Dance Moms - Chlobird

Chapter 31 : ALDC

Chloe pulled her torn-up Ford Fusion behind a convenience store, across the street from the Abby Lee Dance Company.

"Couldn't you park any closer?" Brooke whined.

"It's not presentable."

The car suffered multiple cuts, lost most of the windows, and had its roof dented by the weight of a biker. There was no way Chloe wished to be seen taking Brooke to work in this car, or be seen at all.

She took out a hairbrush from her bag, combed Brooke's hair in a presentable manner. Driving without the windshield, both their hairs were blown to mess.

"I can do this myself. I'm not a child!" Brooke fought over the brush.

"Stay still! You need to look your best." Chloe held her head in place, the gesture somewhat touched her heart.

She remembered her mother doing this to her in the car, right before every class. Her mother always taught her to be presentable at all times. Chloe made Brooke stand so she could touch up her clothes, making sure she was presentable too.

"You be good, okay? Don't blow it." Chloe approved the final look.

"I make sure I don't lose my job on the first day. Mom!" Brooke leaned forward and kissed her as a joke.

Brooke picked up her garbage bag, stepped on her skateboard and gave it a kick, the board carried her across the road like a surfboard. Chloe chuckled, she admitted the girl has a talent for learning new things, she only hoped she'd get along with Ms. Abby.

She touched her cheek. The kiss was casual, like a girl's parting kiss, or a child kissing her mother before heading off to school, but it moved her, like that moment Wandinha kissed the cream off her nose.

"Chloe." a voice made her jump out of her thoughts.

To her horror, Ms. Abby was right behind her, sitting in a wheelchair with big grocery bags over her laps.

"M-ss...Abby!!" Chloe stuttered.

She snapped to attention, with her back straight and feet in position, presenting like she was in class. After years of defeating international terrorists, world criminals, and ruthless mafias, nothing terrifies her more than her old teacher.

"What are you doing hanging around my neighborhood?" the woman glared up at her.

"I..."

Chloe choked, thinking how her old teacher may feel now that she works for a competitor.

"Did I just see you dropping off that girl?" Abby leaning aside, trying to see past Chloe.

"No... I mean, yes. Ms. Abby." Chloe shifted herself to block the woman's view.

"Do you know her?"

"Yes... I mean NO, Ms. Abby. She's just a colleague... well, ex-colleague."

"From Studio 19?"

"Yes, but she recently... resigned." Chloe didn't want to ruin Brooke's reputation.

"Resigned." Abby narrowed her eyes, as if reading through her lies. The woman practically watched Chloe grow up. "Did you think I don't check up on my employees? I have eyes and ears on all the studios, especially Tammy and Kathy!"

Ms. Abby stared at her for long seconds, her eyes so sharp Chloe felt it piercing her heart like an ice pick.

"How one behaves in one place doesn't reflect how she is in another. I know talents when I see one, whether the relationship with the studio is a different matter."

Chloe wondered if Abby was talking about Brooke or her.

"I'm gonna see how she works in my studio, but who knows? Everyone is replaceable!" the woman scuffed.

"Yes, Ms. Abby." Chloe nodded like the little girl she was.

Abby pushed the control on her armrest, her wheelchair steered past Chloe with an electric hum.

"You keep it up, Chloe! Maybe we'll see each other in competitions!" Ms. Abby rode away without looking back.

"Thank you, Ms. Abby!" Chloe answered, but regretted it immediately. Recalling the madness backstage, meeting her old teacher as a competitor is NOT a good thing.

She watched the wheelchair slowly claw across the road, her heart skipped twice seeing it almost get hit by incoming cars, but Ms. Abby maintained speed, ignoring the protesting honks, badassing her way up her proud studio.

Her eyes trailed from her teacher to the building. The ALDC hasn't changed a bit, the white brick wall still carries a thin red strip, reminding her of the hundreds of photos taken out there, and the hundreds of days inside. She spent her entire childhood under that roof, she remembers every tear and laughter.

This place is also part of her home.