𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑺 ♥︎ 𝑶𝒓𝒍𝒂 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 (The Next Step)

𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑻𝑾𝑶 ♥︎ 29

The day started off as the last one had. In the audience, watching the male solos. Of course, this afternoon, TNS would be going to the wings, but not just yet.

It was about three hours until Eldon was on, and James was talking with him right now.

Orla wasn't paying attention to them, she was watching the male solo going on, Rocko from LOD, who was amazing, until she felt James put a hand on her thigh.

She looked up at him. "What?"

"Eldon and I are gonna go and check who his opponent is. You wanna come?" James asked.

Orla smiled and nodded, getting up as James reached for her hand, interlocking their fingers. A thrill ran through her as she walked with him and Eldon right into the foyer, where there were electronic billboards up telling everyone who they were against and when they were on.

"Okay, okay," James said, scanning the board and finally coming to The Next Step. "Superstar Dance. Who is Superstar Dance?"

"They sound familiar," Orla shrugged. "But I can't remember where I've heard them before..."

James looked to Eldon. "Do you know who the soloist is, for Superstar Dance-?"

"It's me."

And who should appear, but Daniel.

Except he was changed. He wore all black instead of his usual colourful shirt, and instead of a nice, humble look on his face, there was a cruel smirk.

"Looks like it's you and me again, Eldon," Daniel smirked at the boy.

Orla scoffed. "That's good, because Eldon can beat you in his sleep."

"Shut up, Orla," Daniel snapped at her, turning back to Eldon. "Good luck, you're gonna need it, my solo's killer."

"He's got a bit of an attitude problem," Eldon shrugged.

"He's just got a bit of an attitude, period," Orla rolled her eyes.

James just grinned. "Pfft! Whatever, man, you're gonna be so mad that you left The Next Step when Eldon is through with you."

Daniel smirked. "We'll see."

"Hey!" James shouted as he shoulder barged Orla on his way past them. He turned to look at his girlfriend. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Orla smiled at him, turning to Eldon. "Besides, you winning is gonna hit him a whole load harder than that."

Eldon nodded, laughing. "I'm ready to kill it, like, twice as hard now."

"Whoo! Twice as hard, let's go!" James laughed, holding Orla's hand once more and hi-fiving Eldon, who was more pumped than ever.

♥︎♥︎♥︎

Orla waited in the wings on the other side of the stage, opposite where Eldon would be starting. James and Emily stood on either side of her and both of them inhaled sharply when they saw Eldon from across the wings, Hunter beside him.

His eyes were ahead, unblinking. His muscles were tensed and his hands clenched.

"Whoa," Orla laughed. "Eldon looks so incredibly focused right now. I just hope he can concentrate long enough to beat Daniel."

Daniel was on first, and his solo was very, very good.

There was just something... different about him. A difference in the way he moved, a difference in the sharpness of his body. He was just more... refined. A lot better.

And Orla tried not to feel worried, but she did. Eldon was phenomenal... but Daniel had levelled up a lot.

"It's just a lot more intense, and he's just an amazing dancer," she admitted. "I mean, I don't want to see it... but I do."

He finished staring out at the audience, all the emotion in his face that Orla had never really seen him display at TNS.

As everyone clapped, he walked off the stage, and Orla bit her lip.

"Eldon better bring it."

♥︎♥︎♥︎

As he was announced, everyone clapped as loudly as they possibly could for him and he walked on stage, facing the back, contrary to Daniel.

His solo was... it was just fantastic.

He always portrayed so much emotion when he danced, but this time it was different. He was so much more powerful.

"Without realising it, the storyline of my solo is kinda like the storyline I had at The Next Step," Eldon explained. "You know, everything was smooth at the beginning, it was going nice, and then- things just started happening."

The beat of the song dropped with a bang and the tricks started. Orla whooped in joy as she clapped and cheered for him. He was levelling, if not raising Daniel's bar.

"I lost all of my confidence. I lost Michelle, I lost my solo, but I still kept with it."

Orla smiled to see him dancing so well. It really confirmed to her that he had so much more confidence than he ever had before.

"I built a relationship with Michelle. I'm finally good friends with Hunter. I finally feel like I'm meant to be at The Next Step," Eldon finished with a smile.

He continued on with relish, and Orla smiled.

"Eldon is pulling out all of his best tricks, he's doing great," smiled Michelle.

"He's an amazing dancer," Emily stated. "And you know what? I'm glad I can watch a friend dance now too."

When Eldon finished, Orla liked to think he got a bigger clap than Daniel, which was probably true.

And as Orla watched Daniel's face across the wings, she knew that he was thinking the same thing.

"Watching Eldon's solo was perhaps a little bit of a reality check for me, I was perhaps a little bit too confident going into this," he sighed.

Orla squeezed Emily's hand, both of them just- just praying that Eldon got them through-

"The judges have tabulated the scores and the team moving onto the second round is... The Next Step!"

Orla and Emily both screeched, jumping up and down and hugging each other.

She didn't notice Daniel, running off.

And she didn't care.

"Whoo!" Eldon ran off into the wings and the whole team ran across the stage to join him, not even caring that the curtain was up and that the whole audience could see them.

"It's just so incredible to know that we're in the next round, we're in!" Orla grinned and giggled.

"I knew you could do it!" She screamed as she embraced Eldon, not noticing Kate, smiling around at the group.

"It's just the momentum of the win. The other dancers get excited and they get inspired and the next thing you know they're gonna take all the rounds," she smiled.

"Oh don't you worry," Orla smiled. "We will."