-make it alright-
-chapter one-

Nick despised dance classes. He dreaded the twice-a-week sessions he attended. Yet faithfully, Nick showed up to every practice. More than anything, Nick wanted to be an entertainer. And without possessing talent in acting, singing and dancing, there was no way he was going to make it.

Nick was the only boy enrolled at the dance studio. He was always surrounded by a gaggle of giggling girls. Girls who snubbed him quite a bit. All except for one.

Melissa Baras had just moved to Florida from Houston. Her Texas roots were apparent in her wardrobe. She was rarely seen without red leather cowboy boots. Melissa�s clothes caused her to stand out against the average Tampa nine-year-old. And the other girls at the dance studio hated her for it.

Being the studio outsiders, there was an unspoken sympathy between Melissa and Nick. They�d never really shared a conversation. But there were always there to shoot each other sympathetic looks when the dancers came a-teasing.

The studio doors swung open. Nick quickly jumped out of the way, so as not to get hit. A mass of auburn curls peeked its way out of the opening.

�Oh my!� Exclaimed a sweet little twang. �Did I bump you?�

Nick shook his head. �Nah�I�m okay.�

Melissa emerged from inside the studio. �I�m so sorry about that. My mama always tells me to look before I walk. But I never seem to remember the looking part.�

�Yeah, I guess that�d be a problem,� Nick said, laughing. He gave Melissa a once-over. She�d changed out of her dress-coded black leotard and pink tights. She was now wearing her trusty cowboy boots, a jean skirt and a �Mickey Mouse Club� T-shirt. Nick raised an eyebrow at her top. �You�re a �Mickey Mouse Club� fan?�

Melissa nodded enthusiastically. �Oh lordy, yes! It�s my favorite show! I have every episode on tape, ya know. Now that I�ve moved to Florida, I�m determined to be a Mouseketeer. Except that I can�t act, or sing a note. Or dance, for that matter.�

�Are you kidding? I don�t know about acting or singing�but you�re an incredible dancer!� Exclaimed a shocked Nick. He could barely keep his eyes off Melissa during class. She was amazing. While everyone else struggled to pick up new combinations, Melissa breezed through the steps. She was the one everyone looked to when they didn�t know what the hell they were doing.

Melissa blushed. �Well, thank you. I take it you�re an �MMC� fan as well?

Nick shrugged. �I�ve seen the show before, and I like it. But we don�t have The Disney Channel.�

�You don�t?� Melissa asked. Nick shook his head. �Oh lordy, I don�t know how I�d live without The Disney Channel. You know what? You should come over to my house after dance classes. I watch �MMC� everyday.�

Nick�s eyes bugged out. Besides his neighbor Brent, Nick was never invited out with friends. Besides Brent, Nick didn�t really have any friends. He had three younger sisters and a brother to fill up that quota. �Yeah, that�d be cool. But I have to ask my mom first.�

�Actually, I suppose I should ask my mama too.� Melissa realized. Just her luck, at the same moment, a huge, brand-new truck pulled into the parking lot. �Why, there�s my mama now!�

�That�s you�re car? What kind is it? Its really cool!� Nick asked, giddy at the idea of riding in the truck.

�I think it�s a Durango. I don�t really know. I�m not a car person.� Melissa said with a shrug.

�Cool,� Nick said, mentally reminding himself to remember that name. Durango. �When I get rich and famous someday, I want a car like that.�

Melissa smiled. There wasn�t a doubt in her mind that the cute little blonde boy standing would be famous someday. His destiny seemed to be written across his forehead. She grabbed Nick by the hand, and pulled him over to the car.

�Where we going?� Nick asked.

�You�re coming to meet my mama.� Melissa explained. She dragged Nick across the parking lot, until the two stood directly underneath the driver�s side window. A woman with the same amazing auburn curls as Melissa stared down at them. �Mama, this is Nick. He�s going to come over and watch �MMC,� okay?�

Melissa�s mother smiled. This was the first friend her daughter had met since she�d moved to Tampa two months ago. �Of course that�s okay. Did you ask your mother, Nick?�

Nick opened his mouth, but was interrupted by someone calling his name. He turned around. His mother�s station wagon was just pulling into the parking lot. His little brother, Aaron, was hanging out of the passenger-side window, calling out to Nick. Nick turned back to Melissa and her mother. �That�d be my mom, just pulling in.�

Melissa�s mother opened the door to the truck. �Well, lets go over there and talk to her.�

After hopping out of the colossal truck, the three made their way over to Nick�s mother. Nick�s mother, Jane, unbuckled her seatbelt. She let herself out of the station wagon in order to meet the trio halfway.

