CHAPTER NINE
The next day, I waited in the studio for Abby to come teach me my solo. I bent over and touched my toes before Abby walked in.
"Okay, Hailey. This week, your solo is called "Can Anybody Hear Me?". You need to bring yourself to a really deep, dark place inside your mind. I need to see that emotion on your face. Can you do that?" Abby asked, looking me straight in the eyes.
I nodded. "Yes, Miss Abby."
"Then let's get started. Okay, so you're gonna start down on the ground, with your knees pulled up to your chest and your head in your hands. You're gonna lift one of your hands away from your face and bring it out to the side." Abby explained.
I nodded and got down on the ground, doing as she said. "Good. Okay, now get up. And I wanna put a set of a la secondes in there. Five of them." Abby said.
I got up off the ground and did the turns. One, two, three, four, five. Learning the rest of the dance took about an hour, and by the end, I felt confident that I knew all of it.
Miss Abby looked at me. "That was great, Hailey. I have a feeling this could be one of my favorite solos I've choreographed yet."
I grinned. "Thanks, Miss Abby!"
"You're dismissed. Send Nia in." Abby said, smiling back.
I skipped out of the studio, happy with Abby's comments on my solo. Saying that it might be one of her favorite solos yet was a big compliment, and I didn't want to let her down by getting anything less than first place.
-
Later, Abby - well, the producers, not Abby - told all the kids and the moms to meet at her desk. I wondered what could be so important that she wanted us to meet together with our moms. Paige and I walked to the desk together, arms linked together.
"Okay, girls. And moms. I have some bad news. The competition director just called me and told me that...Dance Explosion has been canceled." Abby said, putting her head in her hands.
I frowned, and so did Paige. I knew that she really liked her solo this week, and she obviously didn't want to give it up.
"Well, can't we find another competition to go to?" Paige's mom, Kelly, asked.
"I'm trying to find one right now. Just sit tight and we'll figure something out. But no matter what, I'll find you girls a place to dance this weekend." Abby reassured us.
We all nodded. I ran back to studio B with Paige, where we were taking an acro class. Kendall was there, too, but I guess Paige didn't want to hang out with her today.
Speak of the devil, Paige walked up to me with the biggest grin I'd ever seen on her face. "Guess what?" She asked excitedly.
I raised my eyebrows. "What?"
"My mom's letting me have a pool party at my house on Sunday!" She exclaimed.
"Awesome! Who all's going?" I asked, smiling.
"Pretty much everyone. You, Chloe, Maddie, Nia... The only not-so-great part is that Brooke and my brother, Josh, get to invite some friends too. I like Brooke's friends, but they're all older and they'll just ignore us. And Josh's friends are all boys, so..." Paige trailed off.
I smiled. "I think it's gonna be fun!"
"Me too!" Paige said. We moved up the line, closer to the mat that was serving as a tumbling track.
Soon enough, it was my turn. Right now, we were working on front aerials. It was one of my favorite tricks - one of the things that the choreographers would consistently put into my solos at my old studio.
I took a running start and threw myself into the aerial, landing with ease. Miss Abby smiled in my direction, nodding at me.
Paige went next, and her aerial looked good as well. Her legs could've been straighter, but I'm not one to judge. She joined me at the back of the line. "Oh my gosh, did I tell you about my solo this week?" She suddenly remembered.
I shook my head. "No, but I'd love to hear about it!"
Paige nodded excitedly. "It's acro, and I love it. There's so many cool tricks, and..."
I stopped paying attention and got lost in thought. Paige hadn't invited Kendall to her party on Sunday. I wondered where Paige stood with Kendall. Paige had instantly made friends with Kendall when she first got to the studio - kind of like she had with me - but now, the two barely talked. I thought that Paige was still upset about the trio, but I didn't understand why. Kendall had been put in the dance, and it lost. Why couldn't that be enough for Paige?
-
Beep! Beep! Beep!
I slammed my hand down on my alarm. It was the morning of the competition - my mom had gotten an email from Abby saying that she found us a competition in Clute, Texas, so we'd be going there instead.
The only downside was that we all had to wake up super early to give us time to get to Clute by bus. 2:00 a.m. - I was definitely taking a nap on the way there. I wondered why we didn't just take a plane.
