[2X26]
{West refuses to let Maxie fall back into a slump over her recent falling-out with Max and indulges in one of her many passions; the art of football.}
❝Don't be bitter just because I'm better than you.❞
The corner of Maxie's bedroom lit up vigorously as text message after text message pinged onto her phone screen, illuminating her otherwise dark room for all but five seconds before fading back to nothingness.
Since letting her head hit the freshly washed pillow on her bed the night before, Maxie had not moved from her position. Even after her mother had tried everything — from ripping the curtains open to expose the girl to the outside world, to threatening to turn the heating off in the house if she didn't get up — Maxie just refused to leave the homely comforts of her room.
Her friends were concerned, of course. She had missed rehearsal that morning and, even with Nationals just weeks away, it wasn't like Maxie to miss any sort of dance rehearsal. So messages of concern and worry had flooded her phone since seven in the morning; the pestering dings that disturbed her every five minutes were enough to make her wish she had silenced her phone the night before.
It seemed a ten-minute gap in the constant noise was enough time for Maxie to find the best position comfortable as she finally found herself drifting into yet another nap of that morning. She slowly felt sleep overcome her, before being snapped back into reality once again by her mother.
A soft knock came from Maxie's bedroom door, alerting the girl of her mum's presence before Rose began talking. "Max, your boyfriend's here, how about you show some manners and get up?"
"What? Mum, I don't have a boyfriend," Maxie groaned, rubbing her eyes in confusion as she sat up in her bed. A small stream of light began to penetrate the darkness of Maxie's room as her mum gently pushed the door open to reveal herself and another figure — Maxie's supposed 'boyfriend' — in the doorway.
"Tell that to Mr Shin Pads over here," The older woman sighed, gesturing to the boy beside her before leaving the two teenagers be.
When West had shown up to the Harding residence that day wearing an insane amount of football protective gear, Rose was left speechless. Not only was she concerned that a young boy dressed ready for war was at her door, but she was highly confused as to why he was asking if Maxie was in — it wasn't until he explained that they danced together and he knew about her situation with Max and wanted to help that the woman finally understood.
After finally adjusting her eyes to the light, Maxie honestly believed she was hallucinating. "West? What're you doing here?" She asked him, still unsure as to whether or not she was dreaming.
Holding up a football and a pair of goalie gloves, West gave Maxie a sheepish smile as he answered, "I'm here to cheer you up, obviously."
"Cheer me up?" Maxie repeated, in a state of disbelief that West was even in her house in the first place, "West, I'm fine, you should get back to rehearsal."
"You're clearly not fine if you've spent most of today skipping dance to... lie in bed eating chips?" He countered, raising an eyebrow at the girl's state, making Maie scoff at his poor choice of words.
"Okay, first of all, they're crisps," She pointed out, raising the packet of fried potatoes as if it would emphasise her point more, "And second, is a girl not allowed an off day? It's not like I'm in the small group anymore since Amanda left and I pretty much know the group dances anyways."
West sighed, clearly not buying Maxie's excuse, "Well, even if you do believe you've got the dances nailed, you can't spend the whole day in bed. Let's go," He then turned to walk down the hall, leaving Maxie in confusion.
"Go?" She echoed, scrambling out of bed in a feeble attempt to catch up with the boy, "Go where?"
With a nonchalant shrug, West simply responded, "I rented the local soccer pitch for us, so hurry up and get your kit on."
Maxie held a small smile on her face as she spoke to the camera. "West has just entered my home and told me he's rented a pitch for us to play football on... I'm so confused right now." She chuckled, still not fully aware of her surroundings after having just crawled into civilisation.
‧₊˚✩
"Come on! We haven't got all day!" West yelled across the football pitch, "I only rented this thing out for a few hours!"
After having reluctantly changed into some suitable sportswear, Maxie let West drag her out of the house and to the nearest playing field. She still wasn't sure how he was hoping to 'cheer her up' by forcing her to play a game she hadn't played in years, but she had decided to give it a shot to keep him happy.
