The Male prodigy(Slow updates)

Chapter 19: Fixing Bridges

The sun was just beginning to set as the team started leaving Abby Lee Miller's studio, one by one. It had been a long day of hard practices, and the dancers couldn't wait to hit the stage and show the world what they'd been working on. Excitement ran high and nervous energy hummed through the air as they each grabbed their bags, costumes in hand, ready for the competition ahead.

As everyone began boarding the bus, Abby called out specific seating arrangements. "Maddie, Ethan, you two are sitting together," she instructed firmly. "I want you to use this bus ride to work on regaining that chemistry you once had. You can't afford to let it slip any further."

Ethan glanced at Maddie without a word before walking to the back of the bus. Maddie hesitated for a moment, stealing a glance towards Abby who gave her an encouraging nod. Then, with a deep breath, she followed Ethan and settled into the seat beside him. The silence between them was palpable as the bus started moving.

Maddie turned towards Ethan, who continued staring out the window with a somber expression on his face. She bit her lip nervously, trying to muster up the bravery to initiate conversation.

"Hey," she began cautiously, "how are you feeling about our duet?"

Ethan shifted slightly in his seat but kept his gaze fixed outside. "It is what it is," he replied bluntly.

Sighing under her breath, Maddie pressed on. "Ethan, I know things have been tough lately between us," she said softly, trying not to let her emotions get in the way. "But we used to be such good friends… Can we at least talk and try to work this out? We don't have much time before our performance."

He hesitated for a moment but finally turned to face Maddie. His eyes were cold, yet vulnerable. "What's there to say?" he asked, avoiding eye contact.

Maddie bit her lip again before speaking. "I miss how things were before, Ethan," she admitted, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "We were a great team.

At the competition

The energy in the room was electric as dancers from different teams warmed up, practicing their final moves before the big dance competition. Among them were Ethan, Maddie and Brooke the talented dancers of the Abby Lee Miller's team. The excitement was palpable, but Ethan found himself lost in his own thoughts.

Abby Lee Miller noticed this immediately and took it upon herself to address the situation. "Ethan! What's the matter with you?" she barked, pulling him away from Maddie. "You've been acting cold to Maddie all day - what's going on?"

"I'm just really focused on our performance today, Abby. I don't want to mess up."

Unconvinced, Abby scowled before finally dismissing him with a wave of her hand. "Fine - get back to practicing then."

Unable to shake off his sudden need for space, Ethan made a hasty exit from the dance hall without anyone noticing but Maddie and Brooke. Concerned for their friend, they exchanged glances and decided to follow him.

Meanwhile, Ethan had spotted Kalani standing alone in the hallway. Seeing her in that moment felt like a breath of fresh air to him. He jogged over and embraced her without hesitation.

Kalani tensed momentarily at the sudden contact but then wrapped her arms around him too. "Hey," she asked softly against his ear, "what's going on?"

Before he had a chance to respond though, Maddie and Brooke emerged from around a corner just in time to witness their intimate moment. The surprise and shock registered on both their faces as they saw Ethan lean down and plant a tender kiss on Kalani's lips.

Maddie's heart ached with jealousy as she watched the boy she had secretly harbored feelings for show his affection for her best friend. Brooke, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a pang of envy too.

The night sky was slowly being consumed by the rising full moon as Kalani and Ethan found themselves huddled together on the balcony. Their hearts were still pounding from stealing a passionate, unexpected kiss. As they hesitantly broke away, the reality of the moment flooded back.

Kalani, with a soft flush on her cheeks, finally decided to share her news. "Ethan," she began, "There's something I need to tell you."

His eyes met hers, and he nodded, gently encouraging her to continue.

"My mom... She entered me into the solo division for the dance competition."

Ethan's eyes widened in surprise but quickly turned to worry. He knew what that meant - Kalani would be going up against Chloe. They weren't particularly close friends with Chloe, but Ethan couldn't help but feel concerned about her facing off against such strong competition.

He hesitated before speaking. "What about Chloe? You know Abby has been tough on her lately. I don't want to see her getting yelled at again."

Kalani bit her lip, understanding his feelings but also knowing she had no control over the situation.

"I didn't ask for this," she admitted. "But since I'm here, and I have this opportunity, I need to give it my best shot."

Ethan sighed, not entirely comfortable with it all but recognizing that there wasn't much any of them could do about it now. Adjusting his focus on something more positive, he wrapped an arm around Kalani's shoulder and pulled her close.

"Well," he said, trying to sound upbeat for both their sakes, "At least we'll have each other by our side through it all."

Kalani smiled up at him as they stared into each other's eyes. Despite the challenges they knew were approaching, they found comfort in each other's presence and suddenly felt more prepared to tackle whatever the future held for them. The moonlight cast a soft glow on their entwined forms, and the stars seemed to twinkle with approval as they faced the unknown together.

1022 words