the next step oneshots

aftermath | gisanda

(6427 words)
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It had been about a month since Amanda had left the studio, revealing herself to have been spying for Elite; a double agent. Giselle still couldn't believe it. Their entire relationship, built on a foundation of lies. Everything they had, destroyed in four words.

After Amanda had left The Next Step, Giselle had cut all contact. She couldn't even think about the other dancer without feeling her heart tear in half all over again. Having her calls ignored hadn't stopped Amanda from trying to reach out though. Every so often Giselle would receive a text, usually along the lines of an apology and how if she would just give her a chance, she would really like to talk. Giselle had to use all her self restraint to not reply. But there was always a part of her deep down that wanted to give her that chance. To just hear her out. Maybe there was more to the story. She hoped there was more to the story.

She had managed to ignore the voice in her head until Nationals. The team's win was a few hours behind them now and they had all celebrated together. Well, all minus Amanda. She had disappeared after the team had left the stage. Giselle didn't know where she had gone, and she tried not to let herself care, instead turning her focus to her teammates around her and ignoring the pang in her chest.

Eventually, the team had split off to go back to the hotel, planning to meet up again after everyone had freshened up to continue their celebrations. Giselle was carrying her costume bag back to her hotel room when she saw her. Amanda was no longer wearing her costume, the intricate circus outfit now replaced by a simple black dress and her hair tied back in her usual ponytail. Giselle caught herself staring and apparently, so had Amanda. The other dancer now cautiously eyeing her from the other side of the lobby where she stood with someone Giselle didn't recognise. They make eye contact and Giselle sucks in a breath when she sees Amanda lean in to say something to the person before turning and beginning to walk over to where she was currently standing.

"Hey," Amanda says awkwardly as she stops in front of her. Giselle swallows thickly.

"Hey," She replies. This was the closest the two had intentionally been to each other in over a month. Giselle had a million things she wanted to say to Amanda, a million questions she so desperately wanted the answers to. Why had she stepped in to help them? Especially after going out of her way to betray the team like she did. Why now did she decide to turn on the enemy team she was originally working for? Surely Elite wouldn't have been cool with that. Was this all part of some new elaborate plan for Elite to take down The Next Step?

"I uh," Amanda clears her throat awkwardly. "I just wanted to say, congrats on winning Nationals. You guys deserve it after everything." Giselle didn't know how to respond. So she just looked at the taller girl, trying to read her face for any hint of her motivations in coming over here. She came up empty.

"Um, I was hoping, you know, since you haven't run away from me yet," She pauses, taking in a breath. "I was hoping we could talk. Only if you're ready." Giselle furrowed her brows in confusion, her mind racing a thousand miles a minute.

"What do we have to talk about? You betrayed the team and then came back and danced with us and then you disappeared again. What do you want me to say? Thank you? You've got to be kidding if you think I'm going to say thank you for fixing a problem that you were the root cause of in the first place." This was all suddenly too much for Giselle, she couldn't do this. She ran one of her hands through her hair roughly, using the other one to grab her dance bag from where it layed in the floor beside her. "I can't do this." She tried walking away but stopped in her tracks at the sound of Amanda's voice.

"That first week at the studio." She sounded desperate. Giselle stood still, not turning to face her. She couldn't let Amanda see the tears that had started to well in her eyes. She couldn't let her know the power she still had over her. When Giselle didn't respond, Amanda continued speaking.