I sat up in bed, stretching my arms over my head. I swung my legs over the side of my mattress and picked up my phone, checking for notifications. Two texts from Chloe, one from Maddie, seven from a group chat Paige had created for her pool party, and what seemed like endless amounts of new Instagram followers. Since I had made my appearance on the show, I had gone from 253 followers to 34K overnight. It was kinda crazy!
I got a pair of black leggings and a light blue sweatshirt out of my closet and put them on. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and slid on my camel colored UGGs (basic, I know, but still very comfy). My fake diamond stud earrings adorned my ears. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. Sleep deprived, but still having a good hair day.
I grabbed my dance bag that I had packed the night before and tiptoed downstairs, seeing my mom already sat down on the brown couch in the living room. She had her suitcase with my makeup and costume ready to go next to her. "Hi." I yawned, plopping down next to her.
She yawned back at me. "Hey. Ready to go, kiddo? We have a long drive ahead of us." She asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be." I sighed, picking my bag back up and walking towards the door.
I skipped out to our car and put my bag in the trunk before sliding into the backseat. My mom got into the driver's seat and turned the key to start the car.
As we pulled out of the driveway, my mom glanced back at me in her rear view mirror. "Hey. What's wrong? You look upset." She said.
"What do you do if your best friend is mad at your other friend and didn't invite the friend to a pool party and you feel guilty about it but don't know what to do because you don't want to make your best friend mad?" I asked.
"Alright, that was a lot that I'm gonna have to dissect. I'm guessing Paige is mad at Kendall about the trio?" She asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. And now she's, like, excluding her. And I don't know what to do about it."
My mom sighed. "When I was a few years older than you - probably Brooke's age - I had an issue like this, too. My best friend in high school was the most popular girl in our grade. She wasn't ever really mean to anyone before, but one day, she decided to target the other girls in our class and started bullying them, basically. I said that I felt bad about it, and she told me that I had to pick a side - her side - or else she'd make fun of me like she was making fun of the other girls."
"So what'd you do?" I asked.
"Well, your thing isn't as serious as mine was. And I'm honestly ashamed to admit this, but I played it safe and took her side. I kept all my friends and popularity, and watched my best friend incessantly bully the other girls. And even now, when I think about it, I feel bad that I didn't stand up to my friends and tell them that it wasn't right."
I bit my lip. "I mean, it hasn't gotten as bad as all that yet, but I just don't want it to go to that place."
"I know you don't, sweetie. But Paige is a sweet girl. A smart girl. She knows what's right and what isn't." My mom said, pulling into the studio parking lot.
I got out of the car and got my bag out of the trunk, shuffling across the asphalt. Chloe stood at the door of the studio, still in her pajamas - sleep mask included!
I giggled. "And you made fun of me for trying to sleep on the floor."
"Hey! Two a.m. is early, even for me. So I came prepared." Chloe shrugged, clutching her purple bag to her chest.
I laughed as Maddie approached us with Mackenzie in tow. "Hailey!" Kenzie grinned, even full of energy at this hour. Maddie, not so much. She trudged through the parking lot as if there were weights around her ankles, making it hard to walk. She leaned her head against Chloe's shoulder as Kenzie jumped up into my arms.
I ruffled her hair. "Hey, Kenz! Are you tired? It's really early."
"Nope!" Kenzie said, shrugging.
I turned to Maddie, bouncing Kenzie up and down. "Seems to be a different story for you." I giggled.
Maddie rolled her eyes playfully and shrugged. "Not all of us can be Mackenzie."
The four of us chatted until Brooke and Paige pulled into the parking lot. Paige cartwheeled across the asphalt, grinning as she popped up. Brooke rolled her eyes at her and walked up to the group of us slowly.
Kenz jumped down from me. "Brookie!" She exclaimed, running towards Brooke.
That was enough to wake Brooke up a little bit. "Hey, Kenz!" She said with a small smile.
Paige joined our little circle. "Hi, guys!" She smiled, putting her arm around my shoulders. "Are you guys excited? I'm so excited!"
"You're energetic for fifteen minutes past two in the morning." Maddie remarked, rubbing her eyes.
Paige's smile didn't dim at all. "Yep! To be fair, I drank, like, three Cokes on the way here."
I sighed. "Oh my god, a cold soda sounds so good right now."
