|Pyramid|

"come on chop chop chop chop" Abby says as we walk in

"i wouldn't say it was a brilliant weekend but i would say it was successful we set out to beat Cathy the wicked witch of the west and that's what we did we beat her hands down in ever single category you knocked the apple tree down"

and Christi claps for us

"with that said i want to get through the pyramid quickly because we have tons of work to do" Abby says

"on the bottom of the pyramid Paige, you beat Kendall i'm thrilled with that you made the top ten but you need to d' the choreography you were taught you got that Kelly? you don't change Abby Lees choreography come on."

"moving on Mackenzie, you've greatly improved but if you're gonna be in the dance you gonna know the choreography you have to pull your weight understood?"

"next Brooke, you are off probation" 

i smile and clap for Brooke

"moving on Nia, you have really matured less than six months ago you were sitting on your dads lap in a dressing room bawling your eyes out i don't ever want to see that again that little kid is gone."

"moving up the ladder Maddie, you had a big big victory last week all you had to worry about was the group dance you were excellent you were right on time with the music and im proud of you for that."

"next is Chloe, Chloe you won the costume award for the entire competition and you made the top ten congratulations" 

i smile to Chloe

"i'm very proud of you i think you could've had a lot more confidence when you started the dance but when you finished you certainly made up for it."

"and on top of the pyramid our third time title winner Kayla." 

i beam

"you went out there and wowed that audience that solo was a national material solo and you win the entire thing and the title very well done."

"thank you." i smile

"moving on this week we will be attending starbound competition in Atlanta Georgia" Abby says
we clap

"we are gonna go to sunny skies and hot weather moms i might even sit on the marina and have a mint jewel with you" Abby says

"oh!" Christi says

"aren't we lucky" Kelly says

"the last time we attended starbound you lost by one tenth of a point to that wicked witch of the west and i have never lived it down until this weekend the behaviour by Cathy was out of control the whole competition was a fiasco that's not gonna happen this time do you understand? all the numbers we are gonna do is gonna be off the charts." Abby says

"alright Kayla you have a solo this week, it's called Move, it's a jazz number and you haven't won with a jazz piece in weeks i want that changed understood?" 

"yes." I say

"Chloe you'll also be doing a solo it is called trouble you need to learn to use the entire stage you need to jump higher than you've ever jumped i want to see you larger than life onstage" Abby says

"Maddie back to work this week you have a solo in the competition it's in the lyrical category and it's entitled mom it will never be the same" Abby says

"now i also have a trio, the trio is going to be Paige, Nia and Mackenzie." Abby says

we all clap

"the trio is entitled nothings gonna stop us and i hope nothing does stop you."

"let's move onto the group dance the group number is entitled all kids go we are talking about our childhood going away, talking about Brooke leaving the eighth grade and going to high school she's a teenager now..everybody is in the group dance expect Mackenzie the nature of the dance is a little mature for you"

"since i'm not using Mackenzie i'm going to bring somebody in that looks like a teenager that the judges see instantly as older than the rest of you so moms look out i'm putting Payton in the number and Leslie will be joining us..i have one more piece of news you're auditioning for a TV show and that TV show is Drop Dead Diva"

i gasp

all of us start to cheer

"moms i'm gonna put them on camera and actually send the film to LA."

|Group Rehearsals|
Abby has brought in Payton again join us for this week

"Payton you'll be travelling to Atlanta Georgia with us are you ready for that?" Abby says

"absolutely" Payton says

"can you keep you keep your mother under control?" Abby asks

Payton nods

"girls we have three days to we are on a plane heading to starbound" Abby says

we start learning the group and it's a contemporary piece!

"hit hit hit hit" Abby says as we run through the section we learnt

"pele!" Abby yells out

"everybody big!" Abby yells out

we finish the run through

"do you see that introgute way of moving? do you see how captivating it is you have to be special performer to get the audience to shut up" Abby says

we get dismissed and i only have classes for the rest of the day

Abby hands us a script to learn for the next day of the auditions!

|Two Days To Competition|
|Drop Dead Diva Auditions|
we walk in early and i'm nervous as we are doing the self tapes for Drop Dead Diva

the casting call was very specific so only me Maddie Chloe and Paige are auditioning they did only want a blonde but Abby is letting me and Maddie audition

"i'm so nervous" i say

"don't be you were a born actor" mom says

Abby comes into the dancers den

"excuse me ladies you're all here to audition i'm gonna take you in one at a time." Abby says and then leaves the room

we get changed into our dance clothes and me and Maddie help eachother go over lines

Paige is up first

then Chloe

then Maddie then it's my turn

"go have fun!" mom says

i walk into studio a

"hello." Abby says

"hi" i smile
"okay you're going to stand here and say your full name age and where you train then we will cut then you'll do your lines okay?" Abby says

"okay." i say

i stand infront of three camera and smile
"okay three, two, one action." Abby says

"hello i'm McKayla Ziegler i'm nine years old and i train at the Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania" i say

"okay cut. wonderful we are now going to do the lines." Abby says and starts filming

