"All right, now, this week, I'm excited. I have an open audition. I'm looking for the next big thing. I get more headshots and resumes and mail with questions on how to become part of the Abby Lee Dance Company and we just say 'Hey, show up, pay and audition'.  Who am I replacing? What do I need them to do? When are they available?" Abby says, "We will be traveling to Orlando, Florida. Melissa, can I have Maddie, Mackenzie and Melanie go early with me and help at the audition?"

"Yeah."

"Do you guys want to do that?"

"Yes." The three of us answer.

"Okay, all right, so that's a plan. So we're gonna--"

"Wait, this isn't a competition, so can Payton go?" Leslie interrupts and we all look at her, "She could do that, too."

"Leslie, they could all do it, she picked those three." Jill tells Leslie.

"Now, see, Leslie? This is where-- Now, see, this is where your mother speaks out of turn, acts like-- Over there, all right?"

"I'm just asking for-- Is that wrong?" Leslie says.

Fight fight, bickering, boring.

"Let me start the pyramid." She reveals the bottom headshot, "Payton. You knew that was coming, and it's sad because you're not there because of your dancing--"

"Well, then she shouldn't be there because she didn't do anything wrong. I did."

"Kendall. You were given the opportunity of a lifetime. Top five? What I need is a number one. You know, you gotta quit the crying." Ouch, "Nia, 'Just Another Number', I'm still seeing technical issues." Nia nods, "Paige. Same thing, you were good in the group routine and your mother didn't interrupt." Next headshot, "Melanie. You were great on the group number, you didn't have any issues at all."

Maddie

Chloe   Brooke   Mackenzie

Melanie   Paige   Nia   Kendall   Payton

Kenzie, Maddie, and I all have solos this week, and Kenzie isn't in the group dance. There's also a trio with Brooke, Paige and Chloe. Everyone leaves and Abby starts teaching me my solo.

"So this is your time to show me that you're my number one girl for the category eight and under, I no longer have Mackenzie to help you out, so you gotta prove that you want it and that you can do it, do you understand?" She tells me as she sits down.

"Yes." I smile.

"Good, your solo is called 'My Time To Shine'. Just like the title says, this is your time to shine on your own, not as Maddie and Mackenzie's little sister. The solo is contemporary."-

The solo is great, the only thing that worries is that there's so many turns at the end. Are they really all so necessary, I don't know. I do the dance completely twice and Abby dismisses me. I go back to the Dancer's Den and Maddie leaves to learn hers.

•Open Call Auditions Day•

"I don't really want Abby to replace any of the girls, or even us." Kenzie whispers.

"Honestly, she can do whatever she wants, after all it is the Abby Lee Dance Company, not the Dance Paradise Resort." Maddie comments and Kenzie scoffs.

"You can say that because everyone knows that she won't replace you, of course because you are Maddie Ziegler." Kenzie rolls her eyes.

"Oh don't start again." Maddie says.

"I'm just stating facts!" Kenzie yells, Everyone knows that you're the only one safe!"

"If I was the only one, then why would you and Melanie be here?" Maddie argues.

"I don't know, to avoid making Mom suspicious." Kenzie argues back.

"Oh just stop it!" I say and they both look at me, "Stop arguing over nothing and let's go out there."

"It isn't nothing, it's our spot in the team!" Kenzie says and I sigh.

"I'm leaving, I'm not putting up with this stuff." I say and storm off the room.

"Girls we're about to begin!"

I enter the stage and some of the kids there start gasping and whispering as I walk to a corner and start stretching. Soon Maddie and Kenzie arrive and we all stand up. 

"Hello, let's go, let's go, let's go! C'mon, file down here! My name is Abby Lee Miller. I'm here from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This is a real audition, this is for a job. I hope that everybody is here because they want to be a part of the Abby Lee elite competition team. I'm not looking for somebody that can be second place. I'm looking for somebody that can be my first place when Maddie's not dancing. Watch Maddie. Ready? Let me see what you got. Music! Five, six, seven, eight, and a-one, and a-two, and a-three, and a-four."