"I know, right?" Chloe said, taking a sip from her water bottle.
Just then, Kendall's mom's car pulled into the parking lot. Kendall hopped out, dark brown hair flying in the wind. She skipped over to the rest of us. "Hey!" She stood next to Maddie.
Paige looked away from Kendall, and I sighed. "Hi, Kendall!" I smiled brightly, trying to hide the fact that I was sort of annoyed by Paige at the moment.
Kendall waved at me, smiling shyly. Nia's mom pulled into the parking lot, and Nia dragged her feet walking over to the rest of us. "Hi, everyone." She mumbled, leaning on Chloe's other shoulder.
Chloe looked down at Maddie, and then Nia. "Why is it always me?" She sighed.
Paige and I giggled. The door behind the group of us opened, and there was Abby, shivering as she entered the brisk Fall air. Somehow, she was still ready to order us around, as usual. "Alright, girls! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
I ran over to the bus and settled into a seat in the back next to Nia. "Hey, Nia!" I smiled.
"Hi!" She grinned back, pulling her iPad out of her backpack.
I was glad that I was sitting next to Nia - I didn't hang out with her a whole lot, and I wanted to get to know her better. I got my own iPad out of my duffel bag and clicked on Netflix, going to the next episode of Glee. I plugged my headphones in, and Nia gasped. "Oh my gosh, you watch Glee? I love Glee!"
I raised my eyebrows. "Really? Awesome! Who's your favorite character?"
"Brittany. 100 percent Brittany." She nodded.
I laughed. "Mine's Santana! Or Burt. He's like, the best dad ever."
"Right?" She said. I turned back to my iPad and smiled. Yay, bonding!
-
Around twelve o'clock - we had already been in the car for ten hours - Paige turned around from the seat in front of me. "I'm hungry." She whined.
I laughed. "Not sure I know how to help you with that."
Maddie turned around, too. "Kenzie brought chips, but she won't give us any."
I looked across the aisle at Kenzie, who was clutching a small yellow bag of potato chips to her chest. I laughed, remembering her interview from the first season of the show.
Abby turned around to the rest of us. "You girls hungry?"
"Yeah!" We all yelled.
"Bus driver! Pull over at the next exit and drop us off at Chick-Fil-A." She smiled at us.
Paige and I grinned at each other as Bus Driver Jim got off at the next exit. We pulled into the Chick-Fil-A parking lot, and the bus was swarmed with people.
"Omigod, are those the girls from Dance Moms?" I heard someone squeal as I exited the bus, moving around one of the cameramen.
"Oh my gosh, Chloe! I'm such a huge fan! Can I get a picture?" A little girl asked. Chloe smiled and nodded, bending down to where she could take a selfie with the shorter girl.
I raised my eyebrows. "You guys even have fans at Chick-Fil-A?"
Chloe laughed. "I guess so! Usually it's not this crazy."
Paige smiled. "Plus, they're your fans now, too!"
I rolled my eyes playfully, opening the door of the restaurant. "They barely even know who I am! They've seen like, four episodes with me in it. They're all still here for you guys."
Maddie nodded as we entered the building. "Yeah, but soon enough, it'll be for you, too!"
I laughed and Abby caught up to the group of us. "Alright, chicken sandwiches and fries for everyone, I'm assuming." She said, standing next to Maddie.
We all nodded, except Mackenzie. "Can I get nuggets instead?" She pouted.
Abby sighed. "Sure, why not. What drinks for everyone?"
"Lemonade!" I smiled sweetly.
"Lemonade for me too, please." Maddie echoed.
"Sprite." Chloe looked up at Miss Abby.
"Just water for me, thanks." Brooke mumbled, looking down at her phone.
"Can I get a Coke?" Paige asked.
I raised my eyebrows. "Seriously, Paige? That's like, four cokes today."
She shrugged. "I gotta keep my caffeine levels consistent."
I shook my head, laughing. "Sprite, please!" I heard Mackenzie say from below me.
"Lemonade for me!" Nia grinned.
"Alright. Your mothers'll pay me back for this when we get back home. Go find someplace to sit." Abby shooed us away as she moved up in the line.
Paige linked her arm with mine and we found a booth that would seat four people. Maddie and Chloe sat with us. I felt a bit bad that we couldn't find a table with eight seats, but there was a group of frat guys that was already taking up the only one in the place.
