"All right, this is our last week here in Los Angeles. This is a busy week. It's a big week for us. We're gonna have more choreography to do this week than ever before. So I need everybody's brains in their head. I need everyone focused on right here, right now and what's gonna happen in this room over the course of the next week."

So Abby is finally acting normal, I didn't remember normal beings so boring, but I prefer this to her breaking down after yelling at us. 

"So you all see that a key player on your team is missing. Today, Maddie is on set at Disney's 'Austin And Ally'. She had guest starring credits next to her name. That's a big deal, and since Maddie isn't here this week, we need somebody to substitute her, but there are two kids who I think might be perfect fill-ins. They're here. They're going to join you for the competition this weekend. We're gonna see how they work out. All right, let me get the girls so they can join us. I want them to see what pyramid's all about."

She goes open the door and the Reasons and Rumfallos come in. Dancers Sarah and Brynn and moms Tracey and Ashlee. 

"My name is Brynn and I'm really excited to be here." Brynn tells us and we clap.

"The talent's there. That's undeniable. She got it all. Let's get to the pyramid. Nia, you did no perform with the group. We understand that. We all get that. Next we have JoJo. You were fifth in the competition. Sometimes you act like a five-year-old. Maybe five is your lucky number, or not-so-lucky number."

"She did a good job last week." Jess interrupts, "She did a solo. You poured blood on her. You put a four-inch crown on her head. She did a good job."

"Keep telling her. Keep telling her."

"She did a good job."

"You should have watched the movie. When you're given an assignment, you do it."

"But I'm in a hotel room and a scare movie just--" JoJo says.

"No, we're not gonna do it. I'm not gonna have her be scared for the next six months 'cause she watched the movie you wanted her to watch." Jess says, "Like, we did the dance. We watched the trailer. I told her what it was about."

"You didn't change your emotion. You were-- you had one look on your face the entire time."

"It was good. She was possessed. It was good." Jess defends JoJo.

"Well, if you're so good, you don't really need to be here at all, a part of the Abby Lee Dance Company." Abby says and JoJo tears up as Abby takes her headshot off the pyramid.

"Can you put her picture back up?" Jess asks, "She deserves to be on the pyramid. She was in the group dance."

"She deserves nothing!" Abby yells looking at us, "Don't have an attitude that you're entitled in this world. You are not! You deserve nothing else. You earn it. You can't stand here and cry."

Remember last week when she randomly started crying? Remember her tantrum before the auditions? Remember her running out of the studio the first day? All of that? She really isn't one to talk.

"I want no, no, no, no, no crying children-- none." Abby says shaking her head.

"Well, if you yell at me, I'm gonna cry."  JoJo snaps.

"GET OUT. GO." Abby yells pointing at the door.

"Let's go." Jess says as the two of them leave, "Let's go, we're going home."

The door closes and everything goes silent.

"Our kids would never do that." Mom says.

Kendall

Kalani   Maddie  Melanie

Mackenzie   JoJo   Nia

"First I have one solo, and it's going to Melanie, because she isn't going to be on any of the group routines."

"Routines? There will be more than one?" Jill asks.

"Let me finish. Melanie, the name of your solo is 'Love Me Like You Do', and I decided to add an extra challenge by making you dance on heels."

I look at her confused, I've never dance on heels before.

"Not even Nia that is almost the oldest has danced in heels before, how do you expect Melanie to do it perfectly?" Kira asks.

"I know what's she's capable off."

