Second Chance

Chapter 11

We arrived at the studio twenty minutes later and sat in the car for a few minutes. We were all quiet, just trying to preoccupy ourselves until it was time to go in. Mom typed something into her phone, Kenzie fiddled with her bandana while I scrolled through Instagram, reading some of the comments on one of my recent pictures of Kenzie and me. Most were just kids telling Kenzie to get better, etc. One particular comment caught my eye. I scrolled back up to it and gasped. Kenzie and my mom stared at me, but I waved it off. It said:

"Ur ugly sister shud die alredy, she's a waste on Erth"

Tears filled my eyes and my throat started to close. It was one thing for someone to hate on me for just being on Dance Moms, but to say that about my dying sister was a whole other thing. I blinked the tears back and took a few deep breaths. I wasn't going to let some stupid, bad speller ruin my day.

"Ready to go in?" My mom asked. Kenzie and I reluctantly nodded we both were nervous for how the day was going to go.

I grabbed my bag from the car and we made our way in. We were still the only ones there, except for Abby. I always liked to be early.

Once we were inside, my mom pulled me over to her.

"Maddie," she sighed. "You need to be prepared that this could go very badly today."

I nodded and stared at the floor.

"Can you handle this, Madison?"

I looked into her eyes for a split second but quickly averted them.

"Maybe," I whispered.

"That's okay," she responded. "I don't think I can either."

She pulled me in for a hug and held me tight.

"We're gonna be okay, Maddie. We're gonna be okay."

We held each other for awhile. I think I was supporting her in more ways in one just as much as she was for me. Then, I realized that we had left Kenzie alone somewhere so we separated and went to find her.

We went into the den and I put on my dance shoes and began stretching.

Kenzie was sitting on the bench looking at her phone. She looked up at us and raised her eyebrows when we walked in.

My mom went over to Mackenzie and put her arm around her frail frame while Kenzie rested her head on my moms shoulder. I almost felt like I was intruding on a mother daughter moment, and who knew how many they would have left? So I looked away.

I heard a laugh from down the hall and automatically knew it was Kendall. We all looked into eachother's eyes and Kenzie nodded. She was ready.

"For the last time, you just got new jazz shoes!" Jill came into the room staring down at her phone. She didn't notice any of us in the room. Kendall followed shortly.

"But Mom," She giggled. "How could you say no to this-"

"Kenzie?!" She gasped. Jill's head snapped up at us and her mouth dropped.

"I never liked her..." I heard my mom mutter under her breath. I stifled a laugh.

"What are you doing here, sweetheart?" Jill swept her up in a big hug, tearing my mom away from Kenzie. Kendall followed suit.

"The doctors said I could come hang out, if I felt like it." Kenzie looked back at my mom, who nodded. "Mrs. Abby arranged it."

Jealousy flashes across Jill's face but it quickly turned to sympathy.

"Oh, yeah, of course, honey." She smiled. Kendall came over next to me and slid into her right split, the same as me.

"Why's Kenzie here?" She whispered to me. Annoyance flared up inside me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is that a problem for you?" I snapped loudly. Everyone stared at us and I immediately regretted saying it.

Kendall's face was full of apology. I don't know why I said that. "No, not at all, I was just wondering-" but she was cut off by Paige running in, and Brooke following.

"I didn't even say you could take the shirt, Paige!" Brooke's eyes were full on anger. Neither of them noticed any of us in the room.

Paige rolled her eyes towards the ceiling and slowly turned around.

"We are sisters, Brooke. Mom always says, what's mine, is yours. And the other way around!"

"Not when you ruin my brand NEW shirt, Paige!" Brooke stomped her foot and her fists balled up.

"Okay, okay, sorry." Paige backed off and swiveled on her foot to face us.

"Oh, hi guys," she mumbled in embarrassment.

Then she took notice of Mackenzie.

"Kenzie!" She exclaimed and ran over to her. "Maddie told me awhile ago you might come in sometime, just not when."

She wrapped her up in a big hug. I saw Paige recoil when her hand accidentally brushed Kenzie's bald head but she covered. Only I saw, and I tensed up.

Relax Maddie. You knew all of this would happen. Calm down. Calm down, Maddie.

My mom sat off to the side as more and more people arrived. Chloe came in, all nonchalant, and simply said, "Hey Kenz." And came over to me.

I whispered in her ear while we stretched, "Thanks for being so cool about it. How'd you do it?"

"Your mom told mine. I already knew. I figure it would be better to not make a big deal about it, you know?"

"Thanks, Clo. By the way, thanks for putting up with me these last few months. I know I haven't been exactly an angel."

"I could never, leave you at a time when you need us all most. You're my best friend."

I pulled her in for a hug and everyone cooed.

"Oh, shh." I hushed them and slid into my left split.

*~*

Right before pyramid was about to start, unexpected guests came rushing in.

Nia, Chloe and I sat in a circle, pulling each other into stretches and just chatting about everything. Everyone steered clear of the Kenzie topic, and if I happened to mention her, it became awkward. They tried to laugh it off, but we couldn't deny that it was there.

"Hey, everyone!" Christi yelled. Asia followed her in.

"What are you doing here?" My mom asked politely.

Asia and Christi left three months ago when they moved back to California something about broadening Asia's opportunities. I don't know. Anyway, Kenzie's competition with Asia was over. At least, that's what we thought.

"Abby called us in for an audition! We moved back to Pittsburg, Cali didn't work out too well."

Everyone was silent as we stared at them. Asia stood quietly behind her mom, staring at Kenzie. She saw that she was here, but she just let her mother keep rambling on.

"I mean," Christie continued. "I know Asia is gonna be on the team with Kenzie and all her cancer or whatever. Too bad, but more opportunities for my little girl!" She pulled Asia in front of her and bent down as if she was a two year old.

"Say hi to everyone, honey." Christie told Asia.

"Mom," she growled. "Stop talking."

Christie looked shocked and slightly angry until she saw Kenzie sitting across the room, staring down at her hands, tears slipping from her cheeks.

"Oh, I uh, I-" My mom stared at Christie and just shook her head, letting her know that she had already said enough.

Our respect as a whole for Asia had grown a bit, at the same time, shrinking Christie's. But, the good mood had already been ruined and I had a feeling our good day wasn't going to be good much longer.