Just Like Maddie

{6} A hell of a day

Chapter 6-

A hell of a day

The weekend always seemed to go fast and before Mackenzie knew it she was walking home after school on a Monday morning after experiencing just another normal day at her new school. She opened up the door and yelled as usual, "Mom I'm away upstairs!" Then began to run upstairs her bag bouncing on her hip. "Mackenzie wait!" Her Mom yelled after her causing Mackenzie to hault just 3 steps from the top. Her long brunette hair fliped as she turned her head. "I have a proposition, me and Greg need to talk to you about it," Melissa smiled. Mackenzie nodded slowly, Melissa rarely smiled or talked to her these days but she decided against questioning her instead she tossed her bag up to the top step and ran back down the stairs again and jumped on the sofa. "Can this be quick because I have to get ready for dance," she stated casually whilst reaching for a bag of chips which were sitting on the arm of the sofa. Melissa looked at Greg and Greg smiled reassuringly. "This is important Mackenzie," Melissa sighed, "I am going away for a few weeks." Mackenzie jaw dropped, her Mom was leaving her? Didn't she understand how she felt about people leaving her? "W-w-what?" Mackenzie stuttered. Throwing her head into her hands. "Mackenzie, please don't be like that. Your Mom is going away on a course, a therapy course. She needs to get over it Mackenzie, she needs to move on now. You could go with her if you want?" Greg asked sensitively. That was it for Mackenzie. "Move on?" Mackenzie screamed her blood boiling, "So we can just forget about Maddie and play happy families? Wouldn't that be great?" Mackenzie said sarcastically with a big fake smile plastered on her face. Melissa began to cry into her hands. "Well that might work for you guys but it won't work for me, I love Maddie no matter what and I will never ever ever forget her!" She screamed storming out the room and heading straight for her bed.

Mackenzie sobbed into her pillow, she didn't want her Mom or Greg to see her. They obviously didn't love Maddie, would they just simply try and move on if Mackenzie was gone? No. They couldn't possibly do that. The thought made Mackenzie's skin crawl. A soft knock on the door caught her attention. "What?!" Mackenzie yelled. She heard a sob, "c-c-can I please come in?" It was Melissa's turn to stutter now. Mackenzie sighed, violently wiping the tears from her face. She opened the door and returned to lying on her stomach on her bed. She felt her Mom run her fingers through her hair, twirling it and letting it go. That was Maddie's habit. She did it when she was nervous or if anyone needed comforting. This made Mackenzie want to cry anymore. "Grey didn't mean it like that Kenz, I could never forget Maddie. No one who ever met Maddie could ever forget her, she was one in a million," Melissa gulped back the tears, "but so are you Kenzie and you deserve my love and attention now more than ever. I can't do that in the state I am. I need help and this course can give me that. I can always leave if you desperately need me, I will only be a phone call away." Mackenzie sat up becoming face to face with her Mom, Mackenzie felt like she hadn't seen this Melissa in so long, she had the old Melissa back. Melissa wrapped her arms around Mackenzies petite frame as Mackenzie leaned on her shoulder, "can I come visit?" Melissa tensed. Then sighed rubbing Mackenzie's back, "I don't think that would be a good idea hunny. It will just make it harder for us both. Just phone calls only." Mackenzie nodded, she could finally see her Mom's point of view. She sat there for a few more moments just crying into her Mom's shoulder. Before Melissa tapped her and stood up, "come on you better get ready for dance." Mackenzie had completely forgotten about dance. "What's going to happen for dance when you are away?" She asked just before Melissa left the room. Melissa laughed lightly. Mackenzie really loved to dance. "Its not far so if Greg can't drive you then you can just walk round or one of the coaches, probably Savannah, will give you a ride. She says she will sort out your travel and stuff for competitions too. Also I will be putting money into your bank account while you're gone, I'm trusting you Kenz!" Melissa yelled as she walked across the hall. Mackenzie smiled about, money in her bank account? Now that is something to smile about.

