CHAPTER ONE

When I took the job application from Links Dance Studio, I didn’t know where the building was. It said 1804 on the envelope, but somehow I had ended up at 1604. That’s kinda how I got the job with a certain group, only by mistake when I told the lady at the front desk that I had an application for a dance career. After she explained everything, I had then realized that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be. Luckily, they too had auditions for some group and were very luck that I showed up and told me that I had the job because they were short on dancers.

"Hey Amber, it’s time for our lunch break, we’re going up to Taco Bell. Wanna join?" My co-worker Alicia had asked me. It was a normal day, dancing, dancing, and more dancing. We (a group of us dancers) kept hearing that this "huge" group would meet us soon and pick the top dancers for a tour. Of course we all had our ideas of who it could be. Alicia said 98degrees, another said Youngstown, and other guesses were just too weird to speak of.

"Sure, I get shot-gun in your car though! I gotta get my shoes on, so hold up!"

"Aiight, but hurry up ‘cuz if you don’t get there I’ll bring you back McDonalds!"

Sure, I was gonna ask to stop there anyways, but I’d still be happy with what I got. As I was grabbing my purse I hear our dance instructor, Laura, yelling at some one. Oh man, are they gonna get it with her temper! I wonder what she’s pissed off about now, hopefully not us ‘cuz we’ve tried even though we have to put up with her all day!

As I inched closer, I saw a man in a business suit in the doorway.

"Ok, I’ll calm down, but next week! You’ve got to set up a meeting or none of these so-called talented dancers will be here with me for even longer!" Laura was actually turning back to her original color.

"Oh, Mr. Craissen, after the auditions on Friday, will I finally get paid?"

"Yes, yes. Don’t worry about it, you’ll get your pay and then you can leave."

Alright, I’ve had enough of ease dropping for one day. So in short, I was starving, the auditions for the group were on Friday, and Laura can be nicknamed Witch!

(at McDonalds)

"Ok, fo, how wong wo we wet?"

"Beth… if you talk without spitting cheese onto my food I’ll be fine and answer you"

"Aiight, how long do we get? I mean, until the auditions?"

"Um… how ‘bout Friday?"

I could tell by the looks on everyone’s faces that they were panic-stricken. I mean, I was too when I found out that we only had three days to find a routine for sure, and then audition our little hearts out. Beth interrupted my thoughts by commenting on Laura’s attitude.

"I don’t know what her problem is! I mean, I knew she didn’t like us, but I didn’t think she did it just for the money!"

"Ok, Dack, she’s you aunt, did you know she was like this?"

"Amber, I don’t know crap about my family, even those that I see almost every day!"

Ok, so Dack is a sweet guy what can I say. Hott, sweet, and did I mention hott? But he’s not my type, just way too clean cut for me. Built is more the word, I mean you could sit a HORSE on his stomach and he wouldn’t break a bone.

"Hello! Earth to Amber, come in Amber, we lost all contact!"

"Haha, funny Alicia, but not correct. You all never made contact with me in the first place!"

"We know, ssooo true. I’ve known you for a year and still haven’t figured out if there’s air up there or just the shell of a peanut!"

"Hey Beth, look! Your water’s gone! Oh wait, you’re the air head that was holding onto it when going ballistic when you couldn’t find it!"

"Shut up, and hey, who’s going to make us late? Oh, Amber will, like always!"

"Hey Craig, shut your mouth kid! And if we’re late now, then I am not driving with you, ‘cuz we’ll get lost!"

Ok, Craig was cute, but um… could work on the hair situation a little. He isn’t as nice as can be either, but he has his times. And his sense of direction, zero! He’s gotten us lost almost 16 times and counting now. But hey, he tries… that counts for something right?

(back at dance studio)

"Laura the witch! Where are you, did a house fall on you or what?"

I had only just started with her, but Laura would fight back so I was looking forward to it.

"Ok Amber, you sure she’s here, it seems dark and creepy in here. No lights and Laura’s stuff is gone."

"Oh… is Jamie scared? Poor Jamie, afraid of the dark… BOO!"

"Aggh!!!"

"Hey, Andy, knock it off, we gotta find Laura before she comes looking for us and we get in trouble."

