𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖲𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌 || 𝖣𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖬𝗈𝗆𝗌

45 Seconds Solos

"I haven't seen her at all today."

As expected, Abby was nowhere to be found, but then again, this week is the annual dance concert. We had all been sent into studio "A" to start getting ready for some "45-second solos" audition. It is basically our last chance to compete for a nationals solo before leaving for California next week, and I was sure everyone was stressing out about it.

I said that I didn't care because if I had a solo it'd be more stressful, but then I gave it more thought last night, and I realized that I haven't competed in three years. I've only won one national title in the ten years I've been dancing. Yes, I have won a lot of regional titles, and I have also competed at nationals ever since I was five, but I only had one national title for a solo. I also have a title for the duet I did with Giselle two years ago, but I didn't compete last year on anything else besides the group routine.

Still, I found myself hoping-- no, craving for a solo at nationals. What better way to shut Kendall up than to win a national title? It'd be amazing, but I'm not exactly a favorite at the moment. She is, and she's probably going to get a solo.

But I cannot forget about the other girls. Maddie didn't have to compete because she's going to have an automatic solo, Nia won last week with hers, and Sarah Hunt is still in the run for a solo.

If Abby's logic was normal logic, I would also be a good choice. I mean, as far as I remember, I have won with every single solo I've competed in all season long, both on the show and off the show. This has been ― ironically ― one of the best years in my dance career. Of course, the ways I pushed myself ― and got pushed by other people ― weren't the most healthy, but I won all the time and had two more regional titles this year, too. Heck, I'm competing at the TDA's, what more could they ask for?

For my name to start with "M" and end on "N", and in the middle "adiso". Brown hair and newfound fame from a Sia video.

The cards were stacked against me, but I didn't want to lose any more hope, that's exactly why I was the first one to go over my audition solo "Trouble" once we were all in the studio "A".

Okay, maybe it should've been a different solo, like "Watercolor", or maybe even "Dancing in the Sky", but "Trouble" is my seasonal solo-- whatever name it is at this point. It's basically the routine I compete with all year long, unless it's a big competition like NUVO, then I compete with another routine, which in my case was "Bruises".

But hey, contemporary jazz is entertaining. Most of the time, at least.

Once I was finished, I walked over to the prop / seat and sat next to Nia. While Kenzie started going over her routine, I grabbed a water bottle and twisted the lid to take it off. However, before I was able to drink some of it, the door that led to the stairs ― in other words, where the whole building connects ― opened, and a familiar blonde ― Chloe ― entered the studio.

She wore a two-piece white and pink floral dress, and her hair was in a high ponytail. For a moment, I wondered why she was still wearing her street clothes, but before I could think much about it, I looked down at her legs, and she was wearing a boot. A black, orthopedic boot covered her left foot.

Last night, during the tech rehearsal at the Hillman Center, Chloe wasn't as energetic as she would be for other showcases. One of the reasons could have been that she wasn't a part of the Abby Lee Dance Company anymore, and was only there because of the show, but it was different. For the last couple of weeks, she said that she had hurt herself, and we even talked about it, but watching that boot made me realize that it was a thousand times worse.

After the girl quickly explained what had happened, we resumed the mini-rehearsal. Nia was up next, and while she danced, Chloe sat next to me and continued watching the rest of the girls do their thing. Maddie also soon joined us, so it was the three of us watching the rest.