We all start dancing and Abby starts cutting people. After a while everything's, over and we go backstage. As I take my dance bag, Kenzie walks in.

"Melanie, I'm sorry." Kenzie says and I turn around, "I'm just stressed."

"You're just freaking yourself out for no reason, Kenz." I say and she smiles.

"I know, but I just want to show Abby that I deserve to be on the team and that I can be her number one or two." Kenzie tells me.

"Yeah, we all want to, but let's just chill." I smile.

"Let's go!" We hear Maddie say and we leave.

•Competition Day•

We were all in the dressing room except the Vertes, and I was applying some eyeshadow when Christi broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Are you sure that Jill's landed?" Christi asks, "Is she coming?"

"No, she hasn't texted me back." Mom answers, "I'm, like-- I said 'I'm freaking out right now'."

"If the group was on first, I would be livid right now." Abby says and I laugh at the thought of it. 

I start applying some lipstick and lipgloss as they continue talking and go change into my costume. When I go back, Kendall and Jill arrive and I start rehearsing my solo.

"Let's go!" Mom says as I grab my jacket and run after them, accidentally hitting my left foot with the door.

All of us girls go backstage and my foot starts bothering. Physically, you don't see anything, but I can already feel some pain. Ugh why today? Today when I have so many turns on my solo and this solo can be my make it or break it moment. 

"All right up next in the mini solo division, we have entry number 18, this is Mackenzie with 'Take It to Go'." The announcer says and Kenzie goes on stage.

Your life is what you make it. You got a way to make everything seem brand-new. So today, I wanna spend it with you.

"We have entry number 19, this is Maddie with 'Down My Spine'."

All the time, why do I always feel like a straight line is crawling in and out, up and down my spine?

"Next up in the mini solo division is entry number 20, this is Melanie with 'My Time to Shine'." The announcer says and I go on stage.

I start my solo, and as I continue, the pain grows and grows. I go into the last set of turns when I suddenly can't feel my foot anymore. I fall with my back facing the audience as I breathe heavily. I look at my foot and it looks swollen, and it is red. Is it blood? No, that doesn't make sense.

I start tearing up and everything freezes, the music is still on, no one says anything, and I can't move my foot. 

The music ends, and it's all silence, I'm scared to turn around, tears keep falling. Some paramedics enter the stage and go over where I am. There's also some camera crew, oh, right, the show. They lift me and take me backstage where Kenzie was with Chloe, Paige, and Brooke.

"Can you feel your foot?" Kenzie asks.

"Can you move it?" Chloe asks.

 I just keep crying as all the moms and Abby arrive.

"How old are you?" A paramedic asks.

"She's seven." Mom says and hugs me.

"Okay, did you get hurt before this?" Another paramedic asks.

"Yeah, when I was in the dressing room." I answer.

They start talking between them and a third paramedic checks my foot. 

"We have to take her to the hospital." The first paramedic says and Abby sighs.

"Now we'll have to re-block the group number." She says.

"Brooke, Paige, and Chloe, your trio is up next." Gia says and the four of them walk away.

"Okay, Melissa, please keep me updated on everything." Abby says and Mom nods.

They take me to the ambulance and drive off to the hospital.

~~~

I was staring at a white wall, this has been so boring, I still don't know if I broke it or not, and it has been three hours! I hear someone, and it was Mom with my sisters, and Holly with Nia.

"Melanie, Melanie, Melanie! I won first, also Maddie, the trio was second and the group also won first!" Kenzie exclaims and sits on the hospital bed.

"Payton also got injured before the group number so we had to re-block it again." Maddie adds.

"Are you feeling better?" Nia asks.

"Kinda." I answer, "I'm bored."

The doctor enters and everything goes silent.

"So what is it, doctor?"