Missing Moments

Finn and Piper Reassure Each Other

6x18

Finn's day had gotten off to a bad start before he ever set foot in the studio. First, he'd forgotten to set his alarm (again), so he'd woken up to his mother yanking the covers off of him and yelling about being late for school. Then he'd had to take a math test that he had completely forgotten about and failed it (not enough to significantly lower his grade average and jeopardize his spot on A-Troupe, but certainly enough that his parents wouldn't be happy about it). And then he'd found out that his driving instructor's pregnant wife had gone into labor, so his test to get his license- the one thing he'd been looking forward to for months- was getting postponed (for the fourth time).

A-Troupe rehearsal was supposed to be the saving grace for this terrible day, but then Emily and Michelle had chosen him as a candidate for the team's alternate in the ten-person Regionals dance.

So, to put it lightly, today sucked.

Noah had taught the four potential alternates the choreo for the alternate audition before leaving to check on the other small groups that were rehearsing simultaneously. The contemporary group was rehearsing on the other side of Studio A, and Finn was hyper-aware of Piper's presence in the room as he danced. The last thing he wanted was for her to look down on him for being considered as an alternate. Just the thought left an unwelcome feeling of humiliation buried deep inside of him.

Noah eventually returned to the alternate group, observing them with his arms crossed as they finished their final count of eight then held their final pose. He nodded to himself, looking around at each of them as he said, "That looks good, guys. I know you've been working on this for a while, so go take a break, and then meet Emily and Michelle back in here in 15 minutes. Sound good?"

As Ozzy stalked out of the studio alone and Davis and Kenzie headed for Shakes and Ladders together, Noah informed Piper, Summer, and Kingston that Emily and Michelle would need Studio A for the alternate audition and to clear out before then. Finn trudged over to the cubbies to grab his water bottle, avoiding making eye contact with the others as he went. He plopped onto the bench, his back to everyone else and took a long drink of water, intending to keep practicing once the studio was clear again.

He had always been confident in his dance abilities and had been working really hard this season to prove to Emily and Michelle that he wasn't a back-row dancer. His hard work clearly wasn't paying off, however, because his studio heads still saw him as one of the weakest dancers on the team if they were considering him for alternate.

He had always been a featured dancer at his old studios. Miss Angela had even thought he was good enough to bring with her to her other studios. Had he ever been as good a dancer as he'd once thought? Or was he only full of "pop and sizzle" that was good enough for Miss Angela but not enough for anyone else?

Good dancer or not, he really didn't have time to doubt himself right now.

The only thing that mattered now was not being the alternate, so when Kingston and Summer exited Studio A together, Finn intended to keep rehearsing alone before pausing when he realized Piper hadn't left with the other two.

"How's it going?"

Piper had plopped down on his other side, nudging his shoulder with her own as she voiced the question. Finn sighed and gave a shrug of the shoulders, glumly telling her, "It's going."

She immediately picked up on his downcast mood and nudged his arm with her elbow. "Well, you looked good earlier. I highly doubt you have anything to worry about."

Normally, he'd thrive at her complimenting his dancing, but his heart just wasn't in it today. Forcing a half-smile for her, he muttered, "Thanks Pipes."