Blythe shook her head as the equations in the textbook in front of her began blurring. She was trying to refresh her memory before taking a mathematic entrance exam for college. She wanted a good score on the exam because that would mean she wouldn't have to take a math course in college. Her major only required a basic course, which this test could eliminate.

The blonde had just moved into a New York City apartment with her twin brother's friend Wade. They had grown up in the same town so when he heard she was going to be attending college near him he invited her to rent the extra bedroom of the apartment he just moved into. She was just about to scream in frustration when the door opened.

"1, 2, 3 and 4. No that's not right. 1 and 2, 3 and 4."

Blythe laughed at her roommate as he swayed his hips to some imaginary choreography in his head. When he closed the door with his foot while turning she lost it. The sound of her laughter broke Wade out of his daze.

"Oh, hey, Blye. Still studying?"

"Yup. Haven't taken a break yet." She shook her head at the memory of his prior movements. "So you humming another top secret song that I can't talk about?"

Wade grabbed and apple from the refrigerator and leaned against the small counter.

"Yeah. Well Britney's having problems with this one move and I'm trying to figure out how to fix it. This is driving me crazy."

"I just can't sleep. I'm so excited I'm in too deep," Blythe sang while doing the dance motions from her chair. She saw his raised eyebrows and immediately stopped. "Sorry."

"Sorry my ass. You know you do a mighty fine Britney." He took the last bite of the apple and threw the core away. "I got an idea. Since you haven't had a break yet do you think you might want to take one?"

Blythe looked at the book in front of her and sighed. She knew what he was asking and as much as she needed a distraction she did not know if she'd get back to studying again that night after helping Wade. When she tried again to make sense of the same problem she closed her book and bit her bottom lip.

Wade had seen that look on her face before. He knew his idea had won and that she'd work with him for as long as it took until the move was right. That was a plus of having her so close. Blythe was an amazing dancer and the way she looked at a song could blow him away.

"Okay, Waders, what's the move?"

"Okay." Wade stood in the middle of the floor and counted off the beats in his head. When he reached four he began counting them off out loud as he performed the moves. "Now I just can't see where she's having problems."

"Wade, I hate to say this but stop thinking like a guy." Blythe stood and pushed him out of the way. "You have to remember that males and females are made differently. Just because you can do a move doesn't mean that she can. You're usually good on this but sometimes you slip."

"So show me, oh great one."

"That was my plan." She counted on her fingers before mimicking his moves slowly. As her body flowed from one position to the next she explained the upcoming problem. "As you can see this is an exaggerated move and while you can swing your leg around like that, a little slower and a different arc curve helps Britney keep her balance. Especially if she has a beat to rest before going into the next move."

"Hmm." Wade thought about her suggestions and asked her to repeat what she had just done but to the actual beat of the song, which he gave her. He was caught up in her moves that he continued with the song. As she continued to move he switched songs and watched as she dance flawlessly to whatever he gave her. She stopped dancing and he followed her into the kitchen area.

"So whatcha think?" She took out a glass and filled it with water.

"I'm thinking that it's perfect. You know Britney still needs-"

"-a tour choreographer," she finished for him. "Yes, I know, and, no, I'm not interested."

"But why?"

She sat back at the table, Wade taking the chair next to her.

"Because I want to go to college." She opened the book again, but he closed it a minute later.

"The moment I mentioned helping me with choreography your mind was off school. This is in your blood and you're amazing at it."

"Stop lying, Wade. I'm not amazing. I'm just a normal eighteen year-old female who's going to be starting college soon."

He reached over and forced her to look at him.

"You are amazing. Whoever told you different was lying."

Blythe shook herself from his grasp. "No. I want to be a normal eighteen year-old. What part of that don't you understand?"

"So be one and be a choreographer also."

"Like you?" she sneered.

"Yes, like me. What's that look for?"

She took a deep breath before looking at him again. "The look is because you are nowhere near a normal teenager. You do not have a normal life. When we go out people ask for your autograph. You think that there is nothing out of the ordinary when any member of *N SYNC calls you. And I'm sure that there's some girl, hell probably many girls, with your, yes your picture up on their walls."

"You have a picture of me up."

"But that's because I'm your friend. As in I know you personally. I know that you snore when you're stressed. I know that you hate when in the middle of a song someone turns it off." She raised her head to look directly into his brown eyes. "And I also know that when you're upset with me your eyes get darker and I don't like to see that."

She maintained eye contact for a few more seconds before turning away and looking at her book. She saw him leave his seat and felt her head being turned until his stare met her dead on.

"Did I ever tell you *N SYNC wants to meet you?"

"What?" Her eyes widened. "Wade, you promised never to tell them about my help. You're the famous, talented one. I just know how to fix your little glitches. They better not even know about those times."

"Blye," he sighed, "I haven't broken our pact about that. I have told them you were a mean dancer but I left out your amazing choreography abilities and your way with music. I meant that they want to meet you because they want to meet my amazing roommate who I can't stop talking about."

"There you go again with that word- amazing. And you talk about me? What's up with that?"

