ALDC ~ DANCE

five

chapter 5:
"Okay, girls!" Abby says as our bus pulls up to the competition. Maddie and I look up from our episode of The Office.

"We need to beat the rotten apples, and Kendall this week." We all nod and pack up our belongings.

Because I still don't have my team jacket yet, I'm wearing an ALDC LA sweatshirt with black leggings, and my hair was tied up into a tight ponytail.

We are about to make it to the dressing room when we get stoped by a screeching sound. Cathy's laugh.

"Girls, don't acknowledge the lesser." We all file into the dressing room, ignoring Cathy, but she follows us in.

"Who's the new dancer, Abby? You seem to have one every week." Cathy says, pointing at me. I roll my eyes.

"Look who's talking, 'I-tried-an-all-boys-team-then-a-team-of-Abby-rejects'!" Abby screams, turning around.

I try to suppress a laugh, but it comes out. Cathy turns to me, furious.

"What's your name, dear?" She says, inching towards me. I turn to my mirror and start on my makeup.

"Abby told me not to interact with the lesser." I say, casually. I see Abby smirk out of the corner of my eye.

Cathy steps back, surprised. She turns to Abby. Then back to me. Then to my mom. The Abby again.

"Well, are you a good dancer?" She asks, shaking herself out of the trance.

I shrug and start on my eyeshadow. "I don't know." I say. I look to Abby. "Why don't you ask my dance teacher?"

Cathy rolls her eyes. "Ok, well then. I see how it is. You are just untalented, like the rest if the girls here."

I gasp, shocked. I don't care if Cathy calls me untalented. But my friends? No way.

I stand up from my makeup table and put my eyeliner down.

"You think we're untalented?" I say, angrily. Cathy nods. At this point, I don't care about 'Not interacting with the lesser.'

"Well, then why did you take Kendall?" I ask, crossing my arms. She pauses, then finds a good answer.

"She is talented. Unlike all of you." I nod my head, then look at Abby. She nods, knowing what I'm about to do.

I immediately start my signature combination. I go into 5 fouettés, then 6 attitude turns into a layout then a front aerial.

Everyone claps, except for Cathy. I turn to her and smile.

"No offense, Cathy, but you should leave before you embarrass yourself even more." Abby says, smiling.

Cathy storms out of the room and Abby pulls me into a tight hug. I smile, and we continue getting ready for our dances. Now we have to beat Cathy.

My solo is first, so I put on some normal stage makeup, then add some fake dirt on my face to look like a poor news boy.

I go behind the curtain and change into my newsies outfit. It's puffy shorts in a plaid tan and red pattern, with suspenders. Under the suspenders, I have a white plain shirt, and I also have a hat on over my bun.

As soon as I'm finished, Abby calls me over to run my solo.

"Fiona, if you beat Maddie this week, when she's doing lyrical and you're doing musical theater, you might just get a jacket. So go out there and win."

I nod my head and grab Maddie's hand. We walk backstage and do own usual shakedown. Then, the announcer calls Maddie.

"Please welcome to the stage; Maddie, with 'Seconds Wasted'!" I quickly hug Maddie before she slowly walks onstage.

Wow. Her solo was perfect. Everything about it. Her facials. Her technique. Her costume. Her choreography. It was all amazing.

"You were so good, Mads!" I say, hugging her as she saunters offstage.

"Thanks," She says, chugging the water I just gave her.

"Please welcome; Fiona with 'NewsPaper'!" Maddie hugs me and I walk onstage with flexed feet, holding out my suspenders.

I need to win this. I get in my starting position and dance like there's no tomorrow. I think about my technique, my facials, and making sure I hit every turn, which, thankfully, I do.

Once I finish my dance, I walk back offstage and Maddie hugs me and gives me a water.

"Fiona! That was amazing!" She smiles and we start to walk back to the dressing room, talking all the way.

Once we get back, we notice Abby screaming at the trio.

"GIRLS! You can't do anything right! Just point your feet!" They all nod, tears threatening at their eyes.

Maddie and I slide behind them and are about to get ready for the group, when Abby pulls us aside and dismisses the trio to go backstage.

"Good job on your solos, girls!" We both thank her and start getting ready for the group.

Once the trio gets backstage, we see Kenzie crying.

"Kenzie! What's wrong?" I say, running over to her with half of my make up on.

She wipes her eyes. "I... I... I fell out of my aerial, and now Abby's going to hate me." Kenzie starts bawling again, which makes Maddie run up. Raina continues doing her makeup.

I go finish my group hair and makeup while Mackenzie and Maddie have a sister moment.

The group dance is called 'Boundary', and it's about a girl (me) who tries to break past boundaries people set for her.

I'm wearing a high bun with a silver clip, and normal stage makeup. The costume is a dark purple dress with a silver belt thingy.

All of the other girls get in their similar navy blue dresses and makeup with the same hair.

When Abby and the moms walk backstage, Abby looks furious.

"Can you not do anything right, Mackenzie?" She starts screaming. Kenzie's lip quivers, and I can tell she is about to cry.

I run over to hug her, and Maddie, Kalani, and Brynn join in, while Raina practices turns in the corner.

Abby keeps screaming at Kenzie, and eventually, the other moms start screaming at Melissa for not sticking up for Mackenzie, and Melissa just shrugs and sits down.

Everyone rolls their eyes and Abby calls us over to run the group dance. We run it, get our corrections, then are ushered backstage just in time to do our shake down.

"Please welcome to the stage, 'Boundary', Abby Lee Dance Company!"

I slowly walk onstage and get in my opening position. I dance alone for a little, then the other girls come out.

Eventually, I break through the boundaries they put me in. 5 pirouettes, back handspring, reach, signature moves: 5 fouettés, 6 attitude turns, layout, front aerial.

We finish the number strong, then walk offstage. We run to the water and start drinking and talking about how the dance was.

"That was so good!" Mackenzie hollers. Apparently she's not sad anymore. A backstage hand shushes her, and she just giggles.

We all go back to the dressing room to wait for awards. We have to win. We have to beat Kendall and the Candy Apples.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to re-publish! I'll get back to a normal Sunday schedule soon ;)