𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀 ➳ THE NEXT STEP, OZZY

5:2

A troupe had barely got going, and someone had already quit. Thankfully, Emily already had someone to add to the team.

"Alright everybody, first and foremost, I would like to welcome Josh as the tenth member of our team" she grins

Ophelia smiles and claps for Josh, although her memory of his audition was only vague, she still thinks he'll fit in well with the team as it will balance out the numbers of boys and girls.

"Please take your spot"

"You guys have proven to be the best of the best and we are going to prove it this year. I want you to remember that there are many other people who are vying for your spot and not only that but coming for us as a team"

"We will take reigonals. We will take nationals. And then we will take internationals"

"Live as a team, die as a team, but always a team"

Daniel was running through their first regionals routine,  it was contemporary with lots of ballet technique — Ophelia's strong point.

"Nice leap Ophelia"

Ophelia smiles but shifts her focus back to the dance straight after, as she ariels towards the side of the room, Lola and Josh surrounding her.

Unlike Ophelia, it seemed that Piper wasn't in her element with this dance, she wasn't acrobatic enough to be able to complete the routine. It also didn't help that Daniel was a tough choreographer.

"Stop! Stop! Stop... Okay" the music cut out "why is that a cartwheel. Its a front walkover. What's going on with your tumbling, are you working on your front?"

"... Yeah, yeah" Piper nods "I-I'm working on it"

"Do you have it yet" Daniel asks, sternly

"Soon"

"When's that?"

Ophelia instantly feels sympathy for Piper, she genuinely seemed like a very nice person, who just didn't have acro as a strong suit.

Piper stutters for a moment "I-I-I'm going I'm practicing all the time... Yeah"

"Okay"

*****

Ophelia walks into studio one and saw that Noah was leading rehearsals. Had he been chosen as the dance captain?

She wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case, from what Jacquie had told her, he was the most senior member of a troupe.

Her theories were proven false, when she saw the confusion looks on her fellow a troupe members face.

"Okay so guys, I actually have a change to the choreography. Piper do you wanna show it"

Ophelia's eyebrows furrow in confusion, because she didn't know that this was allowed. As I exchanged looks with people from across the room, everyone seemed to have the same thought process as me.

"So instead of the front walkover were gonna do a double attitude turn" Noah explains.

Ophelia nods and watches Piper walk through it, it would work and she could do the steps, but the problem was that it knocked the difficulty of the routine.

Once Piper was finished, Ophelia stepped into position and stared doing the old combination, but swapped the front walkover out for a double attitude turn.

"-What was that?"

The a troupers all turn to see Daniel and Emily at the door, walking in. Ophelia instantly feels heart race.

"That was not my choreography"

"Wait what's going on?" Emily chimes in

"Yeah Noah, what's going on" Daniel asks

Everyone turns to Noah, and Ophelia starts feeling afraid for him. He was trying to be a good friend, and team player but it backfired on him.

"I-I just thought the choreo-"

"Noah changed the choreography because of me" Piper cuts him off

"I see" Emily states "Daniel make it right. Noah my office. Now"

Ophelia gulps, this didn't put Daniel in a good mood. He walked across the room and sent Piper a glare.

"From the top. Again"

The dancers walk to the corner, ready to start the dance to the best of their abilities.

Ophelia did want to try and listen in on Noah and Emily's conversation, but chose not too, as she didn't want to have that end up making her dance badly when Daniel was in a bad mood.

As she steps up for her pat with Josh, she makes sure to dance perfectly. Daniel observing their every move, very closely.

"Josh, Ophelia, that was nice"

After doing a leap into the corner of the room, Lola and Zara taking Ophelia and Josh's places at the front, she puts out hand out for the dark haired girl to high five him. He does so, as he chuckles.

"Good job" she smile, wanting to make the new team member seem welcomed.

"Thanks, you too" he grins

During this time off the dance Ophelia tries to look across the room in the office, at Emily and Noah's conversation. Not touch avail, because she could barely make out anything except that it probably wasn't good for Noah, something she had already predicted from the start.

Before she could do anything more, it was the group part of the dance so Ophelia runs into the centre of the room.

I hope I don't screw this up.

She thinks.