Empire - The Next Step

dinner with the dates

Harper had recently spent a lot of time with Michelle's boyfriend John and she had to admit, he was a really nice guy. He was staying over for dinner so she had promised Michelle, who was still working on the choreography at the studio with Noah, that she would keep him company until they got back home. She had also realised just how talented he was, it was no wonder he was in a successful band.

"So James calls you Harpsichord?" John asked in a combination of amusement and confusion. The two of them had a lot of people who they both knew so there was a lot they could talk about and there was no awkwardness which was how Harper often felt when talking to new people. The girl nodded and John continued as he held back his laughter, "why?"

"Well I was around fourteen and he told me that Riley was hanging out with Michelle, so then of course I was forced to go and get a shawarma with him." John nodded in understanding. Harper was pretty certain there wasn't a person alive who didn't know about James's shawarma obsession. "So we were walking down the street and there was this busker playing an accordion. James thought it was called a harpsichord but I'm pretty sure that's some huge piano thing, and he realised the similarities to my name so he just started using it as a nickname."

"He's so weird." John commented between his laughs as Harper nodded in agreement. Before anything more could be said between the two, the door swung open. In walked Michelle and Noah, who was also staying for dinner after a long day of catching up with the choreography he missed.

"Hey, how was it?" Harper asked as Noah sat down on the sofa beside her. He looked like he was in deep thought about something which she could tell by the frown lines formed on his forehead. "Noah?"

"I didn't get the part, but it's okay I'm sure there'll be other stuff." He said with an exasperated sigh, although that didn't seem like the thing that was bothering him. Harper wasn't sure whether or not she should push him to tell her, but he looked like it had been a rough day so she decided she would drop it.

"Of course there will. Come on, my dad made pasta." Harper wasn't entirely sure how to feel at first. She hated to admit it, but she was a little glad when Noah first said he hadn't gotten the part as it would mean he'd be staying at the next step. This may have been how she felt at first, but the more she glanced over at him as they were eating, the more she realised it was eating him up inside. She was really devastated for him.

After dinner Harper dragged him up to her bedroom to see if she could find the source of his problem. She sat him down on the edge of her bed and took a seat opposite in her desk chair as she gazed up at him. The boy tried to avoid eye contact but was sucked in by Harper's hypnotising blue eyes.

"I know this audition meant a lot to you, but I promise they will be more. You're the most talented person I know and anyone who could even think about not giving you a part is an idiot." Harper tried to cheer him up, but it seemed that nothing she said would work.

"Harps, I talked to Michelle earlier after I saw Elliot get that part. She said that" he hesitated for a moment as he looked into her eyes. He knew that what he was about to say would hurt her. "She said that instead of waiting for another shot to come around like Robin Hood, I need to make opportunities for myself."

"I completely agree, you have to be pushing yourself all the time like if we make it to nationals." Harper agreed enthusiastically, although she wasn't quite getting the point.

"You're not hearing me Harper, what I'm trying to say is that I need to create opportunities outside of the studio, otherwise I'm not going to get anywhere in life." Noah felt instant guilt kick in as the blonde's face transformed into one of realisation.

"So what are you saying? You're leaving anyway?" Hearing that question leave her mouth with such heartache came like a kick in the stomach to Noah. He hated to be the one to make Harper feel that way and after all that they had been through, he really didn't want to mess things up now. They had gone from best friends, to not talking at all, to friends with complicated feelings, and now they were finally where he had wanted them to be all along.

"Honestly, I don't know. I'm gonna think about it a little more before I make any big decisions." The girl nodded in understanding. As much as it hurt her to even think about Noah leaving, she couldn't let him see how much it bothered her.

As her eyes danced around his features, she noticed that his eyebrows were knitted together in deep thought and his mouth was turned downwards in a subtle frown. It wasn't his usual expression, and Harper didn't like it. She didn't like that this decision was eating him up inside, and she most certainly didn't like that it was most likely because of her.

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a/n: heyy everyone, sorry the update is a little later and quite a short filler chapter but I think because I'm back at college now, they will probs be more spaced out so I'm sorry about that. Trying my very best! Did the last few sentences remind anyone of chris evans (captain america) saying "i don't wike it?" :D thank you so so much for reading, i cannot believe how many reads and votes this story has gotten so far and it's all down to you amazing readers so thank you! hope you enjoyed and i'll see you (hopefully) soon :)