Dancing The Edge // ptv /aldc fic ///

S E V E N T E E N : I Fall Apart

FLORIENITY

Groaning, I leaned against Brady and muttered out a whine of complaint about being tired.

He laughed and dropped my black aldc hoodie onto my face before sitting by my head. We were the first two done with school work and had another hour before either of us had a class and I was completely exhausted. I had barely been able to talk to dad and my uncles last night and I missed them. They had 2 more weeks until they were home for a weekend break then they were flying out to Australia for the second half of the tour. I was asked to join them on that for a week and it was already cleared but that was a while before that was happening and I had to be back before nationals.

"hey, you wanna choreograph a dance with me?" I asked, jumping up and grabbing my phone. We were in an empty studio usually used for us to practice group dances when others were learning a solo or duet, but it wasn't being used right now aside from Brady and I.

"wait you sure?"

"why not? I did it all the time at my old studio and it helps when I'm sad or just not feeling great"

Brady shrugged in agreement and I went through my playlist. The truth was that I was only allowed to go on the tour if I danced on stage to at least one song live and wore ALDC merchandise and I still needed to come up with choreography. Abby and Gianna weren't going to cut out time for me to choreograph it themselves.

I quickly found one I liked and texted dad to ask him if he could add it to the set list if it wasn't already there before playing it and brainstorming.

"uh, Rin?" My heart fluttered again at the nickname and I look over to Brady, who looked a little lost on what we could do.

We spent the entirety of that hour we had till we had to go for pyramid brainstorming and got about 8 counts of the dance done when Hannah came in to tell us we had to go.

I turned the music off and turned off my phone, plugging it in the dancers den and setting the rest of my stuff with it.

Walking into the studio, I adjusted my ponytail and stood on the left of Brady.

I couldn't really get my brain to focus on pyramid until Abby ripped June's picture off her place on top dramatically.

"not only did the girl who I was planning on keeping around leave us, your crazy mother's ran her out of here!"

"what? I thought she had a custody battle between her parents?" I heard Anne say and I looked over to her with a nod.

"what her parents do is none of your business, Anne!"

I flinched at the sound of Abby's yelling being closer to me than before.

"now, I had a plan for a group dance but I'm not sure if I can do that dance now that my best foot is no longer forward!"

"what's that supposed to mean?" Joanne sassed, putting a protective hand on Gia's shoulder and I felt Brady reaching for my hand.

"it's means your kid sucks! They all are sitting on their lazy butts and barely hold it together each week! But you know what! I'm not picking music this week for the group dance! They get to think for themselves!"

(I can't be the only one who thinks that sounds more like a reward than a challenge ~ Brady)

(uhm either Miss Abby is losing it or she's actually making US pick the music for the group this week, what?!? ~ Florienity)

(I had seen what these kids can do and I had wanted to give them a challenge that they pick their music for all the dances, or rather one dancer will select from some music for each dance. Nothing has possessed me. ~ Abby)

"in fact, fate rests in one dancers hands this week"

I felt my chest cave in slightly. One of us was going to have the weight of this week on our heads and someone is going to be dead by the end. Not literally, but this much pressure is.....not great I'll tell you that.

"speaking of dances, there will be one group dance, three solos, and a duet. A dancer will be picking the music from a selection we've picked out."

The air in the room grew ten times thicker and I quickly slipped my hand into Brady's, who squeezed it and tried to give me a reassuring smile.

"mothers, be gone"

Danielle kissed the top of my head and rubbed one small circle into my back before leaving with the others while us kids spread apart.

"alright, the story is going to be about bullying"

Ah, not surprising but I would never say it.

"I'm thinking two leads, obviously Brady will be one but who's gonna step up and be my victim?"

Did not like how she worded that but oh well, Abby is Abby.

"The story! A girl is being bullied relentlessly, but the boy is with her through it all. Any ideas?"

I look over at the others faces, who all seem to be in deep concentration while in a stretch. I look to Brady who gives me a "I have no fucking clue" expression and suddenly a thought pops into my head and I raise my hand.

"Florienity?"

"can it be spoken word?"

Abby looks to Gianna who shrugs and I feel a smile creep onto my face as I relay my thoughts.

Who knew a motivational speaker showing a video at your middle school would pay off one day.

After reviewing it Abby nodded and praised me for good taste. I gave a sly smile but saw Sarah almost rolling her eyes. Odd, but I left it alone and we started on the group number.

"flora, hope you know more music - you're picking it all this week"

And just like that, the heavy air and weight I had felt during pyramid was back tenfold.