Feud

Four

Maddie

Kalani screams on stage and I jump. Kendall gasps.

My mother, Melissa, taps me on the shoulder. "Why did she scream?" She asks me. I shrug, even though I'm pretty sure I know why.

Kendall taps me on my other shoulder. I turn to her.

"She's gonna get kicked off the team," she says, a small smile growing on her face. I look at her in shock.

"That's very presumptuous," I tell her. Kendall frowns and points in Abby's direction.

Since Kalani had run off the stage, Abby was following her. So was Kira.

"She's probably going to tell her that what she did was awful and she isn't allowed to come back," Kendall says matter of factly. I shake my head.

"Never," I say bitterly, "Lani is Abby's new favorite. She's gonna coddle her, I can see it."

Kendall shrugs and rolls her eyes. "Abby still loves you," she reassures me. "You've been her favorite since you were eight. Sometimes she still cries when you dance."

"Whatever," I reply.

Kendall and I decide to go back to the dressing room before the group number. We see Abby consoling Kalani, and Kira looks ready to fight someone

Tears are streaming down Kalanis face. She's sobbing into Abby's shoulder.

Kira turns around and looks at me right in the eye. My face flushes.

She's mad.

"Go get your mother, Madison," she says firmly. It's a voice that scares me into wanting to run.

I just nod shakily. I grab Kendall's arm.

"You go get your mother too, Kendall," Kira adds. Kendall looks in Kira's direction.

Kendall has more confidence than me. She smirks at Kira.

"And if I don't?" She drawls. Kira's practically fuming.

"Then I will." She says with gritted teeth. Kendall leans back cooly and takes my hand.

"Let's go get our mothers, Mads," she says in a cocky, pretentious voice.

I nod. We head slowly out of the dressing room.

As we walk down the hall, we spot Kenzie and Jojo running towards us.

"Oh, no!" Kendall says. "It's your little brat and the annoying one."

Jojo unfortunately hears us and smiles sarcastically at Kendall. "You better watch your attitude, bitch," she says. "I heard you have to go get your mom so that she can talk to Kira. You too, Maddie." She grins at me. "Uh, oh."
Kenzie giggles. I reAch out to slap Kenzie. Kendall grabs my arm.

"Were bigger than them," she tells me. I roll my eyes and nod.

We head down the hall and see Jill and my mom walking quickly towards us.

"Heyy girls," Jill says. "We were wondering where you went."

"The dressing room," Kendall says, her eyes filled with confidence. "Kira wants to speak to you guys, actually. We were just going to get you."

Mom looks at Jill. "Oh," she says. "Okay. Let's go, then."

We walk together into the dressing room. Kira turns around and glares at me.

Kalani, the dumb baby, is still crying. She's crying less, but she's still crying.

Abby is sitting there with a look of disappointment on her face. She looks at me and shakes her head.

An awkward silence fills the room.
Abby doesn't like me anymore.

I'm not her favorite.

Stupid Kalani took my place.

A lump forms in my throat.

"Melissa, Jill," Kira says. "Your daughters have been very rude to my daughter. They've been laughing at her, leaving her out, and making fun of her all day. Please, talk to them about decorum."

"My daughter?" Mom says. "She would never do something like that."

"Kendall," Jill says in an anxious tone. "Is this true?"
Kendall looks at me with a look that she's given before.

Play innocent.

Okay.

I got this.

"No," Kendall says. "That's not true. We would never be rude to Kalani."

"Yeah," I say. "Kalani is one of our closest friends."

"Are you kidding?" Kira yells at me. "I saw you be a bitch to my daughter before she went on stage because you jealous you didn't have the solo! I saw with my own eyes, Madison!"

"Don't yell at my kid like that!" My mom screams.

Kendall looks at me.

"Let's get out of here," she says.

"No!" Kira screams at her. "Madison, Kendall? You guys know for a fact that you were being little shits to my daughter."

"Excuse me?" Jill shouts. "What did you just say to my daughter?"

Anxiety is filling my chest as the chaos ensues. I breath in deeply, and I feel myself start to collapse.

The last thing I see as I fall to the ground is Kalani.

She's smiling at me.

-
-
-

A/n: Look at me, updating two days in a row!!