The Abby Lee Dance Company began a new week of rehearsals for In10sity, set to take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Brooke, Kendall, and Maddie were assigned solos, alongside the usual group number. Abby decided that Alex would sit out this time, and he complied without any complaints.
"Come on, everyone! Let's get moving!" Abby called out to the girls while Alex sat on the ground, observing Maddie, Chloe, Brooke, Paige, Nia, Kendall, and Mackenzie as they approached, with Mackenzie lagging behind. "What's the matter, Mackenzie?"
"I injured my foot," Mackenzie explained, recalling the standing back tuck she had attempted two weeks earlier which resulted in the injury.
"You injured your foot?"
"Yes."
As the group rehearsal commenced, Mackenzie's absence became apparent.
"Where's Kenzie?" Melissa inquired before descending the stairs to investigate. Upon reaching the Dancer's Den, she found her younger daughter in tears, comforted by Alex.
"I think I should just go home," Mackenzie sobbed.
"Why are you crying?" Melissa asked, puzzled.
"Her foot has been troubling her since the injury two weeks ago, Mel," Alex clarified.
"Oh dear," Melissa sighed.
"I don't want to disappoint Miss Abby," Mackenzie expressed.
"I know you're not letting Miss Abby down, but if you worsen the injury, she'd be upset about that. How about we get some ice? You just need to rest it."
"I have a pack of ice," Alex said as he fetched his first aid kit, took out a pack of ice, and carefully placed it on Mackenzie's foot.
"Thanks, Alex," Mackenzie expressed her gratitude.
"You're welcome, Kenzie," Alex replied. After Melissa informed Abby, who instructed Mackenzie to try the group dance, she performed well, although the moms sensed something was amiss since Mackenzie was moving smoothly.
Two days before the competition, Alex was assisting Abby with a task when Melissa arrived with Mackenzie.
"Hey, Abbs. Hey, Alex. Just so you know, I'm taking Kenzie to the hospital," Melissa announced.
Abby and Alex exchanged glances, puzzled by Melissa's decision to take Mackenzie to the hospital; something seemed off to them.
"Why the hospital?" Abby inquired, her eyebrow arched.
"Her foot is in severe pain," Melissa explained.
"Hold up, something doesn't add up. We thought Mackenzie's dance last night was pretty good," Alex stated.
"Yeah," Abby agreed. "Is it still bothering you?"
Mackenzie nodded.
"You need to have it checked out, Kenzie. I once had a foot injury, and Miss Abby took me to the hospital to help me out," Alex explained.
"He did, and I helped him," Abby confirmed.
"Kenzie, you know there's going to be needles and all that stuff at the hospital," Alex joked, prompting laughter from Melissa, Maddie, and Mackenzie.
"We can't have a wounded soldier, can we?" Abby addressed Mackenzie. "This is the ALDC."
Melissa and Mackenzie laughed before heading to the hospital, while Alex turned to Abby.
"Do you ever feel like something's off about this?" Alex asked Abby.
"Yeah," Abby admitted. After everyone went home, Christi took Maddie with her.
The following day, the last day of rehearsals, Maddie was in her solo rehearsal while Abby and Alex watched. Upstairs, all the moms except Melissa were in the observation room.
"Does anyone know where Melissa is?" Jill asked.
"She's taken Mackenzie to the doctor," Kelly replied.
"Oh, she's not coming then?" Jill mused, taking a seat in Melissa's usual spot.
"You just slid right into her spot," Christi observed.
"To be honest, I was really surprised because Melissa said yesterday that Mackenzie was fine and it wasn't too serious," Holly interjected. "So I was just—"
"She wanted Kenzie to be in the group dance, remember?" Christi interjected.
"Right. So she's okay, she can do it."
Just then, Kelly's phone rang; it was Melissa calling. "Melissa's on the line. Hello?"
"Hey, Kelly. Could you possibly take Maddie home?" Melissa's voice came through the phone.
"Yeah, I thought Mackenzie was alright."
"Well, Abby's concerned because... well, she missed dance tonight and Maddie mentioned last night that Mackenzie was crying, saying it hurt a lot," Melissa explained. "Remember when Paige injured her foot? Abby's afraid it might be a similar situation."
"Yes, I recall Paige didn't even cry, and her foot was broken. Alright, let her know we're thinking of her."
"I will," Melissa assured before she and Kelly ended the call.
On the usual competition day, Saturday, Abby, Gianna, Alex, the girls, and their moms were on a bus in Minneapolis, Minnesota, arriving at Maple Grove High School for the In10sity Dance Competition. As they disembarked, they greeted fans with waves before heading inside.
"Game faces," Abby commanded, and the girls complied, though Alex had no dances scheduled for the competition. In the dressing room, Brooke, Kendall, and Maddie prepared for their solos.
"Something's off here," Alex remarked.
"I agree. Mackenzie isn't limping," Abby observed. "Mackenzie, you've walked over 50 feet in the hallway, which means you can dance. You should've stayed home. Now, go sit in the audience, elevate your leg, and prevent it from swelling."
Mackenzie presented Abby with a doctor's note advising against dancing for 72 hours. As Abby stepped out, Mackenzie, thinking she was unobserved, started doing cartwheels. Unbeknownst to her, Alex, Nia, Christi, Kelly, and Holly witnessed this but remained silent. Alex discreetly snapped a photo as evidence for Abby, who returned with a wheelchair for Mackenzie.
"Mackenzie, you're staying in this chair until you're cleared to dance," Abby declared.
Mackenzie complied and took a seat. Following Brooke, Kendall, and Maddie's solo performances, the team regrouped backstage to prepare for the next segment, with Abby shifting her focus back to Mackenzie.
"How's your foot, Mackenzie?" Abby inquired.
"She just mentioned it's feeling a bit better," Melissa responded on Mackenzie's behalf.
"It's feeling a bit better?" Alex asked.
"Kenzie's taking a little rest," Melissa added.
"Resting? From the cartwheels you were doing?" Alex questioned, as Abby looked on, puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Melissa countered, feigning ignorance.
"Here's the proof." Alex activated his camera and showed Abby a photo of Mackenzie performing cartwheels, causing Melissa and Mackenzie to look nervous, knowing they were caught as Abby glared at the image.
"Mackenzie, I'm not pleased. You're fooling around and trivializing the situation. I don't want another injured soldier. Paige was in a cast for weeks without dancing. If you want to heal and be ready for Monday, you need to stay off it!"
Mackenzie began to cry, and Abby noticed.
"Soldier, those tears are for the pillow!" Abby exclaimed.
The girls proceeded with their group dance, and afterward, the awards ceremony took place. In the Elite Teen Solo category, Brooke secured 2nd place, while in the Elite Junior Solo, Kendall took 4th and Maddie 2nd. The group dance resulted in a 7th place finish, to Abby's disappointment.
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Is My Life A Lie? (Dance Moms Fic)
FanfictionTen-year-old Alexander Andrews, also known as Alex, has spent his entire life dancing at the Abby Lee Dance Company in Miami Beach, Florida. Under the guidance of his dance instructor, Abby Lee Miller, he has learned a great deal. His dedication has...
