McKinna Maryen Ziegler had lived in the shadows for most of her life, letting her sister have the spotlight. Until an opportunity for a chance to be on a reality TV show sent her into a spiral of fame, friendship and favoritism.
People can only be t...
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"Alright, where's Cathy?" Miss Abby asks as we all walk in for pyramid, "Where's Vivi-Anne?" We all look around flabbergasted that Cathy had the audacity to not show up. What, cause I destroyed Vivi in the photogenic award? Sorry, not sorry, Cathy.
"Right, now I am at the end of the rope with Cathy." Miss Abby reveals the first picture, "Mackenzie, now you and Vivi-Anne are supposed to have a duet but no Vivi. So you might be doing 'Summer Boy' by yourself." Kenzie totally deserves to have a solo, I think, as she reveals the next headshot, "Chloe, you're going tot ake a week off. I'm not going to do a new solo for you. I think you need to work in your technique. I was happy with fourth place, your mother was not. And I don't think you were either." Then it was Nia, Paige and Brooke. I was super happy for Paige because she actually got 5 stars for her solo, briefly shown on the show, 'Hot List'.
"Then, McKinna. You won the photogenic award, even on short notice, because you wanted to prove to me you deserve an opportunity to prove that you should get a solo at Nationals. Plus, you shone in the group dance. As that was a jazz routine, lucky you, you have a solo jazz routine entitled 'Padam Padam'. Don't mess up or I promise, no more solos until you graduate high school." I gulped before placing a smile on my face. Act through it, is my motto for a reason I guess. But after she revealed Maddie's headshot at the top, we were all like, who's gonna be on top then?
All the girls squeal and run over to him, except for me. I kinda just stand there awkwardly. Brandon and I don't really get along because once I was in a masterclass with him and I got moved into his spot in the front and he got moved to second row. Plus, he and Brooke have history and thye have to do partnerwork. I don't know what Miss Abby thinks she is doing this week, especially with the sketch designs of the costumes I saw her showing Gia. They're hideous and not at all model worthy.
The dancers should design the costumes.
Imagine Abby's face.
-Three Days To Competition-
Orlando has been pretty boring, at least until now. Finally Miss Abby is going to help me with my solo and best of all, if I do well, I get to sketch my costume. After I've done all my schoolwork apparently, according to mom. Scratch the schoolwork and today is going on a steady rise. Maddie and Kenzie are both in seperate privates, each on their special talent, lyrical (Maddie) and acrobatic jazz (Kenzie).
"Alright, McKinna." Abby summons me over. "This is your chance to prove you deserve a National solo. 'Padam Padam' is a very unique song and can be interpreted to be slightly more mature then most routines you dance to. There is definitely some more mature launguage at least. Now, show me what you have."
The music starts and I'm instantly in love. Jazz routines are some of my favourites, and this is my first one for the season. Paige normally gets the jazz routines or Nia on rare occasion so I'm super pumped. Plus, the routine is really advanced for my age group. Miss Abby is laying it all down on the table and I have to prove to her that I can do this.
"Gia, come here." Miss Abby calls her over and they start whispering. I wait and wait, eager to keep working on my solo. Maddie's is already done and polished so I want to make sure I'm on the top game. "Okay, McKinna, Gianna and I have decided that you're not going to get the result you want with this routine this week. So we're pulling it. No solo this week. You will work on it in your privates and with me when I have time. You may present it to me next week if you wish and show me it deserves to be competed. You're dismissed."
She was pulling my solo on the first rehearsal? It was the first five minutes! I know it wouldn't be perfect but surely that didn't mean it should be pulled? Tears started to well up in my eyes as I walked out of the room in a daze. Not knowing what else to do, I went to Kelly, Christi and Holly, who were having a conversation outside the dance room.
"Hey Kinna, shouldn't you be in solo practise- what's wrong, babe?" Christi turned to me with a fading smile as she noticed my puffy eyes. Trying to hold back my sobs, I point in to the dance room, where Maddie is now rehearsing her solo.
"I did the routine for the first time after five minutes and-and Abby pulled Gia aside and-and then told me she didn't think the solo would be prepared enough for this competition and-and pulled it." I hiccuped, trying my hardest to not cry. Looking into the dance room for a distraction, I see Abby wiping her eyes and clapping at Maddie's solo. Kelly pulled me into a hug as I cried. Christi muttered to Holly as she comforted to me something along the lines of 'at least our kids don't have to deal with constantly being put down because your twin is the favorite', which made me sob harder.
No matter what I do, how hard I try,
I'm not Madison Ziegler,
I'm not the favorite.
-One Day To Competition-
Today we got to go to Miss Abby's Orlando house and I was dissapointed. A whole day gone that I could have spent working on 'Padam Padam' just to prove Abby wrong. At least I could see Mrs. Miller, who I was very close with. My mom gave me my middle name in honour of her. Abby opens the door as Mackenzie knocks.
