"Make It Alright" is the first Backstreet fan fiction where I myself was not a character. For me, writing is a learning process. Since this is the first fan fiction I’ve posted on the internet, I wanted to keep it with something I was familiar with. Melissa and I share a lot of things in common, including our name. But at the same time, we have our differences. I thought it would be interesting to point out those differences, just in case anyone cared. Yes, there’s a lot of myself in Melissa. But the more I write, the more I realize that the Melissa in the story is teaching me a lot about myself and life in general. Anyway, I don’t know if I’m making any since, so I’ll just get on with it. Here we go…

Melissa Baras:
Got into a verbal fight with Mandy, forced Nick to choose between the girls as an ultimatum.

Melissa the author:
Other then family members, I don’t think I have ever gotten into a verbal fight in my entire life. I’m more the type of person to bitch about someone behind their back. I hate face-to-face confrontations. I honestly don’t think I would ever ask Nick to choose between myself and another girl as an ultimatum. As much as I would hate the situation, I think I’d find someway to deal with it.

Melissa Baras:
Hates her stage mother.

Melissa the author:
My mom is truly my best friend. I tell her absolutely everything. I talk to her everyday on the phone for at least a half an hour. My mom is pretty much the polar opposite of Teresa Baras. My mom is really hip, totally cool with everything I do. She’s always been supportive of my dance career, but not to the point of being a stage mother. She doesn’t force me to do anything I don’t want to. I do however know my fair share of stage mothers, and Teresa is based on one I know.

Melissa Baras:
Is half-Spanish, half-Mexican.

Melissa the author:
I’m half-white, half-Filipina.

Melissa Baras:
Has lived in Texas, Florida, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Melissa the author:
I’ve lived in the same house my entire life, until going to college. Now I live in a dorm room an hour-and-a-half south of my parents’ home.

Melissa Baras:
Went to a performing arts high school.

Melissa the author:
I went to a very stereotypical, All-American high school. Imagine the cast of “Dazed and Confused” driving Mercedes, BMWs, SUVs and wearing Abercrombie & Fitch. That’s as close as I can get to explaining my alma mater.

Melissa Baras:
Comes from a family with a lot of money.

Melissa the author:
Does not. I live off of financial aid.

Melissa Baras:
Drives a huge, “redneck” truck.

Melissa the author:
Shares a car with my mother when I’m at home. Otherwise, I hitch rides with friends. The car Melissa drives in the story is the car that my friend Kate drove last year, until it broke down. I loved that thing to pieces, and would kill to own one like it, except for the fact that they’re very unpractical (use lots of gas, hard to park in the city).

Melissa Baras:
Is a really obsessive Mickey Mouse Club fan.

Melissa the author:
I’m a really obsessive fan in general. Where normal people just like things, I differ. I can’t just like something. I have to know absolutely everything about it. The Mickey Mouse Club was one of my favorite shows growing up. The problem was that I didn’t have The Disney Channel. I would make my cousin tape it for me. Much like Melissa in the story, I love everyone that was on the show. FYI- check out Ryan Gosling. He stars in the new Sandra Bullock movie that just came out. He was the other blonde boy who joined the cast with Christina and Britney. And he was way cuter then Justin back then.

Melissa Baras:
Had mean encounters with Jason from Lifehouse and Christina Aguilera.

Melissa the author:
Had mean encounters with Jason from Lifehouse and Christina Aguilera. I’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of celebrities, and not all of them have been pleasant. When I need someone to be bitchy in the story, I use people who haven’t been nice to me in real life. I would never make a celebrity cruel just out of the blue.

Melissa Baras:
Has long, curly auburn hair.

Melissa the author:
My hair is naturally dark brown, and wavy. I change my hair color a lot, and from August until this month, it was the same auburn color I picture Melissa’s hair as being. Right now, I’ve lightened my hair to a strawberry color for summer.

Melissa Baras:
Is southern.

Melissa the author:
Is not. I’m just fascinated by the South. I love southern accents, big hair, country music- the whole lifestyle. I just find that region of America really interesting.

Melissa Baras:
Is an only child.

Melissa the author:
Has an older brother whom I love very much and plays a very important role in my life.

Melissa Baras:
Is a dancer.

Melissa the author:
I, too am a dancer. But there is a difference. All Melissa Baras really has is dance, other then Nick. I think I have a lot more interests in my life outside of dance. Also, I imagine Melissa Baras as being a much better dancer then myself. I don’t know if I will ever be a professional dancer, but a part of me really wants to be. I put my hopes and career aspirations as Melissa’s reality. Also, we have very different backgrounds as far as dance training goes. Melissa Baras’ training is in competitive-based jazz dance- curly hair, blue eye shadow, sequined costumes. I’ve been a member of a professional dance company since I was eleven. I guess it doesn’t really make sense unless you know a lot about dance.