i felt it in my chest as she looked at me,
i knew we were bound to be together.
East North goes through the ups and downs of what it really means to be an A-Trouper, while dealing with her own drama.
（ 𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 ）
（ 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!�...
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THIRD PERSON'S POV.
The day of the qualifier had finally arrived! East had been looking forward to this day since the start of her first rehearsal with Richelle, Piper, and Noah. Her excitement rose further when she and her group, as well as Riley, Michelle, Amanda, and Alfie stepped onto the stage. East hadn't stepped onto a stage since Internationals when The Next Step won the competition. Being onstage now... it felt like coming home again.
"You guys excited?" Riley asked the dancers.
"I'm very excited," Noah voiced while East, Richelle, and Piper nodded in agreement.
"I can't wait to take the stage," East added with a grin.
"Are you guys ready?" Riley inquired.
"We're ready," Richelle confirmed.
"Then let's win the qualifier. Alright, hands in." At Riley's instruction, East happily put her hands in the middle along with her teammates. "One, two, three—"
"The Next Step!" Everyone cheered together.
They were the reigning Internationals champions — the best dance studio in the world. The Next Step had this in the bag... Right?
. . .
With the qualifiers being today and rehearsals being on hold, Studio A was relatively quiet. Or that was what Kai thought. However, that proved to be wrong when he, Henry, and Amy entered the studio and saw Sloane hanging a 'congratulations' banner, while a bucket of party decor was on the floor.
"Sloane, what is this?" Amy was the first to speak to the girl.
"I'm setting up for the party," Sloane replied. Kai furrowed his brows in confusion, sharing the same look with Henry and Amy.
"What party?"
"The 'congratulations on qualifying' party to welcome back the small group from the Regionals qualifier."
"Did Riley tell you to do that?" Henry questioned. "'Cause this is kinda weird knowing that we haven't won anything yet."
"No, it was my idea."
"Isn't setting up for a congratulations party kinda jinxing our chances?" Kai added. "I mean, it's a nice idea, but anything could happen."
Shaking off their remarks, Sloane rather asked, "Are you gonna help me or not?"
"I'm in!" Amy happily agreed. "I love a good party."