So you know more than me, because I don't know what I'm capable off. There were two group routines, one was called 'Moulin Rouge' and the other one was called 'No Laughing Matter'. Sounds creepy.

~~~

"The only solo this week, and your third solo this season." Abby tells me as I put my heels on, "I know it will be kind of hard, bit that's part of the versatility."

I stand up and look at myself on the mirror, it doesn't look that bad, now I don't want to hurt myself.

"Okay, the choreography is kind of challenging with the heels, but that's the point, are you up for it?"

"Yup." I answer and smile.

"Let's start!"

I go over the routine three times. One learning it, one correcting it and one finishing it.  It's still kind of hard to dance with heels, but I think I'll get used to it. Abby calls Kalani, Kenzie, Brynn and Sarah in to practice their group dance. Theirs is 'No Laughing Matter', it is also acro, probably because I'm not in it, let's just say I'm not so great on acro.

I walk to the back and sit on the floor with Nia and Kendall.

"Let me see cabriole, front walk-over, step, step, layout." Abby instructs them as I take off the heels.

"That looks so cool." I whisper.

"Yeah, wonder why we can't be on it." Kendall whispers.

"Well, you at least have a group dance." I say.

"That's true." Nia adds.

JoJo joins us and I do a split. Abby's phone rings and she answers it.

"Hi, could I speak to Abby Lee please?"

"This is Abby Lee. Hello." Abby says and we all stand up.

"Hi Abby. My name's Blake Morris, I'm the father/manager of 11 year old Internet artist, MattyB."

"MattyB?" Kenzie asks and we all get closer to Abby.

"You know who he is?" Abby asks Kenzie.

It turned out they're interested on us, the want us to appear on his new music video, but we obviously have to audition.

•Next Day•

We were all on the studio rehearsing, well, I was sitting down watching the rest.

"Oh, they're here." Abby says looking at her phone and standing up, "Girls, form a line. Moms!"

We all form a line.

"Finally! I couldn't sleep last night!" Kenzie exclaims.

"Why?" Brynn asks.

"Just thinking that we could be on HIS video." Kenzie says.

"Calm down." I say, "That's a probably."

The moms enter and form the 'Mom Line', that's how I'll call it from now on. Then the people from the audition enter.

"So you talk, you tell us about the thing." Abby tells the director.

"So here's the deal, we're looking for really one person to be the lead and go be the vocal. I think that's it's important to capture what I call the essence of a child. I want to capture the right person." The director, Marshall explains.

"Who can have that magnetic appeal in front of the camera? We have a video out there with 100-plus million views and still clicking. This video could have a 100 million. It could do-- what happened with Maddie?" Blake asks.

Did you really have to bring her into this? 

"What's happened because of 400 million views and growing?"

I guess that's a yes.

"This could be that moment for someone."

They're though. They can handle it. And they know that this business is a rough business. They get it. It's about the look that you want, and you need the right person for the job, period." Abby tells them.

"Bring it." Marshall adds, "Thanks for having us, Abby."

"No problem." Abby says as they leave.

We go back to rehearsal after that.

The next day we were at rehearsal and I was talking with Kenz, Brynn, Kalani and Sarah. But soon we had to go to the audition. 

"All right, so what we're looking for is basically like this, there's one girl who's gonna be MattyB's lead girl, okay? That's kind of the main role that everyone's competing for. And then there's gonna be three more girls who will be kind of the waitresses in the video, kind of like level two, and then the rest of the girls will be level three."

"We want to see what you you guys-- how you interpret the music and what you would bring to the set. Cool? So let's go one at a time. Let's just stand-- I'm gonna have you guys off to the side, and then let's go in order. Keep it upbeat. Keep it fun, but don't rely on your tricks, 'cause there's gonna be little to no tricks in this. All right?"

"I'll go first I guess." JoJo says and I laugh.

The music starts and JoJo starts doing improv, she's really good with improv. Wonder what would have happened if she was at the Studio back at S4 Nationals when we had that dance-off. 

JoJo finishes and Brynn enters, she looks kinda scared. Next is Kendall. Then Kalani, Nia and Sarah.