I leaned against the table, lying my head down on it. "Need my sleep mask, Hails?" Chloe giggled.
I sighed. "No...just tell me when the food gets here, 'kay?"
Paige laughed. "We will."
I closed my eyes and listened to the other three girls talk about various topics. Maddie was nervous about her solo, Chloe was nervous about her solo, and Paige was nervous about who Blair would end up with on Gossip Girl. Y'know, the standard stuff we all worried about.
Suddenly, Paige tapped my shoulder. "Food's here!" She smiled, popping a waffle fry into her mouth.
I rose my head from the table and took a sip of my lemonade. "So...four more hours on the bus!" I half-heartedly cheered.
Paige laughed. "Super looking forward to it."
I picked the dill pickles off of my sandwich before taking a bite. Maddie sighed. "I don't understand how Abby expects us to sit in a bus for fourteen hours and then dance our solos perfectly." She said under her breath.
"I know, right? Totally unrealistic expectations." I shook my head.
"Come on, guys. Be positive! You sound like our moms." Chloe remarked.
"Chlo's right. Let's talk about something else! Like...my party!" Paige exclaimed.
"Omigod, I'm so excited!" Maddie sipped her drink. "I can't wait."
"Me either!" I chimed in.
"I can't wait to see Josh." Chloe smiled.
Paige rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Can we please not talk about your crush on my brother? It grosses me out."
I laughed. "You have a crush on Josh?"
"Yeah. He helped me after I wrecked my bike when by running it into a trash can, and I've liked him ever since." Chloe sighed.
"And let me guess: he barely knows you exist?" I questioned.
"Oh, no! We're friends, but he treats me like he's my big brother." Chloe crossed her arms.
I giggled. "C'mon, Chlo. We're literally fourth graders. You don't need to be thinking about dating anyone right now!"
"Especially if their name's Josh Hyland." Paige said, making all of us laugh.
-
The bus parked in the parking lot of the competition. Nia and I skipped out of the vehicle, waving to fans before Abby checked us in. When we got to the dressing room, I set my stuff down on the table, opening my makeup kit so that I could start getting ready.
After doing my foundation and face makeup, I held the mascara wand up to my right eye as Abby opened the door with a sigh. "Guess what I just found out?" She asked.
"What?" Most of the kids asked.
"Today's gonna be a little different. We'll be dancing on a gymnasium floor." Abby grimaced.
I raised my eyebrows. I didn't have the best experience with gym floors. Last time I danced on one, it was during a group dance at my old studio. During the dance, there was a really difficult turn section that I was supposed to leap out of. After I had done the set of turns and leapt into the air, I slipped as soon as I hit the floor, ruining our chances at winning. Needless to say, I was a little worried.
I finished my mascara and started putting on eyeshadow. It was a dark purple color - I was planning on blending it with some red, to make it look like I had a black eye. To do that, I would basically have to do it like I was doing a smoky eye. It took a few tries, but I eventually got it just right.
After my eye makeup was done, I did some finishing touches on my lips and grabbed my costume from my mom's suitcase. It looked really torn up and damaged now - my mom and Kelly had rubbed dirt on it, torn some parts of the skirt, and even run over it with their cars. It was better than I had imagined it would be!
A little while later, Abby clapped her hands together. "Okay, moms. Let's see those costumes."
I handed my costume to my mom and Miss Abby nodded at Christi. "What do we have here?"
Christi held up Chloe's costume. "Okay, so I know you didn't exactly think it would look good when you went up to the viewing room to check it out, but when I got home, I dyed the tutu blue and stoned the top. Satisfied?"
Abby nodded. "Looks good. Kelly, show me your costumes."
Kelly held up a white full leo with a bluish-purple skirt attached and an orange two piece costume. "The white is for Brooke, and the orange is for Paige." She said simply.
Abby glanced at the costumes. "Not bad. But if Paige is gonna wear shorts that short, the legs have to be straight. Understood?" She looked at Paige.
Paige nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Jen, show me Hailey's costume." Abby said, moving on.
"Alright, so since you said it was about an abused child, we matched some pieces from the dancewear store and tried to make them look really old." My mom explained.
"She even ran it over with her car." I commented.
