If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them // Kendall Vertes

Chapter 1 - Nationals Aftermath

"You did great, Mads! Beautiful solo." I eye her massive trophies.

She turns around and beams. "Thanks, KK! Personally, I loved yours more!"

"Oh, and there's a nationals sleepover tonight at mine. You coming?" She adds.

"Sure!"

To be honest, I'm glad Maddie's acting normal again. Ever since Chloe left to another studio, she's been acting different, Sadder. Chloe was Maddie's best best friend. Chloe moved abruptly, and Maddie told me that they don't see each other any more. Maddie told me once, sadly, that she didn't think Chloe and her were best best friends anymore. She thought Chloe had moved on. Paige certainly had moved on from Chloe. She'd never forgave her, and never will, for something only her and Maddie knew. Nia, Kenzie, Asia, and Brooke were sad that she left so suddenly, but happy for her.

I, on the other hand was delighted.

No, I'm not being mean, it's just this is an opportunity for me to do two things.

1. Be a feature dancer like her.

2. Become Maddie's best friend

~

My mom pulls into the massive driveway leading to Maddie's house. It's huge; much different from her old house.

"Okay, Kendall K, you have fun at your play, honey!" Mom kisses my cheek.

"Mom, I'm 15, It's not a play."

"Bye baby. Call me if you need me!"

"Bye mom." I roll my eyes, kiss her cheek, and before I know it I'm standing in front of Maddie's house with my bag in hand. I make my way up the steps leading to the white double doors with polished silver colored handles.

"Woah." I whisper in awe, pressing her door bell.

The door opens, and Maddie stands there in an ALDC top that stops just before her belly button, and track pants. I'm wearing pretty much the same, because that's how it always is at our sleepovers.

"Kendall! You're the first one here!" Maddie hugs me.

"Hey Mads!"

"Let's go upstairs." Maddie took my hand and walked upstairs with me.

"So nationals was fun this year. I'm really glad Josh came." Maddie tells me confidentially.

"It was!" I agree. But what to say about Josh? I've got to sound like Maddie, Paige and Chloe do, like a popular girl.

"You and Josh would be so cute together!" I tell Maddie.

"Really?"

"Really!" I assure her.

"But he'd never date me! He's older, too!" She sighs. Yeah right, I'm pretty sure anyone at our school would date her.

"I'm pretty sure he would! You know, You're definitely worth." I guess I'm pretty good at this.

"You know Kendall, I never knew you were this cool. Or easy to talk to! " She muses.

"Hey, KK, Mads!" Paigey waltzes in, Nia, Brooke and Asia in her wake.

"Hey, y'all!"

"Where's Kenzie?" Asia asks immediately.

"In her room." Maddie answers, texting someone.

Asia runs off.

"I'll go with the youngsters. I don't need your 15 year old shenanigans." Brooke leaves, surprisingly.

"Gossip session?" Paige suggests. We all go to the same school, but we are in different popularity groups. Paige and Maddie rule the school, the two most popular girls, in the most popular group. Their group is known as the 'perfects', because they're all really smart and really pretty. Chloe used to be up there with them. Nia is in a popular group too, the 'smarties' because they are really smart and pretty, but not pretty enough to threaten the 'perfects'. I'm in a popular group too, nicknamed 'beauties', because all of us are really beautiful, according to everyone who's not in our group. Of course, we aren't 'perfects'.

"Well I'm pretty sure Hannah in your group sleeps around. No offence." Nia contributes.

"Duh, of course she does! She's leaving the group if she gets pregnant. Just like Chloe- oops." Paige covered her mouth.

"Paige! We don't talk about that!" Maddie looks stricken. I don't get it.

Then, it clicks.

"Chloe left because she got pregnant!?"