To Become A Star

Chapter 26: I Know What You Did Last Competition

CHLOE'S HOUSE

My eyes darted around the room, looking but not seeing. I don't know why I had to be here, as Chloe and Nia knew the whole story and could relay it by themselves, but I found myself sitting in Chloe's room anyway.

I didn't appreciate being tricked into coming over, but Chloe insists that I wasn't. But if I know one thing for sure, saying 'I want to talk to you, can you come over tonight,' is not the same as 'I'm going to tell all our friends that they've been misled and have been treating you poorly for no reason, come over so we can make up.'

I was not in the mood for this, nor did I really want to be here, but Chloe had confiscated my phone and put it on top of the fridge so I couldn't leave.

I pushed air out of my mouth. I can find at least seven things I would rather be doing right now and one of them starts with a big fat P and ends with racticing.

I have so many things on my schedule it's actually crazy that I was sitting here doing nothing. Even the moms downstairs were being productive. Granted, they were doing the same thing us kids are doing up here, but it's productive by their standards so I guess that's better than me right now.

"-And that's why we haven't gotten any of her messages," Chloe's voice suddenly became more apparent to me. I didn't look up from the floor to see anyones reactions, I could already tell who felt bad and who felt guilty.

Maddie most certainly felt bad, not guilty. She never feels guilty when she believes her actions were right, even if someone else tells her they are wrong. Paige and Brooke probably felt a mixture of both, but that didn't matter to me right now.

It's after nine at night, I have dance from 10-6 tomorrow, I need to learn my lines for Once Upon A Time, I need to pack my suitcase with enough clothes to last me a few weeks, and I need to get a full night's rest so I don't look like a zombie on television.

"Why didn't you just tell us that?" Maddie asked. I stared at her blankly, I must have heard that wrong. Has she just magically forgotten everything that's happened over the past few months?

"I tried, multiple times. I even told you just three days ago!" I exclaimed. "You always gave up as soon as I walked away." She has to be joking right now. "Why in the world would I chase you down just to explain my side of the story if you obviously don't want to hear it."

"I just think that you should've tried harder," she explained. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes, various different sensations washing over me all at once.

"Maddie," Brooke chided, but it was too late. There was nothing they could do to take back the hurt that I felt

"I'm going downstairs," I quickly evacuated the room. I didn't want the others to see me cry, I didn't want to be here at all. I went into the kitchen where all the moms were, gossiping about the entire situation.

They stopped talking right as I entered, but I didn't say anything. I just grabbed an empty chair and moved it over to the fridge where Chloe had placed my phone. I could feel their confused gazes on my back.

"I'm calling my dad to come and pick me up," I told them. The longer I stayed in this house letting those words replay in my brain, the more yelling at Maddie became a reality rather than a possibility.

Who would I be if I followed people around, begging them to listen to me? Maddie was being ridiculous, and I don't want to hear her opinion anymore.

It took no time at all to speak with my father; no matter what time of the day, he was going to answer his phone.

I felt way better sitting in the living room reciting lines in my head than I did upstairs surrounded by people who were supposed to be my friends. I could hear the different voices of the characters in my head, and I let myself drift.