Relevé to the Top

Chapter 2. The Apple of Her Eye

"I've been trying to figure out what the Abby Lee Dance Company needs to do to get back to first overall high score? We went all the way to Minnesota. I've never been there before," Abby scoffs in disgust. "And I'm probably never going back. Thank God Lexie came back."

Lexie feels that if Abby could pace in front of them, she would.

"Alright, now for the pyramid. Mackenzie. I told you to stay off your foot. I even went and got you a wheelchair so that you weren't standing on hard cement all day long. But you didn't listen. You were hopping all over the place. This week you are benched. You will not be performing," Abby scolds.

Lexie rubs the back of Kenzie's back. Kenzie wasn't resting her foot on Saturday, but she wasn't on it either.

"Paige. You do a good job, it's fine, but I don't want good, I don't want fine. Brooke, in the group dance, you're almost lethargic. You move slowly. You don't have a lot of zip, a lot of energy. Chloe. Have you learned your lesson? I hope so. Moving on up, Maddie. Second two weeks in a row. We're gonna see if you have what it takes. Can you get past the second? Next, Kendall. Jill, I used your new headshot that you gave me."

"Kendall's a pretty girl. You have the face, but you go onstage, and you don't use it. Next, we have Lexie. Your back and I'm glad that you won, but before you left, your technique was the best on the team. It's not anymore. And on top of the pyramid this week... is Nia. I thought you looked great. Your face was off the charts. You were Beyonce up there."

"Whoo-hoo!" Lexie claps. She didn't mind that she wasn't on the top since Abby was right, and Nia got to be on top.

"Now, this week, we will be attending the Power House Dance Competition in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I have a rotten feeling that you know who is going to be there," Abby scowls. "The group routine is about Rosa Parks. She broke down barriers, and she united entire races. Don't assume anything. I have no idea who will play Rosa Parks."

Lexie's eyes widen as she looks around the room. The only one that should be Rosa Parks is Nia. Is she gonna give it to Maddie? I hope not.

"Holly, what's going on with the short skirt?" Abby asks, causing Holly to look down. "And your hair's in your face. I mean, come on."

"I'm surprised you don't like my style," Holly says, making Lexie giggle.

Abby shakes her head. "I-I-I don't. I don't know. I just think that an award-winning costume designer would have picked something better."

"You have a stylist on your résumé now, too?" Holly jokes.

"Oh, I've been dressing people for years," Abby tells her. "Kendall, you will be doing a solo again this weekend. The name of your routine is 'Look at Me Now.' We're going to do some exercises with that face. My other solo is going to Maddie. The name of your routine this week is 'Break Down Walls.' Now remember I gave you a lifeline; you dropped it. You had to climb up a hill, you rolled back down, and Lexie climbed right past you." Abby shrugs. "We're going to see if you have what it takes. I have one more routine. "Paige, for years, you have begged me to do a routine with Chloe, and all this time, I've been waiting for you to step up to her level. So I don't have to wait anymore because Chloe... you've slipped down to that level."

"So Chloe had to be bad for Paige to get a dance?" Kelly asks before nodding. "Okay."

"The name of your duet is 'Broadway Blondes.' The style of your routine is jazz. Ladies, I'm gonna ask you to spread apart. We're gonna get started on the group routine. Moms, you're dismissed. Go head upstairs."

Going to the side, Lexie grabs two blocks and places them in front of her. Sitting in the back, Abby guides them through their warm-up while Kenzie sits on the bench in the back. After stretching, they start learning the routine.