"Okay guys," Fatima said, smiling at them all. "Dance Day."
AJ groaned and rolled over. "It's tomorrow..." he moaned.
"No AJ, it's today," Fatima said, grinning. She pulled off his blankets and he shivered. "Wow AJ, I didn't know you slept naked," she said and threw the blanket back on him.
"I don't," AJ mumbled into his pillow. "My boxers are just invisible."
"Yeah, right. C'mon, get up." Fatima walked over to his suit case and pulled out a pair of boxers. She tossed them over to him and they landed ontop of his head. He moaned.
"What time is it?" he asked, sleepily sitting up. He removed the boxers from his head and put them on under the blanket.
"Nine-thirty. Brian said to let you sleep for another hour at eight. Everyone else is down at the studio."
"Oh no," AJ whined. "I have to go with you," he teased. He threw off the blanket and grabbed a pair of pants and t-shirt from his suitcase before scampering into the bathroom. He returned a few minutes later, fully clothed, sunglasses hooked to his belt-loop. "Okay," he sighed. "I'm ready."
"Wrong way, Nick," Fatima said, turning off the music. "You guys did this dance a month ago. Remember? Left, two, three, four, right, two, three, left, two, spin, right, two, three, four."
The five tried the dance again. Time after time, something little was perfected. Two hours later it was perfect. The sweat-coated boys scattered to get water or food. Kevin hung back and flipped through the booklet pages of one of their cds.
"What's the matter, Kev? You don't seem like yourself," Fatima said. "You haven't for about a month."
"Nothin', just having problems with Angie," Kevin said automatically. He looked up at her and his eyes saddened. Fatima sat down beside him.
"I'll tell you what. If I leave you think about it, will you hint me on what's wrong?"
"I...yeah, okay," Kevin agreed slowly. Fatima smiled at him, pecked him on the lips and stood.
"I care about you, Kev," she said over her shoulder as she walked out of the room. She shut the door on her way out.
Kevin sighed and put his head in his hands. Moments later, he raised his head and wiped away a few stray tears before walking over to the water-fountain. He splashed water on his face, got a drink, and went back to his seat on the bench.
Fatima sighed outside the door; now she knew something was wrong.
Chapter 15
