Chapter 1
Brian Littrell waited for Grace, his girlfriend, to finish up her ballet class. Brian laughed to himself as he thought of the name of his girlfriend. Grace. And just like her name, she also danced that way. Brian watched as she stretched out her legs in a wide split. He knew actually that the class was just beginning and he would have to wait an hour and a half, but he didn't mind at all. He watched all of the dancers stretch and warm up.
Now Grace was standing up with her feet turned out. Brian studied her carefully. She was a beauty with dramatic dark brown eyes and soft dark hair. Like other dancers, Grace was very thin and had long legs. He watched her do a couple of dance steps making sure her toe shoes were put on right. Her feet arched and pulled the slipper with them. Brian then studied her face trying not to be worried.
He felt for sure that there was something wrong with her, though he couldn't figure it out. She danced just as beautiful as always during the class but it just didn't seem as if her heart were in it.
Soon class was over and she grabbed her stuff, threw on some warm up pants over her leotard and walked over to him.
"Hey baby", he greeted her.
"Hi Brian." "Weren't you bored just watching?" she asked him.
"Nope," he smiled. �I never get tired of watching you dance.�
She cast him a weak smile. �So are you going to take me home?� She asked walking towards the car.
�Don't you want to get some lunch first?� he asked her.
She sighed. �I guess so.�
In the car she changed out of her toe shoes and into some clogs the stared out the window until they got to a pizza place.
�Brian!� She groaned.
�You know I can't have this stuff.� but she opened the door and walked in. She ordered and small salad and a bottle water then sat down as Brian got his pizza. She listened to the music play in the popular hang out.
Watch me drop, drop, shake it for the fellahs who know, watch me pop, pop, my hips I dip and roll, watch me stop, stop, traffic as I walk through the room knowing all the papi's want me but all I want is you...
Brian sat down and interrupting the song he said to her, �You danced beautifully, just as graceful as your name.�
She tried to smile at him. �Thanks Brian, I don't mean to be in such a bad mood, I'm just tired. We are going to start rehearsing for our usual winter production of The Nutcracker and I'm trying for the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy.� She rolled her eyes.
�It's always the same thing, winter it's The Nutcracker, spring, Swan Lake and on and on. They never can do anything new but oh well I guess that is ballet for you.�
Brian noticed that she wasn't eating her salad; just taking tiny sips from her bottle of water. "Don't you like your salad?" he questioned her.
She looked down and blushed, �No not really. I'm sorry Brian, I am just not in the mood for eating right now."
�You have another class in about two hours, you need your energy.�
She sighed but took a couple of small bites. She decided that she would work it off during class anyway. She took a couple more bites then pushed back her chair, "Come on Brian, I want to go for a walk."
"Now?" Brian asked looking out the window at the gray day.
"Yup, right now."
He looked at her and then laughing he agreed. He took her hand and led her to the park.
"So what did you want to talk about?"
"Anything." Grace responded gazing around her in awe.
"This place is so beautiful," she breathed. They walked on and then came to a rest and sat down on a bench.
"Gosh I love it here in New York!" she cried out.
Brian laughed. She was so cute when she got excited about things. "Grace you are so wonderful."
"Why? Cuz I dance with the New York City Ballet?" she teased.
"Um well yeah why else would I like you?" Brian teased back playfully.
She punched him on the arm. "You are such a jerk" she laughed.
"Yeah, but you love me for it." She rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever."
"So," Brian said trying to calm down from laughing so much, "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know "she answered him, "I just love it here in the park. It's so peaceful and calm here. It is the most beautiful part of the city."
Brian knew he had to agree with that. He looked over at her and thought how lucky he was to have found such a woman. Yes, he was lucky indeed. They soon got up and went on for a walk to the park until it was time to head back for another rough practice.
Chapter 2
Grace pulled up on point and stretched her legs as long as she could. Then keeping balance she moved her feet so she was standing in fifth position on Pointe. She held it so a few minutes then let herself down, but stayed in fifth position. She placed her hand on the dance bar and looked around.
