Dance First (Dance Moms ALDC LA Fanfiction)

Walking the Carpet

I am warning you now; this chapter is over 6000 words long, which is three times longer than my normal ones. 

***

"Wake up Aurelia! We have to take the long route out of town so we'll have to leave early," my mother whispers to me, not wanting to disturb Eben's beauty sleep.

"Wha? Why?" I say, bleary-eyed and cursed with bedhead.

"They had a crash further up the road so it's closed. Hurry," She whispers again, before quickly leaving to get ready herself.

Hastily, I pull on tights, a black leotard with a patterned netting round the front and throw jeans and a jacket over it. I brush my teeth, apply a minimal amount of makeup and am downstairs in a jiffy. I grab a breakfast bar, an apple and my dance bag, climbing into the car in a rush.

My mother hops in and starts the engine. It seems the rest of the neighbourhood also has the same idea because we wait five minutes before we can pull out of our driveway and onto the busy road. Despite leaving early, the long route is slow and jam-packed and we arrive late at the studio anyway. Unfortunately, Maddie, Kendall, Brynn and I are missing homeschooling today for the audition, which meams Abby will be mad.

I have to battle my way politely with numerous 'excuse me's often followed by whispers of the hundred boys waiting patiently outside the studio door for the open call audition. As soon as I get in Abby turns around and gives me a disappointed look. "I'll speak with you afterwards," She simply says and motions to the den as she opens the door to let the first twenty dancers in.

I quickly take off my jeans and jacket and search in my dance bag for my pointe shoes. With a jolt I realize that I've left them at home, since I didn't have ballet en pointe yesterday and didn't pack them this morning. I panick for about ten seconds before Ezra from tumbling class comes in.

"Are you alright?" She asks, taking off her own jacket to reveal her hip hop attire. She sees my ballet tights, and I think she realises what has happened.

"I arrived late which means Abby is mad at me and now I've forgotten my pointe shoes," I explain, chewing the inside of my mouth and looking down at the carpet.

Ezra looks to the curtain hesitantly before facing me again. "If it helps, Jana left her pointe shoes here yesterday and I picked them up for her and still have them with me. You can borrow them and I'll tell her," She says, passing over the matte pointe shoes. My face instantly brightens, but I know Abby will notice since I always wear shiny ones.

"Are you sure she won't mind?" I ask, wrapping and tying the ribbons round my ankle.

Ezra shakes her head. "I expect she'll be flattered to have thought Aurelia Ellery has worn them," She smiles and retrieves a water bottle from her bag, taking a big gulp. I take that as my cue to leave.

"Thank you so much," I express my gratitude once again before exiting the den. I wait nervously outside the door to Studio A while Abby comes out. All the dancers auditioning in the studio stop and watch and the moms behind me speculate with beady eyes.

Abby sighs when she reaches me, closing the studio door behind me. "I must say, Aurelia, I expected better of you." I grimace and look down as she gives me a frown. "You're an amazing dancer, yet lately you've been slacking, and that can't happen, especially if you're missing class tomorrow. You were late yesterday morning, late coming back from lunch and now you're late again with someone else's pointe shoes on. Don't make me regret putting you on this team."

I nod and look away as she marches back into the studio. I take a deep breath before entering and sitting down to join Maddie, Brynn and Kendall who are stretching in the corner.