Eye Of The Hurricane is the fifth chapter of Last Dance and was published on December 25, also known as Christmas Day.
Synopsis[]
Ozzy begins his campaign that could save the studio's life; Finn and Noah have a dance battle for the solo that results in a studio outcry; Richelle and Zara argue over the female soloist, that results in a uphill battle and catastrophic consequences for Richelle and her only friend.
Chapter[]
Ozzy stepped into studio A, at this very moment, he felt the life of his soul resting against the fate of the studio he'd attended for the past few months. This studio was his everything, his way of breathing; he would not know what to do now with Emily and Giselle running it the way that they were. The ruthless democratic-opposite. This was basically a dictatorship. One he could not control, though, as someone who cared about the safety and the concern over the studio, he had to take charge - the least he could do was try to impeach their position of power as studio heads.
Ozzy began to dance to Up In The Clouds, a gentle sigh nuzzling by him as he began to dance his heart out. He was concerned how his peers would view him over the idea of trying to take the power away from their leaders, but he had to do this, it was for the best. He had to get the dance captain first on his side. Noah, and by that, he had to get Jacquie on his side.
Jacquie approached Ozzy, noticing his crazy dance. Jacquie was never typically fond of Ozzy due to how unserious the boy could be at times, especially the worst of times. Like now. Jacquie faced the person trying to challenge the studio runners and just bit her lip. "Alright, I'm here. What do you want? Make it quick. I have to be with Noah." Jacquie said, there the word was, Noah, the one person he needed on his side.
"You see, I have this plan to take down Giselle and Emily's positon because they are doing a horrible job as studio head, and I need Noah to join, so if you could maybe help me out? That would be great."
"Help you?" Jacquie asked, her voice cluttered with all sorts of emotions, she gave a scoff. "Why would I help you? First of all, Emily and Giselle are doing a perfect job at studio head, why change it? They are only doing what is best for the team and that's what we need. They are the perfect studio heads I am ever seen and I am not going to see some ameuter ruin that for me." Jacquie yelled, crushed. She could not believe Ozzy was trying to see his idea through, make things work make the studio more fun and inclusive for everyone. She needed the tough and strict conditions of the current status to keep everyone in line. She liked it and wanted to keep it that way.
Ozzy, at that moment, knew he'd messed up. Though, did he exactly care? Yes, this meant Jacquie might tell on him, something that would totally ruin his idea.
This plan surely was not going to happen.
Jacquie stormed into the locker room that connected the east hallway to studio 1, and hastily grabbed her bags, right after she was to tell Emily about the suspicious activity infested in Ozzy, she was going to walk off.
Noah turned his attention to the angered girl as he raised an eyebrow. "What's going on? You're usually never this angry."
"Ozzy is after my team." Jacquie yelled frustrated, unable to think straight and just wanted to get this drama over with and stop the impeachment, the oncoming threat to her territory.
"What?" Noah asked. "Look, I can get him to stop, just tell me what it is." Noah smiled.
"He's trying to impeach Emily and Giselle's power away from them, by doing some petition." Jacquie grumbled, "and he wants you in it because with you as the dance captain, you'll likely get everyone on board. You won't be joining it, will you?"
"Actually, that sounds like a cool idea. Giselle and Emily do need to calm down and chill, we're just teenagers. They should not go so hard on us, this is not a company."
Jacquie then squinted her eyes, eyeing down her boyfriend. "You seriously aren't taking his side, are you?"
"Actually I am." Noah claimed.
Jacquie was in total shock, this was something that she was not expecting from her boyfriend. Her boyfriend out of all people, the dance captain. Now she knew that most people would join in because Noah was the dance captain, so therefore he had a high position of power within the studio due to his level, and influence too. Therefore, her safety of the rules would be taken away. "But we're a competitive team!" Jacquie reasoned.
"And what does that have to do with it? We can't control our feelings."
"So?" Jacquie asked. "We're dancers, we are supposed to act for the safety of the team. If the chemistry works, you better dance. You out of all people are agreeing with Ozzy? Even when you did not like it when we had to do the lift when we argued."
"What does that have to do with any of this? I just don't find what they do as fair, I just want fairness for everyone. It should not matter. I am doing this, and you need to be supportive." Noah said, walking out.
Jacquie hesitated on the idea of what to do; her initial plan being to tell Emily, though with Noah being on the opposite end, that idea was completely ruined out because she did not want to ruin everything he had. Noah was all that she'd have left if this went through, and so she had to keep her boyfriend close. Though, maybe if she could reveal it in time before too many people were to join, then maybe she could tell Emily and get Ozzy to stop his nonsensical actions, though it would probably cause a civil war.
Either way, things were not looking bright for the future of the studio.
Noah walked into the dance space known as studio A and turned to face Ozzy. "So, Jacquie talked to me about your idea to conspire against Emily and Giselle and I want to say, that I'm all in. I can influence the other dancers. I don't like how they treat us, so they are in for a wake up call."
That moment, the moment when Noah agreed to the helping of Ozzy's plan; would be the turning point of the studio's life. It would go down in The Next Step's history.
