Jace

{5}

"Hello!" I called out to the massive roaring crowd. The first show was always the most exhilarating. I looked to my left as Niall began speaking to the crowd and saw the dancers talking and futzing over each others costumes in the wings. They wore a spandex black spaghetti strap romper with our famous red and white 1D on the stomach. With their hair in high ponytails, a red tule hair piece wrapped around the rubber band. It was plain, yet pretty and got the job done. Madison slipped on her black jazz shoes over the skin colored tights and nodded, giving us the symbol to introduce them.

"And as you may know," Niall added on to the end of his speech, "we added some dancers to the show! So please welcome Katherine!"

Katherine leaped out onto the stage, her legs in a perfect split in the air.

"Madison!"

Madison scrambled out and did six helicopter turns before ending it with a triple pirouette.

"And Jace!!"

Jace surprised us, as well as the crowd, the most when she skipped out, waved hello, and whipped out a front aerial. The no-handed-front-walkover was landed beautifully and we clapped for her.

"Didn't see that coming," I commented. The first couple of routines went smoothly and soon it was time for the boys and I to change. It was decided that we would leave on a recording of a song we weren't performing, Save You Tonight, for the dancers to perform to while we went and changed. When we came back out, we would perform Little Things, during which they would change into short flowing white dresses with white leotards underneath for the slower songs that we had grouped together such as Half a Heart, Right Now, Don't Forget Where You Belong, and Moments. Then another quick change would come and the process would repeat itself with a different song and costumes.

We changed right in the wings so I was able to watch as the three girls got into the opening position. When the upbeat song started, they leaped high into the air and came down hard in a roll. Only, Madison didn't roll. She froze for a second after wincing with the landing on her right foot. Then, improvising as the other two continued the routine, she pulled a triple right pirouette. Katherine spun over to her and I barely noticed her whisper.

Then before I knew it, Katherine had Madison in her arms as the chorus began and she whisked her off stage as if saving her. Jace didn't miss a beat as they left her to do a solo.

"What the hell!" The stage manger yelled as they came out. Madison was groaning in pain as Katherine pushed past everyone to set her in a chair.

"I landed the leap wrong!" She cried.

"I need tape!" Katherine was booking it down the halls and soon returned with an armful of athletic tape. They tore off her shoe and rolled up the transitional tights.

I was quickly pulling on another pair of pants but I could see how swollen and purple Madison'a ankle was becoming.

"Fuck Madison," Zayn said. "Please don't tell me you broke it on the first show."

"It's not broken," she said. "I would know. Just sprained. Or fractured, I don't know. With enough IcyHot and tape it should be good."

Jace walked off stage bringing her toes to her knee with each step and swaying her hips. By the time she was with us she gave up the act and was panting.

"A solo guys?! Really? I was not prepared for that!"

"Boys go go go!" We were pushed out onto the stage and had to continue like nothing had happened. By the time Little Things was over, they bounced out in their white dresses, contemporary foot slips, and their hair in buns with a white flower in it. Madison's ankle was tightly wrapped in a skin colored ace bandage and she gritted her teeth tightly to dance through the pain.

At the last song, What Makes You Beautiful, they were TIRED. And you could tell. Their leaps were weighed down, their turns were slower, their mouths were always open gasping for air, their expressions told it all. They were exhausted. I didn't blame them! There was hardly any breaks in between their routines and they were always either dancing or changing.

Relief washed over their faces as they held the ending pose after the song. Jace stood on her left leg, holding her right straight up by her ear in an extension, Katherine stood to her right and slightly behind her with her right leg out straight and her left leg bent quite drastically, and Madison was sitting on the floor to Jace's left and slightly in front with her legs spread out to the side of her.

They passé walked off and collapsed into the nearest chairs. Madison had burst into tears with the pain in her ankle and EMT's that were backstage were examining it. Another EMT was trying to convince a very flushed, worn out Jace that she needed to go to the hospital.

"I'm fine!" She insisted.

"What's going on?" We followed them off shortly and were astounded by the chaos in the wings.

"Can we just move us all into the dressing rooms?" Katherine asked breathlessly. "It's to cramped back here."

We were extremely tired as well but the dancers looked awful.

"Ma'am I don't think it's a good idea for you to do that!" The EMT next to Jace yelled at her as she hopped from her chair and walked down the hallways. Sure enough she swayed and stumbled to the ground. I was the first to reach her and scooped her up in my arms.

"I gotcha," I smiled.

She was very warm, but wasn't sweating. Her mouth was agape as she hurriedly took in gulps of air and she let her head fall back and shut her eyes.

"What's wrong with them?" Niall asked as I set her down on a couch in a dressing room. Katherine sat as well and soon two EMT's carrying Madison as if she was sitting on a chair, plopped her down next to them and propped up her ankle.

"Dehydration," one answered. The three EMT's literally sat next to the girls and rotated between holding bottles of water or Gatorade to their lips to drink.

"Didn't you guys practice everything full out before your started?" Louis practically shouted, alarmed by their state.

"Yes," Madison whimpered.

Jace pushed down the young boy trying to forcefully make her drink Gatorade. "We always had time after the quick changes to drink but we were so excited and nervous for the first show that we didn't. I don't think any of us drank anything the entire show!"

About two hours later, the EMT's had left saying that everything was fine, but with strict instructions to remember to drink during the other shows. Madison's ankle was lightly sprained and although they advised against it, one paramedic said that it was possible for her to dance on it.

We packed up and boarded the buses again with crossed fingers, hoping the second show would be more successful.

{originally, I thought that this story was going to be 32 parts long. Well it's not. It's going to be longer. Much longer apparently because I'm currently writing part 26 and not even at the climax of the story; what the whole thing is about! And I also worked in a new character for a friend *cough you're welcome cough* so she will be coming in around part 25

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Cassie}