"You're late." Abby tells as I rush into the studio.

"I am so sorry, Miss Abby." I apologize, "I was working and we decided to finish recording today, so I just lost track of time."

"This better be the last time." Abby warns me, "Go warm up right next to Elliana."

I hurry up and stand next to the new girl, who I guess is a mini.

Abby leaves and we all stop.

"Whoa, Abby's serious today." Maddie comments.

"Well, we have a new member." Nia says, "Let's see what pyramid brings."

We all form a line and everyone enters.

"Welcome back, minis." Abby starts, "Now, we have a new member, Elliana. Her mother is Yolanda. Do you have anything to say, Elliana?"

"Hi everybody." Elliana says, "I'm super excited to be here and you all are great."

"Aww."

"How cute."

Kenzie and I look at each other.

We used to be that before.

"All right. Let's talk about the competition." Abby continues, "Last week, the group won. It was outstanding. All right! Let's get to the pyramid! First we have, Kalani. Your dancing didn't stand out in the group routine. That's why you're here." She reveals the next headshot, "And next, we have Nia."

"Hey girl!" Kalani exclaims.

"Hey." Nia smiles as they high-five.

"Someone has to be there." Abby explains, "JoJo."

"Why am I there?" JoJo asks.

"You were fifth. Next is Brynn. Moving up, we have Kendall. Gianna said you were good in the group dance." Kendall smiles, "Next, we have Melanie. You were in the trio, that was first. You also kept up pretty well with the rest in the group dance."

Mackenzie

Maddie   Melanie   Kendall

Brynn   JoJo   Nia   Kalani

"This week, we are traveling to Fresno, California. We will be attending Sheer Talent." Abby announces, "We're traveling old-school style. We are taking the bus to Fresno!"

We all cheer.

"Yes, we are!" Abby exclaims, "So, the mini group routine is 'Just Like Mama Said'. Now, it's kind of a play on words. 'Cause I don't want to you listen to anything your mothers say. I want you to listen to me." She looks back at us, "So, my junior elite competition team, you group routine is entitled 'The Atlantic'. It's all about the ocean. All right, we have three solos. The first solo is going to Maddie. Maddie, your solo is going to be a musical theater number. The name of this piece is 'The Entertainer'."

Maddie looked really nervous, can't blame her though.

"My next solo is going to Melanie." Abby announces, "It's contemporary-jazz, and it is entitled 'Stronger'."

I smile as everybody claps.

"My last solo is entitled 'Broken Dancer' and it is about the homeless children of Los Angeles. So, Maddie, I wanted you to do this piece. However, you've already done a homeless piece. 'All God's Creatures'." Abby says, "This piece I'm going ahead and give to Brynn." We all clpa, "Brynn, no one would ever argue that you can dance. I doubt that you can act. So I need you to learn from this. And this piece if it's done well, will send a message, loud and clear. I want the mothers to be very conscious when you're talking about things like, 'Oh, well, Brynn's doing one of Maddie's numbers and Brynn's gonna look like Maddie and blah-blah-blah-blah-blah'."

"Well, she is." Jess says, "JoJo can act circles around Brynn! You know why she can't dance circles around Brynn? Because you don't give her the time that you give Brynn. Same with all these other kids!"

"I can act!" Brynn defends herself as she leaves with Ashlee.

"Brynn has had fifty solos!"

"I'm leaving." I whisper to Kenzie.

"Can I go with you?" Kenzie asks.

"We can try." I tell her and she takes my hand.

The two of us run off and into the bathroom. We lock the door and sigh.

"Whoa, I thought this was too weird." I say.

"What do you mean?" She looks at me confused.

"I thought that it was too weird that pyramid was being normal." I answer.

"Hopefully the moms don't think we got scared." Kenzie comments, "Even though we kinda did. "

We spent the next thirty minutes taking selfies, random photos, and just waiting for everything to calm down.

It never did.

•Two Days To Competition•

Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

"All right, take five." Abby tells me as I do the final pose, this time was just looking over my shoulder, "Minis, let's go."

I leave the studio and sit down. I take off the heels and my sisters sit beside me, still eating chocolates.

"Next time tell Liam that you don't like coconut." Kenzie tells me, "I'm tired of eating those."

"Well, maybe if you stopped eating them in the first place it would be better." I tell her.

So the day after the competition was Valentine's Day, and as usual, Liam sent me some stuff. I'm starting to get used to that.

