Nochelle Oneshots

Oh No She Didn't...

Author's Note:
Hi all! This one shot happened in kind of an alternate reality of Season 7–as you can tell, I love alternate realities—in Episode 20 (the episode where Richelle auditions for Dancemamia.) In this alternate reality, everything in Season 6 still happened and Noah and Jacquie left. Noah and Richelle started dating, and Noah heard what happened through the TNS grape vine—gossip spreads very easily there—and he comes back to see what happened. This also might make you like Season 7 Richelle a bit better.
Title credits to Britt's video for this episode, I loved the title so much I added it. Anyways, on to the story. Enjoy!

Richelle's Perspective:

I felt so excited, but also really guilty. I had done what I needed to do, but it was at the expense of Summer and my teammates. And as much as I didn't I like Summer very much and was out for myself, I couldn't help feeling bad.

I had taken her chance. Her acceptance letter, not mine. And even though she had taken my title before, no one really deserves that. She didn't even get to audition. I just got it.

Her face when she found out was the exact same face I had when she took The Face of Absolute Dance from me, and when she came in, didn't even audition, and got front-row-center, a position that I always had.

Not to mention my teammates. I had left them in a lurch, they now only had 10 dancers. And, not to toot my own horn, but without me, and competing against me, they stood a much worse chance at winning.

I was about to walk into Studio A when I felt someone grab my arm. A guy, by the feel of it. I sighed with annoyance. "What do you want, Ozzy?"

"Really? Ozzy? Geez, what to I have to do to be noticed as me around here?" I knew that voice, and it definitely wasn't Ozzy.

I turned around, jumping into Noah's arms. He wrapped them around me tight, spinning me around. I giggled. I hadn't seen Noah in so long, he had gotten a job in New York and was filming a movie. "You didn't tell me you were coming back!" I said.

"I wanted to surprise you, Riche. But...there's something that definitely surprised me." I pulled away to study him. I knew from the look on his face that is knew what I'd done.

"I know." I said somberly.

"Why'd you do it?" he asked. I looked around to see if anyone else was here. No one was. It was just me and Noah. I took his hand and sat with him on the bench.

I tried to pull my hand away to speak, but I couldn't, he was holding it too tight. "Noah, I..." I didn't know where to start.

"What was going through your head yesterday?"

"Well, first, an audition letter came. For Summer. And I felt really, really sad. She just kept getting everything. Dance Captain, my title, everything. And I got nothing. I became just like everyone else. Everything that I had worked for my entire life was taken away from me. I hadn't prepared myself for it. It broke me, Noah. I didn't have time to put my walls up, I was so focused, I didn't even think if the possibility of losing to her. I cried on the freaking floor."

"You-cried on the floor?" He was baffled, I could tell. I never acted like this.

"Yeah. I cried on the floor. So when the letter for Summer came, I had a realization. Maybe the wrong one, but it was one. I felt like I needed to see what was out there for me, like you did. This was all I could think of. Imagine it, Noah. I could win. On my own. I could be all I ever wanted to be, an amazing soloist. So I auditioned."

"You auditioned, in Summer's spot. That's not fair to her, Riche." Noah said.

"I know! But what about what's fair to me? I auditioned 4 times for A Troupe, Noah! I made it 2! You even made it 3! And Summer auditioned how many? None. But she still got front row center. She got in all the other dances without so much as an amazing trick. Do you know how hard I had to work to prove myself for our duet, Noah? It was not just given to me. I had to convince Emily and Michelle first—which took a lot—then, I had to choreograph a solo in a day, then I had to work my butt off not to get kicked off because of my lack of emotion! She's never had to work for anything! Do you know that one of my dancers and one of Kenzie's dancers got chosen to be alternates, but who did Nick and Emily choose to be Dance Captain? Summer. And who got my title? Summer. Without doing anything! Do you know how that feels, Noah?"

That was a long, long speech. But I needed to say it. It felt good. I didn't know Noah's emotions right now, I guess I would just have to wait until he talked.

"Richelle, I had no idea how you felt. It kind of makes sense. But...why would you turn on the team? They've been there for you."

"I know. And I love them for it. I'm so, so sorry for what I did to them." I was crying now, even though I hated it. "But I need to see what I can do on my own. I need to see if I can fly on my own. Without them. I need to prove this to myself."

I saw him come to his realization. He knew, and understood everything. He had always understood me, when no one else did. "I know. I'm proud of you, you know that? This is going to be really, really hard though. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I am. I'm up for everything."

He leaned in and kissed me. I didn't quite know what for, but I wasn't complaining. When we pulled away, he smiled at me. "You can do this." he said. "And I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Thank you. You might be the only one, but thank you." I said, and smiled back, rubbing the tears away quickly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Look behind you." I did. And I saw all of A Troupe, and...Summer.

Piper stepped forward from the group. "We understand, Richelle. And we forgive you."

The tears came rushing back. A Troupe standing here and telling me that they forgive me, it's all that I could've ever asked for. They ran at me and pulled me into a huge group hug. Noah stood chuckling on the sidelines until I pulled him in too, ruffling his hair.

"Thank you guys." I mumbled. "Good luck to you all." I then nodded at Summer. "And I know you'll do great with them. I'm sorry, really sorry, to you."

"It's okay, Richelle. I did the same thing. You just have a better reason. And I'm sorry too, I had no idea of any of that."

"It's okay, Summer. I forgive you too."

Someone coughed to our get our attention and we turned to see Henry. "I still have a question." He said. Why's Noah here?"

"Yeah, Richelle? What's he doing here? How did he know to come?" Finn repeated.

"I actually don't know how he knew to come." I said, shrugging.

"The TNS grape vine. This was the biggest gossip." Noah answered and we all started laughing.

"Okay, but you still didn't answer my question." Henry persisted. "Why's he here?"

Noah and I look at each other and I nod. "Noah's...uh, my boyfriend. That's why he came."

Then everyone breaks out into cheers. What I thought was going to be a terrible day, ended up being the best that I could ask for.

Author's Note:
Sorry I didn't really know how to end it, but I hope it's okay. The main point of the storyline was kind of just redeeming Richelle, and showing some character development. Love you all, thanks for reading!