Chapter 79

My penultimate week at the ALDC brought a sense of calm, because as much as I loved the dancers, I was training on my own except for Braxton, and the show was quickly getting out of hand. New York was my dream, and I was more than ready to chase it.

I was also in charge of Pyramid, as Mrs. Miller was getting weaker and Abby needed to be with her. The mothers did seem relieved that I was in charge, which made me feel good about myself. I greeted everyone with a smile. "We did really well last week! We won everything, and Abby wants that to happen again this week. We're going to In10Sity in Buffalo, New York. It's a small competition, but it's very intense, and it's the final Regional. This is it if we don't perform well, so let's be on our A game this week. I'll start the pyramid. Maddie, Kendall, Brooke, and Nicaya are all on the bottom because you all were just in the group, though you all danced well. Maddie, you were overdoing your faces, Brooke was boring, Kendall was a bit off the beat, and Abby was happy with how Nicaya did."

The four all nodded at the fair critiques. "Okay, next is Paige. You got second place with your solo. I was happy with you despite a few mistakes. Abby fought with your mother. You were wonderful as the lead in the group."

"At least it's not the very bottom," Paige said lightly. "I loved that solo and Nia deserved the win."

I smiled at Paige. "Onto the middle. Ursula, you entertained Abby, and could have been a co-lead with Paige. Good job. I'm next for choreographing solos, and I did well in the group. Chloé, Abby thought that you were the star of the group. I'd say you were equal with Paige."

Christi and Kelly shrugged at each other. Abby wasn't there to argue with.

"Kenz, you did really well, and you won the Junior division. Keep it up. Asia! You aren't as used to Lyrical and I saw a lot of improvement. You're really becoming a more versatile dancer, it's great."

Asia and Kenz high-fived. They'd become close, being the two youngest on the team, and complemented each other well.

"On top of the pyramid is Nia. That was almost a Senior-level solo, and you went out and nailed it. I'm really proud of you," I said, and Nia grinned as everyone clapped for you.

I cleared my throat. "Abby said that it was alright if I announced some of the Nationals assignments." Everyone was paying attention to me now, and I continued as if I wasn't nervous. "Nia, Mackenzie and I have guaranteed solos, and Ursula and I have a duet. Brooke and I also have a duet. The group will have everyone, of course. There are three more solos available, and they can be in any age division. Kenz, you'll be a Junior at Nationals. There's also another duet that's going to Paige and someone else who doesn't have a solo."

"Why do you get two duets?" Jill complained.

"Joanne and Brooke are undefeated," Kelly shot back. "Honestly, let Joanne have her moment. She's earned it. Besides, Kendall still has chances at an extra dance."

"What are the assignments this week?" My aunt asked. I nodded, grateful for the interruption.

"Everyone does have a shot this week. Nicaya, Kendall, Chloé and Maddie are in the Junior division, Asia is the Mini soloist, and Brooke, Ursula and I are up against each other. Paige, I'm sorry, but you won't have another chance at a solo this season."

Paige nodded, accepting. "I kind of figured. It's okay." It clearly wasn't, but I couldn't do much to help her.

"There's lots to do, so please keep the drama down," I directed towards the mothers. "It's imperative that everyone gets equal practice time. I'm doing too many of the solos- Brooke, Ursula, Kendall and Nicaya as well as myself- and am packing up my whole life so I'm not in the group, which is led by Kenzie and has a western theme."

The mothers nodded grudgingly. The group was also highly acrobatic and required hard partner work, so it was for the best. That was far from my strong suit. I took the time to get ballet in and work on my solo, a special piece that I'd had in my head for a while. It was a Contemporary routine, the darkest I'd done. I could pour all of my anger that I'd been feeling into it. There wasn't that much technique, less than usual anyway, but I didn't care. My solo could be what I wanted. The story was about a girl who was wronged and used the demon inside of her to destroy those who wronged her. It would hopefully be a warning to the producers, because though I wasn't possessed by a demon, I would rain Hell down on the people who put money over children's safety. It wasn't even really about me (though I fully intended to bring up the abuse group dance), it was about current and future team members.

