𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑺 ♥︎ 𝑶𝒓𝒍𝒂 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 (The Next Step)

𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬 ♥︎ 5

Orla stood in the music room with James, avoiding eye contact or even speaking to him.

"James and I are working on our solos... to compete against each other for Internationals," Orla bit her lip.

Eventually she let out a long, hard sigh. "I can't do this."

"No amount of rehearsal time is going to make me feel prepared for this," Orla announced. "My heart's just not in it, and it never will be."

James turned to look at her, the same hopeless look in his eyes.

"Maybe we should just bow out," Orla eventually said to her boyfriend. "I'd rather not go to Internationals than compete against you."

"Bow out?" James scoffed. "Orls, you've never bowed out of a competition. And on top of that, we're dancing for The Next Step! For the team!"

"I know that she cares about the team. And I know that if I tell her that that she'll dance her hardest," James swallowed the lump in his throat. "Even though it's killing me inside."

"Orls, listen to me," James said, taking both of Orla's hands in his. "You gotta promise me that you'll dance as hard as you can, no matter what!"

"And what about you?" Orla instantly asked. If he wasn't all in, then she couldn't be either.

"Of course!" James said. "Of course I'll do the same, Orls. It's for the team. The team that we grew up on together."

And the team that one of us'll soon not be dancing on anymore, Orla added silently.

James softly kissed her cheek, and butterflies still flooded her stomach, despite the situation.

"Promise me," James said as he drew back.

"I promise," Orla said, before leaning forward for a hug and being engulfed in his warm, welcoming arms.

"I know James is right," she sighed. "This is for The Next Step. We can't let the team down."

♥︎♥︎♥︎

"I love you," Orla whispered to James as they walked into Studio A slightly behind the rest of the team.

James squeezed her hand. "I love you too, Orls," he whispered back. "And I always will."

As everyone sat down on the benches Orla and James remained standing, both of them shaky and subdued.

"Okay, Orla, you're up first," Kate sighed as she, Phoebe and Lucien regained their positions.

Orla savoured the small moment as James side hugged her and smiled as she heard the team clapping for her, Noah's voice amongst them.

"James has convinced me to dance my hardest. So that's exactly what I'm going to do."

As the music began, so did Orla. It was like she came alive at the first beat.

But that didn't mean she was happy about it.

I close my eyes, I built these walls, walls, walls, walls...

I made them ten feet wide and twenty feet tall, tall, tall, tall...

As James watched his girlfriend dance a small smile appeared on his face. But Orla remained solemn.