***~Black & Blue~***

A few hours past, Nick and I were still sitting on a black leather couch talking and laughing about our lives. I opened up to him and he opened up to me. I told him my fears of choosing a major and how I really hated college. It was the truth, I was beginning to hate my life. In high school I had so much direction, I wanted to be a fashion designer, but I soon realized I couldn’t draw, and I wasn’t great at sewing so the whole idea went down the drain. I had wasted so much time trying to be something I knew I never could be that I didn’t take any other chances. Nick understood and picked my brain about what I could do in life. “I can dance,” I laughed. “Let’s see, come on...” Nick insisted. “No way, there’s no music, I can’t,” I refused, please I found tonight that his preteen brother could move better than me. Nick blew his lips together and started a weird beat, “Come on, feel the music...feel the beat...pooooooochhh ppppppoooooopppppppoooooooooooccchh.” I got up and wiggled around, I was laughing too hard to seriously shake my booty, but Nick was impressed, ‘I like it! You’re hired!” “What?” I giggled. “You can be a dancer...for us,” his face was serious. “Nick, please I haven’t had dance lessons since high school....and do clubs even count? You’ve got to be kidding me, you can’t just hire me!” I was getting annoyed. “Andraya, you have it, I can tell. I can tell by the way you walk and don’t argue with me about the look. You have the look.”

Suddenly I needed a look to dance behind the Backstreet Boys? I put aside my usual day dreams and seriously thought. Could I really do it? I mean it would give me a chance to think things through and find out what I REALLY wanted to do with my life. Plus, I’d see the whole country and I’d be touring with the the biggest pop group in the world. But what if Nick was only kidding? “Hello?” Nick waved his hand in front of my face. “Do you always do this?” I asked. “What?” “Invite dorky little girls backstage and offer them a job?” Nick laughed, “I saw you move...don’t worry I really am offering.” “What if I suck?” “Then, I’m gonna have to fire you!” he joked. So it ended there. I was part of the tour. It started to get late and Casey was already asleep on a couch across the room. Nick and I exchanged numbers and he told me I’d have to go to a few meetings the next day. “I was kind of hoping for a one night stand when I first met you,” I laughed. I couldn’t believe I had just told him that. “What? You don’t want that now that you’ve talked to me?” “Well, you know what I mean,” I tired to explain. “No, no, I don’t,” he laughed. “Well, I’m not showing you tonight,” I made a face and started to walk away. He ran back in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders, “Good night,” he said and kissed my forehead (I think everyone was watching THAT kiss).

I don’t remember driving home that night. All I remember are my parents flipping out when we walked through the door. It was Casey’s first concert, they feared she didn’t survive or that I kidnapped her or something. Of course I calmed them down and told them about meeting Nick. They didn’t really understand so I decided to hold off on telling them I was dropping out of school to dance. The next morning I woke up early and took Casey’s Backstreet Boy’s CD. I danced around my room and fell to the floor. I watched my ceiling fan go around and around and closed my eyes. The cool air on my face felt good, in two hours I would see Nick again.