Hollywood, Round Two

We were back in LA and on the studio about to start pyramid. Jill, Holly and Abby were talking about Kendall's and Nia's singing careers, because it looks like everyone wants to be a singer now.


"Because you know that I'm the best friend you're ever gonna have." Abby tells us.


Then I don't want to know the worst.


"Let's get to pyramid, I want to get you out of this room and get you dancing, so on the bottom we have--"


Abby reveals one of the two headshots on the bottom, and it was mine.


"Melanie, you had a duet, and you were second. You weren't in the group routine."


Maddie            JoJo


Kendall         Nia         Kalani


Mackenzie      Melanie


Kendall and Nia have solos. Kenzie has an unaired solo and we're all in the group dance.


The Moms leave, we warm up, and Abby decides to talk with us, she's finally on a good mood. Yay!


 "This is our first competition back in LA. We did not leave in a high note. We left not in a high note. We left not winning any overalls." Abby tells us, "How long do you think I'm gonna stay in business not winning any overalls? All right? Let's get dancing."


We spread apart and start rehearsing the group dance.


Not sure of what I'm...


"What if you just step in forth on your left out? Pretty."


After practicing for a while Abby leaves to talk with Jill about Kendall's singing career and we take a break. Just gotta say, today was pretty simple.


•Two Days To Competition•


"Who wants to go eat after rehearsal today?" I ask as I stretch with Kalani and Maddie.


"Interested." Kalani says, "LA has been really boring so far."


"Me too." Maddie adds, "But where?"


"I don't know, we can think about it now." I tell them.


"You know what we could eat?" Kenzie asks walking over to us, "Tacos."


"I'm in!" Kalani says.


"Sounds good." Maddie says.


"More than good, great!" I add.


Once again, rehearsal was super boring, so I was more than happy when Abby told us that we were dismissed for the day. Kalani and Maddie convinced the Moms to let us out and it was all set. We would go out to eat tacos.


It was 5:56 pm and we were all getting ready.


"I can't wait until Kalani has her own car." Maddie says, "She'll be able to go anywhere and who knows, maybe she could take us somewhere."


"That's on like what? A year?" I ask as Kenzie enters the room.


"A year of what?" Kenzie asks.


"A year until Kalani can drive." I tell her.


"Talking about Kalani, the taxi arrived." Kenzie says.


We leave and get in the taxi, we pick Kalani up and we go to the restaurant. We get a table and sit down.


"A competition of who eats the most tacos!" Kenzie exclaims.


"We can't really exaggerate with the food, Kenz." Maddie says.


True, because of Abby's freaking contract, we can't lose or gain ten pounds, it's actually creepy. Once, she put a board on the studio with the students' weight written on it to make us feel embarrased. I was actually underweight until I turned seven, talk about a controlling teacher. I mean, who is she to talk about other people's bodies?


"Forget about that, let's just have fun for a while, Mads." Kalani says.


Sometimes I really love Kalani's positivity.


The waitress soon arrives with TWO plates full of tacos, she leaves and we look at each other.


"Ready? Kenzie asks, "Set."


I grab a glass of water and put it close to me. Maddie takes some napkins and Kalani just stares at one of the plates.


"Go!" Kenzie exclaims and takes a taco.


We all start shoving tacos in our mouths until they're over.


"Finish!" I exclaim.


"Okay, so those were 24 tacos." Kenzie says and we all look at her shocked, "What? If I told you the number you would have not even wanted to begin."


"True." Maddie says.


"And Kalani ate 5, Maddie 4, Melanie 6, and I ate 9. I was reaaaaaally hungry, so I'm the winner!" Kenzie says and then mimics a crowd, "Kenzie! Kenzie! Kenzie!"


We all laugh.


"This was all because she was hungry." Maddie says as we stand up, "Remember that we have the acting workshop tomorrow with Dallas Lovato."


"That sounds like so much fun." Kalani says, "Hope we can do improv." 


"I LOVE improv." I say.


We all talk for a little bit more and finally go back to the hotel.


•One Day To Competition•


"Do you have your headshots?" Mom asks as we walk to the Hotel's parking lot.


"I have two." Kenzie says.


"Me too." I add.


"I got all of them." Maddie says and we all look at her, "It's on my bag."


We get in the car and meet up with the rest, after that we finally go to the Acting Worshop.