"I like them." Maddie says, "So just ignore Kenzie."

"Just stop eating my stuff." I tell them, "Or you can, but you gotta buy me more later."

"Fine." Maddie rolls her eyes, "It can be up to ten dollars."

"Deal." I smile.

The last day of rehearsal was all about the, obviously, dancing. The solos and the groups. Solos and groups. Solos and groups.

•Competition Day•

"I feel so old." I comment as I get off the bus.

"Why?" Holly asks.

"We used to do this every single day and now Abby called it old." I answer, "I am not that old." I say in a dramatic tone.

"You're not." Mom tells me.

"You are." Maddie says.

"You are even older then!" I yell.

"What can I say? It's the truth!" Maddie yells back and we laugh.

We all start our way into the building and get to the dressing room.

"Dance mom Melissa is in the house!"

Just like that, Mom, Jess, Kira, Holly, and Jill and enter wearing pink 'Everyone's replaceable' shirt and buttons with our faces on them.

"I look way too small." Maddie comments.

"Don't tell me, that photo is like from when I was five!" I tell her.

"You were seven in that picture." Kenzie tells me.

"I look young." I simply say and start working with my makeup.

"What's team GOAT?" Nia asks.

"Greatest of all time!" Kendall exclaims.

The mini moms and dancers leave and the other moms sit down.

"So what do you think of the minis?" Jess asks, "Now that they're not here?"

"I love teaching minis." Abby answers, "All the children are nice, very nice. But the moms really are trash."

"Uh-huh." Kira smiles, "Did someone record that?" They all laugh, "'Cause they don't believe us."

"Wait a minute." Jess says and takes out her phone.

"Trash!" Abby exclaims, "They're trash!"

I go change into the solo costume, put on the heels, and work on my hair.

We all go backstage.

This is probably my last solo ever. So I gotta make it work.

"Please welcome to the stage entry number 96, 'Stronger'."

Everyone cheers as I walk on stage.

You know the bed feels warmer
Sleeping here alone
You know I dream in color
And do the things I want

You think you got the best of me
Think you had the last laugh
Bet you think that everything good is gone
Think you left me broken down
Think that I'd come running back
Baby you don't know me, 'cause you're dead wrong

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

You heard that I was starting over with someone new
But told you I was moving on over you

You didn't think that I'd come back
I'd come back swinging
You try to break me but you see what doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

Thanks to you I got a new thing started
Thanks to you I'm not the broken-hearted
Thanks to you I'm finally thinking 'bout me
You know in the end the day to left was just my beginning
In the end

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

When I'm alone

I leave the stage and Kenzie hugs me. We wait for both Maddie and Brynn to perform.

"I still don't get how you can do aerials look easy on heels." JoJo tells me.

"It is." I tell her, "If you don't focus on falling."

"I don't even want to imagine that." Kenzie says.

Back at the dressing room, I was changing into the group dance costume, when Abby arguing with the moms, mainly about Brynn.

I get out and start doing my hair, all while ignoring the chaos.

~~~
"You are doing 'The Atlantic', yes?" Abby tells us as I put on the team jacket, "The choreography should look like it's natural, like it's just happening, all right?"

I close my eyes and calm down while Abby talks to the minis. After that, we all go backstage again.

"Next up is entry number 98, performing to 'Just Like Mama Said'."

Study hard
Get'cho lesson
Whatever goes down
Don't take no mess

"Next up, we have number 99, 'The Atlantic'."

My skin is cold as the Atlantic
I’m just trying to stay afloat
The pieces of the ship keep on passing
I’m just trying to make it home

Awards!

"Let's start off with junior solos." The announcer says, "In fifth place, entry number 87, 'Thunder'. In fourth place, entry number 63, 'Crazy In Love'. In third place, entry number 85, 'The Original'. In second place, entry number 96, 'Stronger'."

I smile as I stand up and go receive the award. The first place is announced and we all bow.

Next up were Brynn's and Maddie's categories. Brynn was third, and Maddie was fourth.

"Next we have teen group." The announcer says, "Fourth place, entry number 84, 'The Moment'. Third place, entry number 99, 'The Atlantic'."

Kendall goes receive the award. After awards, we all slowly started walking back to the dressing room. The minis were really excited about being first, and I was happy for them. Whereas for the rest, we weren't that excited. I was the first to lose, literally. Brynn was third. Maddie was fourth, and the group was third.