Chloes POV

I stood beside Paige watching Abby pace back and forth her face red.

"Are they coming? MADDIE! MACKENZIE!" Abby called once again.

Melissa stood there tittering, "I don't know what they're doing in the Abby, there probably fooling around, you can start without them" Melissa but you could tell her face was white, probably didn't want Maddie and Mackenzie to lose favoritism.

I sigh shifting on my feet, "Abby would you like me to go check?" I ask. Abby and Melissa both turned on me so fast I bounced back.

For a second I was scared Abby was going to scream at me because she got redder, but then she paused, "Sure, go check." She nodded after a slight hesitation.

I nodded and headed toward the door, but was cut off my Melissa. "Oh nonsense, there come out soon Abby, just begin. Chloe dear, don't waste valuable dance time on those silly girls."

"It's been ten minutes Melissa, they might've got injured or something." Abby said.

"Just wait a bit more!" Melissa begged.

Abby looked confused, but she nodded and motioned me to return to the line.

I returned to the line and wondered why Melissa was so desperate for us not to go see the girls. I heard a clang behind me in the change room.

Funny thing was that Melissa said they arrived a bit later than usual, but we never saw either of them enter the change room, and it's not like we left early or anything. Maybe they were late and Melissa doesn't want them to get in trouble? But Melissa was already here when we came in and she had looked horrified when Maddie and Mackenzie hadn't come in. It's weird...

The door suddenly opened quickly and Maddie came out looking breathless with Mackenzie trailing after her.

"There you are! Your ten minutes late! We were about to start without you!" Abby snarls at them her eyes flaring.

Maddie stared looking nervous as she pulled down the front of her long shirt. She had been wearing long shirts for some time. I hope this isn't some sort of insecurity she's dealing with, especially since you can tell Maddie has dropped about 15 pounds in the past month and looks scrawnier than ever. "I'm sorry, we couldn't find a ponytail for Mackenzie." She murmured quietly not meeting Abby's eye.

Abby glared at them. "Get in line!" She snapped.

They slipped into the line wordlessly.

Abby, still huffing and puffing turned to the pyramid and ripped off Mackenzie's picture from the bottom of the bottom. "Didn't dance." She snapped before ripping off the next person on the bottom which was Brooke. "No energy whatsoever when you danced last week. And 7th place for a solo isn't that good. Very disappointing." Abby told her.

She turned back and pulled off the next head which was Nia and at the same time the last face on the bottom, Paige. "Both had Sloppy feet in the group dance. It looked horrible."

"On the second row, we have Kendall, and Maddie. Your duet placed 1st. However, Maddie you were limping, and Kendall the scene before you went on stage was pathetic." Abby said before turning back to the pyramid and pulled off the top flap revealing my face.

"And Chloe you killed that solo. Anyways..." Abby said ignoring the clapping from my teammates. I smile slightly, but it doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Whoo hoo.

"Now, Maddie you had a solo, but after coming late, I'm going to give it to Kendall instead." Abby said with a cruel smile. Maddie didn't even react. She just stared weakly at Abby, who looks disappointed she didn't get a raise out of her. Melissa looks furious however.

Even Kendall doesn't look happy, Jill sure does though.

Abby huffed and continued. "It's a lyrical solo called silence. The group dance will be a hip hop routine. So ENERGY, Brooke, Maddie ENERGY, got it?" She snapped. "Now let's spread out and stretch."

Gianna led us in stretching, and then we had technique class and then flexibility class. After that we practiced the group routine for a while, and then we had an acro lesson while Kendall did her solo practice, which was fine because Kendall is more advanced in acro then most of us besides Brooke.

After class was over I tried to get in a word with Maddie but she rushed Mackenzie out and left before I got the chance.

I glanced out the window watching Melissa hiss at them between clenched teeth and then smiling brightly as she waved bye to Gianna. Melissa's so fake.

Something fishy is going on with them, and Maddie is my little sister, since I'm a year older than her, and I don't want anything to happen to her. I gotta find out what's going on.