Traverse is the seventh chapter of Last Dance and was published on December 26.
Synopsis[]
Richelle's strive to dance goes too far, and leads to problems with everyone and sends Ally mixed signals. Ozzy tries to get Richelle to come back. Meanwhile, Ozzy begins to officially start his plan of attack on the factuality of the studio, which raises some concerns over the dancers - but will it all be worth it?
Chapter[]
Richelle's tear drained itself through the skin as she knew this studio was just not for her anymore. She wanted to dance! Not be a background dancer, she knew this place had to be better without her, though, where could she dance? That was the main problem.
Richelle then realized, Cierra and Skylar both attended Gemini, and that would be the perfect stepping stone. Ozzy walked in.
"You doing okay?" Ozzy asked, hugging the nearly-injured dancer tight.
"No, I'm not. I have to leave. I am leaving." Richelle explained. "I can't dance here, they won't even let me anymore after my injury. Please, tell me you're on my side."
Ozzy smiled at the words being uttered, "of course." And then Ally looked through the window. How could he? Out of all the people she had to love, it just had to be that person, Ozzy. The one who already had an infatuation with another girl. Was there any hope left? None, at all.
"I need to go." Richelle said, picking up her bag and walking straight out. She knew where she had to be, the Gemini's. They were the best studio in the world at this point, as they did not attend the same Regional's as them, they were to face off against each other at Nationals together, which made the reason of winning only one million times more validated then ever before.
She texted Cierra, is there an extra spot open on your competitive team at Gemini?
Addicted To You played in studio X at the Gemini's as their nine dancer team was struggling to make things work with the spacing. One of their dancers had gotten the Flu and therefore, was out of competition, and because they were pressed for a deadline, almost 3 months by now, they had to replace her. There was no more wasting of time to be done. Cierra heard a bing from her phone as she did chêne turns, she gleamed over to the studio head. "Sorry, can I take this?" She asked, noticing that it was from Richelle. Despite them being on different teams and not ever being on A-Troupe together, they had one thing in common; Skylar. Richelle was friends with Skylar, who was Richelle's friend. The one friend who'd yet to backstab her, though, maybe that was partially due to how little they'd spoken to each other
The studio head nodded and Cierra gave a sigh of relief, running into the hallways passed the corridor. Texting her about how it would be better if she'd call her, and then she called her. Richelle picked up. "I really need to go back and dance, so can you make things quick?" She asked.
"Yeah. I just need to know if there is an extra spot on your team." Richelle said.
"Yeah, come down here, I will tell him that you wanna audition." Cierra hastily spoke and rushed back. "I have a dancer willing to audition, her name is Richelle and she is a very dedicated dancer."
The teacher nodded approvingly, phew. Thank the dance gods.
Richelle walked out and headed to the Elite-like dance studio, even how it looked like just screamed Elite Dance Academy; the black atmosphere, the black uniforms the dancers were to dance in, and their studio owner oddly resembled Lucian. She turned to Cierra, "hey!" The two hugged proudly.
"You are Richelle, right? The one wanting to audition?"
Richelle nodded to the teacher, then Ember Island's song "Umbrella" began to play and she did a very flexible Acro routine, trying to bring everything to the very forefront. She needed to wow whoever was going to adjudicate the dance. She needed this, without this she was without a studio to dance at.
"You're in, although I heard you have a... boyfriend?" The dance teacher asked, the face raising concerns in the blonde's tone of voice.
"Yeah.. Ozzy..." Richelle said, her voice trailing off.
"He needs to leave you. We don't allow people to date anyone who is competing against us, he's on our rival team."
Richelle gulped, her boyfriend could not, in no way, be the cause of her not making it. She'd do anything at this point. She huffed over to the former studio she used to be in, once more and walked into studio 1's locker area. There, Ozzy, a few minutes later pulled up.
"Got your text, what do you want?" Ozzy asked.
"You need to leave the studio." Richelle said.
"What? I can't just leave, I have friends here." Ozzy said.
"Yeah, well if you don't I need to break up with you." Richelle said,
"I can't believe you're being so unprofessional right now!" Ozzy yelled. "I love you, and that should not be an issue, does not matter what studio or if I dance or-"
"I am going to Gemini and they said that if I don't break up with you, I am out. Which means I have no studio to go to." Richelle yelled.
"I am sorry, Richelle, but this has gone on for too long, I can't do this right now." Ozzy yelled, storming off.
Richelle paused, realizing she'd just lost the one thing in her life that she'd cared for the most. Whatever, that was not going to stop her. She was going to dance, no one was taking this dance away from her. Not even her stupid ex-boyfriend. She regretted to ever trust anyone. Though, Ozzy felt bad for hurting her feelings.
- That next day, the dancers at The Next Step walked in, and Ally strayed far away from her friend, not knowing where he stood. This was so confusing at this point. Where? Richelle? Ally? Who was Ozzy dating because there was no way it could be both, that would just be awful.
Ally then walked over to Ozzy, "we need to settle things straight. I'm sick and tired of your games!" Ally yelled.
"Yeah? So what?" Ozzy asked, his eye brow raised.
"I want to know, who are you dating?" She asked.
"Well, considering that Richelle isn-.." Ozzy's face frowned, "no. I'm sorry, but, me and Richelle can't be over."
"She's hurt you, on multiple occasions, and you're seriously going back?" Ally asked. "Look, I am your friend, but this is a bad decision."