All of the other girls were also stretching and getting ready for class to begin. Finally the dance instructors walked in and clapped to get ready to begin class. Grace straightened up along with the other girls and turned her attention to the dance instructors Julia and her husband Jacques.
She listened to Julia give the instructions the turned to the bar and with the other girls, went through the work out. They worked out on the bar for half an hour then moved to the center to work on some dance steps.
Grace danced along with the music feeling tired and light headed. She tried to shake the feeling away but it was no use. She continued to dance not feeling if she was there. Finally after what seemed like forever, class ended.
Grace gathered her things and went to meet Brian who was picking her up after a meeting he had. Something having to do with his music career, she knew. He was being invited to join a band called Backstreet Boys.
Grace knew he would make it with his talent and she wished him the best like he did with her and her dancing. She walked out side thinking about the meeting she had earlier with Julia. Julia wanted Grace to board with the school so she wouldn't have to always go back and forth between things.
Grace knew that that would be a lot easier. It wouldn't be like she wouldn't see her family since they all lived there in New York too. She spotted Brian's car and got in.
"Hey there doll face how was class?" Brian greeted her.
She groaned, she hated when he called her doll face but it was no use in telling him that since he would just continue to call her that. "Fine I guess. Same old same old," she told him deciding to leave out that she wasn't feeling good or else she would worry him.
"Tomorrow are the auditions for The Sugar Fairy." She sighed, "Once again my main competition is Melanie." Grace told him thinking of the pretty thin blond.
Brian rolled his eyes. "I cannot stand that girl."
"Who can stand her?" Grace challenged.
They both dissolved into a fit of laughter. Finally they contained themselves and Brian began the drive home. Grace began to feel light headed again but decided to ignore it. Soon they got to her house. Brian pulled up into the driveway and parked the car and got down with her. Grace let them in and looked around. On the kitchen table there was a note.
Grace, your father and I decided to catch a movie and dinner since we haven't had time to ourselves, please make Brian feel at home, hope you have a good time, and we'll see you tonight.
"Well Brian, it looks like it is just you and me. My parents went out tonight cuz they need some time alone or something."
Brian laughed. "So what do you want to do?"
"Um dinner and a video," she answered.
"Fine but isn't it my turn to pick the movie?"
" No way!" she declared. "I'm picking the movie."
"No," Brian stated, "You'll pick another chick flick."
"Yeah so what's your point?" she argued.
"My point is, well that um well fine, fine, fine, since I am such a nice guy, you can pick the movie," he declared.
"Whatever!� she rolled her eyes.
So finally she grabbed Grease and settled down on the couch with him. He ate a sandwich and had a soda. She sipped from a water bottle and rested her head in his lap. A little while into the movie, Brian looked down at her planning on asking why she wasn't having anything, but didn't get the chance since she had fallen sleep. He smiled down at her and turned off the movie and TV. He reached over and grabbed a blanket from the chair. After he tucked her in, he propped his feet up on the table leaned his head back and fell asleep.
Chapter 3
The next day at class, Grace prepared with the other girl for the audition for the dance. Grace looked over at Melanie who was studding her. Grace gave her a smile but Melanie just turned around and continued warming up.
Soon Julia came in and clapped her hand together to get the girls attention. "We will now begin the auditions." "The ones who were trying for Sugar Plum Fairy would go last."
Grace sat to watch but continue to stretch. She grabbed a bobby pin and fixed her bun. Soon Julia announced that the Sugar Plum dancers should be ready. Grace noticed it was the usual competition: herself, Melanie, Heather and Donna.
Dancing beautiful was the only thing the three of them had in common.
Grace had the dark brown eyes and soft black long hair that fell to her waist.
Melanie had blond hair that hung past her shoulders, light blue eyes.
Donna had wavy red hair that went just to the top of her shoulders and gray eyes. Donna was first to dance.
