GISELLE

"Annie on Broadway, visit TICKETMASTER.com."

I cringed at the sight of the hideous red dress. Correction, I cringed at the sight of the red dress and my sister's dyed red, curly hair. I grabbed the remote controller, turning off the TV before standing up.

Today was the beginning of another competition season. Unlike last year, Genevieve wouldn't be joining us. After nationals, she went to New York for the callback audition, competing against five other girls. She got the titular role for the musical, and she was now living out everyone's dreams on the Broadway stage. We all met up to go to the opening night a week ago, and we barely got to have a conversation before she was dragged away for an interview.

Now, Genevieve was considered a Broadway star, while the rest of us are just some dancers from a TV show.

I decided to join last year because it looked fun. Maddie talked about it all the time, so I decided to give it a shot. However, the show has been changing since I first joined with Kendall, and I've got no idea of what is going on anymore. The Hylands stopped showing up a month ago to the studio, but we still hung out and went to watch "Annie" together. Both Zieglers were pushed harder and harder, especially Maddie. After Chloe beat her, she had been working the double to get better. The whole deal with Nick fell months ago. It was more of a silly crush than it was a serious relationship.

Abby also had her own competition show, Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition. I hadn't heard much from that one, but I knew that it was filmed in California and that some really good dancers competed. No one would find out until the show aired. The first episode is set to air the day before we leave for our first competition of the season.

I hadn't realized how much of an influence my sister indirectly had on our teacher's teaching methods. We only had two classes with her over the break, but we were told the same thing both times: be like Genevieve.

Not all of us got partnership deals with Skechers, appeared in a TV show, and are currently starring in a musical on Broadway.

Apparently, having the same last name as Genevieve had its downsides. They all believed success was a gene that all of us had, particularly me. I wish I had that gene, but no.

I wasn't Genevieve Astrid Turner, Broadway's Golden Girl.

I was lucky that my mother wasn't Melissa or Jill, or they'd be talking about Genevieve the whole time. Luckily, my mother's Nicole, the one who doesn't forget they have other children. Don't get me wrong, to say that she was thrilled for Evie was an understatement, but she didn't talk about it all the time and rubbed it on everyone's faces. Yes, she missed her. We all missed her. She's been staying with her agent, Kara, ever since August, and isn't scheduled to return for a while. I was surprised that she'd get to miss the filming of Dance Moms, but then I remembered, she was the show's golden girl.

She was everyone's golden girl.

I really hoped she was enjoying it all.

As soon as Mom parked the car, I unbuckled my seat belt and got off. As I grabbed my dance bag from the backseat, I heard Kenzie's voice. "Ellieeeee!"

"Kenzieeeeeeee!" I mimicked as I opened my arms. Kenzie ran to hug me, making me stumble backward. "You're getting so big!"

"We saw each other last week." Nia points out. "Hey."

As Kenzie pulled away, I hugged Nia, followed by the rest of the girls. We all walked into the building, going into the dancer's den and then to studio "A", where we proceeded to make fun of one of Abby's "hip-hop" routines.

Giselle: We get to the studio and I notice that the Hylands aren't here. It's scary 'cause that means I'm the oldest, I grinned.

As we continued dancing, Abby walked into the room, with us stopping as she walked over to the pyramid and ripped out two of the headshots. Not saying a word, she threw both headshots to the trashcan nearby before walking back to us. "I am not doing a pyramid right now."

Silently, the six of us stood up from the floor and formed a line, making it noticeable that there were three people missing. Noticing the huge space between Nia and me, I gently pulled her by the arm closer to me, with Kendall following us.

"I'm angry at the people that aren't here. I'm very disappointed, but I'm also angry at the people that are here." Abby complains. "You had six group numbers. Some of you know two of them. Some of you know one of them." She shook her head. "That's not going to be a winning number."

She was talking about the break. Naturally, we decided to not show up to the studio because it was summer vacation and we wanted to get some time off from dancing all year long. It looks like Abby didn't appreciate that.

