Chapter 16

The team arrived at the competition in New York about six hours later. Everyone helped unload and got their suitcases, while Abby went over and checked the team in. Abby came back a few minutes later after they had finished unloading the bus. The girls and moms followed Abby searching for the green room, so that they could start the girls’ hair and makeup. Five minutes later they found a room close to the stage that said ALDC in it. The moms and girls followed Abby in after she opened the door.

"Okay, first up are the solos." Abby said. 

Melissa and Christi nodded, starting to work on their daughter's hair. Nick sat in front of Chloe on the floor, and talked to her since she was getting her hair done, there wasn't much for her to do. Chloe was laying down on the floor in a spilt position and Nick was laying in front of her with his head propped up on his hands.

"So Chloe?" Nick said, raising an eyebrow.

"So Nick?" Chloe mocked him, trying to raise her eyebrow but failing miserably.

Chloe's face when she tried to raise her eyebrow mad Nick laugh. He had always thought she made funny faces. This one he didn’t know if it was more cute or funny. It was a little bit of both.

Maddie walked out the door and performed her solo while Chloe was getting into her costume and having Christi do her makeup. Maddie came back a few minutes later, when Chloe was about to walk out of the door to perform her solo. Maddie opened the door and almost ran into Chloe who was about to walk out.

"Chlo! You look amazing!" Maddie complemented.

"Thanks." Chloe said, pulling Maddie into a hug. Maddie kissed Chloe on the cheek. They pulled away a minute later and then Abby was shoving Chloe out the door. It came time for Chloe to perform her solo. She was back stage and was running her dance one last time with Abby.

"Do good Chloe; I know you can win another title." Abby said, giving her should er a squeeze. The announcer, announced her name and Chloe walked on stage, a sweet smile on her face. She started her routine and two minutes and thirty seconds later she was done. She was sitting on the stage in her ending position. As Chloe walked off the stage, she thought she had danced pretty good overall. Abby and her walked back to the dressing room side by side. 

Once they entered the room everyone congratulated Chloe and gave her a hug.

"Good job ladies!" Abby yelled over all the commotion in the dressing room. "I thought you both did a fabulous job." Abby said with a smile on her face.

Abby looked down at the competition schedule. "Okay next is the group dance." Abby announced.

All the mothers started working on the girls’ hair and makeup and getting them ready for the group. Chloe was somewhat nervous for the group dance because there was always this turn sequence that she messed up. Christi was done doing Chloe's hair and makeup in about twenty minutes so she was the first one to put on her costume it was really pretty. It had pink sparkles all over it, and it was a one piece that kind of looked like a summer dress. 

An hour later it was time for the group to perform and Abby was barking at the moms to hurry up and that she hated all this last minute stuff before the performances. Christi rolled her eyes along with Kelly and put a few more bobby pins in Chloe's hair. 

All the mom and girls filed out of the dressing room, following Abby towards the stage. The girls went back-stage and ran through their dance all together one last time, before they were scheduled to perform. 

Three minutes later it was the girls time to perform, they all took their beginning poses and waited for the music to start.

"Now, let's welcome to the stage, number 352, from the Abby Lee Dance Company, with Dollhouse." The announcer finished. The girls waited for the music to begin, a moment later the music started and the girls started to dance. They were getting towards the end of the number and the bug turn sequence Chloe always messed up was nearing.

It came time for the turn sequence and Chloe didn't mess it up. The girls ended in their ending poses soon after the turn sequence, then ran off stage and back to the dressing room. All the moms, Abby, and Nick were already back in the room. 

"Good job girls!" All the moms and Abby cheered. The girls walked in with smiles on their faces, and Chloe walked over to Christi and Nick. 

Good job Chlo!" Nick said, wrapping his arms around Chloe's waist and lifting her up, and placing her on his hip, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Aww, so cute." Christi cooed. "Don't move, either of you, I want to get a picture of you two like that on my phone." She walked away, and over to her purse, digging through it trying to find her iPhone. She finally found it and walked back over to Chloe and Nick. She pulled up the camera on her phone and took a picture of the two. After Christi said that she was all done taking the picture, Nick sat Chloe down gently, and Abby announced it was time for awards, for the soloist, and group dances.

