Even When You're Gone

Fifteen

AN: This chapter starts immediately after the end of the last one.

Unlike the first night after Richelle receives her score, filming isn't over. They pause so the crew can figure out the resurrection round battles and how they're matching up the different teams. Richelle is sure there's some logic to it, but whatever it is, she can't figure it out. All the teams from that night are back in the green room, but so are the bottom five troupes from the night before.

Once they get all the match ups sorted the ten teams that didn't automatically qualify for the second round are lined up on stage. Solos and duets on one side, and groups on the other. It looks pretty funny with seven people standing across from over 30.

Most of the pairings, and subsequent style draws, Richelle doesn't watch on the little screen in the green room. But she looks up when The Lionettes are called up and sees that they'll be against the Ice Maidens when they film the resurrection round in a couple days. They pull the foxtrot to battle against the Ice Maidens jazz. Both teams look a little unsure about their chosen styles but Richelle is hoping for the best for the little girls she's already rooting for.

TNS is called forward next and Richelle hopes that the team they're going to be up against is one she at least recognizes. But when it's a duet called The Tornado Twins she wishes she had paid more attention to the dances from that night. She only vaguely recognizes them from the green room and meeting them during camera blocking, mostly because identical twins are hard to miss, especially when they live up to a name like that. The Next Step pulls Capoeira as their dance style and several of their team members actually have looks of recognition, which is something that definitely came from Nick's workshops. Although there's a distinct moment of panic when The Tornado Twins pull tap as their style since it's generally the highest scored style by the judges.

They wrap soon after the last battle is settled (The Pretty Boys and a soloist named Mel Andersonn) and Richelle is looking forward to collapsing in her bed with her weighted snow leopard. And also maybe her noise cancelling headphones. Today wasn't horrible, but she knows it's only going to get worse throughout the next two weeks.

***

Technically they all have the next day off, but they aren't filming so the teams in the resurrection round have time to choreograph and rehearse their routines. Nick gave TNS the morning off though so Richelle is in her room with Jacquie and Cleo while they all do their schoolwork. Richelle is sitting cross-legged on her bed with her laptop and several assignments spread out around her as she cycles through the assignments for different classes. The neurotypical occupants of the room have opted to share the desk and Richelle largely ignores them. Just being in the same room is enough to help her focus on her own work and she tunes out them working together on worksheets they have with similar problems.

By the time Jacquie and Cleo have to leave for their resurrection round rehearsal Richelle has written almost all of her English essay and gotten through most of her physics and calculus worksheets. Most of the paperwork that was sprawled across her bed has been shoved into a haphazard pile on the desk between the beds and Jacquie and Cleo get ready to leave. Once she's alone in her room she takes advantage of the fact that being in the US means she can rewatch Degrassi: Next Class on Netflix while she reads.

There's not a whole lot to do around the hotel but a few hours later Richelle is bored in her room so she decides to explore the building. On the eighth floor (of fourteen) she finds a little lounge area full of plants and couches which is really only novel for being different from the rooms. But there is a giant window on the top floor and Richelle sits in front of it and watches the city down below. (She drags Jacquie up to sit with her after dinner.)

***

She sits with Nick again during the filming for the resurrection round. They go in the same order they were assigned. The first two battles pass with little fanfare but then The Lionettes are up with their foxtrot. And Richelle is sincerely hoping that the judges aren't going to be dicks about two girls doing a ballroom dance together, especially when it's their own damn fault. She remembers talking to Lola, about when she used to do competitive ballroom, and even then, when two girls dancing together was significantly more normalized, with entire categories dedicated to it, if they were up against traditional couples they rarely placed in the top five.

They get an 88 but the Ice Maiden's jazz routine is such a mess they just barely scrape by with an 80. She lets out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding when they make it through the round. She doesn't move from the edge of her seat though because The Tornado Twins are going up next and they look a little too comfortable in their tap shoes. She struggles to hide her disappointment when they score an impressive 95. But she has faith in TNS. And Nick. Especially since they spent over four hours the day before choreographing and rehearsing it.

Their dance is amazing and even without her bias it's her favorite dance of the night (well, maybe not completely without bias). But she always loves watching dances in new styles. She barely suppresses a squeak when A-Troupe gets a 98, although maybe not enough because Nick glances at her. They're making it through and she relaxes back into her seat.

AN: In case it hasn't been clear between teaching J-Troupe and The Nutcracker one-shot from Day After Day, Richelle loves kids. She 100% would've fought the judges if The Lionettes got eliminated.