"You go first." Kenzie whispers as we watch Sarah dance.

"No way, you first." I whisper back.

"You."

"You."

"You."

"You."

"You."

"You."

"Next!"

I gently push Kenzie and she looks at me. I smile and she goes in. She does her improv and finally I go in. I do some really basic improv.

"Now hold on. Mason, come on the floor."

The boy, Mason comes in and I start dancing around him and kind of with him.

"You go. Mackenzie go in."

I leave and high five Brynn as Kenzie goes in again.

"Mackenzie, thank you. JoJo, come out. JoJo stay there. Mackenzie, join in."

After a mini Kenzie-JoJo dance-off over Mason, I know it sounds strange, we start an a-capella audition. 

I just wanna dance, turn up the track and party. Let me see your hands. Turn up the track, yeah, turn up the track...

After Nia Kendall sings, and next is Sarah, Brynn, Kalani, and JoJo.

"Why are we always last?" Kenzie asks.

"No idea." I tell her.

Kenzie is next and I'm last, again. 

"Last one is Melanie, come on in."

Here goes nothing!

•Day After•

"Mom, I'm not doing my hair. I didn't audition, so it's just unfair to the other girls." Maddie says as we finish getting ready.

I put my shoes on as Mom enters the room.

"They could always use another extra, Mads." Mom tells her.

"Fine, Kenz can you help me?" Maddie asks.

"Sure!" Kenzie exclaims.

Kenzie does Maddie's hair and we leave. We meet up with the rest and go finally meet MattyB in person, at least I'm not freaking out like Kenz or Kendall.

"We didn't know Maddie was gonna be here today."

You know, once again.

"Maddie and Matty." JoJo says.

"I didn't know she was gonna be here-- You guys. Okay."

I know what you're thinking, the same thing Maddie said before. 

"I'm gonna try to fit you in if you want to be on it, okay?" Marshall says.

"Thank you." Maddie says.

"Let me explain the video go you guys. Basically we have three tiers. One is going to be our lead female, kind of a love interest in the video. Then we have a second tear, the support and also some love interest with some talented guy dancers here that play your counterpart roles. And then we also have a final, third tier. They have some shots for you as well. Everybody had an amazing audition. I think every single one of you could be a star, lead role in a music video."

We all look at each other and smile, then we look back at Marshall.

"So, that being said I want to congratulate our third tier, which is Miss Brynn, Kendall and Sarah. For our second tier, these are going to be playing the role of waitresses. The first waitress is going to be Miss Nia. Our second waitress was a surprise. It's Kalani. I thought you had an amazing audition, a lot of personality. We've got two more waitresses, so these two would be switching throughout the video."

"The lead is Mackenzie." MattyB says and we all clap.

We go change into our costumes and they're so cute, fun fact, did you know that for my first solo ever I had to dress up as a waitress? You'll know more about that soon.  

We start hanging out, getting to know the boys and just playing.

"Kalani, come over here sweetie. Let's have-- Mason, let's have you right here. So here's the scene, basically, the guys just walk in the diner. Everybody is excited to see you. But the idea of the video is that the guys are trying to win the hearts of the girls, and the girls are a little bit standoffish."

Kenzie, Nia and I sit on a table.

"This place is really cute!" I exclaim.

"The place, or the guys?" Nia asks and Kenzie laughs.

"Place." I answer.

"Remember that there's only one guy on her heart, Li--" Kenzie says.

"AAAAAND I think they called us, go check." I interrupt her.

It turned out that they really called us and we had to start filming.

"Action! One, two, thee, shimmy." Marshall tells us and we start moving, "Five, six, seven, push. And slide."

Filming is really fun, but then Abby arrives and it all went away.

"So I'm gonna go to the bathroom, and please, when I come back tell me Abby's gone." I say and Kalani laughs.

I go use the bathroom and when I come back, Abby was still there. We all go outside and turns out Abby wants to pull us. Obviously because we're NOT MADDIE, right?

"I don't wanna go." Kendall says.

"This is so unfair." Kalani adds.

"I mean, how can Abby just come here and ruin everything?" I ask.

"Typical Abby." Kenzie says.

Jill and Mom walk over to us.

"Come on guys, get dressed." Mom tells us.

"No." Kenzie says and looks down, she was really upset.

"You just ruined the whole day, Mom." Maddie says.

