TNS Short Stories

It's Christmas (Pinn)

Piper's POV

Everyone was very excited about this meeting and I was as well. A new year was coming, and with that a new competitive season. I was getting over my self-esteem problems... I was getting more confident about my appearance, my talent and my capabilities. On top of that, things have been progressing with Finn, my best friend... and crush.
When did I find out I liked him? Well, it was sometime between prom and regionals... More specifically the day when I failed my aerial and he comforted me singing the Fruity Moons song. Oh, how I wanted to kiss him that very moment. And that went on. He does this small things like smile, like work harder when some choreo is difficult for him like, basically looking at me or breathing... Whatever he does, it always ends the same: me wanting to kiss him and confessing my feelings.
And I think he likes me too, but I'm not so sure. I mean, I was sure that "Josh liked me back" and you see what happened. Me, embarrassed, losing my best friend at the moment and heart-broken. I can't go through that again.
Anyway, Eldon was choreographing a Nut-cracker dance and he said I was going to do a solo. I was soooo excited about it and it was very important for me because it meant an opportunity to prove myself that my confidence is actually getting better.
We were trying to rehearse but then James comes in. I love him so much but whenever he is at the same place as me (other than with our family) I feel like I'm overshadowed by him. I don't blame him though. He's got personality, he's super nice and wise even though he's like chill all the time.
So, the moment he came in, everyone in the room started like fan-girling around him and I was just... Ugh.
Anyway, now we were not rehearsing any more but we were opening Christmas gifts. Hopefully this would help me cheer myself up. So, everyone's receiving their gifts and I was waiting for my name to be called but then Finn says there were no more gifts in the bag. Gosh, I felt super left out. This was what I overcame my self-esteem problems for? Was I this unimportant? I couldn't take it anymore.
- hey, guys. Open your gifts, I don't want to ruin your fun. I'm fine - I said. I could tell that Finn didn't buy it but I just avoided any eye contact with him. I couldn't believe that even he would forget about me like this. I felt tears filling my eyes and I didn't want to cry in front of them so I just silently stood up and left to the lockers room. There was a sofa there so I sat down and started crying. I knew that crying because you didn't get a gift could sound childish but when you struggle with self-confidence and everyone is getting a present but you aren't, I don't know what else I could do other than just crying. I kind of wished I never came to the studio in the first place.