Nick�s mother wrapped the young boy in her arms, pulling him into a hug. She kissed the top of his head. �How was class?�

Nick scrunched his face up in response. Jane laughed, then ruffled his hair. �That�s my son. Ever the enthusiast.�

Jane stuck her hand out to Melissa�s mother. �Hi, I�m Jane Carter. Nick�s mom.�

�And I�m Teresa Baras,� Melissa�s mother said as she shook Jane�s hand. �My daughter, Melissa, was wondering if Nick would like to come over to our house. I guess the kids realized they�re both big fans of �The Mickey Mouse Club.� �

Jane brightened. She loved the idea that her son was making new friends. �That�s perfectly fine by me. Where do you live? I can come by and pick Nick up later tonight.�

�Apollo Beach, you know where that is?� Teresa asked.

�Yes,� Jane said. She sighed, trying to think. �Its just a little out of my way. Um�lets see here�I can swing by and pick Nick up after��

Melissa tugged on her mother�s shirt. Interrupting, she said, �Mama?�

�Yes, sugar?� Teresa looked down and brushed some sweaty curls out of her daughter�s eyes.

�You know how we have that early class tomorrow morning? Wouldn�t it make a lot of sense if Nick spent the night? That way his mama doesn�t have to make a million trips. It is Friday night, after all.�

�What a considerate child,� Jane commented. I wish my kids were like that sometimes, she wished. �If it wouldn�t be too much of a hassle for you, I�d really appreciate that. I have four young ones, besides Nick, to chauffeur around.�

�It wouldn�t be a problem at all,� reassured Teresa. �Melissa�s an only child. It�ll be nice to have an extra kid around the house.�

�Is that okay with you Nick?� Jane asked her son. He nodded enthusiastically. He was obviously thrilled. �Do you need anything from home? Clothes or a sleeping bag?�

Nick shrugged and motioned to his dance bag. �I have extra clothes in there I can sleep in.�

�And we have plenty of bedding in our house he can borrow,� Teresa supplied.

�And I went to the orthodontist yesterday. So I even have a brand-new toothbrush he can use.� Melissa offered. She happily smiled, her mouth full of braces.

�Well, this sounds like a dream come true.� Jane commented. She wrapped Nick into a big hug. �Have fun. I�ll see you tomorrow morning after your class.� Nick swiggled out of his mother�s grasp as soon as he could. He and Melissa took off running towards the Durango. Over his shoulder, he called out, �Bye, Mom! See you tomorrow!�

�That sounded sincere,� Jane said sarcastically.

�He�s just excited,� Teresa reasoned.

�I know. Have him call home if he needs anything, okay?� Asked Jane. She only sounded slightly worried.

�Will do.� Teresa had a large smile on her face. �It was nice meeting you!� �Same to you.� Jane climbed back into her station wagon. Meanwhile, Teresa made her way over to the truck. Melissa and Nick had already climbed inside, with Melissa sitting in the middle seat. They were rooting through the collection of tapes Melissa had stored in the glove compartment.

�Put this one in, mama.� Melissa commanded. As soon as Teresa got settled and was on the road, she stuck the tape into the deck. Paula Abdul�s voice filled the cab. Melissa instantly began singing along, horribly off-key to �Opposites Attract.�

As soon as the male harmony joined in, Nick began to sing along. Slowly, Melissa�s face died away. She exchanged a glance with her mother. Nick was an amazing vocalist.

�Wow, Nick�� Melissa commented. �You�re really good.�

Nick smiled. That compliment meant a lot, coming from the best dancer in his class. �Thanks.�

�Oh my Lord!� Melissa said excitedly. She had begun bouncing up and down on the bench seat.

�Honey�� Teresa warned.

�Ooops. What I meant to say was: �oh my goodness!� � I forgot, mama doesn�t like me to say the Lord�s name in vain. �Anyway- Nick! You should try out for �The Mickey Mouse Club!� You�d totally make it.�

�I think he�s a little young, honey.� Teresa said. She was trying to calm the giddy young girl down.

Melissa ceased her bouncing. She stared very seriously at her mother. �Well, I didn�t mean now, mama. I meant where we�re really old. Like 13 or something.�

Teresa had to restrain her laughter, dare she burst out giggling. Her daughter�s definition of �old� was just too funny. Oh, to be young again.

After a bit of Melissa�s encouraging, Nick continued to fill the car with his sweet young voice. The two children sang along to song after song the entire ride home.

�Here we are,� said Teresa, as she pulled the Durango to a stop in front of the beach front house.

