Maddie and Noah crossed paths for the last time. Maddie trudging back to the kitchen and Noah out the door. She didn't bother to wipe away the tears or hide the pain in her face, she just wanted to go home and sleep.
"You okay?" Nick asked. Paige came over and hugged Maddie. "It's okay. He doesn't deserve you." Paige whispered. Maddie rubbed her nose and glanced at Nick, Chloe, and Paige.
She studied their concerned expressions and nervous blinks and for once she realized, these people were on her side. Despite the fights and pointless drama, they all truly loved each other. Chloe and Paige would always be closest, Maddie and Chloe would always be competitors, and Nick and Maddie would probably always have an awkward tension between them but it didn't matter.
"I'm sorry about everything, guys. I just want to forget about it all. And Chloe, I'm sorry about what happened last night. I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Maddie said, tucking a limp piece of hair behind her ear. Chloe just shook her head slightly and smiled, "I don't care, Maddie. We were probably better off just staying friends anyway."
"Friends?" Maddie asked, a tiny smile blooming on her face. "Friends." Chloe and Paige said in unison. The three girls glanced at Nick and he kept his eyes locked with Maddie's. "Um . . . friends, I guess." He said, reluctantly.
Maddie pulled the three of them into a hug and she felt so much better. Finally, she was at peace with herself and her friends even if it meant not being with Noah. He was kind of a player anyways.
"Paige, Nick, we need to get ready for dance!" Chloe exclaimed glancing at the clock. Nick ran to grab his bag and shoes and Chloe and Paige upstairs to change. Maddie stood where she was, awkwardly.
"We'll drop you off at home on the way to ALDC, Mads." Chloe said as the four of them ran outside and into the car twenty minutes later.
"Wait!" Nick exclaimed. Three pairs of eyes turned towards him. "Maddie, open auditions are today! You can audition for the team and Abby will have to let you back on!" Maddie stared at the ground. "I would, but I haven't danced in so long. Plus, Abby and most everyone else at the studio hates me." Maddie said.
"Nobody hates you, Maddie." Chloe said, putting her hand on Maddie's shoulder. Maddie shifted her eyes to the window.
Should I really do this? Would Abby let me back on the team? Or would she kick me out again?
"Okay. I'll do it." Maddie said, giving a smile. Everyone grinned. "Trust me, she's going to let you back on the team." Paige said.
They got to ALDC with little time to spare, Maddie wearing a red and grey Oxyjen top and shorts that she had borrowed from Chloe and biting her nails nervously. The four dancer's walked into the studio, straight past the long line of dancers auditioning.
Everyone cheered and clapped when they walked in and they all smiled and waved. "We're superstars." Paige whispered, giggling. They ignored everyone's pleads for autographs and pictures and went into the dancer's den.
Some unfamiliar dancer's were already there and they were staring at Nick, Paige, Maddie, and Chloe as if they were naked. Chloe handed Maddie a packet that she needed to fill out and a number with two safety pins for the audition.
"Hello." Maddie said, sitting next to a girl with long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and a bubblegum pink leotard. "Hey. Your Maddie, right?" The girl asked. "That's me!" Maddie said, smiling and pinning the number 5 to her top. "I'm Renee. Why are you filling out that form? Isn't it only for people auditioning?" Renee asked. "Well, Renee, today, I am auditioning. It's kind of a long story." Maddie said. Maddie opened her mouth to say something else but she heard Abby's shrill voice behind her and she paused, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open.
"Okay, girls, you can start warming up in the studio. Class will begin in twenty minutes." Maddie swallowed, slowly, her back still facing Abby, and she walked into the studio, hiding behind a crowd of tall dancers.
"Good luck!" Paige, Chloe, and Nick whisper-shouted.
Maddie looked around Studio A. It was filled with dancers who were sizing each other up and showing off their skills. One skinny, skinny girl with black hair launched into a set of turns, her leg propelling her around. Another girl with large green eyes and an organized blonde bun on her head lifted her right leg into an extension that went straight up in the air.
Maddie gaped around her at the room filled with talent. Even if she did get on the team, Abby would torment her. She got up, starting to doubt herself, when Abby walked into the room to start class, another crowd of dancer's following her in. Abby started to talk to the class and Maddie ducked behind Renee to listen.
"Hello, everyone!" Abby started. Everyone greeted her in return. "So, you are all auditioning for a spot on the Abby Lee Dance Company Elite competition team. I will be picking two dancers who will be performing each weekend with Chloe, Paige, Nia, Mackenzie, and Kendall who are all here now, actually." Abby called them in and everyone cheered and clapped, except for Maddie who was still hiding. "I'm going to have each of you learn a short combination from my elite team and then perform it in groups. At the end of the hour, I will have two new dancers for my team."
The class began but Maddie stayed in the back, trying to put off her confrontation with Abby for as long as possible. But the fateful moment came the minute Abby started dismissing dancers.
The studio slowly became less and less crowded and Maddie was forced to move to the front.
"Okay, we're going to do the combination with music now!" Abby bellowed. "Oh, and switch positions so I can see the dancers who have been stuck in the back now."
Maddie bit her lip and reluctantly moved forward to the front row. All the girls gave her comforting smiles and Maddie felt a tiny bit of relief.
The music started and Abby traveled, slowly to the front of the room, surveying dancers as she went. "Maddie?" Abby said, suddenly. Maddie continued dancing, avoiding Abby's shocked stare. She turned several times and landed in her middle splits for the improvisation part of the routine. The music stopped but Abby stayed in place.
Maddie could tell she had totally thrown Abby off. No one at ALDC had really expected her to come back.
Abby pulled herself together and dismissed another batch of dancers until Maddie, Renee, and only ten other dancers were remaining.
The routine was performed one last time and Abby dismissed most of the girls unfortunately including Renee. Three girls left.
"Okay, I have made my final descision." Abby said, clapping her hands together. "The two new members of the Abby Lee Dance Company elite competition team are number 12 and . . . number 5." Maddie gasped, a smile growing on her face as she and another girl named Lucy were enveloped in a tight group hug.