Grace had to admit that she was very good but towards the end she made a mistake and almost fell but at the last second, regained her balance and finished the dance.
Melanie was next to go. She danced beautifully and was very good but Grace knew she could do better. Melanie was a great dancer but she just didn't put her heart into it.
Grace glance up and saw Brian sneak into the adorning room to watch her. This was a new thing with the New York City Ballet and at times Grace was very happy with it, others she wished that people were not allowed to watch.
Grace stood up and walked to the middle of the floor and waited for the music to begin. As soon as the first music note came out, Grace began to dance like she never had before. She no longer saw herself dancing in the classroom in front of the other dancer but she imagined herself dancing among pink clouds. She poured her whole heart and soul into the dance. Moments later the dance ended and Grace saw the class in front of her again.
It was as silent as death. Grace tried to regain her breath; she looked at Julia who stared at her with wide eyes.
Then Julia began clapping loudly and soon after, everyone joined in.
After a few moments of cheering, Julia called the class to attention.
"Well it looks like we know who our new Sugar Plum Fairy is."
Grace smiled happily and was soon gathered by friends who were all hugging her and wishing her the best of luck, all of the girls except Melanie who stood apart from the group of girls glaring at Grace.
Chapter 4
Grace gathered her things feeling quite happy that she had gotten the part of her dreams. She had come to the NYCB when she was only 7 to study the wonders of ballet. She had started classes when she was 3 and had loved it since day one.
When she as 5 she first leaned about the Nutcracker and saw her first performance of it. When she saw it she knew that someday she would dance the part of Sugar Plum.
And now her dreams were coming true. She ran up to Brian and hugged him.
"I can't even say how happy I am right now," she gushed.
Brian smiled at her, "I knew you could do it.''
Melanie pushed past her and stormed out of the room.
"Not a very good loser is she?" Brian asked grinning.
"Nope not at all" Grace answered.
Together they walked out the door and to Brian's waiting car.
"Off we go to celebrate," he told her.
Her smile faded. "Brian, I'm not very hungry and don't feel like anything."
He looked at her. "Darlin you don't have a choice."
She sighed and got into the car ready to go with him even though she was not happy about it. Grace looked out the window as they drove and wondered where they were going.
Grace turned the radio on looking for a song to drown out the silence, she settled on Cyndi Lauper who was singing one of her favorite songs, Girls Just Want to Have Fun. She sang along to the words.
The phone rings, in the middle of the night, my father yells what you gonna do with your life? Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one, but girls they wanna have fun, oh girls just wanna have fun, that's all they really want, some fun...
She continued to sing until the song ended, and then she glanced at Brian wondering where they were going.
Soon Brian pulled up to their favorite place.
"Oh Brian," she said looking at him with tears in her eyes.
He smiled at her. "I knew you would be happy," he said as he parked the car and got out. He went around to the other side and opened it for her.
They walked in together and sat down at "their" table. Grace smiled to herself as she remembered that Brian had brought her here for their first date. They looked at the menu. Grace didn't really want anything but she knew it was a special place and she would have to eat or else Brian would be upset. She decided on some herb-roasted chicken. Brian chose ribs.
After the waiter left she looked at him and wrinkled her nose.
"What's wrong hun?" he asked her.
"Ribs, they are so messy."
Brian laughed at her. "Oh baby sometimes you are really too much."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
Soon they leaned over the table in deep conversation when their food came.
Brian grinned as he sat back. "Enjoy your food," he told her.
"Like always." she responded but her stomach turned at the thought of eating the chicken, but she couldn't disappoint Brian.
She began to eat slowly trying not to feel too sick. Her stomach felt strange but she listened to Brian talking about what was going on with the other guys he was trying to form a band with and her ballet. She didn't eat much, but he was too excited to notice. Soon they left and headed on home. Grace went inside and up to her room after Brian left. She felt bad since she had chicken. She put on some pop music and began to exercise again. She thought about throwing up, but decided against it because she didn't want to have and eating disorder. Little did she know that that was exactly where she was headed.