Chapter 2




Jayme slowly opened her eyes and groaned as she turned off the alarm clock. She should be used to this by now. She got up from her bed and walked towards the bedroom window. Bright rays from the Florida sun showered the room as she opened the blinds. The warm sun reminded her of home, back in Bristol Valley. Coming out to Orlando by herself was something Jayme had done before. The 7 months she was away from home recording her CD, she flew back and forth mostly from New York to Orlando. There were 2 occasions when she flew to Los Angeles. One of the songwriters she worked with lived out in L.A. and she ended up recording the song there.

A week has passed since she arrived in Orlando and she has done nothing but rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse. Her schedule was hectic. From 8 a.m to 12 noon, she went to dance rehearsal. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. was voice rehearsals. After that, Jayme would go back to the apartment and would fax her homework to school. A tutor wasn’t available until Jayme actually started traveling on the road. She loves what she is doing, but she must admit that it is very tiring. But she has to get used to it sooner or later. Suddenly, a soft knock came from the door.

“Jayme? Are you up?” a girl with blonde hair asked as she slowly opened the door.

“Uh huh. Come in.”

Lindsay is one of the 6 dancers hired to go on tour with Jayme. The two other girls hired, Juli and Nicole shared an apartment in the same complex. While the 3 male dancers , TJ, Adam, and Sean, shared an apartment also in the same complex. Jayme was glad to have her for a roommate in their nice cozy apartment provided by Jive. The two got along well.

Lindsay, now age 19, has been dancing since age 3 and it is her life and passion. After she graduated high school, she ventured into L.A. and was hired to be in several music videos including Jordan Knight, Christina Aguilera, and Aaliyah, to name a few. When she heard about auditions for dancers needed for a tour, she wasn’t about to miss a great opportunity.

“Hey. Good morning!” said Lindsay cheerfully. “Do you want some French toast for breakfast?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Okay, good, and uh...can I use some of your shampoo? I ran out yesterday and I forgot to go to the store.”

“No, Lin. You can’t use my shampoo,” Jayme said jokingly.

“Oh, all right. Thanks. But I’ll use it anyways.” Lindsay left the room and started making breakfast.

***

“Jayme! Hurry up. We’re gonna be late!” Lindsay called from the living room.

“Okay. Hold your horses. If you forgot, it’s my turn to drive so you can’t leave without me!”

“I bet if I started walking to the studio now I’d beat ya!”

“Yeah, you do that,” said Jayme. She grabbed her duffel bag from the bed and found Lindsay standing in the doorway. Jayme was about to head towards the Honda Civic, (courtesy of the generous Jive Records, once again), but she stopped in her tracks. “Wait. I forgot...”

“Here you go,” said Lindsay placing the car keys in her hands.

“Good morning Orlando! Beautiful weather in store for us today. A high of 77. You’re listening to Z105.5 and after the break we’ve got a little 702 for you, ‘Where My Girl’s At,’ throw in 98 degrees, and ‘Last Kiss’ by a new and upcoming teen pop sensation named Jayme,” announced the DJ.

“So, Miss Jayme, how does it feel to be the new teen pop sensation?” Lindsay asked pretending to be a reporter talking into an invisible microphone.

“Geez, I wish they didn’t have to say that,” she replied as she switched lanes and merged with oncoming traffic in the highway. “I mean, to be honest with you, I’m pretty nervous about how people at the concert will react. I had a dream that the first night of the tour, people booed me offstage.”

“Oh, get real. It’ll be great. Besides, they play your song every hour on the radio.”

“Yeah. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

***

“5, 6, 7, 8, and 1, 2, 3 and 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8,” Brad counted out loud while he went over the steps with the music once more. “Okay. While the guys move backwards, the girls will take a step forward. Jayme, you’re gonna step to the right and do a double spin. Okay. Let’s try it again.”

Brad Gibson was hired to be Jayme’s choreographer. Jayme loved Brad’s choreography. His dance moves were cutting edge and it suited her perfectly.

Jayme swiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. They have been dancing non-stop for 4 hours now. After lunch, she’s scheduled to meet up with her vocal coach and rehearse. She’s got a long day ahead of her.

“Okay everyone. You’re free to go to lunch now. I’ll see you all tomorrow,” Brad said turning off the CD.

***

“All you’ll get from me is one last kiss...” Jayme belted out the last note.

“When you sing the second verse, try not to hold out the last note as much but still sing with passion,” Tina Daniels, Jayme’s vocal coach suggested.

Tina Daniels has been working with Jayme since age 15, when she landed the record deal with Jive. She was in her early 30’s and had a lot of experience with theater. When she was in her late teens thtough her mid-tweties, she traveled all over the world with a prestigious choir and performed in different plays and musicals. She almost went to Broadway, but instead, she decided to get married and had a baby boy. A resident of Orlando, she is a part-time vocal coach at a local theater production company.

“We’ll work on one of your ballads tomorrow. Let’s call it a day. We still have a lot to work on and I don’t want you to stress and lose your voice.”

Jayme gathered her belongings and as Jayme walked out of the studios into the parking lot, Lindsay was already waiting out in the car.

“So, how did it go?” asked Lindsay.

“Pretty good, I guess. I still have quite a bit to work on,” replied a very exhausted Jayme.

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