Dance for the thrill of it || Noah TNS || UNFINISHED

[Backup] [02]

[Season Three: Episode Two/Three]

It has been a week and a half since we figured out that Lucien bought the studio. To get all the stress away, Noah, Richelle and I are doing a trio; we've all been bumped up to B-Troop, which is so exciting, we are finally being seen as older. Noah is just a year older than me, and I'm a few months younger than Richelle. We're just working on skills, we all think we are getting in A-Troop pretty soon. There's been whispers around the studio that someone might be brought up to A Troop.

Just as we finished a set of pirouettes, Ms Kate walked into the room. "Noah? Ellie? I can I talk to you for a second?" The woman asks not waiting for an answer before walking out of the room.

"Sure" Noah and I say in unison, Noah begins walking out as I look over to Richelle. She looks as confused as us but I gesture that we'll be back in a second, only to receive a curt bod from the girl.

Once I exit the room i I see Kate swiftly turn around to face both of us. "Okay, we may be rushing this a little, but I've been thinking..." She trails off, only adding to the anticipation she was building. "But, I think you two are ready for it."

"F-for what?" Noah asks innocently, looking between Kate and I. Glancing down to his hands I could see he was nervous, he was cracking his knuckles. A nervous habit he has.

"I want you, Noah to be our 12th dancer for internationals!" Kate announces, but as excited as I am for Noah, I wondered why she was telling me this. Was it just to rub it in?

"Of course! I can do it!" He says excitedly, I couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. I looked around the hall, not really wanting to look at the woman in front of me. My eyebrows ended up furrowing, and against my own judgement i looked up to her.

"Why are you telling me this?" I breathed softly.

The woman's face softened, maybe she knew that he was hurting me. "I want you to be a backup for our team, if someone else leaves you'll be our first choice."

My face relaxed at the sentence. Me? Ms Kate wants me to be a backup? A small grin formed on my face before before I jumped into Ms Kate's arms, "Thank you! Thank you!"

"Perfect, come, let's go." She says motioning for me and Noah to follow her, as Noah stepped forward, i looked behind us to see Richelle standing in the door frame. Trying her best to look happy for us but I could see through her facade. She was hurt.

"Ms Kate?" Richelle calls out softly, grabbing the woman's attention, "I heard eldon is leaving the studio too, doesn't that mean another spot opens up on A-Troop?"

"Yes, it does, but," My attention drifted to Ms Kate's answer, knowing that either way she said it... it would be harsh. "That's what El is for, if he doesn't come back, I'm sorry." I pressed my lips together at the look Richelle had on her face, a cross between anger and sadness. "But if another one opens, I'll be sure to let you know." Ms Kate finished and began to walk off towards her office, expecting Noah and I to follow.

My gaze lingered on Richelle, my mouth slightly ajar. I didn't know what to say. 'I'm sorry.' I mouth to her only to receive a small shrug.

'There's nothing I can do.' She mouths back before walking back into the room and pressing play on the song we were playing previously.

When I turn, I jump slightly at the sight of Noah still standing there. I had expected him to follow Ms Kate straight away, instead, he had waited for me. A small smile crosses my face as we continue through the hall together towards the office.

He quickly reaches down and grabs my hand, "I can't believe this" he says looking down at me, beginning to comedically swing my arm and we walked "We actually are gonna be in A-Troop."

"Well you are, Ace," I laughed as I let go of his hand as we rounded the corner, "I'm just a backup."

He smiled, "Little Peanut, who knows, you might make it to Internationals."

That's what I liked about Noah, he was always so optimistic, even in times where the possibility of whatever might happen happening... was very slim.

My eyes rolled as i looked towards the floor, "Whatever you say."

Two Days Later

Yesterday I received a text saying that Eldon joined back, to be honest, I wasn't really fased. Expect disappointment and you don't get disappointed. That was until i got another one this morning saying that Emily is unable to compete. Let's just say that feeling was unreal.

Flash forward to now. I'm standing in Studio between Noah and West, I feel like I'm going to be sick but that's too childish, I'm in A-Troop now. Not B-Troop. I took a deep breath, "Someone pinch me." I breathed out as I began to stretch my arms when suddenly i felt a stinging, sharp pain on my left arm. I whipped to the side to see West smiling, "Ow!" I rasp at him.

An innocent look crossed his face, "You said 'pinch me' didn't you?" He finished as that innocent look turned into a grin.

My mouth fell open, "I didn't mean literally." I whispered while rubbing the spot he had pinched, "That hurt..."

The boy raised his hands in self defence as he looked away, and over to the hat that had all of our names in it. Both The Next Step and the Elite Dance Academy. Both mine and Noah's gaze followed his, and our faces became concerned.

"What if I get put against one of you?" I ask the boys nervously, while staring at the hat, as if my gaze had been locked on the object.

Noah dragged his gaze over to me, "Then you dance as hard as you can." Noah says while grabbing my shoulder lightly and squeezing it.

"Yeah," West agreed with him, "You deserve to be on that team either way, more than them." West agrees while looking across the room to the Elite Dancers.

"I'm not-" I get cut off by Ms Kate speaking to the large group.

"Alright guys, it's time for the competition, all the names have been placed in the hat." She says gesturing towards the hat. Phoebe reaches into it and pulls out the name. Collectively we all held over breath.

"Hunter."

We look over to the boy and see the him nod, stepping forward. Hunter could easily beat anyone on the Elite team. She does it again and pulls out another name.

"Eldon."

The room went silent. This is everything we were scared of in the first place.

We are losing a member of TNS.