Brooke

Chloe   Maddie

Mackenzie Paige  Melanie  Kendall  Nia

"Mackenzie, you're doing a routine called 'My Parade', and it's all about you, kiddo. You're gonna march out from that corner like you're the leader of the big parade." Miss Abby says, "Maddie, this week you're going to be doing a jazz routine to 'Lights, Camera, Action'. Chloe, you're going to be doing a lyrical routine to 'Don't Catch Me'."

"Chloe's so happy she's having a lyrical solo." Maddie says.

Rude.

"Now, the group dance that everybody's in except Mackenzie and Melanie is 'Born to Dance' and it's about a child being born. There's a little mystery into it. Brooke, you're featured in the number, but you should be the glue that's holding in together, and Maddie has been the glue that has been holding it together. You should be the most advanced one in the group, not looking around looking at what these two are doing. Understood?" Brooke nods, "Brooke, don't let me down."

Kenz and I leave with the moms and go to Studio D, where most of the minis were.

"We have to do a hide-and-seek extravaganza." Brooke K says.

"What's extravaganza?" Rylee asks and Brooke K sighs.

"Alex's it!" Kenzie runs off.

"Again?" Alex asks.

"Just count." Peter tells him and follows Kenzie.

Klara takes my hand and we both run away, following Liam and Summer. We all run to where we take the voice lessons, I only know this place because of Kenzie, I'm supposed to start taking them this year. Liam and I hide under the desk, Summer hides behind the door, and Klara hides under the mic stand.

"You know that doesn't work, right?" Liam asks.

"Shh!" Klara demands and we chuckle.

We hear some footsteps and I cover my mouth. It was Selah.

"There's no more space." I tell her and she slowly walks over to me, "No, you're not gonna catch me."

I run outside with Summer just as Selah tags Liam and Klara. The two of us go to the Dancer's Den, where Maddie, Chloe, and Paige were.

"Where's Brooke going?" Chloe asks Paige.

"To a football game." Paige answers, "Show drama and cheerleading drama."

"Cheerleading?" I ask.

"Long story." Maddie tells me.

"Brooke's trying out for cheerleading?" Summer asks.

"Tag!"

Selah runs out and Summer follows her.

Is Brooke leaving?

•Two Days To Competition•

All of the minis were in Studio B practicing a hip-hop group dance, or what Miss Abby calls hip-hop, that is jazz. We're competing with this number for next week's competition.

If I was you, I'd wanna be me too
I'd wanna be me too
I'd wanna be me too

"Alright, Emma, you're late." James tells us, "Rylee, Amira, and Melanie, you're all lacking energy in the end."

It's not my fault that I get tired.

"BROOKE! BROOKE! BROOKE!"

James leaves Studio B and we all look at each other.

"What's going on?" Becky asks.

I decide to follow James, and he was talking with Gianna. I could also hear Miss Abby and Kelly arguing.

"You're letting a 13-year-old kid dictate my future and their future."

"But I'm letting my 13-year-old dictate her future."

"She knew when she was on top of that pyramid, and this is where it's bad parenting, Kelly. She should've opened her mouth and said 'Abby, let somebody else be on top of the pyramid this week'. That is a mature 13-year-old, not screwing everybody and stabbing them in the back!"

"But I don't think she's screwing any of them."

"She's screwing me! I can feel it! You're doing your solo, you are gonna do your solo. You're staying home, staying home, staying home. That's it. You're dismissed, you're dismissed, you're dismissed. Run the solo, run the solo. Let's go. Get the senior company in here. Thank you, Kelly."

I see Paige, Nia, and Kendall enter the Dancer's Den super disappointed, so I go back to Studio B.

"Melanie, we're leaving." Mommy says, standing in the doorway, she also had a mad look on her face.

"See you tomorrow." Emma whispers and I leave.

•One Day To Competition•

After having to wake up earlier than usual for the girls to re-block the number without Brooke, we were finally in the bus on our way to the competition. I was asleep for the first half of the ride, but I was woken up by Kendall's phone going off.

"Sorry." She tells me and looks at her phone screen, "Really Mads? You literally woke your sister only for a hi?"

"Hi." Maddie smiles and we chuckle.

"Be quiet." Holly tells us, "Mackenzie's sleeping."

"And Chloe." Nia adds and we nod.

"What do we do?" Paige asks.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"7:40." Kendall answers, "At night."

"Do we watch a movie?" Maddie asks.

"But what movie?" Paige asks again.

We all think about it, and we decide to watch Ramona and Beezus. I only got half-way the movie before I fell asleep again.

•Competition Day•

"Joining us now in the stage, from ages 7 and 8, number 321." The announcer says and Kenzie goes on stage.

Kenzie was amazing in her solo, next one was Chloe.

"Next up is number 322, 'Don't Catch Me'." The announcer says and Chloe goes on stage.

Dreaming of you
Can this be true?
Floating away
To a beautiful new place
So don't put out your hands
'Cause I don't want to land
Just let me keep falling, falling

So don't catch me now
I just wanna keep on fallin' somehow
So don't stop me now
I just wanna keep this goin' somehow
Keep on falling
Keep on falling

Chloe has a great shot on beating Maddie this week.

"Jazz, ages nine and ten, 'Lights, Camera, Action'." The announcer says and Maddie goes on stage.

Yeah!
From the strip to Times Square!
Are you ready?
Lights, camera, action

Lights are flashing, swagger down the runway
Check the fashion, nothing ever out of place
It's the real deal, from the heels to the eyes
Glamour city, where all the stars come out at night

~~~
Kenzie was first, Maddie was third, and Chloe was also first. This is the first time Chloe beats Maddie on the show.

The older girls were all waiting to go onstage for the group dance.

"Next up is number 320, 'Born to Dance'."

What would you do if I told you I loved you?
From that first smile on that very first date
What would you say if I told you I just knew?
That somehow you changed me in some special way?

Would you say, "I was silly"?
A sentimental fool
Or would you say, "I was hoping and praying for someone like you"?

Where would I be if I hadn't had met you?
Would I be hopelessly sad and alone?
How would I feel if I never had touched you?
I guess that's just something
Something that I'll never know

After the group dance we just had to wait for awards, but something interesting happened.

"Next up number 460, 'Mermaids'."

That was the Candy Apples group dance, and as some of the moms say, Vivi's a human prop. I feel kinda bad for her, but she still gets to do more than what I do.

~~~

"Top overall junior group." The Announcer says, "'Born to Dance', Abby Lee Dance Company!"

We all cheer as the girls go receive their award. After that we all go back to the dressing room, Miss Abby decided to go talk with Cathy, tell er that the kids did a good job, all that stuff.

"Hello!" Christi smiles.

"All right, we just wanted to tell you all congratulations. I-I thought you did a great job, I don't know what happened." Miss Abby tells the Candy Apples, "But anyways, do you have the bee costume?"

"You mean, hold on." Cathy says, "The ugly bee costume that Vivi wore?"

"Yes--"

"I gave it to GoodWill."

"That was $300." Mommy says.

Wow.

"Bill me."

"It's a memory." Christi says, "It's irreplaceable."

"Listen disco ball, I'm not talking to you today. This is between Abby and I, so pipe down!"

Kenzie and I look at each other.

"You need to--"

"Disco ball! By the way, Christi, Whoville called, and they want your nose back."

She did not just make fun of Christi, did she?

"Oh, my God. Cathy, listen!"

"Go ahead--"

"When you have a better insult, something that isn't--"

Cathy pushes Christi and the rest of the adults take us out of the room.

Will Cathy ever leave us alone?