Ozzy paused. "No. You're just doing it because you love me!" Ozzy yelled, and then Giselle walked in and rehearsal began, the rehearsal similar to normal, though tensions higher then ever before. The steaks were the highest they could get at that moment.
Rehearsal for both sides had diminished. Richelle noticed Ozzy lurking around the back entrance and Richelle followed.
"I thought - I thought you hated me." Richelle said, a frown corrupting her insides.
"I could never hate you for long, but I will admit you've taken things too far, and you're risking permettant injury, you've literally lost everything, and you're pushing those away from you." Ozzy said, releasing a sigh into the oxygen-filled surroundings. "With that being said, I want to date you... In secret.
Richelle blushed and looked down, "thanks." Richelle said and they began to walk and talk about the usual things.
"So, how has A-Troupe been? I do... Slightly miss them, but I can't go back." Richelle said.
"Good, but I... I want you to know that... You can still dance, just not while anyone is around, besides your parents, so like, at home? And while no one on A-Troupe is around." Ozzy said, "and... I'm sorry, I... I don't think I can be your secret boyfriend, I may have came up with the idea, but I want people to know." Ozzy said.
Richelle had a choice - Gemini, and no one, or The Next Step, no dance, but someone. Someone who cared for her, loved her with all his heart. Was the risk worth it? Was she going to be okay? She personally had no clue, but only time would tell.
-
The loveless room spiralled out of control as Ozzy had began to campaign. Despite Ally's anguish towards the trying-to-be-serious dancer's actions, she felt no need to cause more tension between the two for any retraction Ozzy may just have.
"Can we talk?" Ozzy asked.
"Y.. Yeah?" Ally asked, a glimpse of hope shining.
"So, are we ever going to be a thing? Because I kind of love you."
"Kind of? It is yes or no Ozzy, make up your mind." Ally pleaded for the insides of Ozzy to make their mind, just like Richelle, he had.
Ozzy held Ally's hand and kissing it. "I have." Ozzy smiled, though the parade that was the excite boiling in the teenager jazz/lyrical dancer's body lit up, but was quickly imploded, popped by the ever so nonchalant Richelle.
"Surprise, I'm back." Richelle yelled as she strutted in confidently as she was surrounded by her teammates and hugs from them; her choice and mind being made, she was staying. She could not risk loosing Ozzy, as he was the only person to make Richelle smile and laugh. They deserved to be together, and that was all the right validation for her to come back. Despite how hard it would be to dance, there were surely alternatives. Besides, she'd dance again, eventually. Even if not now.
Ally looked over to Ozzy. This was it. They were to never become a reality. Ozzy obviously loved Richelle more. There was no hope for them, "it's fine." Ally almost cried as she walked away from the almost-her lover. She bit her lip as she backed into her corner of loneliness. The sadness caved her insides, as the silence buried her in a deep slumber.
This was not over, Ally was going to get her forbidden lover, and Richelle's desperation for dance -- oh, that was far from over. In fact, it was only beginning. She was going to dance, and no one was stopping her. One way or another, she was dancing, and dancing full out, though, that subject was going to be operated on.
Ozzy then turned to his peers. "Now, look. I have a feeling some of you all will not agree with where I stand on the issue, but I am doing this for the greater good, now if I could have at least six people to join me, because I already have Noah." Ozzy began. "So." He cleared his throat. "Michelle, Emily, Eldon, Thalia, Giselle and Chloe have not been doing a very good job at keeping us all in line, exhibit A; this, exhibit B; the trio competition-" the three people who had competed in that competition frowned at The reminder of their anguish, "which is why we, The A-Troupe of TNS need to ban together and rebel, we need to make sure they know who is in charge, therefore, I want to have a petition to impeach their powers, so we can have a better, more reasonable and fair studio head." Ozzy gave his speech, as the others wavered in on the concept.
Jacquie, Ally, and Lily stepped far away from Ozzy, not willing to risk being pulled into the notion. This had officially turned into an all-out war. Though, the teams were the dancers, and the studio heads. Yet, the studio heads were not even there to fight for their spot. As the time for A-Troupe rehearsals had not approached yet, so the three who remained adamant to not join just stood and watched.
Richelle collapsed into the safety of her boyfriend Ozzy as Take It To The Top played and they began to dance, to show that this was a new age. They were all happy of what they were about to accomplish, everyone was starting to notice how serious Ozzy had grown since when he first was starting out on A-Troupe. She was proud of him, and now Ozzy was proud of Richelle for making him not have to move on, for their love was too strong for one to demolish so easily
Jacquie was determined to fight for the people who ran the other side's spots. They deserved it, they were the people Kate picked and should not be impeached upon, there spots were there's and it was not their decision, Kate is the studio owner and was only doing what was right for the team, Jacquie just rolled her eyes, "Ally, Lily, let's go. I'm out. I can't risk being in trouble for something I'm not even apart of, and they're idiots. Kate picked those in charge for a reason, it is not their decision." She stated and then stormed out, Noah frowned as he noticed Jacquie's visible anger towards what they were doing.
Jacquie was done with this team - this meant war.
Authors Notes[]
- This chapter was very fast paced and so will the next one be, so be warned.
- Jacquie telling Lily and Ally to leave because of how the other's were rebelling and they did not want to be in it, nor did they want to get in trouble for it, is a nod to when Stephanie told Emily to leave with her during the auditions for the line placements of their dance, because they knew they would not get it.
- I am keeping the next chapter's title a secret cuz I love it so much and ya'll probably won't get the reference, soo... You'll have to wait, and I'm fairly busy so it may not come until tomorrow morning.
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