Last Dance: The Next Step

ix. battle lines

The lights were dimmed and Michelle glanced at all the colleague's of hers, sounds bustling into her. She walked over to face them. "We just lost 9 dancers because of your stupid activities. Because of how unfair you've been! Take a hint, they don't want this! This is all your fault!" Michelle yelled, hoping to install a sense of sorrow to press their chests down, holding them before their final breath.

"Our fault? It's not our fault, they just don't know how to deal with stuff like this. We were the innocent ones in the situation. I promise you with 100% certainty that they're the ones over-reacting." Emily scoffed at Michelle's accusations.

"No. Even I agree with them and I am a colleague, I've been feeling this way since we first all came. I never agreed with the decisions you've made and as a result of that I have felt excluded and left out. I'm joining them!" Michelle yelled and stormed off in agony. Feeling a sense of madness to surge through her bones. This could not be happening could it? Could Michelle really be joining enemy territory? Yes. Michelle really was breaking the trust which might just get her back.

In the hallway, you could see Ozzy with his head pressed against the doorframe to eavesdrop on the ongoing conversation which just imploded to their faces, while a cacophony of rebellions asked what the spoken words were about, hoping to breach more of an understanding for them and their actions, thought process and emotions. Ozzy unleashed his head from the doorframe and smiled, "Michelle is joining us!"

"You sure?" Amy asked, shaking her head. "I don't think that she'd ever do that."

Just then, Amy's suspicions were debunked as the Ms. National's Soloist for two years approached them. "I'm joining you guys - you'll be my dancers and I will run your team."

The new studio owner of their team was excited and grilled with joy to help them out and the dancers were happy to work with her, a dancer who knew so much about the dance industry. They had someone to help them and get better at their almost-profession. The dancers from TNS West knew of how outgoing Michelle was and was excited that she'd take a step up and be a leader once more due to the ruthlessness of Emily and Giselle's actions.

Meanwhile, Emily was crying in studio A. "This means that we're not going to Nationals." Emily cried.

Chloe turned to Emily, "I am afraid to say this, but you just may have to go try to negotiate with them." Chloe said, and Emily sighed.

Emily regained her angry demeanour and turned to run off to the dancers who'd betrayed her team. "Michelle. You are a studio head now, not a co-head. Feel free to use... uh... I don't know. Any place other then here." Emily said, eyeing the traitors down and storming off.

Michelle sighed, and then turned to her dancers. "I know a really good place down the street, so let's practice there, we'll meet up... tomorrow." Michelle stated and then they dispersed.

-

Noah met up with Jacquie at Shakes And Ladders, as they had some time to kill before their new teams first ever rehearsal and things were very awkward as they had no clue what to talk about.

"Hey. Are we... Okay? You seem mad at me.." Noah observed.

"No. We're cool." Jacquie said, but the cold and bitter taste within her voice screamed that something was up.

"Yeah, things are totally okay." Noah rolled his eyes sarcastically, not believing Jacquie's statement on how she felt.

"How could you?" Jacquie asked, turning to Noah. "Agreeing with Ozzy that Giselle and Emily were horrible studio heads? Now I have no team and guess what? They were not as bad as you think!" Jacquie yelled.

"Yeah, they were. And Ozzy is my friend."

"But I am your girlfriend. I should be your first priority." Jacquie yelled. She loved Noah, but albeit, was hating how she was being treated by him right now, "I should be the be all end all."

"So you want me to basically have this as a job? You want me to skip school for you? You want me to die for you? Are we really this toxic of a relationship?" Noah asked, and then huffed. "Well fine then, we're over." Noah said, walking off. Jacquie, at that moment, instantly regretted saying what she did and then she sulked in her chair.

That was not how she expected it to go. Not at all like that.

-

The dancers were stretching in the following day, the struggles had become apparent for the studio's aura was unclensed like phoebe would have wanted it to be and it felt as if paranormal activities were lurking - it almost reminded them of the venue that Ozzy had booked for their Regional's qualifier video, which was not really a bad thing at decent heart, if they were being fully honest. It gave them a sense of nostalgia and how far they'd come with TNS 2.0. The good times, the bad tines. All of it.

Though, the room was very dusty. They could not really focus and Michelle could not get their attention really fast. Michelle sighed after the fifteenth minute had passed since rehearsal should have started. She knew now that rules were put in place for a reason, and without the strict rules of Giselle and Emily, things like this would happen, the dancers would not be in line.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she admitted defeat. "Okay guys!" She yelled.

The team turned their attention to her.

"We need to leave, I am sorry but I just can't deal with this. You guys are driving me insane and not listening to me. Rules are put in place for a reason, so stuff like this won't happen, although things can get to the extreme." Michelle said and they exited the clogged building, headed straight for studio A.

There, the three dancers still of A-Troupe as well as Emily, Giselle and the rest of the TNS people who were the choreographers were there, struggling to find out how to promote their team so that they could get the sense of a full team, so that they could attend National's for their team.

"Alright, so Lily. You can promote this to your old team, Ally, you have your sister Lauren, and-"

Michelle knocked on the door, cutting Emily's voice off. "Just one second," she said and then turned to open the door and was greeted by Michelle. "Oh." Emily rolled her eyes, looking at the traitor up and down, allowing Michelle to receive a look of disdain. And then she turned to the dancers behind the main girl, and there was her A-troupe, those who had turned on her.

"We're back." Michelle said, her voice weak as they stepped into studio A more and more, step by step. "Is there any possible chance that we could come back? I realized that rules are put in place for a reason... We need them, and you guys were doing such a perfect job. We never meant any harm."

Emily pointed to Michelle's dancers that were behind her. "They can, but you can't." Emily said.

"What? Why? I was the one who told them to come back! I brought them here." Michelle complained,

"Because, I don't trust you. Now get out, traitor." Emily said, and then stormed into her office, the rest of the colleague's of hers and former of Michelle's following suit, and heading into the office coldly. Not even daring to acknowledge Michelle's existence.

If that's how they were going to be? Fine! Michelle stormed off as well, the battle lines had been drawn, and now, no one could disagree. They'd be set in place, just like the rules that lead them out.