care about you [completed]

Chaos

Emily's head is spinning as Finn brushes past her, and out the studio doors. Everything was fine, just 20 minutes ago when they were in the car. They were laughing. Laughing. How, how did she go from that to a broken team? For goodness sake, she wasn't Riley! (Ok, that was an unnecessary jab at her sister.) She doesn't understand. It was resolved. She guesses she'd been naive to just assume the team would accept that. That's when they start sniping at each other even more.

"Really, Henry?" Richelle gives him a look so stern he steps back a couple paces. Finn, Piper and Amy had clearly sorted out all their drama. Why did he need to bring it back up again?
"Woah, me? You heard what he said. Finn destroyed the team. Finn." Henry is fuming. He was just defending his friend. Obviously the drama was unresolved.
"Yeah, he admitted it, guys." Heath nods towards Henry.
"You're really gonna let Finn take the hit for this?" Ozzy retorts, "Their drama was done. Why did Henry have to bring it back up again?"
"Exactly." Richelle can't believe it, but she agrees with Ozzy.
"I actually think Piper's at fault," Kenzie chimes in, "She should've told Amy about her feelings for Finn. Then we wouldn't be in this situation."
"Piper, who had a panic attack because of her guilt?" Kingston jumps to her defence.
"It's Amy's fault." Lily states, "She should've seen that there was something between Finn and Piper."
"How was she supposed to know?"
"Oh, I don't know, instinct, Henry?"
"You gotta know who your friends with."
"I think Piper's panic attack was fake."
Nick looks to Emily desperately to stop this, but she's just standing still.
"How dare you? She's had anxiety for months!"
"I don't know why we're arguing about those 3, when Henry had to stir things up!"
"He was just defending Amy!"
"No, I agree with Richelle."
"Of course you would, Ozzy."
"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Guys, what in the world is going on?" Summer is in shock. She walks in to studio A to ask Emily about nationals, but A-troupe is a mess. They're fighting with each other like a pack of wolves. She notices that Finn, Piper and Amy aren't there.

☆

Finn's numb. He's lost all feeling. He feels like a ghost, walking to the locker room. He drags himself along. As soon as he enters, he sees Amy, and backs out.
"Finn, wait." She's been crying. Reluctantly, he lies down on the bench. He looks at the ceiling blankly.
"I'm sorry." She looks at him for her position on the armchair. He looks...drained. Like someone scooped all the Finn out of him.
"'S not your fault." He mutters. He doesn't even get why she's apologising.
"My outburst. It was awful."
"It wasn't true." He says. "It's not you. It's your luck. Your luck sucks."
"I guess it does."
"I ruined the team." His voice all matter-of-fact.
"No, you didn't. This will be all over soon."
"I heard them arguing as I left. About us."
"That's what A-troupe do. We fight, but that doesn't mean we aren't still a family."
"I'm not a part of that family." He counters. But there's no fire behind it.
"You are!" She's a little concerned now, "you're a big part."
"Are you criticising my weight?" She catches the tiniest glint of a smile in his eyes. It gives her hope that Finn is still in there.

"No, you know what I mean!"

☆

"We-" Richelle doesn't quite know how to finish her sentence.
"Well-" She tries again, but no.
"Where's the rest of the team?" Summer looks to Emily, but she looks frozen.
"There's been a bit of an incident." Nick frowns.
"An incident? You guys look like you could've killed each other!"
Richelle chews her lip. She really, really doesn't want to admit it, but this problem has Summer's heart written all over the solution. So she explains. Everything. She feels a little guilty, because it's not her story to tell, but as the Dance Captain Diary says, if it affects the team, it's the team's business.

☆

Finn and Amy have been in the locker room for about an hour. Since Finn's bad joke, it's been radio silence.
"Our situation would be funny, you know, if we weren't in it." Amy tries.
"Funny?" He scorns. What is she talking about?
"The irony. Of you liking Piper when she's unavailable, her liking you when you're unavailable. Me not being able to stand being in the same room as you to caring about you. A bit too much."
"Yeah, it's pretty painful irony."
"Mmm."

Piper has to collect her things. She's been waiting in The Next Steep. She text James as soon as she left the studio.

'Can you please pick me up?'
'Are you ok? Do you need me to call an ambulance? Do I need to kill Finn?'
'I just want to be at home. No, and no.'
'I might be an hour. I can send Mum?'
'I'll wait x'

James sent her the '10 minutes away' text so she makes her way to the locker room. She doesn't expect to find Finn in there, lying on his back, looking up. Or Amy, curled in the armchair.

☆

"Oh my gosh!" Summer did not expect that. She attempts for her mind not to wonder why Henry was so quick to Amy's defence, but it's no use.
"What do we do?" Richelle wants it to come out casual, laissez faire, but she sounds as  desperate as she is. Summer feels needed. She wishes the situation never happened, especially considering she gotten on very well with both Amy and Piper since she'd joined the studio, but it feels nice to be needed.
"You're a team," She says, "you have to he there for each other. You don't kick each other when your down," She tries to stop herself but she shoots a look at Henry, "you lift each other up. Everyone in the situation made mistakes. Pretty big mistakes. Hurtful mistakes. It was no one's fault specifically. First step, you need to give them time. No hunting them down, no incessant texting, no gossiping behind their backs."
The team nods in uniform.
"Second step: they will have sorted it out themselves. Like they did last time. This time, no questions. No blame game. Instead, be supportive. Amy will need a friend. Lots of friends. But don't try to get her to talk bad about Piper, that will make it worse. Finn and Piper need you to be supportive of their relationship, if there is one. I don't mean, "Oh, you're so cute!" every 5 seconds, that's patronising. I mean no eye rolling, harsh looks or judgement. Smiling, being happy for them. Because you are. Last step: eventually, this will blow over, and they might even give you the trust of talking to you about it. Your job is to listen. Get it, listen?"
Nodding like a bunch of chihuahuas.

☆

'Don't cry. Do not cry. Please do not cry.' For once in her life, her brain listens to her. She pretends the aren't there. Aren't looking at her. She grabs her stuff, conveniently dropping everything all over the place, and rushes out.
"Pipes." His voice. His heartbroken, empty, distant voice. Damn it. She retraces her steps back into the locker room.

You guys, 700+ reads, NO WAY! No way! You are really making me smile in lockdown. And nearly 80 votes! So much joy! Every read, comment and vote makes my heart warm.

P.S. I'm literally quaking for next week's episode. It's Pamy centric...