A Love as Hard as This

Chapter 26

Author's Note:
The next couple chapters are based on the actual plot of Season 5 :)

Noah's Perspective:

Richelle and I were sitting in Neutral Grounds, sitting in silence. I could tell that she was trying to be sympathetic, but I didn't want to hear it. I was the one who chose to go to TNS West. I shouldn't have been so naive. Of course Emily would've won. It was my own fault that I wasn't going to Regionals.

"Look, Noah, I'm sorry—" she started.

I cut her off harshly. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"Nothing, I just...I don't know. I hate seeing you like this. I wanted to make it better." She mumbled.

"Yeah, I hate seeing me like this too." With that, I got up and left the table. There was no use talking to her when I was so mad. It would only make me angry at her, something I didn't want to happen.

I went back to TNS West and saw everyone moping. Piper and Heather were sitting in the corner pouting, and everyone else was trying to run through choreo, but the fact that we had nothing to use it for was weighing on them, I could see it. Michelle and West were in their office, but came out when Kingston and Ozzy arrived in order to start the rehearsal.

"Guys, guys, we have news!" Ozzy yelled. "We're going to Regionals!"

Michelle's face was a mixture of shock and confusion. "What?"

"Look what we found!" Kingston said, passing what looked like a credit card to Michelle. "His real name's not actually Elliot! It's William Elliot!" William Elliot? I knew I'd heard that name before...

"He's a professional dancer!" Ozzy told everyone excitedly. "Which means...."

"He can't complete at Regionals!" Michelle finished for him. "I've got to go talk to Emily! All of you, come with me!"

Everyone got up and followed her. If Elliot was a professional dancer, then Emily's win didn't count. Maybe we could go to Regionals after all...

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Richelle's Perspective:

Michelle had barged into our rehearsal unannounced and took Emily into her office this afternoon. They had called Elliot in, and then kicked him out. He'd shot me a glare as he left, and I was unnerved.

Minutes later, Emily had come out of the office when Michelle left, and told us that Elliot was a professional dancer, and wouldn't be dancing with us. She'd assured us that it was fine, that we would find someone else to replace him, but I wasn't sure.

He was our strongest dancer, besides me, and now he was gone. And there was something else. What if our win didn't count, because he was on our team? That presented a huge, huge problem.

I was back in rehearsals, and we were going through our 10 person dance without Elliot. Even without him, it was strong, and seemed like if found win. There was definitely some adjustments that needed to be made, but nothing major. Once we had finished, Emily came in to lead stretch.

"To the left," Emily said. I switched sides in my standing straddle, feeling release in my muscles as I leaned into it.

"Alright guys, spread out, sit wherever you'd like because we're going to be here for a long time." Michelle announced from the door. She was followed by every single dancer from TNS West, and they dispersed around the room, sitting on the floor and grabbing onto people.

Noah locked my leg in between both of his and didn't let it go. "Noah, get off of me!" I hissed.

"No can do, Riche." he replied, grinning.

"This is a protest, a sit in." Michelle said loudly. "We're not moving until you concede."

I kept trying to stretch, dodging Noah's arms as he tried to stop me. "Stop!" I whined. That was it. I'd had enough of this ridiculousness.

I started slapping his arms away and moved to get his legs off of mine, but his grip was too tight.

"Richelle, you're win doesn't count." He was laughing, causing me to smile slightly, before getting aggravated again at what he'd said,

"It does too!" I fired back. I finally got my leg out of his and stomped over to Piper when Noah found his next victim. Poor Amy. "Piper, you're Dance Captain, so why don't you do the right thing, and get your team out of here."

"Richelle, you're Dance Captain, so why don't you do the right thing, and concede." she said nicely.

"Never gonna happen." I said, walking away and starting at the edge of the room, where none of the insane TNS West dancers were.

"Michelle, couldn't you at least try to be professional!" Emily demanded.

"Your team is disqualified! My team is going to Regionals!" Michelle yelled.

With all of the shouting and arguing, no one even noticed when Miss Kate walked in, except for me. "What is going on here?!"

Everyone stopped and stared.

Miss Kate pointed at Emily and Michelle. "You two filled up my voicemail with messages saying that there was an emergency at the studio, and I rush down to find this? Michelle, I let you have your own team because I thought the competition would make everyone better, but clearly, I was mistaken."

Michelle defended herself. "I have a rewatch good explanation for you—"

"No, I know exactly what's happening here. The Next Step is about the love of dance, something you all have clearly forgotten. I think your time would be best spent focusing on what made you dance in the first place. The studio is not going to Regionals. The competitive dance season is over." Miss Kate said.

I couldn't believe that Kate said we weren't going to Regionals. And it was all Noah and his team's fault.