"I just want to look at what fourth place looks like." Miss Abby starts pyramid, "This weekend, we will be traveling to Voorhees, New Jersey. We will be attending On Stage America. I don't want to be fourth again." 

Yeah, the group was fourth, Kenzie was third, and Chloe was second, she beat Bella but lost to Kaeli, and Studio Blue beat the ALDC.

"On the bottom." Miss Abby reveals the bottom headshot, "Mackenzie. You will not be performing in the group routine this weekend."

Kenzie nods as Miss Abby reveals the next headshot.

"Maddie. At nationals, you were amazing, just as good as Chloe, but Chloe won, and ever since then." She shrugs.

She reveals the next headshot.

"Melanie. You didn't dance, you went with us and worked with the girls makeup. Who knows, is that why the group placed fourth?" I look at her upset, "You have not danced in weeks, before you joined the team, you were a force to be reckoned with, you were Maddie and Mackenzie combined, but you haven't won since your first solo. You placed second with your second solo and Mackenzie beat you, and after that, you screwed the whole number and placed third. I'm disappointed, I thought that you were going to be better. Also, crying in the dressing room, quit it. You're not a baby anymore--"

"She was crying because she was scared." Mommy defends me.

"Scared of what?" Miss Abby asks, "She should not be scared of anything." She looks over to me, "Understand?" I nod, "UNDERSTAND?!"

"Yes, ma'am." I answer.

Chloe   Kendall

Nia   Paige   Melanie   Maddie   Mackenzie

"Nobody in the group that got fourth deserves that spot." Miss Abby says, "Brooke, I don't have you on the team."

"She's been here every week." Kelly says, "What is the purpose of her coming her every week if you're not going to put her in the pyramid. 

"Brooke, do you want to be here?" Miss Abby asks and Brooke nods, "See. that to me, it's not a response that I'm looking for." She looks back to us, "This weekend, we are doing a group routine called 'Pink Lemonade'. Brooke, I planned for you to be in the group routine. Kendall, you have a solo. Your solo is entitled 'Owe You Nothing'. Remember that, I owe you nothing. You are very lucky. Embrace this opportunity and make the most of it. Nia, you also have a solo. Your solo is entitled 'A Hundred Years from Now', is it gonna take a hundred more years to straighten those legs and point those feet, or are you gonna do it now?" She looks over to me, "Melanie, you have a solo. It is entitled 'All I Want', all I want for you is to win, I want you to be the best dancer, but it doesn't seem like you really want it, do you?" She looks back to all of us, "I have one more solo. Chloe, do you think you can do the dance that I teach you?" Chloe nods, "Have you talked to your mom about stopping the advocacy for all the other mothers. Chloe, this is a contemporary routine as well. There's a lot of hits, accents. It's stronger than you've been doing before, and it is called 'Left in the Dark'. The group routine is entitled 'Pink Lemonade'. You're using hats and the hats are a prop. Drop your hat, and you're off the team."

"God, let's be a little harsh." Kelly comments and we all laugh.

The moms leave after that and Miss Abby start with Nia's solo rehearsal. After a while, the group dance rehearsal starts as Kenzie and I sit in the back.

•Two Days To Competition•

I change into my dance clothes as I wait for the solo rehearsal. The girls were all talking about how hard it was to dance with the hats, and how Miss Abby was serious about kicking someone off, she can't do that, can she?

Soon, it was time for my solo. It is lyrical-contemporary, and I was a little bit distracted by Broadway Baby, but I still dance pretty well.

It starts off with me walking to the center of the stage and doing some attitude turns. I take two steps to the front and cover my mouth with both of my hands. I do a side aerial to the right. I roll onto the floor and bring my left leg up. Slowly, I get up and do some chaîné turns to the left of the stage. I walk up to the center and start doing pirouettes. Next is a calypso onto the floor and I get on my knees. I roll on the floor to the right and get up again. I do a developpe tilt and try to do a front aerial, only causing me to fall.

"You still can't do your front aerial, huh." Miss Abby comments and I look over to her, "I need you to get it before the end of the competition season. Let's just replace it with another side aerial."

I do another side aerial and a tilt right after that. At the end, I just do the final pose.

After that I'm dismissed for the day.

•One Day To Competition•

I was sitting on Dance Jail with Nia as all of the moms, except Kelly, work with the solo costumes. I really liked mine, I thought it looked great.

I looked down to Chloe rehearsing her solo, but instead I see Miss Abby trying to get our attention, or Nia's.

"Nia, Miss Abby's calling you." I tell her and Nia rushes down.

Group dance rehearsal starts right when she enters, and I go to the Dancer's Den.

"How's the dramatic world of Dance Moms doing?" Julie asks as I sit down.

"Pretty good, but Miss Abby warned the girls of kicking them off if they let a hat fall to the floor." I tell her and she chuckles.

"A hat?" She laughs as she looks over to me, but notices my serious look on her face, "Oh, you're serious."

"Believe me." I assure her, "I am."