A chuckle slipped past the girl's lips once she had finally tied her hair up, "You sound like my old coach!" She called back as she jogged towards the boy, not noticing the proud smile he wore for even managing to get her out of the house.
When she had finally made her way to where West was, Maxie placed her hands on her hips, giving him an expectant look. "So, what are we doing?" She asked after a moment of silence.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing," West chuckled nervously, not liking the turn the conversation was taking, for he hadn't exactly planned this far ahead and was purely hoping Maxie would lead whatever football session they were doing.
"You're the one who brought me out here," She pointed out, gesturing to the training field they had solely to themselves, "How did you rent out this whole place without stopping to think about what we'd be doing?"
Mirroring Maxie's actions, West placed his hands on his hips as he glanced around them, "Well, uh, I kind of assumed you'd just turn into this football playing machine and lead us on from there."
"Football playing machine?" Maxie repeated, giving the boy an incredulous look once again at his wording before bursting into laughter.
Almost half an hour later, the pair had finally decided what they were going to spend their time doing and were ready to get operation 'cheer up Maxie' underway.
Stood behind the ball, Maxie held her hand up to shade her eyes from the sun. "You sure you want to go in goal first?" She asked West, who stood between the goalposts with a determined look on his face.
"Yep," He nodded, gesturing to his protective gear, "I'm good with whatever you try."
"I still think the helmet's a bit over the top," Maie then mumbled to herself as she took a steady step back, setting herself up to take the shot. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the feeling of taking a penalty for her team: her head was running wild with the different approaches she could take to kicking the ball, however, she soon fell back into old habits once deciding on how she'd go about it.
Keeping her eyes trained on the bottom right corner to give off the impression that was her target, she swung her leg at the ball, noticing how West went to dive, however, looked up in shock when the ball went flying over his head. It hit the crossbar, being reflected back to the ground before bouncing into the back of the net.
"What a goal!" Maxie yelled, jumping up slightly as she fist-pumped the air in excitement. It had been ages since she had stepped foot on a pitch, let alone score such a risky goal, so knowing she still had it in her was enough to lift the girl's spirits entirely.
Dusting the mud off his knee pads, West chuckled nervously, "Yeah, well, I'm not a goalkeeper, so consider yourself lucky," He wittered on, turning around to grab the ball before making his way over to where Maxie was.
"Aw, don't be bitter just because I'm better than you," The girl cooed teasingly, letting out a boisterous laugh as she swapped places with West, not noticing the smile he held at her happiness as she made her way over to the goal.
Once set up and ready, Maxie gave West a challenging look, daring him to take a shot as she bent her knees in preparation. If you were to take a step back and look at the ratio of Max's height to the height of the goal, you'd assume West would have no issue scoring, however, it seemed the boy was quick to prove that theory wrong.
Assuming his 'ready position', West took a deep breath before swinging his leg back and kicking the ball. In the wrong direction. The boy found himself tripping over his own feet as the ball rolled behind him, making Maxie double over in laughter at the sight of him messing up so catastrophically.
The day continued like that; with the pair of them switching between positions, resulting in Maxie both scoring and saving more goals than West could count on one finger. And, even though the boy was making an absolute fool out of himself, he wouldn't take a single second of it back — as long as he was keeping Maxie happy and taking her mind off recent events, he would do it over again a thousand times.
‧₊˚✩
The next day had finally rolled around and Maxie had decided to go into the studio, much to her friends' excitement. They had made a point to both reprimand her lightly for ghosting them all for a full day, however, also welcomed her back with open arms.
They were all laying on the floor of studio A, working through their semi-finals routine and basically just filling Michelle in on what she had missed: which wasn't much, for they had already gone through the group numbers roughly before she had left.
"Go one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight," Miss Kate called out, watching as the dancers moved to the counts of eight, "And two, three, four, five six seven eight. And one, two... Nice," The woman grinned, somewhat pleased with how quickly Michelle was getting the choreo down.