Brooke was the first to learn her solo. She'd likely finished too far down in the standings too much this season to get a solo at Nationals, but if this was going to be her last solo of the year, she wanted to make it a good one. As such, I gave her a Nationals-level routine that combined her new versatility and her amazing flexibility. She embraced it and it was a fun session.

"I have to tell you something," Brooke said over dinner. "This won't be announced soon, but I'm not coming back next season."

I raised an eyebrow, not really that surprised. "That's... probably for the best. I think Abby would be super harsh on you with Ursula and I gone. What will you do instead?"

Brooke smiled. "I'm going to train until I can get into the Cirque du Soleil. My mom wants to protect me. Paige is staying, though. She's on the rise here, which is great."

"I'm happy for you," I said to Brooke. "So long as we talk at least every other day."

"Every day," Brooke responded easily.

Kendall was up next, and seemed a bit tired but focused enough. "This is your last shot at a second dance at Nationals, so I'm giving you a competitive Lyrical solo. It's what most everyone else has done, just movement. This is make-or-break for you, yes? Abby cares about winning, and you need to win big with this one in order to please her. You've gotten a lot better at Lyrical, I have to say."

Kendall was doing her best, to her credit, and so I couldn't get on her too hard for some of her mistakes. She had good flow but wasn't quite ready for this type of solo. It was now or never- she wasn't winning with her usual Jazz.

I gave a sharp Jazz solo to Nicaya, as she was ready for something more competitive in that style. Rehearsal went smoothly, as she was ready to give a Nationals solo her best shot this week. After that I fit in Ursula, who had a Contemporary piece, and we had fun working on it together.

The group dance was a ridiculous piece that required Kenzie to walk on her hands for sixteen counts. I cringed when watching, glad that I wasn't in this one.

Jill asked to sit in on Kendall's next rehearsal, which I allowed with reservations. As expected, she interrupted right away. "Should she really do an illusion there? She doesn't normally do that."

"Right, I'm pushing her this week," I responded mildly. "It looks good. Now, I do want to work on your turns, Kendall. I've seen your leg go higher in class."

"A la secondes are hard," Jill complained.

"She can do them," I said. "Try them again, Kendall."

Jill interrupted constantly until both of us had enough. "Mom, I'm trying to learn the dance," Kendall said firmly. "I won't win if I don't know it."

"It's not a winning dance," Jill protested. "There's no story, she's the best storyteller here."

I raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I'd say that Ursula or Paige is. Everyone has had a solo like this, and most have won, so it is by definition a winning solo."

"I saw that you gave a good dance to Nicaya, do you want her to win too?"

I fully rolled my eyes. "I'd love it if everyone tied for first, so yes. I'm giving everyone a chance to succeed this week, and that includes two people directly against me. Kendall's right, she can't learn if you keep interrupting. Ursula will be here in fifteen minutes."

"Make Ursula wait," Jill grumbled but didn't interrupt any more. Ursula looked at her oddly as she left with Kendall.

"You let her sit in on rehearsal?"

"Never again," I responded with a slight groan. "Okay, let's work on your dance. I want to see more sudden movement today, you need to freak the judges out."

Ursula's solo looked great by the end of rehearsal, and Brooke was also in good shape during her second session with me. Nicaya was a different story, because she was having an off day and was having a lot of trouble delivering the performance quality the dance needed.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked halfway through. "You know the dance, it's good, but you're just not there emotionally."

Nicaya sighed and shook her head. "There's just some stuff going on at school, that's all. I can be better."

"Well, there's no need to push it tonight. Go take a break, I can see you tomorrow, work on it at home if you feel up to it," I told Nicaya, and she nodded gratefully. I had about ten minutes to myself before Jill, a protesting Kendall in tow, burst in the room.