�Wow,� Nick breathed, taking in the sight. This house is three times the size of mine! The modern looking home nestled into Apollo Beach was by far the nicest Nick that had ever seen up close. �You live here?�

�I liked our home in Houston better,� Melissa said, paying no attention to Nick�s awestruck gaze. She�d already hopped out of the Durango and was motioning for her guest to follow. �Come on! �MMC� is starting!!!�

Grabbing his dance bag, Nick hurried to catch up with Melissa. For such a little girl, she moved rather quickly. Nick didn�t even have a chance to inspect the house as Melissa lead him tirelessly through a maze of rooms.

�I�ll take you on a tour later,� Melissa explained. She finally plopped herself in front of a television in the family room. Nick took a seat on the floor next to her.

Teresa entered the room a few minutes later. The TV had already been flipped to the Disney Channel, and Melissa was well into recording her favorite show. She set a bowl of macaroni and cheese in front of the kids. They dug into the food hungrily, without really noticing Teresa�s presence.

For the next half-hour, the two were glued to the television screen. Nick didn�t talk much. Instead, he handed the microphone over to Melissa, as she explained useless facts about each cast member.

To Nick, watching Melissa was almost as amusing as watching the show. She clearly loved the program; so much so, it was a little scary. But it was fun to share such an intense love with her. And despite being a little campy, �MMC� was pretty entertaining.

��M-O-U-S-E�.!� The cast members sang the closing credits. Nick got to his feet and began to look around the family room, while Melissa stopped the VCR from recording.

�Who�s this?� Nick fingered a framed photo of a ballerina in toe shoes.

Melissa leaned over Nick�s shoulder. Recognizing the picture he held, she made a face. �Oh, that�s my mom.�

�Your mom was a dancer too?� Asked Nick.

Melissa nodded. �She danced in corps with the Houston Ballet. She was about to be promoted to a soloist, but then she found out she was pregnant. I kind of put an end to her career.�

�Ouch,� Nick commented. �That�s pretty harsh. I�m sure you didn�t end her career��

�Of course not.� Melissa interrupted harshly. �That�s why I take so many dance classes. Mom expects me to fulfill her dreams of becoming a prima ballerina.�

Nick nodded. He realized it must be a sensitive subject for his friend, and understood. The more he got involved in the entertainment industry, the more stage mothers he encountered. It was all a part of the business.

�Can you keep a secret?� Melissa whispered. Nick leaned closer, pressing his ear near her mouth. �I don�t think I want to be a ballerina. I like jazz and modern much better.�

�Jesus. How many dance classes do you take?�

�Ballet, jazz, modern and tap.� Melissa listed off. �Oh! And tumbling.�

�Wow.� Nick was amazed. And I thought I was busy. �How do you have time for all of that?�

�I�m home-schooled,� Melissa explained.

�Cool!� Nick was instantly excited about the prospect of not going to school. I could sleep in every morning, then lie around in my pajamas all day�

�No, not cool.� Melissa shook her head, while Nick was forced out of his fantasy. �I hate being home-schooled. It�s boring and lonely. There�s no way you can make friends.�

�Well, you�re not missing out on much at public school,� Nick glumly noted. �I don�t really have any friends. All the kids make fun of me. Mainly because I�m a boy who dances.�

Melissa wanted to say something to Nick. To show him she understood what he was going through. But she couldn�t think of a single thing that wouldn�t come across as nerdy. Instead, she brightly asked, �You wanna check out the beach?� Nick nodded enthusiastically. He�d been waiting all evening for this. He gleefully followed Melissa as she tore through the house. He followed Melissa as she tore through the house.

Having reached the back patio, Melissa collapsed onto a lawn chair. She focused her attention on taking off her cowboy boots.

Nick looked around the yard. It looks like a movie set. A below-ground, kidney-shaped pool was set amidst the patio. Several lounge chairs were also scattered around the patio. The sun had already set, but old-fashioned street lamps lit the area.

A small staircase led from the patio toward the beach. Though the tide was coming in, there still remained a wide stretch of untouched sand.

�Wanna go skip rocks?� Melissa asked, shaking Nick from his fantasy. He looked down at where she was sitting.

�Sure!� He agreed. He smiled and got to her feet. He kicked off his high-top B.K. Knights. Once barefoot, the two took off running toward the beach.

Teresa smiled, watching the kids scamper towards the sand. She could see the entire backyard from her kitchen window. She was preparing marshmallows for her daughter and Nick. In Houston, Melissa always had cousins around to play with. But the nine-year-old had a hard time adjusting to Tampa life. Teresa was relieved to see Melissa had finally made a friend.

