𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 - 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙧 - discontinued

smudged glass

|3.2|

this part is in third person lol

"i can barely see what's going on." stacey remarks, staring intensely at the dancers below them, trying to see around the fingerprints on the glass pane separating the moms from the studio.

"well, it's clear that willow and brady are once again getting special attention. i really don't think that's fair." ashley pushes her blonde hair off a shoulder and gestures vaguely down at the dancers with a freshly french manicured hand.

"i don't think they're getting special attention, ashley, but even if they were, i don't think it'd be fair to blame me, tricia, or the kids. we all know abby's the end-all be-all at this studio." susan tells ashley, looking down at her from the top row.

"well, you'd be singing a different tune if anyone else were getting better treatment than your daughter, and you know it." ann protests.

"i think that's true for everyone in this room, so don't act like it's just susan and i." tricia rolls her eyes. "this is very unfair. what if our kids are just better than yours?"

this started an uproar in the viewing room. "now wait just a minute. did you just insinuate-" stacey began. "yes, i did stacey. i mean, our kids are older than lilly! what do you expect?!"

"but not everyone's kids, and that's what's wrong with you guys. you're always trying to justify your comments when they're totally, completely wrong." joanne gestures to susan and tricia.

"i never said our kids were better than theirs and i don't want it to seem like that's what i think. they all have different strengths and weaknesses they deserve to be recognized for." susan cuts in defiantly.

anne points a red fingernail at susan's nose. "don't you go playing the good parent, susan. you know you'd do anything for your child to get to the top, which is why you aren't going down and saying something to abby like you should be."

"AND WOULD YOU GO DOWN AND SAY SOMETHING TO ABBY? NO, YOU WOULDN'T, SO JUST SHUT THE HELL UP, WILL YOU?" susan finally snaps. abby looks up to see susan and tricia storming out of the viewing room, tricia following susan downstairs

back to willows pov :D

"what are the mothers thinking? willow and brady, i hope your mothers know that if they come down here and try something funny because of those other moms, you'll be the ones suffering with consequences." abby says, glancing up at the viewing room. 

brady and i look at each other and gulp, willing our moms not to come into the studio. i notice the other mothers fighting as they glare down - straight at me. i look at the floor, scared that my mom's outburst will unite the moms against my mom and i, and then the team will hate me. and it'll be on television. and everyone will know i'm the impostor, the odd one out, and i have been the whole time.

"okay, everyone, take five. i like it, i like what i see."

"thank you, miss abby." we chorus, walking into the dancers den.

"i hope my mom didn't say anything dumb to your moms, and if she did i'm really sorry." i blurt out. lilly laughs. "you guys weren't here before, but i was. and trust me, it just gets worse. but we've never blamed each other for our moms." i breathe a silent sigh of relief.

"besides, i'm pretty sure our moms are all going to do something dumb at some point. i mean, look at the OG moms. kelly hit abby, christi walked out screaming... pressure gets to everyone. but nothing will happen to us, don't worry. no matter what." pressley offers me a smile, a real one this time, and it feels warm and comforting. i see the apology in her eyes, and i nod to show her i forgive her, because i think i do. or at least, i want to.

"even if your mom ran out screaming at abby and our moms, we wouldn't hate you, because that's obviously not your fault at all." savannah assures me, smiling before she walks out along with pressley, gianina and lilly, and hannah and sarah follow.

"yeah. everything's going to be okay." i can tell that brady, more than everyone else, can sense the genuine fear and underlying exhaustion in my eyes. he sits down, puts an arm around me and rubs my shoulder. i lean into him, taking a deep breath.

"thanks, brady." i say quietly, because it's only meant for him, and i see that his cheeks are pink again.

"yeah, no prob." he clears his throat and looks away, smoothing his hair with his free hand. we sit like that for a minute before we pull apart and walk back to the studio in silence, because we understand that we don't need to say anything.

little did i know how wrong we were. because anything, and everything, could tear us apart, if extreme enough.

including, but not limited to, our moms.