We enter and go change into our normal clothes.

"But this was so much fun! Why does this have to happen?" Kenzie yells.

"Okay. Come on." Mom says.

"Don't just say okay! If it was Maddie something would have magically happened and she would be able to be on the video, but like it's Kenzie she cannot do it, and like you're scared to stand up to Abby, you just pull all of us!" I yell.

"Melanie, be quiet."

"No! I won't just be quiet anymore, I'm tired of just being treated as a toy on all of your plans!"

"Melanie Victoria Ziegler!"

"Yeah, that's my whole name, MELISSA!" I walk out the building and get in the car.

Then I start crying. Why did this have to happen?

•Competition Day•

Maddie and I were walking towards the backstage. I had my solo costume on, I had everything done. We arrive and she looks at me.

"Mel, I know yesterday was really . . . Hard, but you can do this, even with heels and all, and you're going to do great." Maddie tells me.

So Maddie's telling me that I can do it, the only thing I hope I can do is dance without falling because I don't want to break my back on stage.

"Next up is entry number 58, this is Melanie with 'Love Me Like You Do'."

Because I've fallen and hurt myself on stage before.

"Good luck. Love ya." Maddie hugs me and I go on stage.

You're the light, you're the night
You're the color of my blood
You're the cure, you're the pain
You're the only thing I wanna touch
Never knew that it could mean so much, so much

You're the fear, I don't care
'Cause I've never been so high
Follow me through the dark
Let me take you past our satellites
You can see the world you brought to life, to life

So love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do
Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do
Touch me like you do, to-to-touch me like you do
What are you waiting for?

Fading in, fading out
On the edge of paradise
Every inch of your skin is a holy grail I've gotta find
Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire
Yeah, I'll let you set the pace
'Cause I'm not thinking straight
My head spinning around, I can't see clear no more
What are you waiting for?

Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do
Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do
Touch me like you do, to-to-touch me like you do
What are you waiting for?

Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do (like you do)
Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do (yeah)
Touch me like you do, to-to-touch me like you do
What are you waiting for?

I'll let you set the pace
'Cause I'm not thinking straight
My head spinning around, I can't see clear no more
What are you waiting for?

Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do (like you do)
Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do (yeah)
Touch me like you do, to-to-touch me like you do
What are you waiting for?

Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do (like you do)
Love me like you do, lo-lo-love me like you do (yeah)
Touch me like you do, to-to-touch me like you do
What are you waiting for?

After my solo, I put my team jacket on, and go to the audience to watch the duets.

"Judges, next up is gonna be number 253, 'Tonya and Nancy'."

They looked amazing on their costumes, and then dancing was also great. We clap as they leave the stage.

"This is musical theatre, ages 11 and 12, 'Lucy & Ethel'."

On the middle of the dance the music stops, but they worked through it. After they leave I go backstage and see the rest from there.

"This is 251, 'No Laughing Matter'."

That dance looked like fun, oh well. They finish and all of us Zieglers run to the dressing room.

"I'll work with the makeup!" Maddie tells as Kenzie takes her costume and goes change.

 We both end up working with her makeup and then we go backstage again.

"Small group jazz, ages 11 and 12, number 250, Moulin Rouge."

~~~

"Moving on to our top five junior soloists. In fifth place is entry number 30, 'Wonderland'. In fourth place is entry number 38, 'Greatest Day'. In third place is entry number 57, 'Universe'. In second place is entry number 41, 'Boys'. In first place is entry number 58, 'Love Me Like You Do'."

I go receive my award and sit back down. Kenzie's and JoJo's duet was fourth and Kalani's and Sarah's didn't even place. 'No Laughing Matter' was also fourth and 'Moulin Rouge' didn't place either. We leave the competition and go pack everything. Soon we get to the airport and board our flight.

I put my headphones in and just listen to music as we go back home.