"It feels good to be back on the team," Michelle told the camera with an innocent smile. "I honestly missed them so much, and... I just can't wait to go to Nationals."
After calling out the final count of eight, Miss Kate clapped her hands together, "Awesome," She grinned, nodding over to Michelle, "That's good, you've got the hang of it. Um, so you guys have the hang of it, so take five and, uh, Michelle can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Yeah, sure," Michelle nodded before following Kate into her office, leaving the dancers to relax and discuss amongst each other.
Maxie hadn't even gotten a chance to get up before James and Eldon made their way over to her, bombarding the poor girl with multiple questions as she tried to hoist herself up to her feet.
"Right, calm down, you're acting like I was gone for a week, guys," She held her hands up in an attempt to slow down the questions being fired in her direction.
James shared a look with Eldon before scoffing, "Yeah, well, it felt like you were gone for a week."
"No, wait," Eldon then cut him off with a look of realisation, "Remember when she went on holiday for a week to Iceland? That was painfully long."
"Sorry guys," She shrugged, however, they couldn't tell if she was on about the week holiday or the day off, "It's common knowledge flights are cheaper during school terms."
With a swift shake of the head, James sighed, "Okay, enough about cheap flights. Where even were you yesterday? Like, it was so weird. Riley and I's relationship is off, you had vanished, Giselle and Thalia thrust our duet back at us and West had sauntered into Culture Shock to give us some expired tickets whilst wearing, like, a lot of protective gear."
It seemed as if the mention of West snapped Maxie back into reality as she gasped, "West! I totally forgot I need to speak to him, I'll be right back." She told the boys before dashing towards where she had seen a few of the dancers walk off to, completely disregarding the conversation.
"You'd think she'd have a little respect," Eldon tutted, acting like a disappointed mother as he and James watched Maxie jog down the hallway in search of the boy she had spent the previous day with.
"It'll be even worse when they finally realise they like each other and get together," James added with a look of concern, causing Eldon to hum in agreement.
‧₊˚✩
As Maxie made her way into Culture Shock, she let out a breath of relief upon seeing West sitting at one of the sofas. The girl felt like she had run a marathon, for she had darted practically all over the building in search of him.
Walking over to where he was, however, she couldn't help but notice he was talking to himself in a very... expressive manner. Cautiously, she waved her hand in front of his face to try and grab his attention, catching the boy off-guard as he finally realised she had been watching him.
"Maxie, hey!" He grinned, noticing who it was standing before him.
"Sorry to break off your conversation," She chuckled, unsure of what exactly he was doing before she had interrupted, "But what are you doing?"
Trying to find the right words, the boy responded. "Uh, well, you know, I'm basically imitating people's voices. Like, I'm dubbing their dialogue. It's pretty fun."
"No way," Maxie's eyes widened upon understanding what he was doing, "I do that, literally, all the time."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously!"
"When I find out that West also dubs in people's conversations when he's alone," Maxie began with a sheepish shrug, "I don't know, it kinda makes me feel... Less weird, in a sense."
When West gestured for her to sit next to him, she gave him a smile before complying. "Who're you doing it for?"
"Thalia and Giselle," He informed her, nodding towards where the two girls were having an animated conversation. It was clear to Maxie why he'd choose them, for they were very demonstrative with their speaking, so it was easy to create wild stories from just their arm movements and facial expressions.
"So, you want me to try it with you, or?" She then asked, looking to West who just smiled at her as he shrugged.
"Take it away."
Looking back over at where Giselle had just stood up, Maxie sighed, "For who?"
Taking a moment to think it over, West turned back to the pair across the room as he pointed, "You'll be Thalia," He instructed Maxie, who nodded along with him, "And I'll be Giselle, okay? And go."
Just then, Thalia got up and began acting out robotic movements, giving Maxie a good conversation starter. "Well, at my Aunt's wedding, my dad began doing the robot just like this, it was crazy."
