Marissa Ziegler // Dance Moms

Wildly Inappropriate

"You ready, Mari?" Mom asks, as I finish putting my hair in a ponytail

"Yeah, can you do my bow for me?" I question and she nods. She clips in my white bow which will match the white designs on my black leotard

I then join my sisters in the car and we take off to the ALDC. After the 45 minute drive, we finally arrive. I grab my blue dance bag and head inside to the dancers den

In there, I take off my leggings and sweater which reveals my leotard. I then begin stretching while I talk to Brooke about school since I'm in seventh grade and she's in eighth grade and we see each other all the time

A few minutes later, Abby calls us into studio A for chalkboard. I take a seat between Nia and Chloe. I then turn my attention to Abby and the board

"Phoenix was rough. You guys got your butts kicked. Here in Pittsburgh, you have won everything, but it's clearly a different story when you get on a plane and fly across the country." Abby begins

"For years, I took the kids by myself. I made sure their hair was right. I made sure their makeup was right. I put the headpiece on. All the mothers want to go now because they are reliving their childhood through all of you. And that's when the trouble happens."

"I am the leader. I am the teacher. You do what I say. When your mother is telling you something else to do, that becomes a conflict. Do you understand that? Now, Nia, how do you think you did?" Abby asks Nia

"Well, I think we could have improved" She chuckles lightly

"What do you need to improve?" Abby asks, looking for more specifics

"Pointing my feet" Nia reply's

"Yeah. Very sloppy. The feet, the legs, the shoulders, your arms. The same mistakes over and over and over, and that pulls the group down." Abby lists

"Chloe, the headband was bad. Next time, what are you gonna do?" Abby questions

"Make sure my headpiece stays on" Chloe says

"Could you have prevented that?" Abby asks and Chloe nods. "Yes". Abby then turns the chalkboard around to reveal the pyramid

Mari
Maddie Paige
Chloe Brooke Nia Mackenzie

"The new number will be called, Electricity. Everybody say that" Abby demands

"Electricity" We say in unison

"Mari," Abby begins, taking my headshot from the top of the pyramid, "because you were great this weekend with your solo and the group, you didn't give me any trouble, your mother didn't give me any trouble, you're going to be in the front, in the center for the beginning of the routine". She then places my headshot back in its clip

I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm probably one of the best dancers in my group
| Mari Ziegler |

"Everybody's goal should be right here" Abby says as she makes lines with her chalk near my headshot. "Yes? Okay. Three solos will be competing"

"Maddie, you will be doing one of your solos, and, Chloe, you will be doing one of your solos. Then, since you won last week, Mari, you will also be doing one of your solos" Abby tells me and my smile grows

Melissa does not like me, and she really doesn't like Kelly either, because Chloe is Maddie's brightest competition and Brooke is Mari's biggest competition. She doesn't like that, and to be honest, we don't really like Melissa. We know her true colors
| Christi Lukasiak |