Causing The Unknown To Be Known

Chapter Two

I skip into my familiar and ancient looking school, my book bag jolting with each skip and hop up the main steps of concrete. Scanning my surroundings, I begin eyeing Madison who is pottering away in her locker. I've always been envious of her. Madison has lucoius, chocolate brown hair, big, attractive hazel eyes and a smile that is brighter than one thousand stars. They say that the brightest smiles hold the darkest secrets... Brushing it all off, I glide through the long halls, stealing a glacé out if the tall windows while doing so. At last, I reach my own locker. I pull my key from the back pocket of my jeans and jam it into the lock. After collecting and packing my exercise books and copies for history, maths and French, I set off classroom B5. Many children, all fourteen like me, flood the crammed classroom, chatting, exploring their phones and some just wandering the room, in search of something unknown to me. I sling my heavy bag down from my shoulders and onto the wooden desk space in front of me. I twist my torso and realise that Kendall is seated beside me. I grin madly. I am in no way way popular, I am very unknown to the class, in fact. Nobody would sit beside me or stay seated if I approached. I didn't know why. I'll never know why. I tap Kendall's shoulder lightly and she whirls round from her conversation with the person behind her. "Oh, hi, Nia!" Kendall flashes a set of perfect, white teeth at me. I say hello back and plop down into the wooden chair. The chair is cold, hard and uncomfortable. Our school is very cheap. Lesson after lesson, hour after hour, three o'clock finally crawled to show itself on the clock. I bolt out of my last class and dart my way to my locker. Chloe and I both go to dance at the same time on Mondays, therefore she comes home with me and arrive at dance as a package deal. While the two of us strolled home, Chloe began yapping about Nationals. "I hope I get a solo! I wonder what the group will be called! It's only a week away, Abby isn't pressurising us yet, maybe something's up! What if-" I cut her off with a knowing glare and no more irritating words escape Chloe's mouth against her will. A bit of a silence occurs as I hold my breath. We turn a corner. From my point of view now, I can just about see my little house, beyond some parked cars on the edge of the road. By the time my friend and I have had a snack, do some homework and change into out bright coloured dance gear, it is already four o'clock! The beautiful blonde and I rush out to my mother's silver jeep, our designer dance bags swishing and swaying at our sides. My mother switches on the radio and we all rock out to some Sia. The melody fills my head, until I remember that Maddie was in this music video; Elastic Heart. I think, "Abby has been breaking me down so much, it's like I have an elastic heart." Our little trio reaches the studio soon after the song had finished. I burst out of the car and grab my bag from the backseat. Chloe and I race each other to the door then. "Come on, Chlo! You are such a slow poke!" I giggle, racing as quick as my legs could carry me. I reach the fancy entrance doors, panting and sweating. We are greeted by Miss Abby at the front desk and then skip along to the dancers' den. Maddie and Kendall are there, as usual, chatting away about their success. "I can't wait for your new single to be released, KK!" "Thanks, Chandelier girl! Loved your performance at the Grammys by the way!" Kendall was kind, soft natured, but could sometimes be a bit cocky. Don't get me wrong, she's one of my best friends, but she could get on anyone's nerves. The two victorious girls saw us enter the room and sang, "Hello!" in perfect harmony. The whole lesson all I could think of was their victories, whereas I, has nothing. Was nothing. Was it true? Did I really try ten times harder than Maddie, Kendall, Chloe, Brooke, Paige and Mackenzie? I guess not. If my own teacher thinks I don't try hard enough, then I most likely don't. "Causing The Unknown To Be Known" was rehearsed over seven times, each time I was getting a different correction. "I've had enough. Fix your sloppy feet, straighten your knees and come back when you're as successful as Maddie!" Abby scowled, rising from her chair in the corner of the large and warm practice room. At first, I was stunned that a grown woman of forty something would have the guts to say that, but then I fully broke out in tears. I could hear muffled voices coming from behind me. I turn around quickly, not giving the confident speakers much time to stop and think. The last thing I heard was Maddie's voice. She seemed to be rolling her eyes at something. Or someone. "Thanks a lot, Nia," she sneers to Kendall. Instinctively, I bolt out of the studio and to the bathroom. I scrunch up in a tight ball against the wall in one of the stalls where I cry a river of tears, hoping to get carried away to "Anti-Abby Land". It felt like about half an hour before anybody came looking for me. Makenzie burst through the door, hollering my name loudly, "Nia? Nia, where are you?!" "I'm in here..." I sob quietly. Mackenzie gently pushes the stall's door open and slithers down to sit beside me. She rips a piece of tissue from the blue wall dispenser and dries my tears. Kenzie was a good friend. "Don't worry about being like Maddie," she coos. That's strange, hearing her say those words. She was always the one being compared to her sister. When the how began, years and years ago, Mackenzie was always in the shadow of her big sister. She was never good enough, always compared to Maddie. Abby once told her she was disappointed in her for being the opposite of her favoured sister. "Thanks, Mackenzie. I guess you can relate." "Totally. People complain, 'my daughter didn't win' and 'she's not getting enough attention'. I have to sit back and watch my sister rise to stardom and fame. All I seem to be is a disappointment even when I try and even when I win. I want to be a star too..." Mackenzie trails off into an unexpected silence. "At least you have your new single coming out soon!" I wrap my arm round the now equally upset girl. "Thanks, Nia. I just wish Abby could see how hard you work." Those words made me feel a little bit better. "Where's Abby?" I question. "Gone home, she left Gia in charge," Kenzie coos. I nod, showing a sign of 'OK'. Mackenzie stands up and dusts her black leotard off. "Coming?" "I'll be in in a couple of minutes," I reply. My little friend nods and skips out of the bathroom, leaving me alone. I dust myself off after climbing up to my feet and march back into the studio room. No crybabies.