Melanie Ziegler || Dance Moms

Revenge Of The Replacements

Mackenzie

Chloe   Paige

Nia   Maddie   Melanie   Kendall

The group dance this week was acro, and let me just say that Miss Abby didn't want me on it, not after I screwed up the solo weeks ago. I'm basically banned from acro now, but it's not like I really liked it before that solo. To be honest, I'm kinda glad that I won't have to do that anymore. Sadly, it means that I'm just going there to fill a seat. On the bright side, Miss Abby did tell me that I'll probably have a solo next week, so I'm looking forward to that.

I was working with the music as all of the girls rehearsed the group dance and Miss Abby yelled corrections, Gianna was also giving corrections, but she wasn't yelling.

"I'm letting you all go." Miss Abby tells the girls, "You are dismissed. Go through that door."

The girls leave to the Dancer's Den and it looks like she forgot about me.

"Abb, can I talk to you for a sec?" I hear Mommy say and I look up from the laptop, "Before you leave?"

"Yeah." She answers, "What?"

"I really would love for Maddie to prove you that she can win."

"I know, Melissa, but you need to realize that--"

"And, you know--"

"She was just in a duet with Kendall, and even though she was a lot better than Kendall and a lot stronger, she didn't blow me away either."

"She is special, and my daughter wants to dance--"

"I get it, but why am I telling you that? Why wouldn't a kid, who had the potential to make it, to have a career in this business, not have her own integrity, her own ambition, to get out of the car and walk in?"

"She wanted to come in--"

"Then why didn't you--"

"Melie, what are still doing here?" Gianna asks and the three of them look over to me.

I get up and run to the Dancer's Den. I sit down as I listen to the argument. The rest of the girls weren't there, so I'm guessing that they either had some classes, or were leaving for the day. I prefer the first option. My sisters walk in, with upset looks on their faces, guess they also heard it all.

"I'm not gonna worry about it." Mommy enters, "Come on, let's go. Get dressed, put your shoes on."

I put my jacket on and take my dance bag. Maddie leaves while Kenzie puts on her shirt. She walks back in.

"Abby's talking about you." Maddie whispers as I put my shoes on. 

The four of us start our way to the car, ignoring Miss Abby and Gianna, that were on the front desk.

•Competition Day•

Bright and early, we were all in the bus, the other two days of rehearsals were definitely interesting, but not my favorites. Once we got to the competition and dressing room, it was all work work work, but for me, it also was work. Miss Abby told me that I needed to do the girls' makeup for the group dance, so I started with Maddie's.

"A little bit more of blush over there." Maddie tells me as I finish with her makeup, "This is pretty good."

The two of us follow the rest to the audience.

"All right, skipping ahead just a little bit in your program, to entry number nine in the mini solo division, this is Mackenzie, with 'Dancing Barefoot'." The announcer says as Kenzie goes on stage.

I drove out to the ocean to catch a breath
Everybody needs to get away
Far from all the commotion to clear my head,
Where I can relax and take a break

And it's so nice to feel the sand between my toes,
Soaking in the sun letting it go

I'm dancing barefoot, the sun is kissing my face
I feel so alive, feel so free
I let my hair down 'cause this is a brand new day
There's nowhere else where I'd rather be, yeah

Oh, oh, oh yeah
Oh, oh, oh yeah

Now I got time to think 'bout important things

She stops dancing and has a scared look on her face. She finishes her solo and we go back to the dressing room.

"Good job, Kenz!" Kelly exclaims.

"Mackenzie, how do you feel that you did?" Christi asks.

"I think I did well." Kenzie answers.

I start working with Paige's makeup when Miss Abby comes in and starts talking about Kenzie's solo. We all start our way back to the audience when we bump into Studio Bleu.

"Hey ladies."

"Hey, Abby."

"Hi, girls, this is Bella." Miss Abby tells us, "And this is Kaeli. Tell them how old you are."

"I'm eleven." Bella answers.

"Wait, were you ten at that audition?" Miss Abby asks.

"I just turned eleven."

"Oh, yeah, you did. So, Chloe, you're eleven?"

"Yes."

Maddie and I look at each other and to the Studio Bleu girls. Those were our replacements? Interesting.

~~~

I was working with the last makeup, Brooke's, when MIss Abby came back in, furious.

"And I'm sorry, Kelly, if this offends you, but Chloe's future can't be in the expense of your two kids." Miss Abby says as she sits down, "Melissa, you can tell all the other mothers about it, right?"

"You know, sometimes people make mistakes, and you make mistakes, Abby, too." Mommy defends herself.

"I make a lot of mistakes."

"Okay, so have I."

"You worry more about your friendship with these women than your own kids, and you know it."

I finish Brooke's makeup and she stands up.

"The same thing about worrying about a guy, instead of your own kids." Miss Abby snaps, "Yes."

"My kids come first to me." Mommy argues.

My heart sank and I start tearing up.

"Going from one husband to another?"

"So?"

"Instead of worrying about your own kids? Please."

"We have a happy household."

"Well, you kid doesn't look very happy to me, really?"

"Absolutely."

"I think Sophia Lucia rocked her world. All of you kids need to listen up. If one person really has the dreams and the passion to do this for a living, nothing should get in their way. Melissa, listen to what I'm saying!"

"I'm hearing you."

"Nothing should get in their way--"

"And I know--"

"Not your personal life--"

"I don't have a personal life--"

"Not their dad's personal life. Not some other kid. It has nothing to do with that. Maddie needs to focus."

"I know."

"The dance studio is the place that she thinks of as home."

"I know that."

"And you ripped her out of there and made her sit in the parking lot for 12 hours. I feel sorry for Maddie, she had a good thing going. Melissa, you're doing your kid an injustice."

Miss Abby storms out and Maddie runs away crying. The moms start arguing after that, and I gotta say it this way, what a week.