⎼⎼⎼ 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖋𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 ➵ 𝑏.𝑓.

040

mikki

the familiar, welcome rush of adrenaline overcame me as i walked in through the door. it was quite nerve-racking. i'd missed three weeks of hard training. i could tell everyone else was nervous too. two kids who hadn't danced with us, pressley and hannah competing for a solo at nationals and the pressure of the two jackets.

but even though it was press and hannah in the running for a national solo, i wanted it. i wanted it more than anything at this moment. a national solo at the abby lee dance company.

"mikki, are you ok?" brady asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. without thinking, i lay my head on his arm.

"i'm ok."

pressley rubbed her forehead furiously. "i swapped my costume, mikki."

my mouth fell open. "what?"

"yeah. it was so ugly! so long and i didn't like it." she shook her head. i pulled out from brady's hug and wrapped my arms around her neck.

"it's ok press. it doesn't matter. if you feel better in that, then go ahead."

she smiled weakly.

the dressing room, as usual, was a mess. moms and producers stumbling over each other to get kids ready, hairdryers and combs in hand.

"hello, hello, hello," abby announced dramatically, "alright. solos. we have hannahbal, and pressley. she's dressed. can i see her?"

pressley stood up, the worry etched into her makeup. "she's not wearing the costume we chose for her. i talked to you as an adult and i told you what needs to be covered."

at that moment, i wished i could yell at abby and tell her that press is beautiful and nothing needs to be covered except abby's lipsticked mouth. but i didn't. why? because i'm a coward and i don't want to be kicked off the team.

"let's run your dance," ashley encouraged, "that's the most important thing."

"did you change the dance too?" abby sniped maliciously. when press finished, abby began again. "any corrections ashley?"

"no. i'm not putting anything to claim except i have a beautiful daughter that doesn't need to be covered up."

"this is nothing about her body, this is about her feet."

well her feet are part of her body.

"pressley, you got a jacket because a) you are- were- a team player, b) you can count, you've great musicality. that's why you got a jacket. not because you have good feet, not because you have great legs or great flexibility."

she was crying now. fully in tears.

"everybody's trying to make this about what you don't have. i'm trying to make it about what you do have, so when we step out onto that stage, no one will know you have bad feet."

i took pressley out of her chair and onto the floor next to me. i handed her my earbuds and pressed play on whatever song. it didn't matter what she was listening to, just so long as it wasn't whatever stupidity was happening with abby.

"whoever wins today could be doing a solo at nationals," abby raised her eyebrows.

⤎⎼༌·⋱🩰⋰⋆༌⎼⤏

brady

mikki was standing barely an inch away from my body, nerves practically palpable. she was shaking ever so slightly. i wanted to reach out and pull her into a hug, but i didn't.

"it's ok." i hissed instead. she only nodded.

abby hadn't been very happy with hannah's solo. and she wasn't happy with pressley in general. so it was on the group to win her favour so not all of us would die.

"so i have good news and bad news," abby said, "i am leaving right now. i am boarding a plane to los angeles because i got a message that said to come. di was there in the hospital with me the night i almost died and now i cannot believe that it has been a year and we're talking about a similar life or death situation, with my dear friend."

as badly as abby might treat us, she's loyal to those she loves. so we hugged her and forgave her over and over again. gianna took over.

"let me see the dance because yesterday we were in a crazy place with the two new kids-"

"three," berkleigh's mom interrupted.

"two," gianna continued, "mikki's not new."

gianna corrected us while we did the best we could in the small space. "why are we still doing the wrong dance," gianna shook her head, "they still don't know the timing. they do a part with gianina and it looks like three solos."

"gia, can you do it with them?" gia counted them through it and i felt frustration course through me. mikki looked like she was dying of shame.

"are we going to win?"

"are we going to place?"

paris was crying. mikki took the taller girl's hand and smiled at her. "it's ok, paris. it gets better after a bit, don't worry." she leaned in her ear and whispered something that sounded suspiciously like, "please get in. i'm rooting for you. i don't want berkleigh on the team."

whatever it was, it made paris laugh and nod.

and so, as paris' mom said, "you get a correction, you take it and you perform."

perform we did. it was the best run we'd ever had. berkleigh was a little off time, but paris pulled through. she did incredibly. mikki was better than ever. she seemed to have improved while she was away and now climbing steadily upward. maybe she'd even beat me in a competition.

⤎⎼༌·⋱🩰⋰⋆༌⎼⤏

"so is everyone ready for awards?" the man shouted into the microphone.

we were disappointed in the solos. hannah came tenth. tenth? that was unacceptable. and pressley came fourth, not even in the top three.

"and the top junior group dance is the abby lee dance company, 703 the chosen one."

thank goodness.

i felt someone's arms wrap around me.

"i'm so glad to be back."

i think i just died of happiness.