Silence (Dance Moms Fanfic)

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Brooke stared blankly. She had a lousy feeling inside of her. The icky feeling you get when you wake up from a nap. The feeling where all you wanna do is cry and cuddle deeper and deeper into the couch. The feeling where every noise pains you. Brooke always felt like this the day after she cried herself to sleep. And most times, it was in the middle of the week. She was able to throw her hair in a bun, put sweats on, and mope around school all day. But this was competition day. The cameras were ready, filming every action, so there was no time to be grumpy. Brooke stuffed her headphones in her ears and played the group music.

Got no folks to speak of, so… Brooke cringed. Kelly, who was putting the finishing touches on Brooke’s make up, pulled away for a second. Saying something, but Brooke couldn’t hear her. Something about not crying. When Brooke was going to cry, she got this look. She bit her bottom lip. Her eyebrows furrowed in. She looked worried or distressed, and everyone knew the look. And everyone hated it. They’d say, “Brooke, you’re too pretty to cry.” Brooke always took that the wrong way. If felt like they were telling her that she can’t have feelings because she’s pretty. That just felt wrong, and all it did was hurt her feelings more.

Brooke touched the corner of her eye to keep from smearing her make up with tears. Kelly said something again, but this time a louder. Loud enough for Brooke to hear her over her blaring music. “Brooke, do not do this right now.” Kelly said. Brooke couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up and pulled her ear buds from the headphone jack. She threw them at her make up stand and walked out of the room, with her phone in hand.

“Where is she going?” Kelly practically exclaimed.

Abby just shook her head, “Let her cool off.”

And for once, Brooke was siding with Abby. Just leave her alone. That’s all Brooke wanted. Was to be alone. Brooke padded further and further down the hallway of the empty high school. She found herself in a small stretch of empty hallway. It had been blocked off. Clearly, no one was allowed to go down that stretch of hallway, but she did it anyways. Brooke hopped the small fence and watched as the camera crew stopped. Unable to follow her anymore. But it wasn’t like she was doing much. Brooke sat against a wall, next to a pair of locked double doors. Her knees were pulled to her chest. She hugged her legs tight and buried her face. Only her ears showing. There was the sound of distant talking. Then footsteps, Brooke just thought it was the camera crew and didn’t pay too much attention.

“Hey!”

Brooke looked over. A pang of sheer panic ran through her body. Down her arms and in her finger tips. Circling in her knees and tingling her toes. And it beat like a drum in the center of her body. The air in the hall suddenly went stiff. Things seemed to move in slow motion. At first, Brooke was expecting someone older. Someone taller. Scruffy looking, maybe. But no. A sweet face and though he was taller than Brooke, he wasn’t too too tall. A smirky grin and stupid beanie that oddly reminded Brooke of home.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be over here…” He said, finishing his thought. The hallway went silent. The smirky grin stayed on the boy’s face and tears dribbled down Brooke’s face. “How ya doin’ Brooke?”

Brooke ran towards him, struggling to stand up as she did. Jumping and wrapping her limbs around him. Her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Their cold ears touching. Brooke could practically feel his heart beat in hers. With her hands tangled through his hair and her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, Brooke pulled back to look at him. Suddenly becoming aware what he had one hand on her butt and another on her bare back.

“What are you doing here?” Brooke asked, smiling at Nick.

“Me and Auriel and Katherine and Olivia were out and about and we decided to come say hi and watch some of the competition.” Nick smiled, looking at Brooke. And Brooke looked at him back. Neither one of them saying a word. Just looking. Brooke gigged and wrapped her arms around him in another embrace. He was warm. He was always warm. Even in the coldest winter nights, he was steady and he was warm.

Brooke put her feet back on the ground, still smiling at Nick. “I’m glad you came.” Brooke said with Vinny’s face popping up in the back of her mind. “You’re about to see the most embarrassing group dan….”

“Wha..” Nick started.

Brooke shushed him and listened for a moment, hearing her name being called once and then twice, getting louder. She muttered a curse word under her breath, not seeing the face that Nick had made. She grabbed his hand and hopped back over the fence, going back to the corner she was in. There was a small alcove that she pulled him into. Standing close and breathing the same air. Abby’s voice boomed through the empty hall and Mackenzie and Maddie’s shrieks echoed. Kelly’s voice said something, but Brooke stopped listening a while ago. She looked at Nick’s hand. Her finger tips running across his palms. Quickly lacing her fingers in his. Nick wasn’t looking at Brooke. He was peeking from the corner, but he clasped his hand around Brooke’s caressing her thumb, and gnawing on his bottom lip to keep from smiling.

Brooke knew she shouldn’t have held Nick’s hand, but she couldn’t help it. Brooke liked Vinny. He was sweet and he was fun, but he was Vinny. He talked about sports and cars and he liked to play video games when Brooke really just wanted to cuddle and watch a movie. Nick was also sweet and he was also fun, but he was Nick. He danced nonstop and was always up for a good laugh. He could understand why you’re sad, and he didn’t ask a ton of questions. He didn’t just shrug you off. He held your hand and he hugged you and he’d check back in with you, making sure that you’re okay. Holding your hair while you puke, and getting your snack for you when all you wanna do is curl up in a ball and cry. That’s what the studio did to you. Vinny didn’t care, but Nick lived it too.

“Nick?” Brooke whispered. The taller boy turned and looked at Brooke, letting his bottom lip go from his teeth. “Can I tell you a secret?” Nick nodded and Brooke made him turn to her and wrap his arms around her waist, holding her close. He whispered something, but she couldn’t understand it. Brooke just stood on her tippy toes and wrapped her arms around Nick’s neck. She drew in a breath and closed her eyes before whispering, “My parents are getting divorced.”