"You can work more with Kendall!"

"Kendall should be in Jazz," I pointed out. "This is time for me to practice my ballet."

"You'll have plenty of time to practice ballet when you leave," Jill argued. "Don't be selfish." "You're being selfish, Mom," Kendall pointed out. "I have class. I'm going back there."

Jill scoffed, watching as her daughter left the room. "I don't know where this attitude is coming from, Joanne. You need to be more respectful."

"Respect is earned," I shot back. "Now please, don't interrupt my practice."

My aunt must finally have realized that she should defend me, because the shouting was quite loud, to the point where Gia had to tell the mothers off for it during group rehearsal. I did my best to steer clear of Jill, and she was cold to me on the trip to the competition, as if I were in the wrong. Yeah, I couldn't wait to leave.

The solos were up first, and this week, something felt different. Other dancers kept looking at me and whispering, which I did my best to ignore. I was the first solo up, and made sure that I did everything perfectly to get the story across. I looked into the cameras on the non-judged performance, and at least a few producers looked disgruntled. Good.

Ursula was just as creepy as I wanted her to be, and Brooke gave an inspired performance. I thought that it would be a tight battle between us. For the Junior solos, while Nicaya pulled herself together and was wonderful, Chloé was flat-out incredible and Maddie did well, Kendall was a mess. I guessed that her mother's antics had gotten to her, and I was quickly proven right. She cried after her second performance, and I pulled her aside.

"Mom told me I wouldn't win, and that's all that I could think about," Kendall sniffled. "I'm really sorry."

"I don't care about the dance, I care about your well-being," I said gently. "I'm sorry she said that. She shouldn't have. It's not true, anyway." I wasn't sure what else to say; calling Jill a bad parent probably wouldn't go over well, but that was the truth of it.

Asia performed admirably while I comforted Kendall, then I had plenty of time to relax before the group dance. It went well. Kenzie did have a bad moment in the handstand but she didn't fall, so that was good.

Awards came around, for the penultimate time. I just wanted to go home, really.

"Your first-place Mini soloist today is entry number fifty-five, Asia from the Abby Lee Dance Company! She scored 283.4 points."

"Fourth place in Junior solos, entry number forty-eight, Kendall from the Abby Lee Dance Company, 280.2 points."

"That's not bad," I said to Kendall gently, and she managed to smile while taking the award. I guessed that the difficulty level had been high enough to make up for her rushed execution in the judges' eyes.

"The top three Junior soloists are separated by just one point. Your third place Junior soloist, entry number forty-six, Maddie from the Abby Lee Dance Company. She scored 294.5 points."

Maddie smiled thinly, happy enough with the score.

"Second place in Junior solos, entry number forty-seven, Nicaya from the Abby Lee Dance Company, 294.9 points."

Nicaya grinned and leapt up- that might be enough for that duet. Chloé shifted beside me, excited now.

"Your champion Junior soloist, winning the Grace Judges' award, entry number forty-five, Chloé from the Abby Lee Dance Company! She scored 295.4 points."

Chloé beamed and took her awards. Christi was beside herself with joy in the audience.

"Your third place Senior soloist, scoring 293.1 points, entry number forty, Brooke from the Abby Lee Dance Company."

Brooke accepted the placement gracefully.

"Second place in Senior solos scored 299.5 points, a fabulous score. She also won the Performance award. Entry number thirty-nine, Ursula from the Abby Lee Dance Company."

Ursula grinned, that was a personal best high score for her.

"Your Champion Senior soloist received a perfect score and the Technique judges' award. Entry number thirty-eight, Joanne from the Abby Lee Dance Company."

I smiled and took the awards.

"Who choreographed this solo for you?"

"I did."

"What's your studio?"

"The Abby Lee Dance Company."

The group's win completed a clean sweep, and the atmosphere was generally good- except that Kendall and Jill barely spoke a word to each other. I winced, hoping that I hadn't made their relationship suffer this week.