A Love as Hard as This

Chapter 36

Author's Note:
I couldn't find the episode so I paraphrased what I remembered. It's won't be exactly the same but it should be similar :)
Big hint in this chapter again, look out for it and tell me if you've gotten it!

(2 weeks later)

Noah's Perspective:

The first thing we did in our Saturday morning rehearsal was grab a couple of people, just to work out random choreo and work as a team. It was amazing, everyone had blended so well. It made me wonder why we didn't merge the teams sooner.

Kingston and Zara did a little bit in the middle of the floor, grooving to the music. After that, everyone else took a turn and did their own trick. No one was competing, we were all just having fun and enjoying each other's company.

I made sure that everyone had their own turn to dance, and their own time to shine, because I knew how important that was to everybody. I knew everyone, and was so impressed to see how much everyone had improved in the little time of the teams being together. It seemed that we really did work better together.

Now that the two teams were together, it felt as it nothing could stop us. We were a full troupe, and we were ready for Regionals.

——————

Emily and Michelle called us all into Studio A a while later, saying that they had a big announcement. I was a little surprised, I hadn't really thought there was anything more to say, so I was anxious to hear the news.

"Alright, guys! Today is the first day of the new A Troupe!" Emily started with everyone clapping along. "And now that we're one team, we need a Dance Captain. But moving forward, Michelle and I have decided that we need one unified voice."

"We'll be holding a vote today, for the best dancer that you think will be the best leader on this team." Michelle finished.

Richelle and Piper were in the center of the room, and I stole a glance at Richelle. She'd become shaky, tugging on her hair and placing a hand on her stomach—nervous gestures. I felt bad for her. With everything she'd been through lately, the last thing she needed was to have Dance Captain taken away from her.

The vote between Richelle and Piper would be tough—Piper was my good friend, and had been an amazing leader when I was on TNS West. But Richelle was also a great Dance Captain, and my girlfriend.

——————

Richelle's Perspective:

I struggled to take in a breath again. Dance Captain was my whole world at the studio. To lose it now would be devastating.

I wouldn't be surprised if I did lose it, though. I hadn't been here for almost two weeks, been late and off with everyone before that, been part of a cheating scandal, and literally tried to kill myself. I wasn't exactly a model leader. But that didn't mean I didn't want to be.

I wanted to change things, get better, and losing my captaincy wound only send me 10 steps back. Maybe further.

I groaned loudly as everyone left the room. They didn't understand my feelings on this, I barely understood. All I knew was that I needed it.

"Richelle?" Lola said quietly, tapping on my shoulder and snapping me out of my trance. "You okay?"

"Honestly?" I asked, and she nodded. "Not good. I'm scared I'm not going to get it, which seems extremely likely at this point."

Lola's eyes lit up. I thought it was excitement, but I wasn't sure. "I have an idea! Let's get you some votes!"

She ran out of the room, and a few minutes later, came back with Ozzy. I groaned again, but quickly stopped myself. Ozzy was so creepily infatuated with me, I doubted he would ever vote against me.

"Okay, so what does Richelle have to do to have your vote, Ozzy?" Lola asked him.

He considered it for a moment, then smirked at me. "You have to tell me that you think I'm cute."

"Fiiiiiiiiinnnnneee," I said, dragging it out to blatantly show that I was uninterested. Didn't he know that I was taken? Then I remembered that we still hadn't told anyone.

I turned to Ozzy and said, "I think you're pretty cute." The face expression that he had when the words left my mouth only made my frown more apparent.

I quickly left the room, jogging with Lola trailing behind me to Studio 1, where I knew everyone else was. I was getting more and more desperate, and wanted to convince everyone to vote for me. Starting easy, I met their surprised expressions with reasons why I should be Dance Captain.

It was going well, people were nodding along with me, until Piper showed up, and we got equally competitive with each other. We started stating ridiculous reasons, most of which I would never actually do.

"Guys, stop!" Noah shouted, taking control. "We still need to have rehearsals, and we shouldn't have to mind because we love dance. You guys can't just cut everything. And you shouldn't be competing with each other. We have to work together, we have to work as a team."

I mentally kicked myself. I'd completely forgotten about the whole reason that I wanted to be Dance Captain in the first place. I wanted to work with my teammates to bring us back to the level of victory that The Next Step I grew up in had. That the A Troupe had before me.

I looked up at Noah guiltily. "Sorry," I mouthed.

"It's okay," he mouthed back. He walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulder, leading me out of the room and into the hallway.

"You know, you'll do great, Riche." he said.

"But what if I don't?" My voice was merely a whisper.

"You will," he assured me. I nodded into his shoulder, which took a great deal of effort, as I didn't agree at all. I was pretty sure that after that disaster, I would barely even have 4 votes. Lola's, Ozzy's, mine, and Noah's. But no one else's. Which meant that I would lose.

"Come on, it's almost time for the vote." I mumbled drowsily. I was more tired in these past few weeks than I'd ever been in my life. I pulled myself away from him, cringing at the loss of warmth.

He noticed quickly and side hugged me again as we walked to Studio A.

——————

The results of the vote were about to be announced, and I was leaving against Noah for support, barely able to hold myself upright.

"Hey, you'll be fine," Noah whispered against my head. His mouth was barely moving, as not to draw attention to us. Unsurprisingly, Emily noticed and winked at me, and I smiled lightly back. I couldn't manage a full grin, not with how worried I was.

"And the Dance Captain of our A Troupe is..." Michelle yelled. "Noah!"

Noah. Noah. My head repeated the same thing over. And over. And over. Noah was Dance Captain. I was not. Noah had stolen my spot.

He backed away from me in shock, a horrified expression on his face. All of the boys started crowding him, pushing me away so they could give him bro hugs and hi-fives.

I was in shock. My whole world was turned upside down. Why did these things keep happening to me?