"Well," he involuntarily pushed some of her hair behind her ear, "you are part of my everyday life and they basically are too. I live with you, how could you not come up in conversations. And," he paused, "I also think about you when the guys ask where I get some dance moves because they know they're not like my style and I have to tell myself I can't tell them I didn't think up the moves. You did. You deserve the credit for all you do."

"Waders..."

"What, Sly Blye?"

"How many times do I have to go over this? I want to go to school and be normal. If I went on tour with Britney this summer all that will go to hell. I don't want all the publicity. If after I graduate I want to be a choreographer then I'll do something, but in the meantime I'm going to college. I want to be known for my talent, not that I'm a child prodigy, like some people I know."

"So you don't think I'm known for my talent?" Wade turned his back to hide his hurt expression.

"That's not what I mean." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You are the most...the most...amazing person I know. You are a musical prodigy. Your sense of timing is impeccable. Watching you move is inspiring for me. It gives me hopes of what I can do someday. That someday I'll have the ability to have someone drop their jaw because of what I thought up. But not now."

"But it already happens. Don't you see." He saw the blank expression on her face and bit the inside of his mouth. He walked over to their music selection and put one of the CDs into the stereo. He let the first song play for a minute before turning around. He smiled as she closed her eyes and her body did toned down moves of the song's choreography. "Do you know that you are my main inspiration when I do choreography for Britney?"

Her eyes opened in shock. "What are you talking about? I've only helped out a few times with her."

"When I think of moves she can do I think of moves you can do." He turned the radio's volume down. "Like I said before, you do a mean Britney because you can move like her. Or I should say she can move like you. If I get stuck and you're not around I close my eyes and picture what you would do. That's how you help me when you're not around. And that's why I know you'd be perfect to tour with Britney. All her moves you can do and they were based on what you would do anyway."

Blythe looked at the guy who was now squatting next to her. She ran a hand across the top of his hair. She looked in his eyes before sighing and looking away.

"Thanks for the compliment, Wade, but, as I've told you, I'm not interested in that right now. I don't want to be in the spotlight. I just want to be the one behind the scenes making up the dances. I don't want to be seen."

"Is that why you never go to any event with me? Any awards or anything big? You don't want to be seen?"

"Yup." She nodded quickly before walking to the sink. "Then you'll be asked about me. Am I your girlfriend, they'll ask. And then what would you say?" He began to open her mouth but she shushed him with a look. "You'll say I'm your roommate and then they'll think you're lying and then I'll be the girl who lived with Wade Robson and they claimed they never went out. I want to get my own recognition at my own time, Wade."

"Blye, you don't want any recognition," he told her softly. "Why do you question your talent? Don't you know in the back of my mind I tell myself I shouldn't tell you about Britney's opening because once as she sees you I'll be out of a client, once as she sees you in action and how well you can choreograph for her she'll never use me again."

"Now, you're lying. Big time. Wade, why would she stop using you? You're her friend."

"Damn, Blye, I know you're not that stupid." He grabbed her face and held it inches from his. "Why do you deny your talents? And if you'd let me introduce her to you she'd be your friend too."

"Wade, normal people aren't friends with them." She looked at his lips before licking hers. "I am a normal person and I want to keep it that way. I have control over this and I am exerting it. I want to walk down the street and not worry about someone recognizing me or someone I'm with."

"You walk down the street with me."

"But," she paused as he softened his touch, "but you're different. I've known you for years and not as many people recognize you. Their faces are all over the place while yours isn't." She pulled her face back when his eyes turned dark again.

Wade watched as she closed her book on the table and gathered her belongings. He decided to speak as she was picking up her school supplies.

"I envy you."

"What?" she exclaimed as all her papers fell on the floor.

"I envy you. You can make the choice of being in the shadows. At this point I don't have the choice. There is no turning back. I basically have to worry all the time about being recognized, and not just by someone I went to high school with that I don't want to ever see again. I am stuck here with no hope of getting out. I can't just go to the movies with some of my friends because I know they'll be recognized. I can't stop this ride. It started too long ago for it to be stopped."

"Wow." She stopped gathering her things together and took his hand. "I didn't know you ever felt like that, Wade. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, but you always seem to love what you're doing."

"I do love what I do but..."

"Sometimes you just want to hide from the world, especially the one you're living in."

"Exactly." He pulled his hand out of hers and opened the refrigerator. "What do you want to do about dinner?"

"Wade?"

He pulled his head into view.

"We all go through that. Just remember that you love what you do and know that you wouldn't be happier doing anything else. That should make it all worthwhile."

"It's what you want to do also." His eyes bored into hers.

"Wade..."

"I'll lay off." He held his hands up in defense. "Now about dinner... How about we make pizza?"

Blythe opened her mouth but the phone rang.

"Hello?" She paused as she listened to the person at the other end. "Hold on. It's for you, Waders."

Wade took the phone from her. "Hello?"

"Hey, Wade, was that Blythe?"

"Yup." He took the dough and the sauce out of the refrigerator and placed in on the counter. "What's up, Chris?"

"Nothing much. When are we going to meet her?"