-
Zara, the next day, had just finished a private with Chloe to work on her ballet technique, and she was feeling pretty confident in her skills that she had. She knew she had to bring everything and more to the stage as she needed to be the best. There was no way she could stick out like a sore thumb. She put her bag in her locker as she was going to go to the new juice place, Shakes & Ladders, with a bright smile immersing her face. She heard the slam of the locker beside her.
Richelle.
Oh, how she dreaded Richelle's coming. The girl thought that she was all that, the person who was the best and when in reality, she was nothing now. She had built herself up as everything and then she turned to nothing, because sure, she was the best dancer, but one who was highly underrated, no one in the community stopped to admire her talent and yet she claimed to be the most famous. Zara hated that about the Elliot-persona'd girl. The two could relate to each other so well, maybe that was why they had began dating?
"What do you want?" Zara groaned, not wanting to hear what had to come out of Richelle's mouth because whatever it was that would spew out of there, she knew that it would not be good.
"I want that solo back and I am going to get it." Richelle demanded, her voice as cold as ice, piercing through her lungs.
"Yeah, sure, and Beyoncé is going to be our next Prime Minister." Zara rolled her eyes, disdain rolled near her.
"I'm serious." Richelle stated.
"I don't have time for you and your silly unrealistic dreams, that is how you got yourself injured in the first place." Zara said.
"I just want what is best for the team. I am the best dancer, so I want a rematch." Richelle explained.
Zara sighed, "fine." Zara smiled, she knew that she'd win of course. As she was the best so-far compared to Richelle, espicially since those judging knew of the dance captains concerns over how far she had been pushing herself ever since she got off her injury - it was as if she was addicted to dance, it filled her with a rush of adrenaline that consumed her. She could not stop. She always had to have it, and when she got injured, it made her depressed.
She knew she would win -- Richelle stood no chance against her. She followed the blonde into studio 1 where the six staff of A-Troupe lurked. Smiles greeting them as they traversed into the either sides of the room. Thalia decided that she was to do the honours of beginning the battle.
Hurricane by Bridgit Mendler began to play through the studio 1 speakers and Zara took to the stage and began to freestyle. It almost was symbolic to the female dancer. As they were currently in the eye of the hurricane. It made the insides spring into a happy feeling, something she'd felt before. Though, not the same. As if the feeling had been reprised from somewhere. Maybe it was just the dark cloud that loomed over the team with Ozzy's plans; they'd never know.
Giselle gulped as Ain't No Number Two played through the speakers and Richelle walked up and began to do the usual Acro moves, she did not want their best dancer to be ruined by herself. Though, allowed her to do the insane moves that could easily injure her in a split second. She held her breathe, preparing herself mentally for the worst of what was to come.
It never came.
Richelle never got injured.
Thank the dance gods. Thalia and Eldon glared at each other and they looked up, and Thalia turned to their two contenders. "Richelle, fortunately, you won't be having the solo."
"But this is mine! I am the best dancer here! I am an asset!" Richelle yelled in anger.
"But you've been taking your dancing too far, we can't let you fet hurt, I want you to have a safe recovery." Thalia reasoned.
"The doctor cleared me!" Richelle protested against the the head.
"I am sorry Richelle but you are not dancing! End of discussion!" Giselle intervened. "You just got off the injury, we can't risk further injury, we can't risk another injury. What if you fall because you went too far and then you'd never dance ever again?" You would never be allowed to dance! We are saving you from yourself!" Giselle yelled. "You are not dancing!"
Richelle stormed off, and went to the lockers, tears shedding from her skin. As she realized the sad truth; she was craving dance. Addicted. She truly was suffering from dance mania. Could she stop it? No, dancing would be her demise, the reason she'd die some day. After dancing for five weeks straight, maybe? She needed to stop this, or else things would spiral out of control, but she could not help it. Dance was all she had now, she'd lost everyone. She must control herself, for she was turning insane. All she wanted to do was dance, during the injury she had no one to turn to, as her parents had split up.
Dancing was her everything -- her literal everything. She knew all she cared about was dance and she could not help herself. It was everything and more, she could not keep love around, but she could keep dance. She knew that if she wanted to stay alive, she'd have to stay, she needed to stay sane. But could she? Would that be her most available option?
For now, she could not. She could not be tamed. She must fill the crave. Though, she really did need mental help. It dawned on her that she had to change her habits, her ideals. Her goals in life. And yet, like everything else in her life, disregarded it, frowned upon it, shamed it. Knew it would never be possible.
This was her end. It would take a lot more then yelling to make her realize that this would lead to her death, though, what could? She trusted no one but dance. Dance was there for her when no one was. How could she give up the best thing that ever happened to her? She thrived off of dance, soaking in the energy it permitted to her. But, she could not live like this for that long.
A change needed to happen.
Authors Notes[]
- To clarify, Richelle now has an addiction, though, don't worry, it won't last throughout the entirity of the book, though I don't want to spoil how it ends.
- The initial title of the chapter was "Step Up" but changed it as I felt Eye Of The Hurricane was a better sounding title.
- The reason Ozzy is the only one that could save her is because of reasons that will be explained later.
- This is apart of one of two updates I am doing in order to celebrate Christmas.
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