Captain is the fourteenth chapter of Last Dance. It was published on December 31.
Synopsis[]
After Jacquie and Richelle's break begins its genesis, the group does not work well, and Noah can't handle the stress, and therefore must step down from his position as dance captain. A-troupe looks for a new dance captain, it turns out, that their new dance captain has a hard time adjusting. Meanwhile, at the solo competition, Piper crosses paths with a former friend, who does not take her too kindly. And, after, is confronted by Heather on the distasteful greeting she gave the few days prior.
Chapter[]
The briskly cold air combined with the deafening sounds made by the air in the wintertime, despite it being almost July, made for a havoc in the city streets. Piper woke up at 4:00 AM, and threw her dance clothes in her bag lazily. She was too tired to think, and had told her mom that her brother would take her, though this early in the morning? She was scared her brother would hate her.
But, there James was seated, in the front of their fancy car, with the olive colour, its tainted windows and cup holders everywhere -- literally, everywhere -- they had bought it, and for such a great price to. The heated seats were amazing. They were always obsessed and in awe with the car and how magnificent its features could bring it to be almost holy from the other cars that there were out there.
"You ready?" James asked, a smug smile on his face.
"I was born, I am going to win this competition." Piper said, despite it having been about three days since leaving the team, and all the Josh not yet completely out of her system, still some of the Piper-poison left from the deep crevices. She felt eerily confident in her ability to take home a gold, a first place, at the competition, and despite it being not such a big deal, to Piper, it was a big deal, this was their only chance to redeem their legacy that they almost had a few weeks ago at the other competition she went to. This was her chance.
She got to studio A, and there the bus was to take her to a competition three hours away, but due to traffic, probably five. She sighed as she boarded the bus, and her brother decided to come along, to help keep her company. So did Amy, so things could not be going better, with her best friend and her brother at her side, things were to be the best. Something that she really did need after the problems she had on A-Troupe.
All in all, it felt as if her A-Troupe-free life was way much better then her A-Troupe life, she finally felt free, and happy, though, would she ever consider to officially abandon A-Troupe? No, that building, that place, they were her family, her real family. A place that always had her back. She would never give it up in a heartbeat.
When the five hours were up like a time-bomb, she sprinted out, and got her costume on, heading to the stage with such haste it was almost nerve-wracking, because she had no clue where she was going, or who she could see. All she wanted was to be prepared and nothing else. Meanwhile, Emily registered the soloist in, and her tag-alongs followed the girl in a high-speed chase.
She finally finished and got to the wings, a wave of impressive nature curling through her, as she prepared to perform. The song was Home, and she tried her hardest to dance, she was in need of this and would not take second place. With the way she danced, she could have just gotten first place right then and there. She danced her hardest, and her friends were super proud of her.
The next hours, after everyone had went, and there were about twenty of them, the judges had tallied their scores and now it was time for the moment of truth, to find out who had gotten first. "Top overall solo, third place, It Doesn't Matter, Gorgie from Gemini!" The announcer yelled as Gemini's represent came and grabbed the trophy.
Piper asserted that she was gonna win, and her friends who sat nearby her also agreed that her solo deserved first place because the rest were all just plain and lacklustre, besides Gorgie's dance, which was actually pretty good, so if Gorgie got third, she definitely did not make it, or maybe she got first or second. But if she got first or second, she would have hope for national's and beating them in the finals. She knew that her team would be ready by then. As confusion and nerves swept her attention up, she snapped back into focus.
"Second place, Run The World. Amanda, from the world touring company!" Piper knew of Amanda and was happy for her, that the team she'd went with was actually there, it made her relieved. "And first.... Home, Piper from The Next Step Dance Studio."
Piper stayed strong and headed for her trophy, the happiness that she was craving finally came. She knew of it, that she was good enough, and Emily was so proud of her little friend at that moment, for making things work. She was happy that she still made Piper come there, in the break she was having.
Piper walked over to the other side of the wings to talk to Amanda. "Hey!" She reached out for a hug, "are you gonna be at National's?"
"No, but I will be there for international's. My team just got asked by the International's board to attend a National's in the USA and I have the female solo, it is actually tomorrow, so we need to be prepared." Amanda said.
"Cool, so do you by any chance, happen to know where Michelle went? She got kicked off the TNS faculty and has basically fell off the earth at this point." Piper said.
"Actually yeah, she's on our team." Amanda said, "oh by the way, I will destroy you at International's. Oh wait, I should be saying good luck at National's. You'll need it, especially since I know of how insane your team is right now. It's literally a war."
Piper was so hurt by what the older was saying, could she really be saying that? To a place that she once called home? It made her so nervous for the future, knowing how she could be broken down so easily, though, she quickly picked herself back up, readying herself.
She headed back home, and sighed as she fell onto the bed in her room, knowing that she had nothing else to do. She got a video chat. It was from Heather. "Hey! I miss you!" She jumped excitedly.
