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...
"Mackenzie, you are doing an an acrobatic jazz solo called 'It's A Perfect Day For Fun'. Chloe, you have a contemporary routine entitled 'Ghost'. Paige and Kendall, you both have jazz solos, 'City of Angels' and 'Kiss Kiss' respectively. Nia, changing it all up again, we have a musical theatre 90s inspired routine named 'I Like the 60s' and Brooke, time to wake up from this lazy teenager state, you will be doing an acrobatic routine 'Fly'. Lastly, Kinna, you, like Chloe, will be doing a contemporary routine 'People You Know'."
I grasp my twin's hand, because she very evidently left her out. Poor Maddie's confidence has been depleting more and more recently, while Nia is going up the pyramid, she is going down. I feel horrible for her, because seeing myt win go through pain is like going through pain myself.
"Do I have a solo, Miss Abby?" she asks our dance teacher, tears brimming on the ridge of her eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed from embarassment.
"Maddie, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but I have a bunch of other kids that want to do solos-" Miss Abby tells her.
"She wants to do a solo very badly, Abby." mom interrupts her, of course. I love her to death, but she really is only making things worse for Maddie.
"I understand that, Melissa, but you interrupted her dancing because you didn't want her to dance because you are afraid of losing all of your so-called friends." Miss Abby defends herself quickly and turns the tables onto mom.
I think Mads will get a solo, 'cause she is the favorite.
I'm really excited for this week, because one, it's solo week! Two, tomorrow mom is taking Kenzie to a place called 'MSA' to try and get her in some commercials and other stuff. Three, I got a contemporary solo, which is really the number one reason.
One downside is we do have a group dance, it will be released as an extra, called 'First Class'. And of course, we have to have a pilot and Miss Abby insists it has to be a male so Brandon is joining us. No hate to the guy, but he needs to stop pining over Brookie Cookie. He ain't got no chance.
"Alright, I'm going to work with Kinna first, people, so moms you are dismissed and the rest of you, ballet class with Gianna in five minutes. I expect good things." the other girls file out and I stand in front of Miss Abby, hiding the smile wanting to escape onto my face. McKinna, Melissa's Daughter "I'm really excited for this week, because it is the last week before Nationals and there is so much happening. I'm waiting on news from Matilda, Miss Abby is choosing the soloists and Chloe and I have the Joffery ballet summer camp soon." I smile at the cameras enthusiastically.
"Okay, McKinna, this solo, you are pretending you are being torn apart by your emotions, almost as if you are locked in a cage trying to escape because the people you loved betrayed you. I want you to win this week, contemporary is your best style and I expect a lot. Understood?"
Miss Abby turns her head at me expectedly and I nod excitedly. This solo has a deep story to it, but for once I don't worry about my face or the emotion, I know I can do that stuff. I want to focus on my dance, extending every move, pausing to let it sink in and then stopping the show. I want to be a showstopper onstage. No, I have to be.
This routine has a lot of choreography, with front aerials, illusions and la seconde turns (my favorites), a russian switch leap and a needle. At one point, I do a plie to a releve to a arabesque, which has always been a really pretty sequence I can do. So yeah, a bit of intense choreography, because it has to be angry elegance. I don't really know what that means, but Miss Abby was pleased when I nodded my head so I'm happy.
"Kinna, it's a pretty russian switch leap, it'll please the judges, but I want more height from you. I've seen you do ones meteres higher than that in Annie, so I expect a little more please. Also, your leg was slightly shaky in the needle, if we have to stay here and practise that till midnight, that is what we'll do."
Miss Abby gives me a condescending look, her signature one, and I look down, ashamed at myself. The choreography itself is pretty, but I've got to make it phenomenal.
"Come on, I haven't got all day, from the top McKinna." I listen to my dance teacher.
I focus and pull out the highest possible russian switch leap I can, but still my needle is slightly shaky. Even my plie to releve wasn't as clean as it needed to be. My dance teacher's mouth began to open and I braced myself for screaming and yelling, but it never came.
Auriel and Nina stood there at the door, beckoning me to come over. Sweet relief washed over me. Of course, trio practise. Thank the Lord. Quickly, I jogged over to them. Gianna was nowhere nearly as harsh as Miss Abby, so maybe I could have some fun dancing. I might even be able to convince her to run my solo. Without the pressure, I might actually do well with it.
"We'll try again tomorrow."
-Two Days to Competition-
Mom and Kenzie had to go out to MSA today, to meet with a lady called Jen about some commercials and stuff. I'm not supremely interested- Telsey+Company cover all that stuff for me so I'm fine with not participating. However, Maddie and Kenz don't have agents, so it'll be a good opportunity for them.
So, Maddie and I are currently at the beach with the Hylands and Chloe. Nia couldn't make it, Miss Abby is really pushing her with her musical theatre solo 'I Like the 60s', so she isn't getting any breaks from Holly or Gia as well.
I'm wearing my dandelion shorts and my yellow t-shirt with the sun on it, which honors 'Dandelions' and 'Brighter Than the Sun'. The other girls, including Maddie, are all wearing cropped tops with shorts or skirts, but I quite like my outfit. Mom was in a good mood today, so before she left she put my hair into a fishtail braid and it's really pretty.
"What are we gonna do?" I ask, playing with the sand. Maddie's older than me by a couple of minutes, so I'm technically the youngest here. Which is weird, 'cause I'm the mom of the group.
"We could go for a swim now! Everybody brought their bathers, right?" Paige jumped up excitedly and I followed her steps. If I wasn't a dancer, I'd wanna be a swimmer! Maddie and Chloe both nodded their heads eagerly, but Brookie Cookie sighs dismissively, like how Miss Abby does it.
"I just reapplied my mascara- can we wait two minutes for it to dry, at least?"
Paige and I sigh in the same manner and drop back down onto the picnic rug, but I jump up again because of course, I have a brilliant idea, as always.
"Sandcastle building contest!" I exclaim dramatically, dancing around like a wild child. "It isn't a trip to the beach if you don't build at least one sandcastle." I cross my arms and put at them all and suddenly, everyone is already building a sandcastle.
At one point I look up and Chloe has literally built an entire castle and Paige has begun to build the kingdom around it. Like, I got skills, but that thing is spectacular. Maddie's is also really good, but I think Brooke gave up, cause she kinda just made a rectangle and put some towers around it. Plus, she's on her phone on Twitter, so it's pretty evident.
"Okay, I admit defeat, Chloe and Paige, you guys won, even though this was supposed to be an individuals contest." I through my hands up. "Is your mascara dry enough we can go swimming now, cookie dough?"
"That's a new one, but yes, it is actually dry now, so we can."
Excited, we all tear off our outfits, revealing our bathers. I've got blue swimming trunks on and a yellow rashie, Mads has it the other way around, Brooke has a purple two-piece and Paige and Chloe have matching pink and white polka dot one pieces. Last time we went to the beach was a bit after the episode 'Miami Heat Wave', where Chloe, Maddie and I all wore black and white polka dot two pieces, Brooke, a blue two piece, Paige, blue and red two piece, Nia, a blue and white two piece and Kenzie, a pink floral two piece.
Then, we all paddle into the water, splashing and screaming, not really caring that we were drawing attention to ourselves and people were starting to recognise us from the show.
Chloe, Christi's Daughter "It was pretty fun to just chill and have fun with the other girls for once and not feel the pressure of dance. Plus, it kinda strengthened our friendships, which is good cause Miss Abby can ruin them faster than you can do one routine, and it gave us a break from the moms, cause they are just hectic."
