Dancing on the Edge (Dance Moms Fic)

Chapter 12: Shadows of the Past

The studio buzzed with a mix of chatter and music as the dancers prepared for their next routine. It was a usual scene, but today there was an undercurrent of tension, hinted at by the subtle glances exchanged and whispered conversations. Chloe and Christi were catching up with an old acquaintance, Christy Hunt, who had a daughter named Sarah dancing at the ALDC. Sarah had been a part of the select team before, and it had been a while since they had seen Christy and her daughter.

Christy, seated on a bench, was animatedly chatting with Chloe and Christi. "It's been so long since Sarah and I saw you both!" she said, her eyes twinkling with nostalgia.

Chloe smiled warmly. "Yeah, it's been a while. Things have been busy, to say the least."

"So, what's new?" Christy asked, genuinely curious.

Christi and Chloe filled her in on the latest happenings: Mason's continued success in his acting career, Abby's ongoing legal troubles, Kira's recent childbirth, and the arrival of Ashlee and Brynn to the team. Just then, Ashlee approached them.

"Hi there," Ashlee said, her tone friendly but her demeanor somewhat guarded.

Christy extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Christy Hunt. Also known as Christy with a Y."

"Nice to meet you," Ashlee said, shaking Christy's hand. "I didn't realize we had someone new."

Christi clarified, "Actually, Christy's been part of the ALDC for a few years. Sarah was on the select team before."

"Oh, now I understand," Ashlee said, nodding.

Christy glanced around. "I've heard Abby and Mason invited you all back for this week."

"That's right," Christi confirmed. "Kalani isn't here right now; she had to go back to Arizona because her great-grandfather passed away."

Ashlee's expression shifted slightly, and she glanced over at Brynn, who was practicing a routine with Sarah in Studio A. "You've got quite the position here," Christy remarked to Ashlee. "How's it going?"

Ashlee sighed. "It's... complicated. Abby likes Brynn, but I'm not the most popular, and the other moms, especially Jill, have been giving me a hard time. We were called in because Maddie was away filming, and Abby needed a replacement."

Christy frowned. "I don't understand why Abby doesn't just revert back to the dancers she knows and has trained. From my perspective, it seems like there's a lot of unnecessary drama."

Ashlee sighed again. "Honestly, if you're fighting for a spot, Brynn's is probably not the one you're going to get. As of two weeks ago, we're permanent members."

Melissa, Holly, Jill, and Jessalynn arrived, and greetings were exchanged. Jessalynn's smile, however, was more of a tight-lipped grimace upon seeing Christy.

"I can tell there's some tension between Christy and Jessalynn," Chloe whispered to Christi.

"Yeah, I noticed it too," Christi replied, her eyes shifting to where Jessalynn stood, clearly displeased.

The group moved into Studio A, where Abby and Mason were positioned by the mirror, observing the dancers. The pyramid was underway, with Kalani, Mackenzie, and JoJo on the lower level, Kendall, Maddie, and Nia in the middle, and Brynn at the top.

"This weekend, we'll be heading to Long Beach for the New York Dance Experience," Abby announced, her voice full of authority. "Local competition means you need to be exceptional. We went to Las Vegas recently, and we saw the Michael Jackson One show."

Abby donned a sequined glove, reminiscent of Michael Jackson's iconic Billie Jean performances. "This week's theme will be Michael Jackson. And since Mason's a huge fan, we've planned something special. Mason, do you have any announcements?"