Chapter 1

The pyramid

Kenzie:

Our week starts out as it always does-dance class.

"I'm so excited for my video shoot with Sia!" My sister Maddie talks about her role in Sia's new video all the time. ALL THE TIME. She's already been in three Sia videos, getting more fame and attention every time, while I go unnoticed. I'm never Mackenzie Ziegler, but "Maddie's little sister." Always in her shadow.

The pressure it causes me, to strive to be what everyone expects of perfect Maddie Ziegler's little sister, is usually stifling enough to compare with Southern California on an August day. Luckily, we live in Pittsburgh, but once in a while we travel to our villa in LA with our team-The Junior Elite Competition Team.

Ms. Abby not only has her studio in Pittsburgh, she recently opened one in LA as well. Both Maddie and I are part of the prestigious ALDC-the Abby Lee Dance Company. Maddie was picked first, of course. She was also picked to be on the reality show Dance Moms. Luckily, our mom got me in as well. She realized how unfair it would be for only Maddie to be part of such an amazing opportunity.

Usually, dance is my favorite part of the day. Of course, being yelled at by Ms. Abby, our psycho teacher, isn't much fun, but dancing makes me feel so good. It's something I can compete with Maddie against. I'm known for my acro skills, which surpass my sister's-the only thing I can definitely do better. As I said, she's perfect.

Of course, there's also the girls, who are the only ones in the world that can completely understand the stress of being on a show like Dance Moms as well as the rigors of the ALDC.

Mom says goodbye to us as she drops us off in Studio A and goes up to the viewing area with the other moms. Kendall, Chloe, Nia, and Kalani are already jere, but Ms. Abby isn't here-yet. I usually feel unwelcome in our group, as the girls are all older than me, so I just listen as Maddie talks on and on about working with Sia.

I've heard these words millions of times, so I tune out and think about my own career. Nowhere as glamorous as Maddie's, though I did release my first single a few months ago, Girl Party. So far, the feedback has been good. Nothing like Maddie's, of course.

Well, I have a plan so that I'll never be in Maddie's shadow again. I'll be my own person. Mackenzie Ziegler.

Maddie:

I'm super nervous about the filming tomorrow, and when I'm nervous, I always talk a lot. We're in Studio A and the girls listen as I ramble on about it, not able to stop my words. I sneak a glance at my sister Mackenzie, who most people believe is cute as a button. I'm actually jealous of her.

She's a much better singer than me. She has the voice of an angel, while when I open my mouth it sounds like a dying hippo. She's also much better at acro and tumbling, and she once beat me in a solo at Nationals, when Ms. Abby put us up against eachother. That was years and years ago, though, and nobody remembers it but me.

I try so hard to be better at everything than Kenzie. I'm her big sister-I have to be better! Kenzie's beautiful, I must admit. She absentmindedly twirls a few stray hairs around her finger. I know she's heard me talk about my video at least a million times and is probably bored sick.

At that minute, Ms. Abby walks in, munching on a huge bag of cheetos. "New! Family size!" Is written in big bold letters on the front of the bag. I would bet my last coin that she didn't share it with anyone. As she approaches, I can see that the fingers of her right hand are coated in orange powder-yuck. Chloe seems to be trying very hard to suppress a giggle.

Ms. Abby says a brief hello to the other girls. She stops in front of me to congratulate me again on landing my video-as well as a two-year contract with Pretty Little Liars. I feel extremely proud of myself. Ms. Abby is so stingy with her compliments, she is almost never satisfied, though Kenzie and mom both say she favors me.

It's not completely a good thing, even though it's probably true. She does give me a solo or duet every single week-no fail-but it's hard being teacher's pet. I have to work all that much more to keep my perfect score, get number one in every solo or duet, or else risk being surpassed by Kenzie. Which is not an option.

"So, girls! On to the pyramid!" I'm a little nervous about the pyramid this week-I didn't pull a first place solo win. Rather, Kalani got first. I'm horrible for saying it, horrible for even thinking it, but at least Kenzie didn't beat me-even with her absolutely dazzling acro solo.

"On the bottom of the pyramid we have Brooke, Paige, Kendall, and Chloe. Brooke, you were several beats behind on the last pirouette of the group dance. Furthermore, you were modeling for three of last week's classes. Paige, you didn't place in your duet with Kendall."

Kendall's mom Jill looked like she wanted to say something, however she kept quiet.

"Chloe, my eye was drawn to your facial expressions in the group dance-very nice job on that." Chloe and her mom both smiled, which made them look so much alike. Both have shoulder-length, light blonde hair and greenish eyes.

"However," Abby continued, " you had trouble with the leaps. You missed one of them. Good job overall, though."

Chloe's mom, Christi, whom mom always complains about-they have never really been friends for some reason, though Chloe and I are close-appeared confused. "Abyy, my daughter made one tinny mistake. Shouldn't Maddie be in that spot instead? She made several mistakes."

My heart thumped. Would Ms. Abby move me to the bottom row? It had never happened before, all these years at the ALDC, I'd been at the very top or second row, every week. "Christi, be quiet. It's my pyramid." Ms. Abby shot back.

"Then comes Mackenzie." She continued after a pause. "Your solo was quite good. However, you didn't place. I expect my dancers to place if I take the time to give them solos." My sister looked a bit crestfallen, I felt bad for her, but wickedly, a voice inside me reminded me that if she had gotten a better score, she might've been able to beat me.

"Nia, you missed a class. Your spot is here by default. Maddie, you did wonderful job on your solo, good job in the group dance, terrific, you deserved your spot in the second row. And at the very top is Kalani. You defeated the odds, beat both Maddie and Mackenzie in their strong suits. Top-notch performance."

Kalani and her mom, Kira, beamed and we all hugged and congratulated her for her win. Abby added a few more comments, but I looked at my sister beside me. Her face looked stormy. What had I done?

This is the end of chapter 1 in Love, Kenzie-A Dance Moms Fanfiction. Hope you enjoyed! Chapter 2 will be published tomorrow.

XXX