Never Enough The Next Step

'Previously on The Next Step...'

Why don't you wanna do the duet?

'Hunter beat me fair and square in the dance battle.'

So now I have to stay away from Michelle.

'I came to the studio for Michelle.'

I'm just glad Eldon's not in my way any more.

I need to focus on my dance, OK?

There's one more duet to add to the list.

Hunter and I.

It's my endgame, to break up Michelle and Eldon.

'We did have plans separately.'

But, together, it seems to be working.

I can't go to the competition with you.

'Riley saw us kiss, and she's getting the wrong idea.'

Beth kissed me, I didn't kiss Beth.

We're over.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

MUSIC PLAYS

'I'm waiting for our duet competition to start.'

And I can't help thinking that I made another big mistake.

'Even though Riley broke up with me,

'I still don't feel quite right about dancing with Beth.'

I don't know about this.

Look at me.

We got this, OK?

Yeah? Let's do this!

-Are we ready?

-Yeah, OK.

-Get pumped!

-OK, OK.

-Come on!

-Yeah, let's do it. Let's do it.

-Let's go. Let's do this.

-Let's do it.

Beth is right. I am glad I came.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

MORE CHEERING AND WHOOPING

MUSIC STARTS

AUDIENCE CHEERS

# My love has moved too fast on to the next one

# Though she doesn't talk trash But it ain't cos we fix nothing

# No, she been out playing She ain't just working late again

# No, no, no

# My friends tried to tell me that she's no good

# But if she came crawling back to me You know that I would

# I can't be held responsible for anything I do with you, you, you

# Baby, I've been tied to you... #

'It feels good dancing with Beth. She's doing good.'

We're hitting everything, And it's good.

# Ooh, tied to you

# But you're moving on to somebody

# Somebody new

# Somebody

# Somebody new, somebody Somebody... #

After everything that happened with Riley,

it's kind of fun to just be somewhere else.

# Somebody new

# Baby, I've been tied to you

# Got these chains that I can't break through

# Ooh, tied to you

# But you're moving on to somebody new. #

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

# We...

# We're gonna show the world

# Everything we're made of

# We're gonna tear the roof off this thing. #

# Stand up! #

'I'm in my office working

'and I realised that James and Riley are scheduled

'to work on their Nationals duet. But they're not here.'

This is unacceptable.

Thanks.

-Hey, Riley!

-Hey.

-How was your weekend?

-OK.

-That's good.

Um, listen, I heard about you and James and...I'm sorry.

It's OK. It's not your fault.

I feel bad for her. To see the person that you love

with someone else, it's not fun.

I know Eldon's just trying to be nice

but, I really don't wanna talk about my break-up with James.

If Riley and James aren't together and can't make it,

I don't know who can.

Yeah, we're not exactly the ideal couple.

Well, not any more.

Well, then, who is?

I guess, James and Beth now cos they went to that competit...

-What?!

-No. No, no, no.

-He went to the competition?

-No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

How was I supposed to know Riley didn't know about the competition?

Everyone kinda knew about it.

-It's a rumour. It's a rumour. I heard a rumour.

-A rumour. Yeah?

'I can't believe, after everything that happened,'

James actually went to the duet competition with Beth.

It's just, don't...

-Hey!

-Hey. Hm.

What was that about?

SHE BREATHES OUT

Hey, guys! Guess what?

Come closer.

Come on, closer, closer!

I just wanted to let you know

that James and Beth placed second in the dance competition this weekend.

-Nice!

-Yeah! THEY CLAP

'I can't even look at James right now.'

How could he betray me again?

-Exciting, right?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

Just wanted to let you know. You should get warmed up, right?

Uh, Riley? James?

Can you head into my office? I'd like to talk to you, please.

It's gonna be really awkward talking to Kate about this.

'I feel so uncomfortable right now.'

'I can just sense the tension.'

We're the only two people in there.

'It's hard enough with everyone else in the room.'

But, it's just me and him. And that hasn't happened in a while.

So, you came in second?

Yeah.

How many studios were there, two?

No. A bunch.

I still can't believe you went.

What am I supposed to do, bail on her?

I don't know, but I thought you wanted to fix this.

I thought you wanted to try.

-Kate asked me to do it.

-I don't care what Kate asked you to do!

So. How's the duet going?

-Fine.

-Really?

'I'm very worried for the Nationals duet.

