Leading Ladies

XXX. The Recital to End All Recitals

"Come on, girls! Let's go, let's go!"

Ileen follows the girls into the studio with a small smile on her. The girls won last week, proving why they're Satrbounds National Champions, but she's apprehensively anticipating the challenges that lay ahead in the coming week.

Once everyone is in the room, Abby raises her hand and claps. "Starbound National Champions! Congratulations! Give them a round of applause. Overall high score small group, beating Cathy. I'm very proud."

Chuckling to herself, Ileen shakes her head. It's likely that as long as they triumph over the Candy Apples and Cathy, Abby would've been happy.

"Now, let me get to the pyramid. I'm gonna start at the bottom. Paige... you're injured. You're there because you didn't dance. There's nothing really to judge you on. Next, Maddie. I asked you to do a solo, you said no. People don't tell me no. That was an opportunity you missed."

Ultimately it's not Maddie's fault. Melissa refused to allow Maddie to do a solo because she was already facing a lot of backlash from the other mothers. Christi was disgusting in bringing up 'the affair,' especially since the person who told her about it was Kurt, Melissa's ex.

That's not to say Melissa is right for telling Abby that Chloe went to the movies, which was most likely done since Melissa was afraid Maddie's position as a favorite was in jeopardy, and it was as nasty as what Christi did. At the end of the day, though, the only person it affects is Chloe and Maddie.

"Next... Chloe. We wanted a clean sweep. A tenth of a point. The next time we come up against that kid, I want you to make mincemeat out of him. Do you understand that? Next, Brooke. Brooke, you didn't get the bonnet till the last minute. Your job was to get that bonnet, put it on Maddie's head, and tie it. That was a crucial part of the routine, and you did it.

"Next, we have Sabrina, Bianca, and Elsa. I thought in the group routine, the three of you were clean. Your timing was better than everybody else. And next, Mackenzie. Not only did you beat a boy, but you beat two boys. And on top of the pyramid again is Nia. Nia, it doesn't always have to do with the dancing and the performance. It has to do with all the other stuff that comes with it."

"Abby," Jill obviously has to ruin Nia's moment. "Kendall deserves to be on that pyramid."

"Okay, first of all, you have to understand Kendall is her because she is replacing Paige. The minute Paige is ready to dance, Kendall's out of here," Abby tells Jill.

Jill's mouth drops, aghast, before she snaps it shut. "Well, you could have told me three weeks, okay, before we started."

"Why?" Abby asks.

"She wins every number you put her in, but she's not on the team, but she's not on the team!" Jill yells as Kendall starts to cry. She turns to her daughter. "I don't know what else to do, honey; I'm sorry. Because I would not have put you through this."

Ileen shakes her head. Jill behaves as if she didn't know beforehand that her daughter's place on the team was only temporary, contingent on Paige's recovery. Kendall is only here because she took Paige's place in the duet with Chloe.

She received a duet with Mackenzie last week because Abby wanted insight on Cathy's team. Truthfully Kendall does not make or break the team-- she's not an asset or a hindrance-- so Abby is obviously using Kendall because Paige is injured.

"Put her through what!?" Abby snaps at Jill. "She just went to a competition and won a duet! She learned something; she was fabulous."

"She's a winner, but you still won't put her on the team."

"The team part, that's about commitment," Abby tells Jill before turning to Kendall. "And your mother's always ready to jump ship, just like she was just now. Understood? I'm going to tell everybody in this room right now; I don't want any altercation. I don't want tears; I don't want screaming, yelling... This is a very big week. We are doing the 2012 Abby Lee Dance Company concert.