Steps Singles - The One Shots

5, 6, 7, 8

Hello, welcome to some fun One Shots! The description explains what's going on, but I'm sure you'll catch on soon enough.

Faye sighed as she gently tied the hairband back into her hair for what felt like the hundredth time. Having curly hair meant she'd never had much joy at her hair staying how she tied it up, and that was when she wasn't tired. Even she'd never done this many hours straight of dance rehearsals so she felt bad for the others. Claire was sat in the corner with her head against the wall and looked horribly sorry for herself, the other three didn't look so bad.
"Okay we're going to go through that final song again one more time." Their choreographer announced.
"Do we have to?" Claire moaned.
"We've been at this for hours, couldn't we just do it tomorrow?" Lisa asked.
"No once more. Then you'll be free to go." He said.
"This isn't fair." Claire whined.
Faye sighed, heading over to her friend and helping her up. "Come on Clara, once more, then you can go home and sleep." She told her softly.
Claire pouted. "Everything kinda hurts though."
"Yeah that happens." Faye replied with a shrug, letting Claire give her a quick hug.
"I... I just don't feel like I can dance like you... well you guys." Claire told her tearfully.
"Of course you can. They wouldn't have chosen you to be one of us if they didn't think you were any good!"
Claire sniffed. "I guess you're right, but sometimes I just feel like I'm only here for my voice."
"You're so not! You're beautiful and you're a great singer and your dancing's good too. Alright you're not a professional, but you don't need to be." Faye assured her.
"Can you two just shut up so we can get this done?" H moaned.
They sighed and let each other go, Faye and Claire went opposite sides of the group (as it was how they were set for the song's start) ready to start.
"Ready?" Called their choreographer.
"Just get it done." H replied, it was obvious after so much time indoors for rehearsals today he was fed up.
The choreographer sighed. "Okay. And 5, 6, 7, 8" Then he put the song on again and watched as the five of them went through it.

"I hate dancing. I've decided." Claire said.
Faye took her into another hug. "You're just being a silly bean Clara, you'll be alright again when we go on tour like you were last time."
Claire smiled at the thought. "Probably but it's still horrible when we're rehearsing so much."
"I get that." Lisa said, coming over and joining the girls in their hug.
"I know we all want to go home but does anyone fancy a girly evening in?" Faye asked. 
"You just don't want to do a night home on your own again do you?" Lisa teased.
"That's so not true!" Faye retorted. "Okay... maybe slightly true... okay fine very."
"That sounds nice actually." Claire said, drawing the other two from their silliness, aware that they'd tease each other forever given the chance. She always got worried when they were teasing each other, not that they'd fall out, they were verging on the point that they seemed like more than best friends sometimes, when they fell out it was silly and they made up again almost straight after, she more worried they'd go off and forget about her.
Lisa smiled, letting go of her two friends. "Cool. Faye, mine or yours?" Claire was in the process of finally moving out of her parent's house (though had been for over a month now), and so because Claire's stuff was all over the place Lisa was allowing her the time to move without having guests.
Faye released Claire and shrugged. "At this point it doesn't matter."
"Faye's is like about halfway between mine and yours Lise." Claire replied quietly.
"That's a fair point. Faye we're coming to yours."
Faye smiled. "See you two there in a bit then?"
The other two agreed and they all finally left.

*****

Faye ran to the door when there was a knock, eagerly throwing it open ready to see Lisa or Claire again. She was greeted by Claire who hugged her tightly.
"I'm really... so worried about the tour." Claire murmured into Faye's top.
"Why?" Faye asked softly, half dragging half leading Claire into the house before shutting the door.
"I can't dance. And everything aches." Claire replied.
Faye couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the younger girl. Having had the same sort of feeling as a kid in panto years ago she understood how Claire felt. "Awh! We've been though this, you can!"
"Not night after night!" Claire replied.
Gently pressing a kiss against Claire's head, Faye sighed. "I know you can Claire. You've done it before, and I know you can do it again."
Claire sighed. "It's partly that I don't feel like I can remember them."
Faye sighed, relieved that she'd found out at last what was up with Claire. "Now that we both know I can help you with. Come on, I'll stick the songs on and we can have a practice when Lisa gets here."
"I just felt stupid saying that in front of the dancers and the boys. I don't want any of them to tease me." Claire confessed.
"Lee'd never tease you Clara. I mean H would, but that's just because he's the idiot and doesn't mean it really. And I doubt the other dancers would." Faye said.