Causing The Unknown To Be Known

Chapter One

As I stroll into the large dance studio planted before me, I stare up to the bright, pale blue sky in hope. Fluffy, candy floss like clouds patch the blueness, shielding nothing but pure air. I glide my eyes over all of the snow white clouds, my eyes battling the harsh sun. Today could be the day that I've been waiting for. I might be given a solo by Abby today. You see, I, Nia Frazier, am very unknown. I perform every week of a hit television series named "Dance Moms". My cruel yet loving mentor, Abigail Lee Miller, has no faith in me whatsoever. The elite dance team and I compete at tough competitions all over the U.S.A. Now that I think of it, I've been to every single state. Miss Abby is most likely to hand Madison a solo, she wins first place overall at them. My mother always tells me, "Nia, you try ten times harder than any of your teammates. Your time to shine will come." I glide through the tall entrance door smoothly and am greeted by a warm hello from Chloe, another wonderful teammate of mine. "Hello, Chloe!" I wrap my arms round the tall blonde that was heading the same way as I am. Before you could say "solo", all seven of us were huddled inside the studio room, awaiting our strict teacher to march in and reveal the head shots that were plastered to the mirror. Surely enough, she did. "On the bottom of the pyramid," Abby sighs. "Is Mackenzie. Mackenzie, you're not a baby anymore, you need to point your feet when you perform you tricks and jumps. I expect to see symmetrical lines at this week's competition." My little friend nods silently. "Then we have...Paige. You have to keep in time with the rest of the group! Next time, maybe you could be the reason we don't win!" The critiquing lady continues like that all the way up to the last two head shots. "Next we have Nia. Nia, you're not trying hard enough." Tears dotted my eyes quickly. Her words sink into my skin and to my heart. Suddenly, I mentally accused my mother of lying to me all these years. I had to try harder. I had to prove that I was every bit as good as Madison. I assume that Miss Abby spotted my softness. She stamped up to me and screams loudly in my face, "Nia! No crybabies! If you don't want to become a better dancer, pack your stuff and hit the road!" I could've sworn she just spit in my eye. I had no clue what I looked like on the outside, but on the inside, my little sheet of paper named "self-esteem" was getting ripped to shreds by a woman named Abigail. Of course, on the top of the pyramid, was Madison Nicole Ziegler. As usual, and, as usual, she was handed a solo. There were camera men surrounding our little clump of friends, holding large, black recorders. It made me feel very uncomfortable. It has been four years since the show has aired on Lifetime, and I have never gotten used to the awkwardness of the producer and camera crew following my every step. We begin rehearsing the group dance entitled "Causing The Unknown To Be Known". The heartbreaking storyline was about a little girl who was always overlooked. Always in the shadows of another. I'm surprised I wasn't one of the leads... If only Abby knew what my sheet of paper looked like. If only she knew how much her words hurt me. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can tear holes in your soul." All of the dancers earned themselves a break, so all of us sweating, panting and stamina less dancer trudge into the den where we gulp down what feels like a gallon of water. Kendall reveals a mini box of cheese and onion flavoured Pringles from her Louis Vuitton designer bag and passes them around to her best friends. I chomp down angrily on my two crisps, reminding myself of what the teacher exposed to the team during pyramid. "Nia, you're not trying hard enough." Brooke glances over at me angrily punishing the innocent Pringles and questions if I am alright. Of course I wasn't alright, and I refused to lie to a person that I've known since I was as young as eighteen months. "No, I'm not really alright..." Brooke leaps off of the cushions bench and darts across the room to my side, avoiding the small children playing or stretching on the floor. As the kind brunette curls a warm arm around my shoulders, I begin to quiver and a couple of tears escape my eyes against my will. "Is it from what Miss Abby told you this morning?" "Yes, she said I didn't try hard enough," I scramble for words. My good friend consoles me until my eyes dry and our small huddle is called back into the studio to rehearse again. Everyday I put my all into my dance. I come home with bruises and sore muscles, like every dancer, but I try hard enough to be called a dancer from the Abby Lee Dance Company. It's intense- the dance world. We've been raised in this studio to handle all of the drama and commotion that may come our way, but Abby doesn't even have human decency. As I leap and turn throughout "Causing The Unknown To Be Known", I don't use my feet to dance, I use my soul. They say you can't dance without feeling and a burning passion. I have a passion that burns like fire, and my soul is released in every movement. I guess Abby just doesn't see that.

The next day was a Monday. I haul myself up from my luxurious bed and continue from there with my usual performance of using the bathroom, getting dressed and having some breakfast. The wonderful smell of pancakes wafted towards, convincing me to trot faster down the stairs and scoff them down. I do so. "Good morning, gorgeous!" my mother embraces me in a comforting hug just as I enter out open kitchen. "Hi, mom!" I make my way over to the counter where there are two medium sized pancakes awaiting me. I grin at my mother madly, scoop them up and plop down at the table. Once I have my breakfast eaten, I set off for school.