"Yeah, I miss you too!" Heather said and they shared a virtual hug, "how have things been on A-Troupe?" She asked, avoiding the potentially dangerous question. There was only one reason that she had came to video chat for, but could not ask it right on the spot.
"They've been... Horrible." Piper said.
"Okay," suddenly, awkward silence plagued the room as Piper sighed. "Alright, I was thinking of asking you the question, so please, don't hang up. You came into studio A to see my presence. Why did you exactly... Give me a look of hatred?"
Suddenly Piper realized her mistake. "Oh sorry, that was not to you. I never meant it to come across to you, I am so sorry that was for Josh."
"Josh? Wait? Why Josh?" Heather asked.
"I've been crushing on him, and he gets into my head so often, I can't take it anymore, hence, why I am taking a two week break from A-Troupe." Piper said.
"Wait, are you allowed to do that?" Heather asked, excited.
"Yeah, I did it because if I want to dance, I have to get over Josh, and that was the only way I could." Piper explained. Heather now finally making sense of the situation.
"Well, thanks for talking to me. I have to go." Heather said.
"Okay, yeah. Bye." Piper said, as Heather had hung up on her. She sighed, knowing that the drama was probably going to never end. Would it? She hoped that it was to have an ending, now she needed to stop being reminded of it.
-
Emily and company walked into the main studio, studio A. With the emotions filling up as time ticked before they were to discover who'd make it as an alternate, that day was to come in a few days, though everyone was scared about the results when auditions had yet to even begin.
Emily cut the cacophony of worry. "Alright!" She began. "I want us to take our dance routine from the top." She said and then Can't Stop The Fire began and they turned to the dance floor and began their rehearsal, but everything looked out of place. The movements, the counts, the steps, even the music felt off. Their spacing was horrific and nothing seemed to fit well with their routine.
"Alright, guys! Just take a five minute break, it's clear that Amy must be really tired from waking up at 2 thirty, maybe three AM to go to the early dance competition." Emily said, heading into the office, to deny and refuse the fact that her dancers were not a united team just yet - they had to, or else they'd be cut from A-Troupe, and there was no way she could cut all of them at once, and find a completely new team in time for the names to be submitted to the National's board and the alternates to be decided and -- it was just too much work for a three-day span.
Noah sighed and he walked over to the office. "We need to talk, I have an announcement that I am making." He knew that no one would probably agree with the idea, but he blamed himself for what happened to Jacquie and Richelle, and needed to take time away from the position, not from A-Troupe.
"What?" Emily asked. Not exactly, after all the people who had left, anticipating the announcement.
"I need to leave my position, not the studio just my positon."
"And when do you plan on returning to your positon as dance captain?" Emily asked, dulling the movements of her grabbing the paperwork as if she was in slow motion
"Never."
"Well, if you could find someone to fill the role, it's all yours to do whatever you want." Emily said, her voice so excruciatingly monotone.
"Yes," he said, walking out and working up the courage to announce to the team what he had just told the head of the studio, scared for their reactions.
"Alright." Noah said, roughing his voice up. "I am stepping down from my position as dance captain, who wants to take my spot?" Noah asked.
Ozzy stepped up. "I will." He thought he was pretty fit for the job. He had led an army to rebel against the studio heads and other staff of A-Troupe, and almost had won his campaign, and Noah was there. Ozzy had more influence in the studio now, so he may as well just be the dance captain.
A-troupe clapped along, supporting the idea. "Alright, does anyone want to go up against Ozzy?"
Kenzie dared to, she stood up. "I do."
"Alright, DANCE BATTLE!" Noah yelled, and Stand Up turned on, and they both began to dance their hardest. The music played non-stop until it faded off to the finish. "Alright, all those in favour of Ozzy, go to the right side, by me. All of those in favour of Kenzie, go to the other side."
It was pretty much unanimous who was going to become the new dance captain, Ozzy. As everyone, besides Kenzie and Noah as they were unable to even vote, had chosen Ozzy. It was clear. Crystal clear with who was making it. And honestly, everyone was happy with their decision, it did make the most sense, in all fairness. No one would ever be a better dance captain then Ozzy now that he had experience. Ozzy was so happy as now, people had to take him seriously with his power as dance captain.
This was the best for everyone, and right now, they needed a team of unity, and with the decision of making Ozzy the dance captain, they finally had that. Except for the lonesome Kenzie, who did not want anything to do with the childish person.
"Do you really want to be associated with this child?" Kenzie yelled. "He's a child and can't even choose on the girl he loves. I am sorry but if you really want to be embarrassed by your thirteen year old dance captain, I am out. I am sorry, but I can't stand you guys and seeing you let him lead you to your demise." Kenzie yelled, storming off, not agreeing with this.
Though, she'd be back, and with hating, came a price of friends to her. She had lost everything now.
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