"I'd hate if my family moved like robots," West added, feigning Giselle's voice as he began moving like a robot, making Maxie chuckle.
Wanting to make the conversation more interesting, she elaborated, "Well, then this dinosaur stepped on the gazebo." She proclaimed, acting out t-rex movements with her arms.
"Yes!" West nodded, seeing how Giselle was also acting out the movements as he joined in.
"Big, ferocious dinosaurs!" Maxie giggled as the two continued to act out the elaborate conversation their friends were having.
‧₊˚✩
Maxie and West couldn't contain their laughter much longer. The pair had been at it for at least an hour, choosing random couples in the café and acting out their conversations in the most dramatic ways possible.
Turning to look West in the eyes, Maxie sighed, giving the boy a loving smile. "I just wanted to say thank you."
"What?" He asked, a little confused as to where the statement had come from, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a little appreciation every now and again, but why are you thanking me?" He joked, making Maxie laugh slightly.
"For being you, y'know?" She sighed, leaning back slightly in her chair, "Like, these past two days you've gone out of your way to make me feel better and you've put everything into it." Maxie told him, still not finding the right words. "I mean, like, you didn't have to take me out to play football, but you did it anyway. And with this, like, you let me do your thing with you, too. I just... I appreciate it, yeah?" She mumbled, suddenly becoming very awkward as she tried to express her feelings.
Giving the girl a smile, West couldn't put into words how much Maxie's statement meant to him as he leaned in to pull her for a hug. "That's what friends do, right?" He mumbled as they both held each other softly.
"Yeah... What friends do," She whispered back.
‧₊˚✩
By the time Maxie had finally made it back into the studio, it was late into the evening and the room was practically empty. She had spent the remainder of the day hanging out with her friends in Culture Shock and discussing who they thought should do what for Nationals now the original featured dances had been thrown out the window.
As she stepped lightly across the floor, she couldn't help but smile about how far she'd come. From her dad leaving, then moving countries, to now, Maxie was insanely proud of herself and couldn't wait to go even further with her team. Her family.
Pulling out her phone, Maxie decided to connect it to the speaker as 'Shake it Out by Florence + the Machine' began to play, causing her to begin moving to the music, letting the lyrics flow through her as she made her way across the floor.
She hadn't exactly choreographed a specific dance to the song to be exact; she was more just freestyling — letting the rhythm tell her the move, as Eldon would call it.
"As much as I appreciate West going out of his way to take my mind off things," Maxie began, giving the camera a small smile as she did so, "But, this is something I've gotta take on myself. It'll take time, but I'll come out of it stronger, for sure. But for now, I've still got dance." She giggled lightly, finding it amusing how solemn she sounded.
Maxie loved to dance, she had done ever since she was little: she danced for laughter, for tears, and for hope. The feeling she would get when travelling across the floor, taking in each step like it was her last, was something incomparable to any other feeling. Dancing was like a light switch for her body as it made her come to life with every turn and kick, with every flip and fall. Even mistakes that she made were nothing but extensions to her art as she felt the adrenaline coarse through her veins.
It seemed Maxie wasn't alone, after all. She should have assumed so, though, seen as the studio hadn't exactly been locked up for the night and there was always at least one adult in the building until every dancer had signed out for the day. So, it came as no surprise that when she had finally finished letting the music move her body, the sound of applause came from one of the benches facing the studio.
Giving the girl a moment to catch her breath and wipe the sweat off her forehead, Miss Kate rose from her seat slowly. "Maxie that was beautiful." She claimed as she walked towards the young dancer who brushed the compliment off with a small blush and a shrug.
"Eh, it was alright, just a little improv, I guess," Maxie smiled at the studio head who seemed to have been blown away by the freestyle dance alone.
