal jumping up and down. The girls make me give them a full run down of everything that happened. I don't at all mind reliving the experience though.
I explain everything to them until Aiden comes waltzing in. "I can't believe none of you guys were gonna say bye to me!" He crosses her arms whining.
"Sorry? Bye?" Mackenzie says in question form.
"One that was a heck of a weak bye, and two there is no need to say bye now."
"Why?" I ask confused.
"Because after you went to New York Abby asked me to come on tour with you guys so I can sing at the events." Aiden replies.
"Really?" I raise an eyebrow.
"No, I was just kidding I brought all those bags and set them in the hallway just to prank you."
"I'm so confused I don't know either way now. Are you coming or not?" I ask frustrated.
"I'm coming!" Aiden cheers and runs to give me a hug. I hug him laughing. "Looks like we'll both be missing our Hip Hop class here."
"Guess so." I laugh. "But just so you know, in my mind I thought those bags in the hallway were Abby's."
"Shut up I'm coming be excited."
"No."
"Oh dang Katie show that boy." Kendall jokes.
I give Kendall a look then Aiden starts running his mouth again, "Wow I'm really hurt. I better go tell Abby I'm not coming because Katie is trying to start beef with me."
"Yeah go." I say knowing he's joking.
"Okay I will."
"So do it." I say because he's just staying still. He shakes his head, "Knew it."
"Girls get into Studio A so we can film a video! Aiden get your stuff in my car!" Abby shouts. Aiden explains that his mom or dad can't come because of work so he's going to be a lone wolf on the trip. Apparently everyone's old Aussie friend Jack is who Aiden is going to be rooming with after we leave Adelaide in Australia.
"Can you believe it?" Mackenzie exclaims to the camera.
"The ALDC is headed down under!" Kalani points to the floor.
"Australia here we come!" Jojo grins.
"We're just about to head to the airport." Brynn says.
"But wait!" We all say at once putting our hands up.
"Don't worry because you still have time to buy tickets for our shows." Nia expresses with her hands and we all act relieved.
"The tickets are going to be on sale up until the day of the event but that day you can still buy tickets if there are any left at the venues. Plus special guest Aiden Kol will be there too!" Maddie explains.
"So what are you waiting for?" I ask, "Mark your calendars for the ALDC Ultimate Australian tour round two! We can't wait to meet you!"
"See you there!" We all say and wave, "Mwah!" We blow kisses and Abby stops recording.
"Alright girls let's head out! We'll meet at the airport so go get changed into the airport clothes and I'll send the video to everyone on the way there, post it on social media as soon as possible!" Abby says and we all cheer and walk out of the studio room.
Us girls rush into the den and change into a red ALDC long sleeved tops with black leggings and entirely red adidas superstars. When we get on the actual plane we'll be allowed to wear our red fluffy slides. But when we're getting on and off the plane today we will not be wearing the comfortable slides. I love the team shoes! They are so cute all together! What a squad right?
We all get into our respected cars and ride off to meet at the airport. However I steal Mackenzie and have her ride with my mom and I. "I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now... why? Oh cause she's dead!" Mackenzie and I belt out at the top of our lungs, "Look what you just made me do!"
"Be as loud as you want now cause once we get on that plane you're going to have to be moderately quiet for about nineteen hours." My mom says as the song continues to play.
Mackenzie and I's eyes widen with realization of how much time we have left, "Look what you just made me do look what you just made me do!" We basically scream for our last few moments of freedom until we are silenced for what will seem like an eternity. Eventually we get to the airport and Mackenzie and I are still singing as we walk through the parking lot.
"Alright that's enough you two." My mom hushed us annoyed.
We both laugh, "You didn't like our obnoxious singing?" I ask my mom jokingly.
"I liked it this much." My mom holds up her hand with her pointer finger and thumb touching. Hurtful.
"Awe come on it was great." Mackenzie joins in.
"It was not." My mom mocks Mackenzie.
We have a good laugh then meet up with the other two Zieglers at their car so Mackenzie could retrieve her suitcases and bags. Then we as a collective group and go inside to join everyone else.
We are waiting in the waiting area for our flight for what seems like forever. Time just doesn't go by fast when you're in an airport. Or when you're on a plane for that matter. Abby takes full advantage of the situation however by taking billions of pictures of us, with different poses, people, and things in the background. It was like the Abby Airport photo shoot. Lots of time goes by before we are on the plane and headed to the land down under. On the plane we ride first class in the most amazing "seats" you probably could ever imagine. We each had our own little tiny areas with dividers around it with a bed, television, plenty of charging ports, and a little space to set things on top of. This is going to be a long flight so Abby wanted us to be as comfy as possible on the ride. My little area is right in between Nia's and my mom's.
I lay down on my bed and listening to the announcements. I watch some YouTube video on the television with some headphones and slowly drift to sleep. I'm so glad this is a late night flight. I still can't believe I was on Ellen today and got to meet so many awesome people!
####################################Currently very aware of my trashiness. I need to shorten these chapters so I'm not posting a really long one every two weeks and I'm posting a normal sized one every week. By now you'd think I'd be able to figure this stuff out but of course not.
Love you guys! 😘
- xoxo Taylor
Personal Links:
Instagram- @Taylor_Smiles
|This story is updated REGULARLY|
•Word Count 4459•