Chapter One

Nana walked into the dance studio just before two o'clock, chatting with Abby, Gianna, and Audra. They were all a part of the Dance Moms crew, and with the third season about to start filming, Gianna, Audra, and Nana were going to be seen and interviewed more and more. They're always the behind the scenes stuff, but viewers wanted to see them, so they will.

Abby smiled as she unlocked the building, "The girls will be in here half-past-four, and I'm going to work group number first with Gianna, but Kenzie won't be in that one, so Audra, she's all yours. Then I'm doing the trio, so I know that Nia will be yours from then on. I just don't know who I'm going to put in the trio besides Maddie and Chloe."

Gianna and Abby were dance instructors at the Abby Lee Dance Company and Audra was the girls tutor since they have to miss school so much for the show. Nana was ironically the nanny when the moms are filming their interviews or are having a "Moms Day" Nana comes in and takes the girls to do fun things. Nana was the youngest of all of the help that goes into the show. She had just turned eighteen days before they hired her onto their team.

"Brooke came to me the other day when we were back-to-school shopping," Nana started as she pulled the second door to the studio open, "that she was really embarrassed that she can't learn the material in class as fast as the other kids can."

"So I'll scratch Brooke out of the trio," Abby nodded, "but I'll give her to Audra. Thank you for sharing that."

"Nana," Gianna said, "I feel like even though we see the girls' way more than you do, you know them better and they feel more comfortable coming to you and telling you things."

"They see you as teachers, but they see me as a peer since I'm just eighteen." Nana said and set her iced coffee on the counter as she grabbed a flyer about the new t-shirts that were coming in to the studio.

Gianna said, "Yeah, so I was wondering if they come to you and tell you anything else, just give us a heads up on what's going on."

Nana said, "Of course, I was planning on it."

Nana picked her drink back up and walked around to the back of the counter to take her position. When she wasn't wrangling the girls on trips, she was working the counter at the studio, making phone calls, signing kids up for classes, and dealing with their mothers.

"Oh goodness," Nana pulled back away from the computer and put her hands over her heart. "So I was at the Hyland household last night because Kelly called all of the moms and their girls over for a little 'Back to School' get together, so she invited me and I stayed up with the girls for most of the time because that's what I'm supposed to do. So, I'm sitting in Paige's room with all of the girls and their making up dances and Clara's falling asleep on my chest, and I can't find Brooke. So, I get up and start making my way to her room and I overheard her talking on the phone, and I couldn't help but to think that it was a boy. So, I poked my head in and she let me come in and she was talking to Brandon!"

"Brandon Pent?" Gianna asked.

Nana nodded, "And after she got off the phone, she didn't say anything at first, but then she just starts bawling."

Abby's jaw dropped, "Why?"

"Brandon had just told her that he didn't ever want to talk to her again. I don't know why, that's all she got out before she couldn't stop uncontrollably crying." Nana explained.

"What did you do?" Gianna asked.

"I laid down with her until she stopped crying." Nana said, "And then I realized that she was fourteen years old and I still calmed her down like I do Clara…"

"Poor girl," Gianna said.

Nana nodded and said, "Yeah, so if she seems kinda iffy today."

"Oh gosh…" Abby snarled, "That means she's gonna be emotional. Gah, why does she do that?"

"Abby," Audra said, "She's an emotional teenager. That's how she's going to be."

Abby rolled her eyes and walked out and into one of the studios to get pyramid ready. Audra got a table set up in Studio D. It was the smallest studio and the only one that nobody ever used unless it was for a private or a preschool class that only happened on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Nana stayed up in the front, she logged onto the computer to check the studio's email.

Nana clicked through email after email reading the same things: So-and-so can't come into class today, So-and-So has received a call back for X-Y-Z, and We need you to confirm you're coming to the competition this weekend. Nana ripped open the boxes of new t-shirts and folded them or hung them on hangers in the shop. Nana spun around and around in her swivel chair behind the counter once she was finished unpacking things. She heard the familiar sound of Chloe's laugh. Nana stopped herself and looked at Chloe, who had come in alone.

Nana laughed with Chloe as she said, "Where's your mamma?"

"She's out in the car, getting Clara out. She didn't want me to be late, so she let me come in by myself." Chloe smiled a sweet smile.

"Come give me a hug," Nana said and stood up.

Nana wasn't too much taller than all of the girls. She stood just an inch over five feet, which was three inches taller than Brooke and two inches taller than Chloe. She was the same height as Gia, but unlike Gianna, Nana had never danced in her life. Chloe hugged Nana and then let go and ran off into the den. Christi came in as soon as Chloe ran off. Nana hugged Christi and said hello to Clara. The next in were Nia and Holly, on time like always.

"Nana!" The Ziegler girls ran to her from the parking lot.

Kissing both girls on the cheek, Nana embraced them and said hello to Melissa. Kendall walked through with Ryleigh, her big sister, and Jill. Nana said hello to them but didn't give out any hugs or kisses. The last girls in were the Hyland girls and Kelly. Paige waved to Nana from the front side of the counter, as did Kelly. Brooke smiled and said hello.

"Oh, Brooke," Nana said, "Come talk to me."

"Okay?" Brooke said and walked behind the counter.

Nana took a deep breath before looking up at Brooke from her seat, "I told Gia, Audra, and Abby about the Brandon situation."

Brooke's jaw dropped. "How could you Nana?! That was supposed to stay between us and now everyone is going to know! And Brandon's going to find out that I cried about it! Nana!" Brooke covered her eyes and sobbed. Nana pulled Brooke down into her lap. She rubbed Brooke's back and rocked back and forth, and within minutes, Brooke was calmed down.

"Now Miss Abby is going to call me a brute," Brooke said and wiped her eyes as she was being cradled by Nana.

"No she won't," Nana said.

It was quiet before Brooke sat up and looked at Nana and said, "Have you met Abby?"

The two laughed and hugged. Nana said, "Have a good rehearsal."

"Thanks." Brooke said, finally entering the den with all of the other girls.

Melissa sat through pyramid before coming and taking her shift at the front counter, letting Nana go watch the girls dance and go on miscellaneous tasks the mothers asked. Nana walked up to the observatory and sat in between Kelly and Christi.

"What's the group number about this week?" Nana asked.

Kelly responded, "I barely know…I think it's something about a little girl getting abused. And as always, Maddie is the little girl..."

"Isn't that kinda like her solo Disappear?" Nana asked.

"Uh..yeah!" Christi said.

"Well that's not…are they playing ring around the rosie with Maddie in the middle?" Nana asked.

Christi nodded and rolled her eyes. "Nana, I hate to do this to you, but could you go get Clara from preschool?"

"Of course, that's what I'm here to do." Nana said as she got up and walked out.

As Nana entered the den, Brooke had just walked in. Brandon was across the way. Nana didn't make it obvious that she was there, but she watched.

"Hi," Brooke smiled.

"Hi," Brandon said and waved.

Brooke asked, "Can I have a hug?"

"Yeah," Brandon said. "Of course."

As the two were hugging, Brooke asked, "What about never talking to you again?"

"Forget it," Brandon said and kissed Brooke.

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" Nana exclaimed.

Brooke and Brandon looked at Nana and jumped back.

Nana covered her mouth, "I'm sorry. I'm going to go get Clara now, I'll be back in half an hour." Nana scurried out, replaying what had just happened over and over in her mind.