"Max, regardless of whether it was improv or not, it was one of the best solos I've seen at this studio alone. Your facial expressions as you dance really capture the emotions you're feeling in such a special way." The woman rambled on, not failing to notice the small grin Maxie gave her at the compliments. "That's actually why I was hoping to catch you tonight."
"Oh?" Maxie breathed out, finally catching her breath as she turned to look at Miss Kate properly, taking note of the look on her face. "What's up?"
It seemed like Miss Kate couldn't contain her excitement as she gestured for Maxie to follow her into the office. "Take a seat," She gestured to the chair, making sure Maxie was comfortable before continuing, "So, as you know, I was talking with Michelle this morning, y'know, letting her know how glad we were to have her back and all that."
"When Miss Kate tells me she wants to speak to me, I'm slightly concerned," Maxie chuckled somewhat nervously, scratching the back of her neck in a sheepish manner as she explained, "I mean, it's dark outside, we're the only two here and she sounds pretty serious. That's one-hundred per cent the opening to a horror movie if I've ever seen one."
"And we also talked about the female solo for Nationals," Miss Kate then told the girl, making her gulp in apprehension. Maxie knew she was target number one on Kate's list for featured dancers, so it came as no shock that this was what she needed to speak about. "Obviously, she's not in the right state of mind to perform what she had originally planned, and I'm not gonna push her to do it."
Nodding slowly, Maxie responded, "Right, yeah, that makes sense."
Giving the girl a knowing smile, Kate carried on, "But, she did actually recommend someone she thought... No, someone she knows will help us win that round at Nationals and, to be honest, I couldn't agree more."
"Who's that, then?" Maxie asked her, even though she knew exactly 'who' it was.
"Well, she actually suggested you take on the solo," Miss Kate confirmed her suspicions. "Now, I know you've shut me down both times I asked you to try out in the past, but this is serious, Maxie. There's nobody better suited for this role than you, I know it, Michelle knows it, the whole team knows it, and I think inside, you know it, too."
When Maxie went to speak, a look of conflict clouding her face, Miss Kate quickly continued, not wanting to lose the girl just yet. "And I know you 'need to work on dance' as you've told me multiple times in the past but, be honest here, you could probably do both those group numbers blindfolded. And, yes, I have signed you, James, Eldon, West and Hunter up for the small group, but if you want, I can help create some sort of schedule to help you work through both of those numbers."
"Miss Kate," Maxie began, finally letting it set in that the studio head had just signed her up for not one, but two featured dances, "I really appreciate it, I do, but Nationals is a little over a week away. Do you seriously think I can pull together National-standard choreography for both a solo and a small group of five people in just over a week?"
"I do," She nodded, her tone indicating that she was nothing but serious, "Besides, I don't think you'll have to worry much about choreographing the small group."
At her last comment, Maxie's eyes widened, "Miss Kate, I strongly suggest you do not leave it in the boys' hands, they will get absolutely nothing done."
"Oh, I know," The woman chuckled at how frantic Maxie had become, "Don't worry, I've got it covered. So, what do you say?"
With a sigh, Maxie thought it over. Like, geniunely thought it over. She thought about why she had refused the position in the first place and what exactly was holding her back, but then she also thought about the people counting on her — her team, her friends, James, Eldon and West.
"Go on then," She grinned, causing Miss Kate's eyes to go wide this time, making her laugh slightly.
"Really?"
"Really. But I'll need a lot of extra studio time to work on it."
‧₊˚✩
author's note,,
big chapter today guys! not only did i give you even more wexie scenes, but guess who's the new female soloist?!
also for the solo at the end of the chapter, i've decided not to link any dance videos because I'd like you guys to imagine however you think Maxie would dance. also i abolsutely love shake it out and i actually performed to this song in a trio competition a few years back.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter once again, and vote and comment if you so wish (:
have a great day/night wherever you are
as always, stay safe <3 my thoughts are with any Ukranian families and people who are suffering right now and also to any Russian citizen who didn't want any of this to happen. my heart goes out to you all during these times <33