Empire - The Next Step

changing it up

Harper had noticed that Piper was struggling with her acro and although she couldn't consider herself an expert, she thought that it would nice if she helped her out. She had never even spoken to Piper and honestly, she rarely spoke to anyone other than Richelle, but if she could help the team in any way then she would. The blonde entered studio one and saw the girl on her own practicing the combo and a look of pity found its way onto her soft features.

"Hey Piper." She greeted the brunette in a gentle tone as she walked into the centre of studio one. Piper turned around with a slightly bashful expression, clearly she didn't want anyone to see her at her weakest.

"Oh, hey Harper. Did you need the space?" The blonde shook her head with a small smile and Piper's face contorted into one of confusion. "Then what are you doing here? It's pretty late."

"Well I know you don't know me that well, but I noticed that you were struggling earlier with the acro so I wanted to help." Piper couldn't help but smile at Harper's kindness. She didn't imagine that anyone on the team would take time out of their own day to offer her guidance but here they were. "So it's the front walkover right?"

"Yeah, I don't know what it is. I feel like I don't have the confidence to go over in to the bridge." Harper nodded understandingly and then thought about how she had mastered the trick.

"Okay, we could try some backbend recovers and then maybe a front limber because it's not as intimidating when you can land on two feet." She suggested and Piper nodded eagerly. Harper grabbed the mat and the two got to work on the move. With some support, Piper was getting much better at her bridge and recovers because she definitely had the core strength so the problem was definitely going over. "You're doing really well. You can definitely do it, it's just a confidence thing. I think if you try lifting your head when you go into the handstand that will arch your back more and it might help because you can kind of see where you're going."

"Okay, that makes sense." The brunette responded as she tried a few front limbers onto the thick mat in front of her. She still hadn't got the move down pat, but there was so much improvement, until the two of them were interrupted. They both heard footsteps into the studio and after Harper spotted Piper going over, they both turned their heads to see Noah enter the room. Harper suddenly began to panic, Noah was the only person she had not yet spoke to. She usually kept to just Richelle but everyone else she had at least uttered a sentence to.

"If you keep practicing that Piper then I know you're gonna get it, but I have to go." The brunette looked significantly disappointed as Harper stood up and brushed herself off. The girl offered a hand to Piper so she could stand up and the girl thanked her profusely. After hiding biding her goodbye, Harper briskly left the studio without so much as a second glance at Noah. She heard him call her name after her but ignored it and headed straight for neutral grounds.

As she ordered a juice from the barista, a few thoughts were weighing on her mind. She couldn't stand that fact that she couldn't be in a conversation with Noah. It was going to be a seriously difficult year if they couldn't resolve their issues but at the same time, even if Harper was over him romantically she still hadn't completely moved on and it was hard for her to even see him because he had managed to do it so quickly. He never even shared the same feelings.

The girl paid the barista and thanked her with a kind smile before turning around to find a seat, but someone stood in her way. She looked up to see an apprehensive Noah standing before her with and awkward smile on his face.

"Can I help you?" She asked in a relatively cold voice that sounded so foreign to Noah. The girl that he had danced all those years with in J Troupe was always full of warmth and happiness. He nervously rubbed the back of his back and gestured for the girl to sit down with him which she did after some initial hesitation.

"Harper," Noah began and it sent a shiver down the girl's spine just hearing her name roll off his tongue. "I just need to make sure we're okay. We haven't talked in months, and I never knew why. You just started blocking me out." The blonde debated telling him some lie to get out of the situation as she starred down at her drink and suddenly found the straw very interesting, but she knew she would have to come clean at some point.

"Richelle told you I liked you right?" She asked to confirm and the boy almost spit his drink out in shock of how blunt she was being. He nonetheless nodded so that Harper could continue speaking. "Well I did, pretty much since you joined A Troupe, but Richelle helped me get over you so now you can focus on whichever girl you're going for next and I can focus on dance." There was still something wrong. That wasn't the same Harper that Noah had known almost his whole life. She sounded almost dead inside, like nothing in the world could make her happy.

"O-okay, so we're cool?" Noah asked to confirm and the girl nodded with a feeble smile which made Noah feel that they weren't for some reason. The room fell silent again for a moment and all that could be heard was 'addicted 2 you' playing on the radio.

"We should probably go to rehearsal." The blonde told him awkwardly and the two of them stood up and took the short journey down the hall towards studio once in complete silence. Things had definitely changed between them. Noah had become so obsessed with girls that he had abandoned their friendship which caused a rift between the two and Harper had become so void of emotion around him, it seemed that the rift was impenetrable. The only person she seemed to be herself around anymore was Richelle, no one would ever know that girl she used to be.

They got back to the studio just a few minutes prior to rehearsal and as everyone warmed up, Noah went to the front as though he had something to say. His eyes lingered on Piper who he gave a reassuring nod to making Harper narrow her eyes. He was definitely planning something.

"Guys, I have a last minute change to the choreography. Piper, you wanna demonstrate?" Noah announced to the group causing them all to exchange bewildered glances. Harper thought back to when she was helping Piper out earlier and remembered that she had left because Noah arrived. Had he changed the choreo because she was struggling with the walkover? "So instead of the front walkover, we're gonna do a double attitude turn."

Everyone hesitantly followed his lead as he led them all through the changes. Harper shot a glance at Piper, if she had stuck at it she would have nailed that front walkover. What Noah had done was never going help Piper improve as a dancer, it would only keep her at the same level. Said girl glanced back at Harper with apologetic eyes as she mouthed a 'sorry' but Harper did understand on Piper's behalf. It must have been difficult to be falling behind just because she couldn't get one move down. It was Noah who was in the wrong.

"That wasn't my choreography. What's going on Noah?" Daniel demanded as himself and Emily entered the studio with matching expressions. Neither one of them looked impressed. Noah stuttered to find a response and defend himself, but it was Piper who spoke up.

"Noah changed the choreo for me, it's my fault." She said in defence of the boy, but Emily knew better than that. She was thinking the exact same things that Harper had been, Noah had made it easier for Piper with good intentions but that would never help her out in the long run. The stern woman called Noah into her office as Daniel fixed the changed that Noah had made and ordered them all to keep running it over and over until it was right.

After running it until everyone was at breaking point, Daniel announced that it was time for the cool down so they all pulled out the bars then took a water break before finding their positions.

"Harper." A small voice came from behind the blonde as she put her water bottle away in her locker. She turned around to see Piper with a petrified expression on her concern filled faced. The blonde nodded for Piper to go on. "I'm really sorry for changing the choreo after you helped me out. I was just looking for an easy option because I knew I wouldn't have that walkover before the rehearsal but no I've realised that's not the way to do things."

"I don't blame you Piper, Noah should've had more faith in your abilities. I know you'll get there soon." She said giving the brunette a reassuring pat on the shoulder before she left to go and cool down from rehearsals. Harper was still in disbelief that Noah had such little confidence in Piper. He had danced with her all last year and knew what an amazing dancer she was so it was slightly confusing to wrap her head around. She just hoped that in future, Noah wouldn't be so doubtful of Piper, or for that matter anyone's, abilities because they were all on A Troupe for a reason.