Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition-season of love?

Chapter 39

"Hey honey, it's time to wake up." My mom gently shook me awake.

"Wh-what time is it?" I groggily asked.

"Five thirty. A camera crew is coming in a half hour. Today's the big day." She smiled at me turning on a light. I rolled over and started to close my eyes again.

"Oh my god today's the finale!" I realized, and popped out of bed and ran to get changed. I grabbed my top and shorts and ran to the bathroom. I plugged in my straightener and started straightening my long brown hair. Once I was done I started to apply the natural makeup. I put down my lip gloss and stared at myself in the mirror.

You got this. Just use emotion Madison. You're not a robot, don't act like one. Just know that Dad, Kyle, M, Mom, Zack, Hadley, Jordan, and Amanda are all out there waiting for you to win this. You have the opportunity of a lifetime here...

"Mads! Hurry the pep talk up! I have to give you mine!" Mom called from the living room. I gave myself one last look in the mirror.

"Madison Rachel O'Connor...you got this." I walked out into the living area. I stopped in the doorway. Mom stood up and walked over to me, and wrapped me in a hug.

"Ready for the mom pep talk? I want to give you the full one before the cameras show up."

"Yeah. I like mom pep talks." She led me to the chairs. 

"Alright. Now, I do not want you to interrupt me at all during this," she opened her laptop and showed me a picture of her holding me after I was born. "Madison Rachel O'Connor was born on February 12, 1999 at 7:03 am. The moment I held you in my arms and looked into your small little blue eyes...I knew you had something special."

She clicked the space bar and went to a picture of me in my first ballet/tap class when I was 3. "You've come such a long way from your little tap and ballet combo class. You had this look on your face the whole time. The look of 'I never want to give this up' and I didn't think much of it at the time. Fast forward two years, and you're competing."

She showed me a picture of me dancing at my first competition. "The stage was full of little five year olds running around pretending that they knew what they were doing. You on the other hand, knew exactly what you were doing. Then you're solo came, and you just blew the whole audience away. Who knew a five year old, could do a full ballet solo? I didn't, and then I knew that I could never let you give this up." She clicked on the next slide, a picture of me, Riley, and Nick.

"Then you met these kiddos. You and Nick had known each other for years, but never clicked until school started. And you and Riley..." She took a deep breath. "You and Riley were just inseparable since the day you met. And she became one of the O'Connors I think that day. You had someone by your side at all times. Someone who you could talk to on the phone for hours after you got home from her house. Someone you could cry to about silly drama that moms just don't understand. Someone to cheer you on. You had a new sister. And then a few weeks later," she clicked the slide.

"You had a new brother. And you became the best big sister you could ever imagine. Yes Mariah is great, but the age difference right now is too difficult. You and Kyle, 6 years apart, but those 6 years have brought you two so close. I remember you tried to teach Kyle how to tap and he got so mad at you for bringing him to dance one day. Then when you two came home you made him a surprise fort and watched movies all night long. You had that little one by your side at all times. Then five years later," she clicked the slide. The next picture was a collage of pictures from the past year.

"You became this wonderful, smart young girl who put her heart and soul into everything she did. And when she found out about this contest, begged her parents for weeks before they decided to let her even submit an entry. And when you got in...when you got your letter, I knew, I just knew that you would work your butt off until you made it." She showed me a picture of me, Zack, Jordan, Brianna, Amanda, and then the picture of when Ricky lifted me on his shoulders after Zack and I won with our duet.