"point your toe deb" Abby reads out

"it's too hard i can't do it!" i act out

"nationals is next week." Abby reads out

"find another dance i'm done!" i say and i walk of camera

Abby stops the film

"very well done thank you, you can go" Abby says

"thank you" i smile and leave studio a

|Solo Rehearsals|
"you haven't won a jazz solo in weeks, if you want to even have a chance of getting this role you have to be able to win in all dance styles." Abby says

i nod

we learn my solo and it's really good but i much prefer lyrical it's to the song move from little mix
"from the second you enter till the second you leave the judges eyes must not leave you capture them" Abby says

"yes." i say

"okay from the top" Abby says

we go from the top

i finish my solo and Abby claps

"wonderful okay work on it at home, you're dismissed" Abby says

"thank you." i say and i walk out

|Two Days To Competition|

"is Chloe nit coming?" Paige asks

"she's on her school field trip." Christi answers

i cringe

Abby is not going to take that well

"okay ladies we have lots to do." Abby then comes in

"late last night i decided to let Chloe go on her school field trip..she's not here this evening she'll be back tomorrow morning."  Christi says

"she made a commitment to this group you as a parent also made a commitment to this group." Abby says

"yes and i made a commitment to Chloe's education and this is a school field trip." Christi defends

"why didn't she tell me yesterday?" Abby asks

"because she didn't know." Christi answers

"i think you're lying and you knew she was going and you wanted to make it seem like this last minute decision..you're a sneak and a liar and you're raising your kid to be the same exact thing." Abby says

my eyes widen

"you should have told me ahead of time."

"you're acting like a lunatic because school has taking priority for once." Christi says

"it's not school it's a field trip it's a camping trip! go to girl scouts and go on a camping trip! is she that dumb she doesn't know there's a field trip and she's not going on it?!" Abby yells

"i'm going to pretend you didn't call my daughter dumb." Christi says

"they all said they have solos and i was wondering..can she do a solo this weekend." Leslie asks

"sure Payton you're in." Abby says

we soon go into rehearsals

"we have two days to clean the number perfect it..and it's not even finished yet!" Abby says

we do the routine and Abby puts Payton in Chloes spot

"i don't even miss Chloe." Abby shrugs

|Competition Day|
the solo are up first and mom helps me with my costume

Kaylas solo costume and hair is in a curly bun with a pink rhinestoned clip:

"Kayla you just won two titles two weeks in a row don't let some jazz routine make you loose okay?" Abby says
"okay." i nod

me Maddie and Chloe head backstage to perform

i'm up first this week and i'm pretty nervous

"you'll be amazing" Maddie whispers to me and hugs me

"thank you" i whisper back

"please welcome to the stage Kayla with Move" the announcer says
i strut on and my music starts
my solo starts with an front ariel and when i land i stumble which i've never done before and it really throws me off the whole dance

i do make sure my turns were clean and i finish strong

i exit the stage and i sigh

i messed up, i messed up

it wasn't perfect.

Abbys going to be so mad

i needed to win.

"what?" Chloe asks as Maddie hands me water

i take a drink

"i messed up my front ariel at the start" i say

"no you didn't" Maddie says

"yes i did i stumbled." I say

"i didn't even notice" Chloe adds

"well Abby sure did, she's going to hate me." i say

"no she's not it was one mistake" Chloe says

"a mistake that's i've never done before!" i say starting to get upset

"Kayla don't cry you're fine." Maddie says

"it's whatever" i huff and storm off

"please welcome Maddie to the stage with mom it'll never be the same" the announcer says
Maddie does her solo but i don't even watch i'm so annoyed at myself

Maddie solos finishes and she exits the stage

"please welcome Chloe to the stage with Trouble" the announcer says
Chloes music starts and Maddie comes over to me

"Abby won't hate you." Maddie says

"but i messed up." i say

"you were still amazing" Maddie says

"no i wasn't." i say

Chloe solo finishes and she exits the stage

we head back to the dressing room

"what's wrong honey?" mom asks

"i was terrible." i say

"no you weren't" mom says

Abby walks in

"Kayla, what was that?" Abby says

i look to Abby

"you've never stumbled on that ariel, and i really thought you could've won." Abby says

i bite my lip

i'm sorry.

"also i'm hearing you were crying backstage?" Abby says

"i got hurt when i stumbled." i say
Abby nods

"okay, get ready for the group" Abby says

Kaylas group costume:

we head backstage

"please welcome the Abby Lee Dance Company with All Kids Go." the announcer says
we enter for the group and our music starts everyone was clean and on time and i did way better the group than my solo.
our music finishes and we do our ending pose
i see our moms cheering and we exit the stage.

|Solo Awards|
"in fourth place give it up for trouble it's Chloe from Abby Lee Dance Company." the announcer says
Chloe smiles and gets up to get her award
i clap for her

third place gets announced and it's now down to me and Maddie but i don't think i've even placed

"in second place give it up for Move, it's Kayla from Abby Lee Dance Company." the announcer says

i smile and i get my award

Abby expected me to win, i was meant to be number one

"our top junior solo drum roll please." the announcer says

everyone does a drum roll

"mom it'll never be the same Maddie from Abby Lee Dance Company!" the announcer says
Maddie comes up and gets her award

i side hug her

we sit back down and i high five Chloe

|Group Awards|
"your top overall junior group winner with a score of 293 please make some noise for All Kids Go Abby Lee Dance Company." the announcer says

we all get up and scream

i hug Maddie

we get our award and head back to the dressing room

"wooooo!" the moms say as we walk in

"i'm so proud of yous two." mom says to me and Maddie

we pack up our things and head home