�I�m home!� Called out a voice as the front door opened. Teresa recognized the sound to be her husband.

�In the kitchen, honey!� Teresa yelled back. A few moments later, he appeared in the room.

�Where�s Melissa?� He asked. Normally his little girl would be practicing her plies while holding onto the kitchen counter.

�She�s on the beach, with a friend.�

�A friend?� Hector raised his eyebrow questionably.

�A little boy from her dance classes. Nick. He�s spending the night.� Teresa explained. �Actually, they want to make s�mores. Why don�t you go and make them a bonfire?�

Hector crept slowly out of the house. He was headed toward the beach.

Melissa and her new friend stood ankle-deep in the surf. Their heads were bowed together, deep in discussion. Hector approached quietly, so as not to disturb their conversation.

�See how this rock is kind of flat and smooth?� Nick said. He held the stone up for Melissa to see. She carefully examined it.

�The flatter and smoother it is, the more skips you�ll get out of it.� Nick tossed the rock into the ocean. It skipped one, two, three�four times. Nick smiled proudly. �See?�

�Wow,� Melissa looked at Nick with admiration in her eyes. �How�s you get so good at this?�

Nick shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. �Me, BJ and Brent spend a lot of time at the beach in the summer. So we�ve had lots of time to practice.�

�Who are BJ and Brent?� Asked Melissa curiously. She�d just made an important realization. Nick has other friends, besides me.

�BJ�s my little sister. She�s seven. And Brent�s my best friend. He�s a year younger then us, but I think you�ll like him. You can meet him next weekend when you spend the night at my house.�

Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the fact that he had other friends, Nick still wanted to include Melissa in on their activities. She loved the way Nick had just assumed she�d be spending the night at his house the following weekend, even though they hadn�t discussed it.

�Hey kids,� Hector said, when he finally decided to speak up.

�Daddy!� Melissa shouted. She ran up to her father and threw her arms around the small man, pulling him into a tight embrace. �Daddy, this is my friend, Nick.�

�Hi Nick,� Hector greeted the young boy. Nick waved. �I heard you kids wanted a bonfire.�

Melissa let go of her father. She turned to Nick, and the two seemed to converse with their eyes. After a moment, Melissa spoke up. �Actually, we�re getting kinda sleepy. And since we have an early dance class tomorrow morning, I think we�re just going to go to bed. We�ll save the bonfire fore the next time Nicky spends the night.�

Hector smiled. That�s my daughter, the most responsible nine-year-old I�ve met. She wants to be a dancer so bad, she�d never do anything to jeopardize her performance in class. �Sounds like a good choice. Goodnight, pum�kin.�

�Night, Daddy.� Melissa said cheerfully. She kissed her father on the cheek. �Come on, Nicky. I�ll show you my room.�

Nick took a big, slow breath. From his short amount of experience over the course of the night, he�d realized one thing about Melissa: she moved fast when she was excited. He knew he�d be chasing her throughout the maze she called home. And sure enough, he did.

�This is my crib,� Melissa said, throwing open the door.

Nick peered around. Jesus, he thought. Its bigger then me and BJ�s room put together. The walls were white, with a pink trim. Matching pink curtains, carpet and bedding ties together the room. Framed pictures of ballerinas danced across the walls.

�I never expected your room to look quite so girly,� Nick commented, hoping he wouldn�t offend his new friend.

�Neither did I,� said a glum Melissa, as she looked around the room. �My mom decorated it. If I�d had my way, I�d�ve painted the walls neon orange.�

Nick laughed. That sounded more like Melissa he was coming to know.

�Well, I�m pooped," said Melissa. She stripped out of her MMC shirt and shimmied out of her skirt. She climbed into bed dressed in a white cotton undershirt and a pair of cotton undies. �Let�s sleep.�

Too tired to find his dance bag, Nick shed his clothes. He tucked himself into Melissa�s double bed wearing a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle briefs. �Night Melissa.�

�Night Nick,� Melissa said, yawning. She rolled onto her side, facing away from Nick. He did the same. �Nick?�

�Mmm-hmm?� He asked sleepily.

�I know Brent�s your best friend and all�but can I be your best friend too?� Melissa asked shyly.

�Course you can, Lissie-Liss.� Nick replied. He sounded half-asleep. Melissa smiled happily as she snuggled her head into her pillow. Lissie-Liss. I like that.

Teresa peeked her head into Melissa�s room. The two nine-year-olds lay at opposite ends of the bed, as far apart as they could possibly get from one another. It was barely 8:30, but they�d already crashed out beneath Melissa�s pink duvet. Too cute, Teresa thought. She turned off the light and closed the door.

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