Kerri read the note slowly in disbelief. The not read:
Dear Kerri,
I'm sorry you were not able to go onstage. Even though it was not my fault, I feel the need to make it up to you. I talked to Fatima before I went onstage. One of our opening act's dancers quit. They need a replacement and I thought of you. Fatima said if you wanted to, you could audition tomorrow morning at 9:00. She will meet you at the New Age Studio. Love-Nick
Wow, Kerri thought, this is unbelievable. This is my dream, and it might come true. Not only would she get to be onstage, she would get to see Nick also. I already have a boyfriend she thought, somewhat grimly. Mark had been rude all night. Kerri really wanted to have the Backstreet Boys sing to her. She understood, in a way, why Mark didn't want her to go. He didn't want five guys singing a love song to his girlfriend. She wished he had been nicer about saying no. Kerri looked at the clock, it was nearly midnight. I better get to bed, she thought, smiling for the first time on hours, I need to be rested for tomorrow.
The next morning Kerri was filling a water bottle when the phone rang.
"Hello?" she said, looking at the time.
"Hey sweetie, how are you?" Marks vioce said cheerfully. He was apparently happy that he had been able to spoil her night, and Nicks. "I was wondering, how would you like for me to take you out to breakfast?"
"I'm sorry Mark. I already promised Desiree I would go to breakfast with her, Amanda, Carinne, and Shelby." She lied, not wanting him to know where she was really going.
"You can go with them another time. You see them everyday." He said, not willing to take no for an answer.
"I see you every day too. They ARE my friends, and I already promised." Kerri protested.
"Well, you ARE my girlfriend, and you ARE going to come with me." He told her. "I'll be over to pick you up in a little while."
"Fine Mark, bye." She said, hanging up the phone. He can come over if he wants, she thought, but I won't be here. She lugged her bag over her shoulder and left the appartment.
Kerri tried to calm down before entering the studio. She was excited for the opportunity and she was also worried about what Mark would do when he found out she wasn't home. Kerri took a deep breath and walked in the door. She made her way to Fatima, prepared to introduce herself.
"Hi, you must be Kerri." Fatima said, surprising Kerri.
"Yes." She nodded. Nick must have described her to Fatima.
"Now I know that Nick recommended you, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to GIVE you the spot. I need to see that you are able to do the job correctly. You know that right?" Fatima said, smiling.
"Yes, I'm ready." Kerri said, knowing that Fatima was serious, despite her smile.
Fatima asked her to do some basic moves to see what she was capable of. Then she went into showing Kerri one of the dances she would have to preform. Fatima stepped back to watch her. Kerri's good, she thought, Nick was right. After doing a few more steps, Fatima made up her mind.
"Ok, you can stop now, I've seen enough. I made my decision." Fatima said, her face blank.
Oh no, Kerri thought, shes going to tell me I'm not good enough. Her heart pounded in her chest, but not because she had just been dancing for half an hour.
"If you want it, the spot is yours." Fatima said, then smiled.
"Thank you." Kerri gushed, her heart felt like it was about to burst.
"The other dancers should be here any time now. The practice is only an hour because everyone already learned the dances. They just need to keep them sharp. I will get one of the dancers to teach you the steps during the Backstreet Boy's rehearsals, while I work with the Boys and their dancers." Fatima told her.
Just as Fatima said, within a few minutes all five other dancers had arrived. During their practice Kerri watched and tried to move with them the best she could. After the practice was done, Fatima asked Jess to teach Kerri the dances.
"Start out in first position parallel. Move your arm…" Jess told her as the girls moved through the song. Kerri did her best to learn the steps. The first show she would perform was the next night. She had to fly with everyone to New York. Fatima told her they had two months of touring left and to get used to flying. Kerri would have to quit her job, and she was glad. After learning the second dance Kerri went to call Desiree.
"Desiree!" Kerri said excitedly as her friend picked up the phone. "I'm the new back up dancer for the opening act of the Backstreet Boys tour! I just started today."
"That's great Kerri, but I have some bad news. Mark called me earlier, when I answered he asked why I wasn't at breakfast with you. I told him I wasn't supposed to be, I didn't know you told him that. He got really mad and now he is looking for you." She said in a hurry.
"Oh, no." Kerri said, I should have called and told her not to answer the phone. "Ok, thanks for telling me. I'll talk to you later." She hung up the phone and leaned her arm against the wall to support her. What if Mark found her?
