⎼⎼⎼ 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖋𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 ➵ 𝑏.𝑓.

011

mikki

we all piled into hannah's apartment, lugging behind bedsheets and pillowcases. i laid mine in between sarah and brady.

"so, what should we do?" brady asked, settled under his blankets.

"what about never have i ever?" sarah suggested.

"sure," i agreed, putting up ten fingers.

"i'll start," gia said, "never have i ever gotten favouritism by abby."

"never have i ever eaten a burger without a soda."

it went on like this. i learnt that pressley once had a crush on a guest dance moms boy, sarah hated spinach, brady liked maddie most out of all the dancers and lilly wanted to go to venice.

we played a few more games practically passing out. everyone dropped off to sleep until it was only me and brady awake.

"brady?" i whispered."do you have a crush on press?"

"no!"

"really?"

"really. she's just a friend."

🩰

"let's go!" sarah tipped a bowl of water over my face.

"sarah!" i yelled, knocking the bowl out of her hands. lilly and brady were shrieking with laughter. "i'm awake," i moaned, crawling out of bed. i changed and met the gang in the corridor.

"pyramid today," hannah sighed, tugging her jumper down.

"i know," i agreed, soaking in the sunshine, "let's go!"

we piled into the lifetime car, followed by our parents, who got into another behind us.

"studio a," gianna called, waving us in.

🩰

"so, last week, thoughts and prayers was the overall high scoring winner, woo woo!" abby cheered. we all cheered. i could sense a but. "we had two solos perform. gianina and hannah. we had second place, and then we had fourth. it looks bad. it looks really bad. "

"you know what looks bad miss abby?" of course joanne had to butt in. "when you have your parents in the fitting room, attacking, like a bunch of wolves at me, and my kid, two minutes before we go on."

that was true, but gia shouldn't have let it get into her head. i thought, frowning.

"that's not what happened," ashley snapped.

"ashley, my kid was in there, she was ready to do her routine, you guys want to change my words around-"

"wrong."

"there is dressing room etiquette." i could hear gia's mom's voice shaking with anger, "there is a time and a place, ashley, for all of it."

"yeah! and you got involved in it too!"

"woah, wait a minute. she was the problem! the kid was the problem! i wanna hear from you because you were the big crybaby."

"i'm very sorry. i'll learn," gia said in a rush. i gripped her hand. she was about to cry. i could tell.

"i know but, i wanna hear from you. why did that whole thing happen?"

"i don't want you to take my tears for weakness," gia cried, "but i was frustrated, and i still am frustrated! i don't want-"

"look in the mirror," abby demanded, "is that a pretty girl? i don't want to see a kid cry. i'm trying to make a team, winners. and then you act like that? you know what, i'm gonna move onto the pyramid.

"on the bottom of the pyramid, mikki. i'm sorry to have to do that, but you didn't dance. the other moms would tear me apart if i put you any higher."

i nodded. i wasn't expecting anything else.

"next, gianina. not gonna have the behaviour.

"we have sarah. you were a little shaky. next, pressley. you did what you were supposed to do.

"next we have, savannah. you set the tone of the level of the dance.

"next. hannah. i thought you did an outstanding job. however, you do not apply corrections quick enough.

"brady. i thought you did an outstanding job. but brady, there is so much more for you to give. for you, it's about growth. it's about acting.

"on top of the pyramid is the featured role, lilly."

we all applauded for her. she deserved it!

"this week we're travelling to ohio. we are attending xpression dance competition. we're going to do a routine entitled 'the healer'. you are going to have ailments, that need to be healed. brady, you're going to be my healer. there will be two duets performing this weekend."

head to head!

"mikki, step forward." 

DUET!

"you will not be doing a duet." 

what?

"you have a solo." 

SOLO!

"it is entitled 'say something say anything'."

i couldn't help but squeal. kalani's solo!

"yes, it is kalani's old solo. it is also the solo she got a perfect score with and she was two years older than you when she did it. will you live up to it?"

"yes miss abby!" i squeaked.

"good to hear. pressley." pressley had the biggest grin on her face as she stepped forward. i already knew who she was gonna pick. brady. 

"lilly." yay lilsy bear! "you will be picking your duet partners. i've been saying that nobody on this team is safe." she looked me dead in the eye. "so the only way make you work is to say goodbye to one member of this team." shish.

i already knew who she was gonna pick. brady. poor girl.

"moms, go. pressley. have you made your decision?"

"yes. i'm going to pick brady because he's good at all styles."

"good choice. lilly?"

"based on last week, i'm going to pick hannah."

"interesting..."