"You're going to find a seat right after you say hello." Abby says as we enter the room, where Dallas was waiting for us.


"Hi guys."


"Hi."


"How are you?"


"Good."


We all sit down, I sit between Kenzie and Nia.


"I will take your headshots." Dallas says as she starts taking them, "Oh, I like how you have multiples."


We all stand up.


"What's going to happen is you are going to think of a certain character. Ok, come here and tell me, but don't let them hear."


I start thinking, should it be a character character? Or a character, like, generic? Like typical nerd, mean girl, jock. Or something more Karoline Fink?


I decided to be the mean girl, who doesn't have the perfect life everyone thinks she has, so she's like, nice when no one's watching. I know, a lot of explanation.


"Now, what is going to happen is that I'm going to set up a place for you." Dallas tells Kenzie, Kendall, Kalani and I, "You  guys are on a vaction visiting the Eiffel Tower and you are going to portray your character, so Kalani, you come in first."


Kalani starts walking and pretends to be surprised looking at something, which I guess is the tower.


"I've never been here before, it's so beautiful." Kalani says and turns around, "Does anybody know where I could get a crepe or something for food, so I can eat this under this beautiful Eiffel Tower?"


"Okay, Kendall."


Kendall starts walking and pretends to take some photos. She runs behind Kalani.


"Excuse me," Kendall says and Kalani turns around, "Can I borrow your camera real quick? Can you actually take a picture of me?"


"Melanie."


I walk towards them and tap Kendall on the shoulder.


"I can actually do it, but don't let her see." I whisper.


"Thank you!" Kendall exclaims and gives me the camera.


"Shh!" I tell her and pretend to take a photo.


Kalani turns around and I throw the camera to the floor.


"What were you doing?" Kalani asks.


"Nothing of your business." I say and roll my eyes.


"And Mackenzie."


Mackenzie walks up to us and pretends to be writing something.


"Are you visiting?" Kalani asks Kenzie, "Do you live on Paris or--"


"No." Kenzie answers and pretends to fix her glasses.


 "What are you holding?"


"A notepad."


Everyone starts laughing, except the four of us.


"What is the notepad for?"


"I need to learn about the Eiffel Tower." Kenzie tells Kalani and they all laugh.


"Get lost, nerdie." I snap and cross my arms.


"Okay, end scene." Dallas says and we all look at her, "Kendall, is that how your character would talk about all the modern-day things and stuff like that? Would she pose like this? Because I know your character."


"Who was she?" Maddie asks.


"I was supposed to be Katniss but I just blanked out." Kendall answers.


"You blanked out? It's an audition." Abby tells Kendall.


"I know."


"So, keeping that in mind, you have to embody your character entirely. Then the day you walk in to an audition and it's like, whoa, I don't even know how to be anybody else except this character."


"You leap from the Eiffel Tower to the next thing, and-- tuck and roll, we would have known exactly who you were." Abby adds.


"Ok, so, Mackenzie, where are they?" Dallas asks Kenzie.


"They're in New York" Kenzie suggests.


"Melanie, what are they doing?" Dallas asks me.


"They're riding the subway." I suggest.


"Okay, all right. So one by one, who wants to go first?"


"I'll go first." Nia says.


"Ok."


Nia was an urban diva, who enters the subway, sits down, put some music on her phone and puts her headphones on.


"And JoJo.


I had no idea of what JoJo was doing, until I remembered that I was talking about JoJo, she's full of surpirses.


"You so pretty lady." JoJo tells Nia and grabs her cheeks.


We all burst out laughing, even Abby. JoJo starts speaking in korean and I have no clue of what she's saying. 


"Maddie."


Maddie was a girl who hates herself, interesting choice. JoJo tries talking to her, but Maddie avoids her, until she tells her to stop. 


Kind of weird but who am I to judge?


"Good. Honestly, I thought you guys all did really, really good." Dallas tells us as we form a line on front of her, "There was also a lot of things that needed to be worked on. For example, Nia, you're really good about commiting to a character. You just need to take that extra stet and jump a little harder into it. Ok?"


Nia nods and Dallas looks over to JoJo.


"JoJo, you are absolutely adorable. Definitely work on the Rs, because I don't want to see you limited as an actor. Maddie." Dallas says and we all look over to Maddie, "Are you tired today?"


