"Next up is entry number 37, please welcome Mia performing 'Your Loss'." The EMCEE says.

We all stare at each other, and I still wasn't able to process everything that was happening.

"Excuse me," Mia bumps shoulders with me, "I have a competition to win."

Mariella chuckles as Mia goes onstage and rolls her eyes.

"Did you go back to Studio 19?" I ask Scarlett and she nods.

She walks away and Mariella does too. I look over to Mia dancing. She was literally jumping and falling over and over again, the look on Abby's face was everything, I could hear her correcting every single step. 

"Next up is entry number 38, this is Scarlett with 'Tonight'." The EMCEE says and Scarlett goes onstage.

She starts dancing and she's actually pretty good, the only problem is her face, she's like a deer in the headlights.

"So that was your old little friend?" I hear Mariella ask and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, and you were my old little traitor friend." I snap, not even looking at her.

She scoffs and storms off.

"I guess I'll keep you company now." I hear Kendall say and I turn around, "That girl could literally try and break your leg."

"WIsh I could say that she isn't capable." I say, "But she is."

Everyone start cheering as Scarlett walks off stage.

"Entry number 39, we have Mari-- Marie-- Riella--"

"MARIELLA!" Mariella screams, correcting the EMCEE, and we laugh.

"Sorry, entry number 39, we have Mariella with 'I'm The Winner'." The EMCEE says as Mariella goes onstage.

"Huh," Kendall says, "Really? I'm the winner?"

"Really weird." I chuckle, "And kinda funny."

We both watch Mariella as she dances, basically shaking her arms and doing flips. After that they call it jazz. The look on Abby's face was more than priceless.

Mariella walks off stage like she owned the world, until she almost fell into some junior soloists, Maddie and Kenzie included.

"Next up in the mini solo division, this is entry number 40, this is Melanie with 'WOW'." The EMCEE says and I go onstage.

Baby, I'm not even in a gown
I'm just in a T-shirt on the couch
The way you want me makes me want you now
The only thing you have to say is (Wow)

And I feel this way with no chemicals in my system
Babe, it's incredible
When you're touching me, yeah, that says it all
You said it all (Yeah)

Baby, I'm not even in a gown
I'm just in a T-shirt on the couch
The way you want me makes me want you now
The only thing you have to say is (Wow)

Make your jaw drop-drop
Saying, my, drop-drop-drop
Make you say "Oh my god"
My, drop-drop
Make your jaw drop
Make you say "Oh my god"
And you never felt this type of emotion (Oh)
Make your jaw drop-drop
Saying, my, drop-drop-drop
Make you say "Oh my god"
My, drop-drop
Make your jaw drop
Make you say "Oh my god"
And you never felt this type of emotion
Make your jaw drop-drop
Saying, my, drop-drop-drop
Make you say "Oh my god"
My, drop-drop
Make your jaw drop
Make you say "Oh my god"
And you never felt this type of emotion (Never, never, never)

In a crowded place, can you just imagine?
It's unparalleled, the way it all just happened
If you can't have me, you don't want no one
You don't want no one (Mm)
I got all my friends asking what it's like
To be loved like this, to be recognized
Behind the scenes and be vulnerable
Your name is so vulnerable, oh

Baby, I'm not even in a gown
I'm just in a T-shirt on the couch
The way you want me makes me want you now (Want you now)
The only thing you have to say is (Wow)

Make your jaw drop-drop
Saying, my, drop-drop-drop
Make you say "Oh my god" (Say "Oh my god")
My, drop-drop
Make your jaw drop
Make you say "Oh my god" (Say "Oh my god")
And you never felt this type of emotion
Make your jaw drop-drop
Saying, my, drop-drop-drop (Make you say "Oh my god")
Make you say "Oh my god" (Make you say "Oh my god")
My, drop-drop
Make your jaw drop
Make you say "Oh my god"
And you never felt this type of emotion

Never, never, never, oh
Never, never, never, oh
Never, never, never, oh
Never, never, never, oh

Everyone cheers as I walk off stage and I'm immediately greeted by Mads, and Kenz.

Soon, it was time for the rest of the solos. Kenzie was up first, right after her was Maddie.

I watched Maddie as she danced, but soon I was once again accompanied. 

"You actually call that dancing?" I roll my eyes.

"I actually do." I answer Mariella, "At least I wasn't skipping around on stage and shaking my arms, that's what YOU call dancing."

"You shut it, Ziegler!" She grabs my arm.