'Riley and James normally have so much chemistry.'

And now they just don't mesh.

To be honest, we haven't rehearsed in a while.

I can't even get Riley to talk to me. Or even get her to look at me!

We haven't even had the time to plan

when we're going to practise our duet.

Guys, Nationals is right around the corner.

You need to get back to rehearsal.

Can we just maybe have a few days?

I'd be cool with that, yeah.

I think a few days off will be good for Riley and I.

'Honestly, I think she just needs a little bit more time on her own

'and then, hopefully, we can talk about it.'

Fine. I'll give you a few days.

But then you have to get back to it.

Fine.

SHE SIGHS HEAVILY

-Yo, is that what I think it is?

-Do you know this?

Yeah, I do!

This was my favourite when I was, like, five. That one song.

-Yo, how did it go, though?

-Um...

-Doop, do-do, doop-doop.

SHE JOINS IN

'Right now, I'm just at Culture Shock, getting a juice,

'and I see Emily and Hunter kinda goofing around.'

It kinda makes me feel awkward and I don't really see them like that.

HUNTER BEATBOXES IN THE BACKGROUND

Hey.

'I'm really glad that Eldon shows up.'

Because I just really need to talk to him about why he's avoiding me.

-How are you?

-Good, how are you?

-Fine.

-That's good.

-Congrats on the solo!

-Thanks, you too. Your solo was amazing.

Thanks.

I just kinda wish that we got the opportunity to do our duet.

Me and you.

HE COUGHS

'Things are just awkward with Michelle now.'

I need to focus on my Nationals solo

and seeing Michelle just brings back all these old feelings.

I should probably get going so, see ya around.

"See you around"?

'I still have really strong feelings for Eldon.'

But I just feel like it's awkward between us now.

'Right now, I'm just practising my solo for Nationals.'

Just trying to get it ready.

'I'm not dancing as well as I usually do.'

There is so much on my mind.

'I'm in Studio A because I wanted to talk to Eldon

'and find out what's going on between him and Michelle.'

Hopefully our plan is working.

'It kinda looks like something's on his mind

'so he's not fully invested in the piece.'

And, maybe, just because I've watched him for my entire life,

I can just tell he's not... He's not floating.

# Oxygen. #

MUSIC

He's just such a beautiful dancer.

And he works so hard, and I just really admire that about him.

I just really love watching him.

HE PANTS

Hi!

Hey.

-It looks good!

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Feel like I'm kind of struggling with it.

It looks like you're dancing with something on your mind.

It's like weighing you down.

-Something wrong?

-No.

Eldon, I've known you since we were five.

-Yeah.

-What's bothering you?

Nothing, I'm fine.

-What?

-Is it...is it Michelle?

No. We're... Me and Michelle are good. We're good.

'I find it really weird that Emily is asking me about Michelle.'

She's probably the last person I would have this conversation with.

You're an awful, awful liar. You always have been.

Are you guys still together?

Yeah. I...I think.

You think!

What do you mean, "You think"? Make up your mind, Eldon!

Things are really complicated right now because

I'm with Michelle, but I've been avoiding her.

So, everything, it's really complicated.

'I'm just sitting in Culture Shock, reading a magazine,

'hoping for James to show up.

'And finally, after a few minutes, I see him walk in.'

And I just really badly wanna talk to him.

'I just don't know what to say.

'I mean, there's so many things that I want to say, but don't know how.'

-Riley!

-Hey.

-What's up!

'When Riley taps my shoulder, I'm excited to see her.'

I'm starting to believe that there's hope a little bit more now.

I just wanted to say congrats... on your win with Beth.

I am genuinely congratulating him.

I mean, it may be with Beth but, I still care about him.

-Listen, with me and Beth...

-Don't.

It doesn't matter any more.

If it doesn't matter, then why are you here talking to me?

I just wanted to say congrats.

I think Riley misses me.

'I'm still incredibly mad at James.'

But the feelings are still there.

# How could you be so low? Oh...

# How could you be so low? #

HE EXHALES SHARPLY

-Hey.

-Hey.

'I need to talk to Emily and discuss how our plan is going.'

See how it's holding up on her side of the bargain.

So, what's up?

-HE SIGHS

-Honestly, I don't even know.

Michelle's not talking to me any more.

Like, I have no connection with her.

Yeah, I know.

So, uh, how are things with Eldon?

OK, I think.

