𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑺 ♥︎ 𝑶𝒓𝒍𝒂 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 (The Next Step)

𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹 ♥︎ 19

The tears came instantaneously. Orla stood there, body shaking with sobs, at the sight of him.

How is he here? What's going on? Does he know? Is he okay?

All these thoughts came rushing through her head, but one of them loomed, bigger than all the others.

He's never gonna believe me.

"Come on, Orls, let's talk," James smiled slightly. "You okay?"

No.

"Orls..." James walked forward.

"James," Orla looked up at him, her eyes meeting his for the first time in months.

Her face gave it away.

James stepped back, his face contorting, his eyes hard.

"Who?"

Orla shook her head. "I- it's not what you think-"

"Who?" He repeated.

But Orla continued. "It was a- an accident- and I didn't- we didn't- he made-"

"Tell me... who it was."

Orla shook her head. "Alfie."

He looked at her.

The pain in his eyes...

And then he left without another word.

Orla couldn't hear, think, breathe, speak, or do anything. She was overcome with so much emotion.

"Everything's been ruined. And it's all my fault."

♥︎♥︎♥︎

Piper talked to James almost immediately after Orla did, and by that point, Orla knew there was nothing she could do.

He already hated her enough. There was no way she could convince him that it wasn't her fault and that she was forced.

No way she could convince him to love her again.

She was hopeless. The only person she had got to believe her in this whole thing was Noah and once the team heard they were-

"Hey. I heard James was back."

Turning round, Orla saw Michelle.

"And let me guess, you're hear to tell me I'm an idiot?" She asked, barely keeping it together. "Because my brain tells me that every second, so I don't think I need y-"

"Orla..." Michelle said gently. "I'm here because I'm your friend."

In that moment, Orla felt such a strong rush of affection towards Michelle that it was all she could do not to run at her. She managed to walk, however, and hug her.

"Just when I think everyone's turned against me... Michelle turns up and tells me she's my friend," Orla smiled through teary eyes.

"And I want you to know that I believe you," Michelle said. "I don't know how this 'mistake' happened, but... I know that you love James more than anything, Orla. And I know that he-"

Before she could say anything else, the scuffling of feet happened from both sides and the two girls looked up.

James on one side.

Alfie on the other.

One who Orla loved more than anything, and one she hated. And the boy that she loved hated her, and the boy that she hated loved her.

"Do you need me to stay with you?" Michelle whispered.

"No, it's fine," Orla said, becoming aware how close she was to Alfie and shuffling away.

As Michelle left, Alfie took this chance to smirk at James, saying. "Ah, James. Have you heard what happened whilst you were away?"

"Alfie, shut up," Orla growled, making James do a double take. If she kissed him, why would this be happening?

"Okay, Orl," Alfie said so easily, making Orla's eyes widen. Everyone called her 'Orls', but James was the one who called her 'Orl'.

Oh no-

James clenched his fists. "Doesn't seem to be taking you long to build what it took years for us to get to," he directed at Orla.

Orla shook her head. "James you don't understand-"

"It's okay, Orla, he knows by now, we might as well not pretend-"

"Why don't you just SHUT UP and GET OUT, Alfie?!" Orla screamed tears streaming down her cheeks, causing Alfie to smirk.

"Oh, and one more thing," he said before leaving the room. "We actually danced a duet whilst you were gone. To Hanging Hats."

He left without complaint.

Obviously, that was a lie. And the duet Alfie had performed with Piper in the auditions wasn't to Hanging Hats, but it was to the same tempo, same sort of song...

Oh my god.

He was going to try and get me to do a duet with him to Hanging Hats.

She turned back to James, who at this point, looked so in pain that it was all she could see.

"He's lying," she cried. "James, he's- he's-"

"I can't talk to you right now," James said. "I need to think, alright-?"

"BUT JAMES HE FORCED ME TO KISS HIM-"

"Oh, and I suppose he forced you to do a duet with him to OUR SONG, Orla-?"

"NO BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO A DUET WITH HIM! HE TRIED TO MAKE ME AND I SAID NO-"

"I need to go," James told her. "Now."

Orla watched him stalking out the office, her face shining with tears, in absolutely excruciating pain.

"I didn't think things could get this bad," she shook her head. "But I didn't think James would stop loving me either... guess I was wrong about that."