All the girls went up on stage. Nick sat in the audience with the moms because no one at the competition had seen him yet and Abby wanted to keep it that way.

"Our top three junior soloists today are, in third place." The announcer said. "Number 87, Addison with Let Yourself Go." Addison, the dancer who won third walked up and took his award from the announcer. "In second place number 23 Maddie with New Attitude." Maddie walked up and accepted her award, and stood next to Addison. At that moment everyone knew that Chloe had won first place. "And in first place...number 64 Chloe, with Everything Old Is New Again!" Chloe got, and everyone started clapping, Chloe accepted her award and stood next to Maddie, they both gave a bow, and then walked back to their seats.

"Next we will be moving onto our top junior small group awards." The announcer read into the microphone. Everyone got called an accepted their award except for the group of Abby Lee Dance Company, and the whole team knew they had won. "Your first place junior small group is....Dollhouse from the Abby Lee Dance Company!" All the girls stood up and walked over to accept their award.

Soon after awards were done everyone was back in the dressing room congratulating the group and Maddie, and Chloe.

Abby walked in later, while Chloe and Maddie were getting ready for their duet. While Maddie and Chloe were getting their makeup done for the third time that day, Abby was reminding them on some corrections. Most of the corrections Abby seemed to be yelling at Chloe about, only making Chloe more nervous about forgetting the dance. She still had her duet with Nick after this too. A few minutes later Maddie and Chloe were waiting for Abby to announce that it was time to go up to the stage.

"I’m nervous." Chloe whispered, laying her head down on her arm that was resting on the back of the chair she was sitting in. 

"You will be fine Chloe." Nick said, trying to reassure her from where he was sitting in the chair in front of her. Nick could see she was getting tired and he didn't blame her, it was hard for him to remember and perform two dances at one competition, yet alone four, on your first week back after having brain surgery.

Maddie, Chloe! Let's go!" Abby yelled. Chloe got up from where she was sitting Nick stood up and gave her a slight kiss on the cheek as she was walking by him. Abby, Chloe and Maddie walked out the door and towards the stage. Abby went and checked Maddie and Chloe in, but she soon found out there was a major problem.

 "Um, Miss Miller?" The lady at check- in behind the stage called.

"Yes?" Abby said, walking back over.

"It seems you have registered, one of your students...Chloe Luksiak in two duets?" The lady said.

"Yes, and what would the problem be?" Abby questioned getting a little confused.

"Well, here at Starquest, we have a strict policy of only having each dancer in one dance in any category. So one of your duets will not be able to perform, unless one of your other dancers knows the choreography to one of the dances." The lady said.

Abby looked up at the lady and then back down at Chloe and Maddie. She knew what the right choice was and that was to have Chloe and Nick perform their duet and scratch Maddie and Chloe's.

"Can you please scratch the one with Maddie and Chloe please?" Abby asked the lady.

"Sure thing." The lady answered, then took a black sharpie and crossed out Maddie and Chloe's duet. Abby looked at the schedule and saw that Nick and Chloe's duet was on in almost ten minutes. So Abby thanked the lady and ran back to the dressing room with the girls. Chloe sat down in front of the makeup station that her mom had and Christi looked confused.

"There was a mix up, there is no duet of Maddie and Chloe, because you can only have one dancer per dance in each category. So, Christi start working on Chloe's hair and makeup for her and Nick's duet, they are on in ten minutes. Nick come here, I want to help you get ready.

Christi did Chloe's hair in a french twist and did her makeup while Abby applied some bronzer on Nick's face, so the stage lights would catch his face better. Chloe ran behind the curtain after she was done with hair and makeup and put on her duet costume. When she walked out from behind the curtain, everyone was speechless, Abby the girls, the moms, and the most speechless was Nick. Chloe looked absolutely amazing in his eyes.

(The costume in the side bar image is Chloe's costume in her and Nick's duet.)