"Alright, that looks good." Abby moved on, critiquing everyone else's costumes. It all went the same - that is, until Jill showed off Kendall's outfit.
She held up a sparkly white dress-looking thing that reminded me of an angel costume that I had worn for a group dance at my old studio. It looked very nice, and I had a slight suspicion that Jill did not just make that by herself.
Abby raised her eyebrows, taking in the costume. "There is no way that you just whipped that up last night."
Jill got a mischievous look on her face. "I never said I whipped it up last night."
"Well, that's what you were supposed to do. The whole lesson of this week was that you don't need a five hundred, and you're just sort of throwing the whole lesson out the window," Abby shrugged. "You were supposed to go to the dancewear store and mix and match some pieces to make a costume that no one has ever seen your child in. And I know that some judge somewhere has seen Kendall in that costume."
Jill was getting progressively angry. "Abby, I don't understand why-"
"If Kendall has worn this outfit in a competition, a recital, a showcase, a convention, a school function, a talent show, etcetera, then she isn't allowed to dance in it here."
"Fine!" Jill grabbed Kendall's wrist, pulling her to her feet. Her cowboy hat fell out of place on her head. "Then I'll just pack my bags and go home! Would that make you guys all really happy?"
"No, Jill, that would not make me happy." Abby said, trying to calm Jill down.
"I'm sick of this bullshit!" Jill yelled, throwing a tan jazz shoe on the ground. She pulled Kendall out of the room, and they were gone faster than you can say rampage.
-
Later, after Brooke, Mackenzie, and Nia had performed their solos - they performed very well, I might add - it was Maddie's turn. She was in her serious solo mood - the one where she hyped herself up before she went onstage - so Chloe, Paige and I were sitting in the stands, waiting for her to go on.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome entry number thirty-three, this is Maddie!" The emcee said into a microphone.
Maddie's upbeat salsa music started playing. Maddie entered the stage - well, the gym floor - full of energy. She was a little firecracker, and all was going smoothly.
That is, until she tried to do a diving front walkover and fell on her butt.
I gasped, and so did the rest of the team, but Maddie just kept on dancing. I smiled, proud of her. She finished the dance a little shakily, but it was still very good.
After Maddie was done, this medic dude carried her out of the gym and Melissa climbed through the rows of bleachers to follow them. I glanced at Paige, who seemed a bit surprised.
"Maddie's never fallen like that. I wonder what happened." Chloe said, looking at the two of us.
I shrugged. "The floor does look really slippery. Maybe she didn't get enough lift because she slipped when she was going up in the air."
"That could be it." Paige nodded.
The three of us walked back to the dressing room with our mothers, where Maddie was sitting on a plastic folding chair, tears falling from her eyes. I ran to her side, giving her a hug. Melissa and Miss Abby aww-ed while Christi, Kelly, and my mom rolled their eyes, knowing that if anyone else would've fallen during their dance, they would've been read the riot act - twice.
Chloe, Paige and I were all in the same division, so we were supposed to go on next. I didn't know what Kendall and Jill were supposed to do about Kendall's Sweet Little Lies solo - they didn't have another costume, and Abby wouldn't let Kendall compete in the one she already had.
I grabbed my costume from my mom's suitcase, and ducked behind a curtain to put it on. It looked pretty awesome - the costume being ripped to shreds really did add a nice touch.
I walked out from behind the curtain. Paige and Chloe were already in their costumes - they were currently trying to out-turn each other. Naturally, Chloe was winning.
Abby looked up from her phone. "Alright, girls! Let's get to the stage!"
I walked up to Paige and linked arms with her. Chloe walked to my other side and linked her arm with mine as we started down the hallway together. Chloe's tutu bounced up and down as we walked.
When we got to the doors, Chloe was called up first, so she was on deck before the rest of us were. Paige and I stood behind Chloe, stretching ourselves out.
I was supposed to go onstage after Chloe, and I was nervous. Very nervous. Paige looked over at me. "Hey. Are you okay? You seem...on edge."
"I'm fine! Everything's fine. Why do you think I'm on edge?" I asked.
"Because you're twirling your hair. And you only do that when you're nervous." Paige pointed out.
