Dancing The Dream (Dance Moms, Autumn Miller, Sophia Lucia & Mia Diaz Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty Six || Chloe's POV

Chapter Twenty Six || Chloe's POV

Published: 5th of November 2013.

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I feel pleased that Maddie won the creativity award for her hair, make up and costume. I feel like Miss Kristina was too hard on her, but I guess all dance teachers are like that sometimes. They like being slightly controlling, and they like knowing that they can tell us what to do. Us girls usually have to go along with it instead of stand up to the teachers; otherwise we’ll be in trouble too. I hope Maddie realizes that and doesn’t think we were angry with her.

Miss Kristina told us earlier that Maddie was going to be put on probation for her behaviour, but I hope she changes her mind now that Maddie’s won two awards. 

I’ve never seen Maddie act like that before. She’s usually very controlled and calm, just like her mom, but I guess that outburst showed that she’s not totally perfect, and that it all gets too much for her sometimes, too.

I’m nervous about the trio. We have a huge piece of fabric as our prop. It’s shimmery translucent blue, like water, and it is silky soft and flows like water too. It’s in a triangle so that we can all have a corner to hold. The things that I’m nervous about are the big silver star-shaped sequins, which will be loose on top of the fabric. As we dance, they’ll scatter around the stage and float through the air. It’s going to look so beautiful, but I’m worried about the fact that we haven’t practiced with them before. I can think of quite a few things that could go wrong. 

At the end, we will take a handful of them out from our pockets and throw them into the audience.

“Are you worrying again?” Kendall asks. “About the dance? It’s fine. Nothing’s going to go wrong, I promise.” 

“I hope not,” I say, plaiting the front piece of my hair to make a wreath of plaits around my head. The rest of my hair will be loose underneath.

“I wish I could dance this week,” Kendall says wistfully, lining everything up in my messy make up box. She looks better, happier, and she’s gaining a bit of weight already. I think that by taking action quickly, we averted the disaster. She should be better in no time.

“You’re on soon!” Miss Kristina tells me, Autie and Paige as she comes back into the room with Maddie behind her. They’ve been talking in the corridor. “Kendall and I will sit just opposite where you’ll be in your finishing position,” Miss Kristina continues, raising her eyebrows meaningfully at us. We know what she means, and we nod back.

I finish lacing up my turquoise ballet shoes. The ribbons crisscross all the way up to just below my knees. When no one’s looking, Autie, Paige and I push stars into our pockets. The beautiful leotard dress is soft on my skin. I carefully pick up the big piece of fabric with more stars inside and make my way to the door.

“Come on, let’s go.”

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Miss Kristina explained our roles in the dance carefully.

Autie is insecure and suicidal. Paige and I are her best friends, trying to save her and help her. But sometimes it’s too much for us and there’s nothing we can do. In the end, Autie’s character commits suicide by jumping off a building. 

Her jump is beautiful- he stands, then takes a deep breath and does a front flip forwards. Then she sways for a few seconds, before doing a backdrop onto the floor. She lies still for two counts, then rises up to take her last breath. The dance ends with Paige and me raising her above our heads and carrying her down to the front of the stage, stage right, and laying her down.

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I dance my heart out.

I put all my feelings about Kendall into the dance. Paige and I work as a team, pulling Autie up every time she falls down, the silk flowing in the air making the stage flicker blue. Most of the stars stay in the silk, but a lot float through the air before landing on the stage. They catch the light and shimmer and reflect.

When Autie jumps off the building, real tears start running down my cheeks, I think about how I would feel if Kendall… killed herself.

The end of the dance draws near. Paige and I fold Autie’s arms over her chest and gently close her eyes, then cover her in the silk. We pick her up and raise our arms above our heads, straightening them so that she’s high in the air. She keeps all her stomach muscles tight so that it’s easier for us to carry her. The silk hangs down.

We take her to stage right and bend over her body. I see that Paige is crying too. We hold hands, stand and walk away, taking one last look at her body. When we get to stage left, we split leap back across to stage right, leaving a trail of silver stars behind us. Then we reach into our pockets and throw the stars in a huge arch over the audience.

They float down like snow, or feathers from a bird’s wing, all landing on Kendall as planned. She smiles at us. 

Paige and I take one last look at Autie, then run off the stage.

The lights slowly go down.

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© 2014 MattieButterfly