All of a sudden she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, she froze in panic.
Ch. 6
Kerri slowly turned around. "Kevin." She said relieved.
He looked at her. "Are you alright?"
"No, not really." She admitted. "I called Desiree and she said Mark was angry and was looking for me."
"Well, Nick is looking for you too. Maybe you could talk to him, follow me, I'll show you where he is at." Kevin said, then led lead her across the room to him.
"Thanks." She said to Kevin before he walked away.
"I guess you got the spot." Nick said. "So why are you sad?"
Kerri told Nick the same thing she had just told Kevin. "He called because he wanted to go to breakfast…" she continued to say what had happened that morning. "I'm scared Nick, he founf out that I lied. If he knew I was here, of all places, there's no telling what he would do. He is already furious."
Nick took her hand. "It will be ok. I will make sur nothing bad will happen to you." He made plans for him and Kevin to follow her home. After she gathered the things she would need for the tour they would drive her to Desiree's apartment. Then Nick would drive back and pick her up in the morning to take her to the airport to talk to her boss and meet with the other dancers.
Fatima called for the Backstreet Boys and their dancers, so they could start their rehearsal. Kerri gave Nick a hug before he went to join the group. He is so sweet, she thought. Kerri never imagined that she would ever become so close to Nick Carter, the famous singer. His face was plastered over the walls of millions of girls bedrooms, who would do anything just to meet him. Why did he take interest in me, he could have anybody, she wondered.
Mark walked away from the New Age Studio. Of course she is with HIM, he screamed in his head, she lies to me, comes here to be with Nick, and hugs him as if I don't exist. Don't worry Kerri, you will get what's coming to you.
"Come on Kerri, you HAVE to know these dances by tomorrow." Jess yelled to her.
She lead Kerri into a smaller back room to practice so the wouldn't interupt the other dancers. By the time the rehearsal was over Kerri knew all four dances she had to learn.
Nick and Kevin came over, ready to go. Kerri grabbed her bag and waved goodbye to Jess.
"It's about a twenty minute drive." She informed Kevin, since he was driving, before headin off to her car. Kerri slid into her car, thinking it would be the last time she drove it for two months. I'm going to miss everything here, except for Mark. At first she had covinced herself that she could handle him, but now she wasn't so sure. She pulled out onto the main road, checking to see if Kevin and Nick were behind her first.
Kerri pulled into a parking spot in front of her apartment twenty minutes later. Kevin parked next to her. She jumped out of her car and made her way to the door, while Nick and Kevin waited for her. She stuck the key in the look and opened it. Kerri gasped in horror as she looked into the apartment. Her stuff was everywhere, tossed on the floor, couch and table. Her television was knocked over and broken on the floor. She ran to her room, and there stood Mark. Pulling clothes out of her closet and throwing it everywhere. He turned around as he heard her enter the room.
"What are you doing!" She yelled.
"Paying you back, for everything you have done to me!" He yelled back. "For lying to me, for cheating on me!"
"Mark, I'm not cheating on you!" She protested.
"Shut up, you're lying!" He picked up a lamp and threw it at her. Kerri ducked and the lamp smashed into the wall. She shuddered and imagined what it would have felt like if the lamp had actually hit her, as she looked at the broken pieces. Nick and Kevin heard yelling and a crash come from inside. They jumped out of the car and ran into the apartment.
They came in just in time to see Mark shove Kerri to the floor, and pull his arm back to hit her. Kevin ran over and grabbed Marks arm before he could hit her. Nick helped Kerri up off the floor.
"What the…" Mark said as Kevin pushed him back. "This is none of your buisness!"
"Yes, it is…" Nick told him. "and it's about to be the polices buisness too."
Mark tried to make a run fot it, but Kevin blocked the doorway. Kevin towered over Mark by at least five inches and was a lot stronger. Mark was forced to stay in the room while Nick dialed the cops.
"You alright?" Nick asked Kerri. She nodded looking at the floor, not wanting to see Mark. She felt bad because they called the police, but he was out of control.
There was a loud knock on the door, "It's the police" an officer said. Nick walked over and opened up the door. Nick told the officer what happened and pointed out Mark. The officer handcuffed Mark and read him his rights.
"Mark," Kerri said quietly, "it's over with you and me."
Mark glared at her as the officer led him out the door. "It's FAR from over, and you better believe it." He rasped.
Kevin and Nick helped Kerri pack up her stuff the drove her to Desiree's apartment.