"My mom, the one and only, Maryen Lorrain is home!" she announces proudly to all of us and I squeal joyfully, running up to hug her. She used to babysit us all the time and she would sneak us cookies and make us hot chocolate before bed.
"Hello, McKinna." she says wistfully, as if she is half here, half in another dimension. I say hello back but then Maddie wants to say hello so I have to walk away.
"Can I speak to you in private later?" I ask her quietly as I start slowly walking away, trying to be subtle. She barely nods but I get the message. Food is already laying on the table outside and Nia is scoffing down some berries. Health nut. I, on the other hand, go for a simple donut iced to perfection with vanilla and chocolate sprinkles placed delicately over the top. And then go on and eat three. Paige takes a picture of me scoffing down the fourth and I have no doubt she posted it on Instagram. Oh well, I guess.
"Cannonball!" out of nowhere, Brooke slames into the pool, drenching mom and Christi. Quickly, I take a picture of their faces and roll over laughing, before tackling Kenzie. Maddie shakes her head at us, pretending to be mature.
Yeah, right.
Wanting to wipe the smug smile off my twin's face, I pull us into the pull, making sure I take all the impact, and laugh at her squeal.
"MCKINNA MARYEN ZIEGLER!" she shoves me playfully before grabbing my shoulders and flipping over the top. Mom shoots her a grimace and looks away, clearly embarassed. At least, until the other moms start cheering us on. Except for Holly, who is painting Kenzie's toes. Paige and Chloe jump in after us and we start a piggyback race. Thank lord mom forced Maddie to do swimming in prep because Paige must do it at school or something, cause she is crazy fast without Chloe on her back (hey, its another human, its gonna be heavy).
"McKinna, dear, would you mind coming in and helping me with something?" Miss Miller asks me as I hop out of the pool. This must be our private chat. I nod my head, popping a grape in my mouth as we walk by, giving the moms a cheeky wink. Can't give away anything these days. Finally, we reach her bedroom and I sit down beside her on the bed that is seriously tempting me to jump on it. "Okay, honey, what's the problem?"
"Well, you see, at the competition this weekend, I was supposed to do a jazz solo entitled 'Padam Padam' but I didn't impress Miss Abby with the dance when I did it for the first time so she pulled it. But this competition has a pageant and I really, really want to be in it, even though there is no chance Miss Abby will let me do the jazz solo. So I thought maybe I could do one of my recreational solos from over the holidays, the one that Miss Abby loved, 'Red With Envy'." I rushed. Miss Miller stayed silent for a minute.
"I'm not trying to get out of doing it myself, but I don't think without some support Miss Abby would let me. So, I figured if I had your support when I ask her, I would have a very good chance." I begged silently she would say yes. I've never done a pageant before and I really wanted to.
"McKinna, I would never believe for one second you were trying to get out of doing this. You put forward some very strong reasons. So, yes, you have my support," she says as I squeal happily, "but remember, that doesn't mean it will necessarily happen." It totally does because Abby values her mom's opinion over anything else but I don't say that. I run forward and hug her. Miss Miller is the absolute best!
After that, we go and ask Abby and straight away she says yes. Thank lord, I get to compete in the pageant! I run out to the girls and explain excitedly what happened. Mom looks upset and tries to tell me off for asking but the other moms are super happy and pat me on the back. Who would've thought that people who weren't even related to me were bigger supporters of me then my own DNA giver. Like, that is just sad.
The rest of the day is spent in the pool doing underwater dancing.
I can hold my breath the longest!
-First Day of Competition-
Today is absolute mayhem. Maddie, Brooke and I were all qualified for a pageant and it was time for Maddie's solo in a minute, 'Universe', and then mine. I had to spend all of last night going over the choreo, and it was really hard because it was a solo Gia designed for me made of all the moves I had to perfect in the masterclasses. And because they're modern, there aren't a lot of videos to help me go over them. So Abby has spent all morning backstage coaching me and the moms have been running the music for me and giving me corrections.
But the costume for the dance is so cool, it is red with a black hood and my headpiece is a red hat with black feathers. So I'm not actually sure what the hood is for but oh well.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Miss Maddie with 'Universe'." the announcer introduces my twin and the ALDC team all gathers backstage to watch.
There's a secret hiding in my heart Don't know where it ends or where it starts Though I haven't any clue All I know is that it's true
"Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Maddie." she walks offstage prettily but as soon as the judges can't see it, she becomes a little angry. I don't think she was happy with her turns, even though they were stunning. After her this Julianna girl goes, apparently our biggest competition. Her solo is nice and all but kinda meaningless. Boring. Plain. Splat.
"Now we'd like to welcome Miss McKinna with her contemporary solo, 'Red With Envy'." I walk out onto stage and the music starts.