What kind of question is that?


I look over to Mom and see her confused, I try really hard not to laugh at her face and look back to Maddie.


"No."


"No? Ok. You look a little tired. It seems like you're lacking a little bit of emergy. It just seems like you're just kind of going throught the motions." Dallas says and looks over to Kalani, "Kalani, you're absolutely stunning. However, when I saw you start to walk over here, the body language, it was too forced. You need to relax it a little bit more."


With Abby Lee Miller sitting on front of us, no way!


"Mackenzie, I thought you did so good with your little nerd character, that was so great. One thing I will say is kind of step outisde the box a little bit. You just need to have a little bit more faith in yourself, ok? Awesome. Melanie." Dallas looks over to me, "I loved you character, but as same as Mackenzie, step outside of the box, you were like, super literal."


And that will be a mental note on my head.


"So, girls, you understand that all of that improv is going to help you for the competition tomorrow? That's what this is all about." Abby says.


"I really hope that I get the opportunity to work  with you guys again soon. And I really hope that you learned something."


This is definitely my favorite part of the week, second would be the Taco Race.


•Competition Day•


"All right, judges, next up we're gonna have number 171, contemporary ages 11 and 12. 'Waiting'.


I've been waiting here so patiently, so I'll stay, I'll leave the light on, and I'm not what I seem. And I'll be waiting, waiting. Till something comes and fills this nothing.


"This is ages 13 and 14, 173, 'Never Knew'."


Even though some doubts and fears creep into my mind, I know there's no reason no need to find. 'Cause every time they're open you're still a surprise. Ohh, I.


After all of the solos we go back to the dressing room and get ready for the group dance.


"So, I'm gonna ask each of you a question. I want you to tell me what you think a lot of money is." Abby says as we finish getting ready.


"I would say to me, like, if anybody says, 'a lot a lot of money', I'd say like, I'm going big. I'm thinking like a million dollars." Maddie answers.


"A lot of money to me would probably be, like, $100,00, maybe?" JoJo says.


"A hundred thousand dollars, okay." Abby says as I put my curling iron away.


"What's your point, Abby?" Jill asks.


"I want them to realize what an investment I am making here in Los Angeles. You going out there today and representing the Abby Lee Dance Company in Los Angeles at our first competition, is setting up the success of my LA studio."


Also known as the studio that doesn't exist.


"You guys have to be amazing." Jill says, "Win or lose, you have to be amazing."


"Yep, when we win, people are gonna want to come to Abby's studio and say they're a winning team." Mom adds.


Please shut up, you don't really have to back up everything Abby says. 


Soon we go backstage and do our handshake.


"This is small group lyrical 11 and 12,  number 170. 'Together We Stand'." The EMCEE says and we go onstage.


Faces and places I've seen before. Not sure what I'm running from. Together we stand, united we fall. With love and courage on our side, there's nothing we can't overcome. 


We finish and the Announcer comes onstage.


"Fantastic job, ladies. Phenomenal technique! You ready to hear what we judges have to say?"


"Ladies, you look amazing. Beautiful costumes. And you know, I just-- I guess I want to see you, when we're dancing maybe lol at each other a little bit more, right into the eye, connect."


"Yeah, great job overall, but because you're working in an ensemble, it's okay to acknowledge people that are to your side, your right or your left."


"Great job, you guys. You should be proud."


•Awards•


Kenzie was third on her category, so we had to wait for the rest.


"Our top three senior soloists. In third place, Nia from Abby Lee Dance Company in third place!"


Nia goes receive her award and they start announcing the junior soloists. 


"Second place, ladies and gentlemen, 122, that's Emma from Touch of Class! Now it's the top overall junior soloist. 171, 'Waiting' that's Kendall from Abby Lee Dance Company!"


We all cheer as Kendall goes receive her award. She comes back and they start announcing the groups.


They announce third and second place and still not us. I actually start getting a little bit nervous.


"Ladies and gentlemen, please scream and shout for the overall junior group today, 170, 'Together We Stand', Abby Lee Dance Company!"


We celebrate as we receive the award and go back to the dressing room.


"What did you guys think of Kendall's song?" Jill asks.


"It's gonna be my new shower jam." Maddie says and we all laugh.


It feels good to be first again.

Comment