I mean, I talked to him today

and he said Michelle and him might still be together.

-No!

-I don't really know what that means.

Are you serious right now?

I'm lying(!) Obviously I'm serious right now.

'Eldon and I had a deal.'

If I win the dance battle, he backs off.

That's what happened so he needs to leave Michelle alone.

I noticed that Hunter can be a bit too aggressive towards Eldon.

And, if Eldon realises that too, he'll be aggressive towards Hunter.

I think I just need to go talk to him.

If you push Eldon, he's gonna retaliate sooner or later.

You could lose Michelle forever like that.

OK, I don't know what to do, then.

I've had feelings for Michelle now for five years.

I need to get all things out on the table

and re-establish our connection.

'I'm at Culture Shock, just, you know, looking through albums.

'I'm kind of feeling down lately about Eldon.'

I just want a little bit of time by myself.

-Hey, Michelle.

-Hi.

-What you got there?

-Uh...

Let me see this. Sad Love Songs Compilation.

Are you in a mopey kind of a mood right now?

Let's see what else they have.

OK. Songs to Cry To.

Oh, this is another one you could be listening to.

Actually, does it kinda look like me? I think so.

All I'm saying is this would be fun to play at parties.

Maybe I can cheer her up and win some brownie points.

My dad, he used to put records on and he'd turn it to 78

which is like a high speed, and it'd go really fast

-and it'd just sound like chipmunks.

-HE SQUEAKS AND GIBBERS

You know, it was...

'She's not laughing at any of my jokes.'

Michelle, what's going on?

I'm just trying to make you laugh, cheer you up

and you're not even giving me like a pity laugh, or like a smile.

Come on, let me see a smile.

'I'm just kinda upset with Eldon right now.'

I feel like he's ignoring me for no reason.

I mean, I kinda feel in the wrong but I didn't do anything.

Well, everything was OK.

And then, Eldon just started ignoring me all of a sudden.

Honestly, I don't even know if we're boyfriend and girlfriend any more.

'I tell Hunter about Eldon and I because I know that I can trust him.'

And I know that he's a good friend.

All jokes aside, it just doesn't seem like you guys are together.

Just cos, if I was your boyfriend,

I'd just wanna spend every minute of every hour

talking with you, laughing with you, hanging out.

'Hunter saying that to me

'made me remember my feelings that I did have for him.'

Back in Madison.

And, I mean, I don't any more but it just made me feel a sense of comfort.

'After everything that happened with James today,

'I thought that maybe I could come to the music room and dance it out.'

MUSIC STARTS

My solo is very dark.

# So this is how it ends

# No worlds left to avenge... #

I wanted to dance to it because it kinda reflects how I feel right now.

# All the talk of fire and brimstone's gone

# And now we make amends... #

'Everything that's happened with James and Beth and...'

# And all the talk of worlds we have to conquer

# We will fight again... #

'Usually when I dance, I feel better.'

But it's almost like, as I go through the dance, it feels worse.

# Don't take enemies

# Don't take enemies for friends #

# When the war is over When the war is over

# When the war is over. #

SHE PANTS

SHE SOBS

I'm OK.

-Can I speak to you?

-Sure.

I'm approaching Eldon right now because

I want a solid answer on why he's ignoring me.

Right now, I'm being a little nosey and spying on Michelle and Eldon.

'I just wanna know where they are.'

Well, you've been avoiding me for several days now.

HE SIGHS HEAVILY

I've been avoiding Michelle because,

'to be with Michelle and to try and get better at dance at the same time

'is just too much right now.'

OK, well, things have just become really complicated lately.

And, with Nationals around the corner,

I don't know if I have it in me

to balance both things at the same time.

So, you're breaking up with me?

Well, can I get a little more time to think about this, at least?

Not really.

I've given you so long! And you've avoided me this whole time.

How long am I supposed to wait?

It's just not fair! I don't understand.

Things were going so well between us. Can you just tell me what's going on?

Yeah, I guess we're done.

'Breaking up with Michelle'

is probably the hardest thing I've had to do.

Really? So, that's it?

'I'm really upset that Eldon broke up with me.

'I don't understand what's going on.

'We've been through so much together.'

And he's just gonna throw that all away?

# We...

# We're gonna show the world

# Everything we're made of

# We're gonna tear the roof off this place

# You...

# You can never fade us out

# Don't even ask the DJ

# Everybody knows... #