Dance Crazy, Boy Crazy

Chapter 10

Chloe POV

"Plié, up!!"  Abby hollered at me.  "You're not plié-ing low enough!!  Again!"

I jazz walked to center stage, plié-ed and kicked my leg up to my chest.  Abby could be so mean sometimes.

"Finally!  It really took you that long?"  Abby shook her head at me.  "Maddie would have done it the first time I said it!"  She choked on 'it.'  "You're rehearsals are done, send in Kendall.  Bye." 

"Thanks Miss Abby," I said half-heartedly.  I walked into the dancer's den, "KK, Miss Abby wants you." 

"Thanks Chlo," she said, and left the room.  I nodded and walked out to the hall, almost knocking over a distressed Paige.

"Oh my God, Paige, what's wrong?"  I asked, realizing her tears.

"I just got a text from my mom."

"And?"

"Brooke's gone.  Mom doesn't know where she is, and she's not answering her phone!"  Paige cried.

"That's unlike her."  I said, not really knowing what else to say.  I was a little confused about why Paige was crying about this, Brooke's phone could have just died.  "Let's get into a place more private so Lifetime doesn't catch it on film."  I led her to the bathroom.

"My mom's coming to pick me up really soon--"

"Why are you crying about this?"  I interrupted her.

Paige looked at her feet, "Well, Brooke hasn't been herself lately... she's... been really depressed and hasn't been talking."

"So you're afraid something's happened to her?"  I asked, still trying to make sense of it all.

"Yes, ever since Maddie's accident--" we both winced, "She's been acting the way I just told you about.  Besides, when I talked to her the night of the accident, she told me that Maddie's accident was all her fault, and that she wanted me to tell Maddie that she was so very sorry."  Paige sat on the sink counter.  I pulled her into a hug.

"It'll be okay, I'll go home with you and we'll figure this out together, okay?"  I looked her straight in the eye.  "We're twinnies right?  You helped me, and now it's my turn to help you."