It turned out that Abby decided to avoid the girls that day, so nothing eventful happened until Friday afternoon, the day before they’d be leaving for the competition.
So, on the way to dance of Friday afternoon, Mackenzie sat in the back seat curled up into a ball. She knew that she’d have to deal with the repercussions for what she’d said, and Abby’s wrath wasn’t really something she wanted to endure right now. Part of her wanted to run home and hide in her room forever, but they rest of her…
Well, she didn’t exactly know how the rest of her felt.
Maddie turned around in the front seat. “So, Abby wants you to learn my solo today.”
Mackenzie opened her mouth as if to say something, but then decided against it. Instead she simple nodded and stared out the window at the passing scenery, which basically consisted of other neutrally colored, cars.
Three cream, five black, two-
“Oh, and um, we’re gonna run all the dances today…a lot,” Maddie said in a meek attempt to start a conversation.
“Great,” Mackenzie muttered, giving her a thumbs-up.
The rest of the ride to the ALDC was practically silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the engine, a quiet tapping coming from Maddie’s phone, and, of course, Mackenzie counting the cars.
When Maddie, Mackenzie, and Melissa arrived, Maddie instantly jumped out of the car and ran inside.
“Have fun, Kenz,” Melissa gave her daughter a smile. “I’ll be back to watch you all at seven.”
“’Kay,” Mackenzie replied as she picked up her bag. “Bye.”
She kept her head down as she headed into the Dancer’s Den where Nia, Kendall, Paige, and Asia were waiting for classes to begin.
“Did Maddie come in after you?” Nia asked while patting the space next for her for Mackenzie to sit down.
“No, why?”
Paige looked up from her phone. “She hasn’t been in her yet.”
“Well, I don’t know where she is so-”
“Girls!”
All of the girls flinched as Abby flung the door open. They scurried into Studio A behind her and sat down along the mirrors.
“We’re going to run all of the dances starting with the-wait, where are Maddie and Chloe?”
Silence.
Abby sighed. “I can see Chloe missing dance, but Maddie?”
At that exact moment, the two girls in question walked in, Chloe’s arm around Maddie, whose face was a bit red and puffy.
Mackenzie could tell she had been crying. A lot.
“Where have you two been?” Abby asked. “And don’t give me some dumb excuse like ‘I wanted water.’”
Mackenzie rolled her eyes. Maddie and Chloe were only about a minute late, and, honestly, that wasn’t a big deal.
“Sorry, Miss Abby, it won’t ever happen again,” Maddie said, her voice cracking. She and Chloe sat down with the rest of the girls.
“So anyway,” Abby continued. “While we’re running the dances, I want you,” She pointed at Maddie. “To teach your sister your dance. She has to see what’ll actually get her a win in the teen division.”
Maddie nodded, and they moved into the back corner of the room so Mackenzie could learn the dance.
“Well, um, it starts like this,” Maddie want up into an elbow stand.
Within about twenty minutes, Mackenzie felt she had the dance down well enough to show her friends. Well enough to show Abby? She didn’t know about that.
“Let’s see it,” Abby said after Chloe and Paige finished running their duet yet again. “Kendall, start the music.”
Maddie and Mackenzie got into their starting positions and preformed the solo as a duet. At the end, Mackenzie looked up to see Abby pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Maddie, you seem…out of it. Is everything okay with you?”
Maddie shrugged. “Could I get some water?”
“Yeah, all of you,” she waved them off, and the girls ran back into the Dancer’s Den.
Maddie took a seat in the corner and Mackenzie followed her. For some reason, she felt an extreme need to talk to Maddie. Call it a sisterly bond.
“Hey,” she said, nudging Maddie’s knee. “You okay?”
Maddie shot her a fake smile. “I’m-”
“You’re not fine. Don’t you dare say that.”
“Okay…I’m feeling awful, Kenz.”
“Why?”
“Why?” She spit out a laugh. “You want to know why? Just promise me this, Mackenzie: you won’t get hung up over a guy until you’re out of college, at least. I know you’ve read books and watched movies about people falling in love and staying together forever, but it doesn’t always happen like that?”
“Did something happen between you and-”
“Yes, Gino and I broke up, okay?”
“Oh um…” Mackenzie didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry.”
Maddie waved her off. “It’s…it’s not a big deal. Just promise me Kenz, please?”
“Okay.”
YOU ARE READING
I'm Trying ||m.z||
Fanfiction"Tell me, will it ever be my turn to show the world I'm ready, and it's my time to shine"