'It's just that...Abby told me that this was one of her favorite solos that she's ever choreographed, and I really don't wanna let her down. I want to make her proud. I want to-"
"Slow down," Paige grabbed my shoulders. "Now, I know we've only known each other for like, five weeks, but you're one of my best friends. And I know that you're gonna do great, and you should know that, too! You have to go out there and show Miss Abby that you're the best and that she didn't pick the wrong person to do this solo."
(A/N: why am i making these children sound so mature and like philosophical lmfao)
I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. "Thanks, Paige. I really needed that."
Paige smiled at me. "No problem. Pep talks are kinda my specialty."
The announcer guy interrupted our conversation. "Please welcome entry number forty-five, this is Chloe!"
Paige and I cheered as Chloe walked onto the gym floor and took her starting position. As she danced, I noticed that recently, her ballet technique had gotten a lot better since the last time I'd seen it. She was hitting basically everything, and I smiled, proud of her.
When she got offstage, she ran up to me and Paige, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh my gosh, was that as good as I think it was?"
"Yes!" I smiled.
She waved goodbye, running off to sit with Maddie in the audience. "Number forty-six, you're up!" A competition lady yelled in my direction. I gave Paige one last hug before walking to what was serving as the wings of the stage.
"Alright, everyone, please welcome entry number forty-six, Hailey!" The emcee said into a microphone. I walked onstage, taking my starting position.
The music started, and I lifted one of my hands from my face and brought it out to the side of my body. I spread my legs out and crawled across the floor, dragging my feet with me. I then pushed myself up, starting a set of a la secondes. I leapt out of the turns, landing on the floor with ease. Yes!
I threw myself into a front aerial, landing and basically pushing myself away from where I was just standing. I put a painful look on my face as an imaginary, invisible force pushed me back towards the area.
The rest of the dance went very, very well. I could easily say that it was my favorite solo I'd done at the ALDC so far. When I got offstage, Paige hugged me tightly. "Oh my god, that was amazing! Seriously, your emotions were through the roof."
"Thank goodness. I barely even remember performing!" I exclaimed. Paige gave me one last hug before I left to sit in the audience.
I sat down between Nia and Chloe and looked out at the "stage". "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome entry number forty-seven, this is Paige!"
Paige sashayed out onto the gym floor, taking her position. Her music started, and she pushed herself up into a press handstand, making everyone cheer. The rest of her dance went very well - it was honestly the best solo I'd ever seen from her. I was really proud of her.
-
Later, after Kendall had done her last minute performance of "Sweet Little Lies", it was time for the awards! The eight of us sat together on the gym floor, excited to see who would win. I, personally, thought Paige had a pretty good chance. I obviously hoped I would win, but everyone was at the top of their game today.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Let's get to our overall solo category. In fifth place, we have...entry number one-oh-two, Rebekah!" The announcer said. A girl who looked to be about Mackenzie's age ran up to get her award, grinning from ear to ear.
"In fourth place, entry number ninety-four, Brooke!" The announcer spoke into the microphone. The team whooped and hollered for Brooke as she smiled, going up to get her award.
"In third place, we have entry number forty-five, Chloe!" Chloe ran to accept her award as we all cheered for her. Paige and I squeezed our hands together even tighter - we both knew that we would make up the top two.
"Okay. This doesn't happen often, but our first and second place are separated by a single point." The announcer said. I looked up at my mom in the crowd, and she gave me a thumbs-up.
"In second place, we have...entry number forty-six, Hailey!" I grinned, running up to accept my award. A woman in a red dress handed it to me with a smile. I stood next to Chloe and looked over at Paige, who couldn't stop smiling. She knew she had won.
I grabbed Chloe's shoulder. "Oh my gosh, Paige is gonna win!"
"I know!" Chloe said excitedly.
"And, in first place...entry number forty-seven, Paige!" The announcer said. Paige gasped and ran up to the front of the room to get her award. I looked out at the crowd and saw Kelly wearing the biggest smile I'd ever seen. This was the first time I had actually seen Paige win first place, though I knew she'd won some stuff before the show started.
I gave her a huge hug. "Oh my gosh, Paige! I'm so proud of you!"
Paige looked at me and Chloe. "Omigod, I won! I actually won! That never happens! That's the first time in like, two years!"
We all laughed and returned to the bleachers as the announcer began another category. Kelly enveloped her in a huge hug and ruffled her hair. "I knew you could do it!" She grinned, proud of Paige.