"Last season, you all had two solos ready to go before we ever started our competition season." Abby continues. "I didn't find out that people weren't here until the choreographers called me and said: "Hey, it was kinda hard to put a great number together when there were only two kids there"." She motioned at herself. "That makes me look bad."

She proceeded to rip out the rest of the headshots from the mirror. As the rest of the moms didn't react, Holly spoke up. "But, Abby, how can you throw away all that they worked for last year?"

"Like this." Abby walked over to the trashcan. "Girls." She threw all of the headshots into it. "No pyramid."

As she walked back to her old position, I couldn't help but sigh.

"This weekend, we will be traveling to Denver, Colorado to attend In10sity Dance," Abby announces. "I want you to be the first to know that I'm gonna hold an audition and I'll be replacing Brooke and Paige, and you will be nice and wonderful and kind to whoever the two people are."

"Abby," Christi spoke up. "What about Genevieve?"

There we go.

"She's still a part of this team," Abby answers, her eyes widening as she realized something.

Thanks for remembering her, Christi.

"As you may all notice, Evie isn't here." Abby starts. "She has officially started her run as Annie on Broadway. I recommend that you use her as your role model." She walked over to the door, opening it before she looked back at us. "You need it."

With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Her storming out like that was just the beginning of the really long day. It continued when she explained the group routine, with all of us portraying demons while Chloe portrays an angel.

I meant a long week because it continued with the auditions the day after.

I've always hated the messy audition process. Like, the best thing you can do is pack sixty people inside a tiny room and yell directions at them? It sounds like Abby's dreams coming true, but no one else's. At first, the six of us sat in the empty dancer's den. Later, we had to go into studio "A", immediately noticing how all of Abby's picks were taller than most of the girls. At least I was the same height as two of them.

Abby didn't even choose that night, so we all went into the studio that next day wondering who she'd choose. The one with the most picks was the girl names Ally, followed by Ava and Kaeli.

"But Jade isn't out either." Chloe points out as we entered the dancer's den.

"I don't want anyone new." Maddie comments. "I just want our friends back."

"Everyone misses Brooke and Paige." Nia seemingly agrees as she sat down.

"I also mean Evie," Maddie adds. "I miss hanging out with her." She then mumbled under her breath. "I hope she's doing okay."

I raised an eyebrow. "I think she's okay, Mads."

Her eyes shot up to look at me, a surprised look in them.

"Why wouldn't she be doing okay?" Chloe asks as we listen to Abby instruct Kendall in studio "A".

"Well." Maddie sat on the floor, crossing her legs. "She's definitely doing well, but maybe she gets tired sometimes."

"Singing that high, I would get tired too." Nia comments.

"Yeah." Maddie is eager to agree with Nia, looking back to Chloe and me. "That's what I meant."

I still didn't feel convinced by Maddie's argument but decided to let it go.

Evie probably does get tired, but I know her better than that. She loves the work and is extremely dedicated. If something was wrong, she'd tell someone. She also works well under stress, which is really surprising. She takes dance seriously. That means that she's taking this job just as seriously as she normally does.

I wouldn't worry about her.

After Ally was chosen as the new dancer, she was given Chloe's part in the group routine. Chloe received a solo, same with Maddie and Kenzie. Nia and I would only be performing in the group dance. At least if I didn't have time with Abby alone, it meant that she wouldn't start rambling by my overachieving younger sister.

By competition day, all the moms talked about Abby wanting to pull the group dance. If she did, Nia and I wouldn't be dancing at all, and I didn't want another day of traveling without performing, just like when I was supposed to perform "Twilight" last season.

Like there was no Genevieve this week, the competition was Maddie vs Chloe. Kendall went behind them.

Genevieve was the biggest reason for the competition, but she was also the glue that helped them stick together. Without her, well, let's just say that they were way more competitive and a bit less friendly.

The awkwardness between us and Ally was too obvious. I had no idea of what to do about it. Did I just say hi? Did I rehearse the dance with her? Did I have to start a random conversation? No idea.

Maybe I just needed to approach her.