Chapter 75

The day before Pyramid the next week, I woke suddenly to a sharp ringing in my ear, then nothing. I sat up, confused. The dead silence that surrounded me threw me off, but I managed to get to my aunt's room and wake her.

"I can't hear anything," I said, hopefully not too loud. My aunt was topless when she got up, but I could really care less about that. She flickered the light on, waking Greg, and signed as she spoke.

"What happened?"

"I woke to a sharp noise, then my hearing went out. Maybe it's my implants," I responded in kind. "At least I don't have to listen to Dustin crying."

My nephew was a relatively calm and sweet baby, but he was just a newborn; of course he cried and didn't sleep through the night. Melody and Braxton were good about taking care of it themselves, made easier now that school was out for the summer.

"What do I do?" I asked. Greg sat up now, communicating in passable sign.

"Don't panic. It's early, go back to bed, we'll head to- Melissa, where do we go?"

"We'll go to the audiologist as soon as possible. Get some more sleep, Joanne."

At the audiology appointment, the doctor told me that they'd failed due to being old. New ones would come in a few days, up to a week, and until then I'd just have to make do with not being able to hear. My biggest concern was Abby, who of course didn't sign and tended to be insensitive with disabilities.

"I may need to get a translator for the studio," I told my aunt, and she agreed. After an emergency meeting with the producers, they decided to pay a staff member whose brother was deaf to translate for me. The woman's name was Hannah Williamson, and she was polite and professional.

I stood right in front of Abby at Pyramid in an attempt to also read her lips. She praised us for our professionalism at the recital, and said that we'd be going to Lancaster and Believe National Talent. Chloé, Ursula, Brooke, Maddie and Kendall were on the bottom for unclear reasons, Nicaya had apparently done really well in the group dance as had Asia, so they were the first two in the middle, Mackenzie then myself then Paige were next, and Nia was on the top of the pyramid. None of the mothers started an argument.

"Mackenzie, you have a solo up against your sister," Hannah translated. "Joanne and Brooke, you're also up against each other. Nia, you have a solo in the Teen division because you're on top of the pyramid. Chloé and Nicaya, you have a duet. It's Lyrical. The group is strong and it's Contemporary. Joanne was going to be the lead, but she can't hear anything, so I'm making Ursula the lead instead." I shrugged. That seemed fair to me, and it would definitely be a challenge to connect with a dance while completely deaf. I did have a good sense of spacing, though and was alright learning the group dance. I picked it up about as fast as the others even while needing to use a translator. Contemporary was my best style.

Gia taught me my solo after that, which went well because she could actually sign to me. I had a powerful Lyrical routine to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," my favorite Beatles song. I knew it inside and out so I was able to connect to it without sound. It wasn't that hard of a solo, but it had enough content to win, at least. I loved it already.

It turned out that being unable to hear was a good thing because the Candy Apples were coming to the competition and Abby was in a mood- but it was more than that. Mrs. Miller wasn't doing well. Abby called me into her office the next morning.

"I may not be able to be here the next few weeks," Abby told me. "My mother is very ill."

"I'm sorry to hear that, she's a wonderful woman," I answered sympathetically. "May I visit? Once my new implants are here, of course."

"Yes, she likes you. In the meantime, I need you to step up as a leader. I know that I've been hard on you for leaving, but it's because I've come to rely on you too much. I would appreciate it if you could be the leader that this team needs when I'm gone. I can pay you."

I nodded slowly. "I don't need money. I'll do it, they're my team. In return, though, I want to choreograph both a solo for me and a duet with Ursula for Nationals."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "You drive a hard bargain. Done."

Feeling pleased but also worried for Mrs. Miller, I danced hard that afternoon. The group routine was called "Open Waters" and it had the potential to be a winning dance, but Gia was rushing through rehearsal and Abby was understandably distracted.