Andy was Alicia’s twin. They had both been enrolled into drama and theatrical classes when younger, so both of them were automatically interested in this. Andy was a jerk when he actually talked, but most of the time he kept to himself. Andy and Alicia were complete opposites, Alicia, you could never get to shut up! And Jamie, the diva herself. If that girl had a blonde head of hair and an audience in front of her, she could win the crowd with her "charm" and "sweetness". We all knew that was wrong, she grew up in Boston, and her dad struggled with Jamie and her older brother after their mom died. She’d been a druggie for a few months, then stopped cold. She has the worst temper, and we don’t get in her way when she gets one too, she’s um… really violent.

"Laura!" "Hey, witch!" "Anybody?"

"Ok, I’ll be the smart one and go look in her office thank you very much!"

"Oh, so Miss Amberly isn’t afraid of the dark enough to go into Laura’s office? I’m impressed!"

"Hey Craig, I’m going to hurt you one of these days. I don’t know how, but I will, probably sick Jamie on you."

"I heard my name, what about me?"

We ignored her though we all knew Jamie would bring it up again. Stepping down a few steps to Laura’s office, her door was unlocked and the light was off. Weird ‘cuz Laura is so picky that when she’s not in her office it’s locked. Opening the door completely, flipping on the light, and scanning the room; I had come to the conclusion that she had demanded to be paid and left. The only thing left was the desk, couch, and a fake plant in the corner.

"Hey, looky here, she was courteous enough to leave us a note:

"Ok, this is completely uncalled for!"

"I can’t believe it, Amber was actually right for a change!"

"Shut up Beth, I’m right, sometimes."

Ok, now we were screwed! I mean, we knew Laura was low, but not low enough to actually pack up, leave, and just not give about crap. Ok, now we were pretty much on our own, and nothing would ever be the same between us.

"Hello, anybody listening? Ok, Alicia, try to call the front desk at Links and tell them Laura left."

"Aiigh Dack, whatever you say master!"

(2 days later)

I am NOT a morning person! Yet I was determined as were the rest of us to get what we had trained for. After about 35 hours of practicing my own routine, I was so sore that I could hardly move that morning. But to deal with it I took a shower and got dressed. Ok, now what to wear, ok, something showy but not slutty. I can handle that.

After dressing in my gray flare dress pants accommodated with a maroon halter-top, I took my CD case and headed out the door.

Traffic wasn’t too bad at nine, though normally it was. When stopped at a light, filtering back into my head was who this group actually was. I mean, you have to think if you want to take the job if you don’t like their music. Hopefully, pop, I mean, I liked other artists, but pop music was my fav.

Upon arrival, I could tell I was the last one there. And as soon as I got within a football field length, I could hear Andy’s music blaring out of the sound system. I could just tell it was his, cause he like the hip-hop two-step kind of music. But from the looks of it, the group must’ve been up in the screening room cuz the table at the other end of the studio was empty.

Andy finished his routine, and Beth stepped onto the floor. She put on an awesome work, accompanied by R&B mixes. I watched her as I joined the rest of my group.

"Hey, have all the rest of you guys gone?"

"Yeah, Beth and you are the last to go, serves you right for being late."

"Hey Jessie, who said that I wanted to go first?"

"I dunno, but normally the last to go is judged the hardest."

Beth finished her routine, and motioned for me to take my application up to the screening room. Walking up all those steps gave me a chance to stretch my legs but I just knocked on the door and waited there until some one answered. A guy in a suit answered, keeping the door shut more than I had wanted him to. I handed him my application and he told me to insert my CD into the stereo system.

Walking back down the steps I thought to myself: Man, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the so-called mysterious group. But ok, you can do this, whether or not I’d only seen Beth’s I can’t be the worst, right?

I threw my CD into the system, told Dack to start it when I reached the floor, and took my stance. I threw together a, believe it or not, pop mix. When it started I didn’t even realize anything else around me. Just the music was in my head and I took my energy to whole new level. I really wanted this spot in a dance team. Oh, crap, did I just turn the wrong way, man, ok, no more stressing!

I finished with a backflip and almost collapsed onto the floor. I didn’t only because I had to keep my stance.

"Wow, that was um… interesting. I mean, a little showing for you, but I guess let the best man win!"

"Yeah, well, I’d have something on you Craig, but I missed your performance so I guess I’ll have to see ya later! I have to get back home and head out to the headquarters (Links actual building in down town Cali.)"

I’d said bye to every one, and good luck, but for some reason I was the only friendly one to do that. And I knew that they would be that way, it had turned into a competition between them all. Not ‘Let the best man get the job’, but now it was ‘I’m getting this job and none of you jerks are’. I knew that whoever got it would be hated by the rest of us, even me.