"Hey Mackenzie, get ready fast the girls are in studio 4 with Savannah. She is telling everyone about the events this week and you won't want t miss it!" Gabby an assistant choreographer at the studio chirped to Mackenzie as she walked into reception. Mackenzie nodded and made her own way there while her Mom stopped to talk to her. Mackenzie's new studio was much bigger than Abby's, it was also better thought of in the dance world but not quite as well known as the aldc but that was mainly down to dance moms. Mackenzie changed quickly into a plain red crop top and black booty shorts. Today was learning and practicing routines for competitions, thankfully they had more than a week at her new studio but they only did competition work on Mondays as the rest of the days were dedicate to learning the skills. Mackenzie liked Mondays in that sense, strangely she felt competitions held less pressure than classes. She opened up the door to studio 4 and her team all turned to look right at her. Mackenzie was on the advanced teen team and it consited of only 6 girls. First there was Amber who was 14 like Mackenzie, she was small and petite, and specialised in sassy jazz, she was often paired with Mackenzie for duets. Then there was Ruby, the oldest in the group at 16, she had the longest legs in the world. Her technique was flawless and was the perfect example of a prima ballerina. Coral hit everything hard, she was 15 but a major powerhouse. She was a sharp and precise dancer excelling in dark contemporary pieces. Demi was a tapper, good at everything but great at tap, she was leaps and bounds ahead of every girl in the studio when it came to tap despite only being 14. Ava was a pretty girly girly who loved feel good jazz and lyrical numbers but failed to connect with serious numbers, she was only 15. "Hey Mackenzie, take a seat I was just about to talk about this weekend," Savannah said gesturing to the girls who were all sitting cross-legged at her feet. Mackenzie took a seat beside Amber who she was probably closest to on the team. She didn't know them all that well though considering them she had only met them a mere 3 months before. "Ok so this weekend Jump is coming to Cali!" Savannah smiled as the girls hooted and hollered. "We will of course be in attendance all weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ava and Ruby you are doing your lyrical duet 'Friendship' that you competed with at Nuvo two weeks ago and this time I would like a win. Demi you will do you're tap number 'Beatz' and we are going to try and defend that first place in the tap category. Coral and Amber you will also be doing a duet and I'm hoping one of the duets wins. You are doing the jazz piece 'Blow' that you learned last week," Savannah took a deep breath and smiled right at Mackenzie, "That just leaves you Mackenzie, you can refuse this proposal if you please but I want to do a lyrical solo. A new one but using most of the combos you have been learning in your lyrical privates you have been taken, this will be a special piece and I will explain why later. The group of course will be our contemporary number 'Fame'. Right, Ava and Ruby you two are heading off with Gabby who should be waiting in studio 2 if not go fetch her from reception," Savannah ordered. Ava and Ruby nodded before getting up and walking out together. "Demi, the seniors are in tap class in studio 1 so head in there then Leah will work with you individually after. Coral and Amber you are with Aiden in studio 6 and Mackenzie you are here with me," Savannah finished as Demi, Coral and Amber left the room. Mackenzie loved how Savannah got things sorted so fast, she figured that's why there was less drama here than there was in Pittsburgh. Savannah simply doesn't allow it.

Mackenzie streched as instructed then stood beside Savannah waiting for her to explain. Mackenzie felt privaliged to have a solo done by Savannah, she was the owner of the studio and was a busy lady but she was also nervous, Savannah could be intimidating at times. "Ok, so I managed to get a bit of news about Jump. A certain team from Pittsburgh are making the journey up and that's why I picked this solo," Mackenzie stomach dropped. The aldc in California would mean she would have to face them which was something she had been avoiding thinking about. "I know it will be hard to see them but I know you can do it," Savannah continued, "we are doing an important tribute dance because I think you are ready and I haven't forgot you asking me about it." Mackenzie nodded gratefully, as soon as she joined Savannah's studio she had asked for a tribute dance to Maddie, it was something she knew Maddie would have wanted and she felt proud that Savannah was confident she was ready. "It's to 'Words' by Skylar Grey and I just want you to listen to the lyrics then I will be back in 2," Savannah said pressing the play button then hurrying out of the studio. Mackenzie had quite a day filled with revelations so she just sat closed her eyes and thought about her. She just sat and thought about Maddie.

A/N- Sorry it's so long it has a lot of key information in it! What are you all thinking? Please comment!