I got to see Brooke's solo in action later that day, and it was a baby solo, something that she'd been able to do for years. As a result, she wasn't putting much effort into her facials and Abby was clearly yelling at her over every little thing. I patted Brooke on the shoulder as I stepped up to practice. Abby took to just barking commands at Hannah, correcting little things. My rehearsal only took ten minutes instead of the expected thirty, leaving me feeling like the dance wasn't as good as it could be. I practiced in an empty studio to make up for it.

The next few days were uneventful, but the bus ride was funny because we pulled up right next to the Candy Apples bus while driving. The moms would go from shouting to chatting in moments, and I had a good time imagining what they were saying.

The dressing room, as a result, was a peaceful experience for me. My solo was the first dance of the whole competition, before any of the group dances which were supposed to be first, so that I wouldn't have to guess when it was my turn.

I wasn't really that nervous for this solo; I'd practiced it, and I loved the song. I counted to sixteen in my head as I walked onstage then began dancing, singing in my head as I went to stay on the music. I think it was one of my best solo performances ever, and hopefully the judges saw it too. I was excited to perform it twice, but then had to rush off for a group dance quick change.

"I look at you all

See the love there that's sleeping

While my guitar gently weeps

I look at the floor

And I see it needs sweeping

Still my guitar gently weeps

I don't know why nobody told you

How to unfold your love

I don't know how someone controlled you

They bought and sold you

I look at the world

And I notice it's turning

While my guitar gently weeps

(With) every mistake

We must surely be learning

Still my guitar gently weeps

Yeah

I don't know how you were diverted

You were perverted too

I don't know how you were inverted

No-one alerted you

I look at you all

See the love there that's sleeping

While my guitar gently weeps

Look at you all

Still my guitar gently wee-ee-eeps

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh (eee...)

Oh, oh, oh (... eee)

Oh, oh (eee...)

Oh, oh (... eee...)

Oh, oh (... eee)

Yeah, yeah, yeah (eee...)

Yeah, yeah, yeah (... eee...)

Yeah, yeah, yeah (... eee...)

Go! (... eee)

Oh (eee)"

The group dance was fine, but there were some timing issues that shouldn't have happened. From what I could see of the Candy Apples group, though, we'd done better.

Brooke and I were up against Opal and Taylor from the Candy Apples. Both opponents had better choreography than Brooke, and though my friend went out and did her best, to my eye Opal beat her and Taylor would have if she hadn't fallen out of two turn sequences.

Nia killed it with her Contemporary, which was quickly becoming her best style. Kenzie and Maddie looked to be supporting each other before they went onstage, which was really nice. Maddie had pretty Lyrical, but it just wasn't that special and the choreography was boring. Kenzie had Hip Hop, a nice surprise, and was a ball of energy. It was her best style and I was glad that she got to show that onstage. Nicaya and Chloé worked together well, doing a great job with their duet.

Taylor had clearly picked up on the fact that I couldn't hear so we communicated through a notebook at Awards before the cameras started rolling.

Great job on your solo! Taylor wrote.

Thanks, you too. Too bad about the turns.

Yeah, off day. Oh well. When do your new implants get here?

Tomorrow, thankfully. Though the silence isn't so bad in the studio.

We had to stop because the cameras were on and it was Junior solo time. Maddie got called up for second, seemingly gracefully accepting the placement, and a delighted Kenzie won. Hopefully she'd get more Hip-Hop solos in the future. Nia won the Teen solo division, as she should. Taylor got fifth in Seniors, not bad, and a boy from another studio was fourth. Brooke stood for third, shrugging minutely. I thought that was pretty good given that she'd barely had time to rehearse a hastily thrown together solo. Opal was second, and Ursula tapped me on the shoulder for first.

The announcer asked me a question, and before I could stare blankly at him and make a fool of myself, Opal stepped in to explain. The man looked a bit embarrassed, but I wasn't quite sure why; it's not like it was easy to tell.

The Candy Apples group dance got third and we got second, so at least Abby would be happy that we beat her "rivals." Chloé and Nicaya's duet won as well. There wasn't too much drama in the dressing room from what I could see, happily, and I just did some homework with Brooke and Ursula on the short trip home.