There was a storm outside. I couldn't sleep. It's those words, it's them. I just remember the fight at the competition over and over again. I remember the shouting and the crying. I also remember that I can't still dance for another month, that's hard.

I turn on the fairy lights on my desk and open my purple notebook. I take a pencil and start writing.

Every day I watch you
Out there in the light
Every day I see you
With your beautiful life
Doing all the things I want to
Doing all the things I've dreamed I'd do
You don't know how I've hoped and prayed
That maybe someday
Someday the chance will finally be mine

To shine... shine
To step out of the shadows and into the light
To shine... shine
To come out from the curtains and start my life

Tell me will it ever
Be my turn
To show the world I'm ready
And it's my time
To shine

Every day I'm trying
Not to care
But every day I'm thinking
Life's so unfair
Why am I the one who has to wait?
Why am I the one who always takes
A back seat to somebody else's hopes and dreams?
It's only right the chance should be mine

To shine... shine
To step out of the shadows and into the light
To shine... shine
To come out from the curtains and start my life

Tell me will it ever
Be my turn
To show the world I'm ready
And it's my time

To shine...
There's got to be room
For me here
Follow me somewhere
There's got to be enough light
For us all
For us all to share
Don't we all deserve the chance
One long awaited day at last

Somewhere, somehow, sometime
To shine... shine
Oh, oh, oh, oh
To shine... shine
To step out of the shadows and into the light
To shine... shine
To come out from the curtains and start my life
To shine... shine
To step out... 

I write 'Shine' as the title and close the book. The door opens and I turn around to see Mom. 

"Why are you still up?" She asks.

"I can't sleep." I tell her, "I'm scared."

"About what?" Mom asks and I go to my bed, "The storm?"

"No, about what happened at the last competition." I say and she sits on the edge of my bed.

"You're scared of how Abby is going to act?" Mom says and I nod.

"And what if Chloe doesn't want to talk with us anymore?" I ask, "What if she hates us now?"

"She doesn't hate you, she's probably really upset because of the duet thing" Mom says.

"Did you know about the duet?" I say and she looks at me.

"I never knew they were going to compete, I was told by the producers like ten minutes before they went onstage, they told me not to say anything." She says.

"I hate the producers, they're always ruining everything!" I say.

"We really need to talk about something, but I also need to tell your sisters, so we'll talk about it tomorrow." Mom says, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight!" I say and she leaves the room.

When I woke up, I quickly prepared and went downstairs, Mom was already sitting at the kitchen table with Maddie. I sit down and Kenzie arrives.

"So we have to talk about the Hylands." Mom says and we look at her. 

"What about the Hylands?" Maddie asks.

"Well, Abby told me that if we want to be on the ALDC, we can't have any kind of contact with them." Mom says and Kenzie and I looked at each other shocked.

"And you're going to choose Abby over Kelly, Paige and Brooke?" Kenzie asks, "They're our friends!"

"I know and I'm sorry, but you guys still want to dance, do you?" Mom asks and we nod.

"It just sucks." I say and they look at me.

"I can't believe Abby can just boss us around and you're okay with it." Maddie says.

"It's your dream, your dream is to make it big in the world of professional dance, that's why we're there." Mom says

"Yes and I know, but I've known Paige and Brooke for years, they're almost like family, and now we suddenly can't talk to them anymore." Maddie says and stands up, "I don't know how much I can let go for a dream."

There's an uncomfortable silence and I look down.

"I'll go get ready." Kenzie says and leaves the kitchen.

The rest of the morning was really uncomfortable, Mom and Maddie didn't talk, and Kenzie was on her room. I didn't bother to try and talk to anyone, so I just did some homeschool stuff. The car ride to the studio was also silent. I hate that. When we arrive I get off quickly and go to Studio A where Abby and some producers were talking. I'm not really in the mood for anything. The girls and the moms come in and we start with pyramid.

"I told everybody-- you were warned-- the face of the Abby Lee Dance Company is changing, and Kalani, you're the face that I wanted here. Moving on to the pyramid, Brooke and Paige are no longer members of the Abby Lee Dance Company. I didn't plan on replacing Brooke and Paige. Their mother did that. Next, we have Melanie. Nothing new, you're injured, so you couldn't dance."

Kalani

Maddie   Mackenzie   Kendall

Chloe   Nia   Melanie   Paige   Brooke

There's one solo that goes to Nia, there's also two duets, Kendall and Kalani, and the one who gets the award for most awkward, Maddie and Chloe. Kenzie is going to record some songs, she's about to start a music career, kinda remembers me of Brooke. I'll send in my audition tape this week, so I'm kinda excited for it. Abby wanted to see me do it, ugh. She always wants to be on everything everyone does. 

•Two Days To Competition•

"I'm Melanie Ziegler, I'm seven years old and I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." I say looking at the camera, that was recording.

I read some lines from the paper I had and look at the camera again.

"It's actually Karoline. No one calls me Line, except you know who. By the way, he told me that your mother makes some nice pie, and that you were kinda annoying." I say and try not to laugh. 

I read some more lines until something that I read hits me.

"My parents are getting divorced right now, so I'm staying with my aunt and Karl for a while." I read and suddenly stop.

It does hit close to home.

I read a couple more lines and then I finish the video. I hear then some loud voices, Mom probably invited the Moms over like she said she would. 

•Competition Day•

"Are there only one solo and two duets or are there more dances we don't know about like last week?" Christi asks as everyone gets ready on the dressing room.

Everyone just stays silent and continue getting ready. I sent my audition yesterday, and I have to wait two weeks to know if I get it or not, on two weeks I have a doctor's appointment to check if I can get off the boot, that would make it sooner to go back to dance! Just excited!  

Christi fixes something on Nia's headpiece and we all go to the audience. As usual, I sit between Mom and Abby. 

"Next up in advanced duet/trio, the is number 24, 'Framed'."

You don't know me, I don't know you, what's a shy girl to do? Make a picture frame, make a pic, pic, picture frame. 

We all cheer as they get off stage and wait for the other duet.

"Next up is number 23, 'Confessions'.

I took you for granted, every day of my life, somebody body you've been my only friend, inspiration, inspiration, confession.

The song ends and we cheer. That song is kinda shady. We wait for a while for the solos and then it's time for Nia's.

"All right, judges, moving on to number 22, 'Down To The River'."

As I went down into the river to pray, studying about that good old way, and who shall wear the robe and crown. Good Lord.

The headpiece was loose, and almost fell at the end. Like always, we all cheer as Nia goes off stage, but she's visibly upset. We go back to the dressing room and they start talking about the headpiece. I just sit around and look at the group dance costumes. 

"What do you think Abby's gonna say..?" Jill asks.

"She'll blame me for Nia's headpiece which I fully accept responsibility." Holly answers, "That's what I told Nia."

Abby suddenly storms in the dressing room and we all look at her.

"Christi, if you, so help me God, ever put your hands on another kid again and fix them, you're finished." Abby says.

"What are you talking about?" Christi asks.

"I'm talking about you standing right here and saying to Nia 'I know this is glued, but let me just tuck this up in here.' It was glued to her face with butt glue." Abby tells her.

"No it wasn't." 

"And you pulled it off and tucked it in. So it wasn't glued to her face anymore. I saw it, I was standing right here!"

"Abby, it wasn't like that, it was this big. Okay, Abby. Yep, everything's my fault."

At least they didn't end up slapping one another. I plug in my headphones on my phone and start playing on it.

I didn't really understand awards, they just throw everything in, solos, duets, trios and groups. Maddie and Chloe's duet was tied for second and the group was first. Both Kendall and Kalani's duet and Nia's solo didn't place.