Missing Moments

Amy Leaves The Next Step

The day after 6x11

Amy: Hey, there's something I have to tell you. Can you meet before rehearsal tomorrow?

Piper sighed, rereading the text that Amy had sent her last night, her fingers tapping anxiously against her phone case. There were only twenty minutes before rehearsal was supposed to start, and she hoped that Amy would arrive at Shakes and Ladders soon. The time they had agreed upon last night had come and gone five minutes ago, and there was yet to be any sign of her best friend.

Despite her irritation at Amy's tardiness, Piper had to admit that she was curious to know what was so important that Amy couldn't tell her over the phone. It must have been serious because Amy hadn't used any of her usual texting abbreviations, which was an immediate sign to Piper that something was going on.

Amy rushed into Shakes and Ladders breathlessly, and Piper sat up straighter, smiling in spite of herself. However much their recent communication with each other was evidently lacking, she was still happy to see her best friend. Hopefully after Amy spilled whatever her news was, they would have some time to catch up a bit before A-Troupe rehearsal.

"Sorry I'm late," Amy apologized, sliding into the seat across from Piper and pushing her bangs out of her face. She was breathing hard, trying to catch her breath. Had she run all the way to get here? "My rehearsal ran late."

This caught Piper off guard. "Rehearsal? For what?" Amy wasn't the soloist or in the group routine for the upcoming Wild Stylz Dance Convention that The Next Step was hosting that weekend, and none of the small groups for Regionals had been assigned yet. What was she rehearsing for?

Slowly letting out another breath, Amy met Piper's gaze reluctantly, clasping her hands together on the table as if they were sitting in a formal business meeting instead of the juice bar. She looked almost guilty, and Piper got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She didn't like that look.

"Amy, what did you want to tell me?" she asked slowly. Whatever it was, she didn't think she was going to like it.

There was a moment of silence as Amy hesitated. Finally, she said, "Piper, I'm leaving The Next Step."

The news hit Piper like a punch in the gut. It felt like all of the air had been knocked out of her as she gaped at her best friend in shock, trying to find the words to say but failing. Amy was leaving? She couldn't do that. Why was she doing that?

"I just feel like I don't belong here anymore. Michelle and Emily don't recognize my talent, and AcroNation is –"

"You're going to AcroNation?"

Amy paused at Piper's interjection and slowly nodded, gauging her friend's reaction warily. "Yeah, I am... I just came from rehearsal for the convention actually. I only have a few minutes before I have to get back."

Piper averted her gaze, chewing on her bottom lip as she processed this information. How could this be happening? Amy had said just a few weeks ago that she would never leave the studio after her mother tried to send her to Gemini. What was Piper supposed to do without her? This season had been hard enough already, and even if she and Amy hadn't had much time for each other recently, just knowing that her best friend would be at rehearsal was often a small source of comfort for her. They had vowed to always stick together after Sloane and Cassie left the studio.

Amy was breaking their promise.

But looking at Amy now, seeing a glimpse of hope in her eyes... How could Piper possibly tell her that this upset her? That she didn't want her to switch studios? Amy wasn't wrong. She was an incredible dancer, and Emily and Michelle weren't taking advantage of that. Maybe this was what was best for her, painful as it may be for Piper.