I was proud of her, too.
-
When we got back to the dressing room, Kelly was still going on about how amazing Paige was. "That was the best I saw you dance!" She said, smiling. I giggled, sitting down with my mom.
I looked down at the table, realizing that I had probably let Miss Abby down. She had given me some amazing choreo, and what did I do? Get second place. And second place is the first to lose. She was going to be disappointed in me. I knew it.
"Hey. Are you okay? You look down." My mom said, stroking my hair.
I bit my lip. There were cameras right in front of us, and I didn't know if I wanted to say this on TV. It would make me look super vulnerable. But then again, this was supposed to be a reality show.
"It's just that Abby gave me the awesome choreography this week and she expected me to win...and I got second. And she's gonna be really disappointed in me. She's gonna yell at me." I said, looking up at my mom.
"If she yells at you, it's only because she cares and she wants you to work harder and be a better dancer," Mom started. "Besides, Paige was amazing today. And you only lost by one point. She won't be mad. She'll probably be proud that you executed it as well as you did."
Yeah...no.
When Abby walked into the room, she gave all of the winning soloists hugs, as per usual. She sat down in a swivel chair and leaned back in it. "Hailey, I gave you the touching story this week. I gave you the harder choreography. I gave you the intense emotions. And what did you do? You got second."
I looked at Abby. "I feel I performed it in the best way I could." My voice was barely a whisper.
"Well, clearly you didn't. If you had, you wouldn't have lost." Abby shrugged.
I guess she was right, in a way. But maybe my best today wasn't as good as Paige's.
Abby sighed. "I knew I should've saved that dance for Maddie."
My mom raised her eyebrows. "Abby, that was so uncalled for. She got second. And she only lost by one point. Big deal."
"It is a big deal, Jen. Because I expect more from your daughter. Somehow she got second. Maddie wouldn't have gotten second. Maddie would've won the title!" Abby went on. I bit my lip to keep from crying..
"Do you want to know why these kids never beat Maddie? Do you really want to know?" Mom asked, standing up and crossing her arms.
"Because Maddie works the hardest. Plain and simple." Abby shrugged.
"No. It's because you constantly compare the rest of the kids to her. You belittle them and make them feel like they're not good enough because they aren't her. And it breaks my heart to see these girls come home crying because you yelled at them for not being exactly the same as her." My mom explained, walking towards Abby.
"That has nothing to do with it!" Miss Abby exclaimed. "I give Maddie a correction, she goes home and works on it for two hours. I give the rest of the kids a correction, they go home and sit on their butts in front of the TV. Your daughter is very talented, Jen, but I don't see her ever working as hard as Maddie."
I finally burst into tears, and Brooke pulled me into a hug, patting my back. "Shh...it's okay. It's okay." She whispered. Chloe squeezed my hand lightly. Maddie gave me an apologetic look and I shook my head. It wasn't her fault that she was Abby's favorite.
"Don't you dare say that about my daughter!" Mom's voice cracked. "Hailey works harder than you have in your entire life!"
I grabbed my mom's arm. "Mom, please. Stop talking. You're making it worse." I whispered, tears still streaming down my face.
Mom brushed me off. "And y'know what, Abby? Now you're making my daughter cry. So we're leaving. Let's go, Hailey."
"No!" I cried. "I wanna stay. Please!"
"You really want to stay? After all the things she's said about you and your friends?" My mom questioned.
I nodded rapidly. "Yeah. I just wanna dance. With my friends."
Mom sighed, crossing her arms.
"Please?" I asked weakly.
"Fine." My mom slumped down in her chair. Abby smiled with her lips closed, and I took a few deep breaths, trying to stop crying. Chloe squeezed my hand tighter.
I just wanted to go home.
a/n: SO SORRY ABOUT THE LONG CHAPTER! i feel like i should've split it up into two parts but like whatever this is what i got lmao. please please please give me constructive criticism, i know that whole argument thing at the end was rly bad but like i'm working on it lol. love you all, thanks for reading!!
2023 EDIT: i started writing this story way before chloe came out so basically the josh storyline doesn't exist (not like i was gonna focus on it that much anyways lol). hopefully i will be able to rewrite some stuff in the near future to make the story a lot more cohesive, and to represent chloe in the most accurate way possible. much love :)