"You shut it, Linderman!" I pull my arm away, "Just let me live my life and go away!" 

~~~

After that I walked away from her and her presence didn't annoy me anymore.

Now, I was changing into my costume and working with my hair. Mom starts doing my makeup while the rest finish.

"Guys, this is it." Abby starts as soon as we finish going over the dance, "Season five-- It's been a rocky road. It's never an easy path that the take to get here, but, maybe everything we go through, maybe it makes us stronger for the next time. We go out there, we do what the Abby Lee Dance Company is known for. That's coming to Nationals and winning. Got it? Yes? All right, let's go."

We start our way backstage, and I feel ready, ready to do what we do every single year.

"Please welcome in small group, 'The Waiting Room'." The EMCEE says and we all go onstage.

From my perspective on the dance.

After standing up from the chair, I start doing some turns. We dance together, la, la, la, we sit on the chair as Kalani walks over us. At the end, I sit between Kenzie and Kalani, my legs on the back of the chair, and my head hanging. I start playing with my fingers, bored out of my mind. Finally, Maddie runs off and I stop moving.

Everyone cheers as we walk off stage and we hug.

Awards were soon after that, and I've never been this nervous.

"We're gonna start with our class division teen solo company-- category," The Announcer says, "In third place, 'Bang Bang', Amanda. Second place, 'No Matter What', Nia."

We cheer as Nia goes receive her award. Her music skipped, Abby didn't really want her to perform at all, but she's second after all!

Go Nia!

"Now, to our class division mini solo division." The Announcer says.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

"In fifth place, 'Your Loss', Mia."

Mia goes receive her award and Kenzie and Maddie literally squeeze my hands.

"In fourth place," There's complete silence, "'I'm The Winner', Mariella."

Mariella scoffs but still stands up and goes receive her award.

"You're gonna do it." Nia whispers into my ear.

"In third place, 'Tonight', Scarlett."

I clap as she goes receive her award.

And suddenly, I start freaking out, there's no turning back now, this is hip-hop, this is probably my best season yet, but who knows, this is my first hip-hop solo ever. Did I pull it off, or am I a second place dancer? Or even worse, what if I didn't even place?

"In second place, 'Above All', April."

"Yes yes yes!" JoJo whispers.

"In first place, also winning the mini national title--"

Breathe! Breathe!

"--'WOW', Melanie!"

"You did it!" Kalani exclaims, "Go! Go!"

I stand up and go receive my award. There, I am crowned, and it felt amazing! We all bow and go sit back down.

"Now, we'll go to our class division junior solo division." The Announcer says, "In fifth place, 'Run', Jannie. In fourth place, 'Dreamer', Mackenzie."

Kenzie goes receive her award.

"Third place, 'Bloodstream', Jordan."

The Announcer starts checking some papers, and something's definitely up.

"Hold on." He says, "If I could get-- Just bring back your trophy right back up here real quick."

Now there's mix-ups too.

"All right. Second place, 'Someone Special', Maddie."

Maddie goes receive her award.

What just happened?

"And in first place, 'The Myth of The Mermaid', Ava."

Ava goes receive her award.

After all, Ava beat Maddie.

After a whole season.

What does this mean to the rest of us?

"What is this!?" Abby yells and we all look at her, "It's a joke!"

Holly tries calming Abby down as everyone looks at the ALDC Moms and teachers.

"Winning the junior national title is 'Dreamer', Mackenzie."

Wait a minute, not that I'm not happy for Kenzie, but wasn't that title supposed to go to Ava, she was the first place.

Something extremely weird is happening. 

And another thing happened, Kalani's improv solo won first in the DUO/TRIO division!

Is this rigged?

"And in our overall small group category," The Announcer says, "In second place, 'The Waiting Room', Abby Lee Dance Company'!"

Kalani goes receive the award as we cheer.

What's going on? Is this a bad dream, at this point I just wanna go.

"First place, 2015 National Champion, 'Moving Target', Broadway Dance Academy'."

"Did everyone get paid to come to this or was it free?!" We all hear Abby ask.

"Paid."

"Paid."

"Paid."

Abby rambles on about why this is a joke, that people should make a line and demand their money back. And in her words,

She's an embarrassment to the Abby Lee Dance Company.

Maddie, Kenzie, and Kalani stand up and I look at them. Abby was telling us to go, but I don't want to.

We'll look like sour losers, but that's my family, why does this always happen?

"Why are you leaving? We have one more special award to give away."

"Yes they can!"

"You can't leave."

I help Kenzie pick up her giant teddy bear, a gift from the judges, and we walk off stage.

"You can't hold children against their will in the state of California!"

I think that's everywhere, Abby.

We take all of our stuff and walk out of the building.

"Is someone even happy that I won?" I ask, in a playful tone, "With hip-hop?"

"I sure am." Maddie says.

"Me too." Kenzie adds.

Mom opens the trunk of the car and we put all of our stuff inside.  She closes it, and we all get inside. Luckily, Mom let me sit on front since I was the first-place winner.

"Where are we going?" I ask as Mom starts the car.

"I don't know, but we have to do something." Mom answers.

"We can't go anywhere, I'm embarrassed." Maddie says, "Like, REALLY embarrassed."

"Let's just go back home," Kenzie suggests, "We play Mario Party 10 and we celebrate Melanie's victory."

"Great!" I exclaim.

"All right, let's go." Mom says and start driving.