Dance Moms - Chlobird

Chapter 32 : Workshop

It took over an hour to have her car brought to the shop, the mechanic gave her an estimated cost and delivery date. She was going to live the next month without private transportation.

Next she had to file a police report for insurance claim, calling one Uber after another. What could have taken less than an hour lasted a whole day.

She returned home exhausted, feeling Brooke moved on with her life and left all the bad luck to her. Too tired to cook, she boiled a pack of instant pelmeni for dinner, something she discovered at the nearby grocery store. Its taste was far from the original Russian cuisine, but it brings back memories of the days in the Recovery.

Eating alone, the apartment felt uncomfortably quite. Brooke only stayed for a few days, her presence was agonizing, like having an insubordinate child in the house, but now that she's gone, Chloe felt a piece of her missing.

What did she eat for dinner?

Is she sleeping well in that attic?

My God, why am I feeling like a mother??

She played with her phone in her other hand, but her fingers grew minds of their own, located Brooke's number and sent out a text.

How is sleepover at the ALDC?

She wasn't expecting a reply. Brooke may have her phone turned off again, or out of power, or disconnected due to unpaid bills...

The same rat hole! Expect this one has no rats! Hooray!!

Chloe laughed so hard she almost spilled her food. If there's one thing she likes about Brooke, it's that she was a survivor, able to turn any spot into a home.

Over dinner they exchanged texts. Brooke was excited about her new job. She was given the position of Assistant Coordinator, helping Gianna, the Head Choreographer to sort out music and work on numbers. Chloe listened and smiled, as if stepping back into the ALDC herself.

They chatted until late night, when Chloe told Brooke to get some sleep. She put down the phone and began doing the dishes. She felt happy, like two teenagers just finished gossiping a day of school, something she hadn't done for a very long time.

She took a shower and got into bed, but her eyes stayed open, her bed felt empty, and she missed cramping with Brooke fighting over a blanket.

What's wrong with me? She asked herself.