Right after that, I'm called to studio, where Kendall was rehearsing her solo for the last time and Chloe was waiting to rehearse hers.

"All right, I'm going over Melanie's first, and Chloe's after." Miss Abby tells us as Kendall leaves studio A.

I start off walking to the center of the stage and doing some attitude turns. I take two steps to the front and cover my mouth with both of my hands. I do a side aerial to the right. I roll onto the floor and bring my left leg up. Slowly, I get up and do some chaîné turns to the left of the stage. I walk up to the center and start doing pirouettes. Next is a calypso onto the floor and I get on my knees. I roll on the floor to the right and get up again. I do a developpe tilt and another side aerial. Right after that, I do a tilt. At the end, I do the final pose.

"Your feet aren't pointed on the side aerials." Miss Abby tells me, "Come on, you know this, don't let the negativity get into your head, kid."

I nod and go over my solo again, this time applying all of the corrections.

"You're dismissed, you better go out there and nail that solo, not like last time." She warns me.

I go back to the Dancer's Den.

•Competition Day•

Bright and early, we were all back in the bus, about to start our way to the competition. I was listening to the music on my phone, trying to remember every single step and detail of the solo. I preferred sitting alone in the back today, especially since Maddie and Kenzie don't have solos, so they're just having fun and doing whatever, what I mostly do when I don't do anything at the competitions.

Soon enough, we got to the competition place and walked to the dressing room. Maddie starts doing my makeup as Miss Abby visits Cathy. When she comes back, I go change into my solo costume. Mommy starts doing my hair.

"I knew something was up when we hadn't seen Cathy in weeks, and now I know what her game is." Miss Abby says, "She has an all-boys team. That's her M.O, 'cause you guys all know that a judge, they go for the boys all the time, 'cause they want to keep them dancing. You girls are a dime a dozen."

The other girls start going over their solos as Mommy finishes with my hair. I go over my solo once and take my jacket as we all leave.

"Next up is act number 120, this is Melanie dancing to 'All I Want'." The announcer says and everyone claps.

"Good luck." Chloe whispers to my ear as I walk on stage.

I found a guy, told me I was a star
He held the door held my hand in the dark
And he's perfect on paper
But he's lying to my face
Does he think that I'm the kinda girl
Who needs to be saved?

And there's one more boy, he's from my past
We fell in love, but it didn't last
'Cause the second I figured it out
He pushes me away

And I won't fight for love
If you won't meet me halfway
And I say that I'm through
But this song's still for you

All I want is love that lasts
Is all I want too much to ask?
Is it something wrong with me?
All I want is a good guy
Are my expectations far too high?
Try my best, but what can I say?
All I have is myself at the end of the day
But shouldn't that be enough for me?

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
And I miss the days
When I was young and naive
I thought the perfect guy would come and find me
Now happy ever after, it don't come so easily

All I want is love that lasts
Is all I want too much to ask?
Is it something wrong with me? Oh, ooh
All I want is a good guy
Are my expectations far too high?
Try my best, but what can I say?
All I have is myself at the end of the day
And all I want is for that to be okay

Everyone cheers as I walk off stage. 

Awards. You know, I really wanna win first today, because Miss Abby is kind of right, she did tell me all the time before that I was a force to be reckoned with. When I started having solos, I did kind of chill and that's probably why I have only won with one solo, but I need to prove to her that I can win over and over again.

"Let's start off with Mini Miss America." The announcer says, "Second runner up is number 137, 'Ballerina'. First runner up is number 169, 'Rainbows'. Now, Mini Miss On Stage America goes to number 120, 'All I Want'."

There we go!

Everyone cheers and claps as I go receive my award and crown. Felt pretty good. The junior title was right after that, and Kendall was the only one that placed, being second runner up. We all go back to the dressing room, to a really mad Miss Abby. I wasn't really allowed to go inside for about five minutes, but I could hear Miss Abby telling the girls a lot of stuff, I felt bad for them. Miss Abby opens the door and looks at me.

"You redeemed yourself." She tells me and I look to her, to see her smiling, finally, "That's exactly what I want from you every single time, all right? Now go join your sister and celebrate your win."

Kenz and I couldn't really do anything though, we had to go back to the audience to watch the group dance.

"Up next to the stage, please welcome number 215, 'Pink Lemonade'." The announcer says and the girls go on stage.

Life's a soiree
Serving pink lemonade
A cascade of champagne
For you and me

Life's a bouquet
It's a dance, a ballet
In the rain

Chloe's hat falls off and, OMG, this is going to end up badly. After they group dance is over, we all go back to the dressing room, terrified of Miss Abby's reaction, maybe she will calm down?

"Nice job, Chloe!" Miss Abby yells and throws her purse, "Huh?"

She did not.

"Let's go, we're leaving." Christi says, "You want Chloe gone? We're gone. You get your way. You can have whoever you--"

"Walks out, falls all over the place with the turns--"

"No, she didn't--"

They keep on arguing as I start unbraiding and brushing my hair.

Will she really kick Chloe out?