Today was the day Christine left. She was taking a plane to Orlando, and from there, she was taking a limousine to the hotel where she would be staying. That night, she would meet the Backstreet Boys, as well as the other dancers, and then they would start rehearsals the next day.
"I don't know, wear something pretty," Katelyn said, pulling a short, blue, spaghetti-strap sundress out of Christine's closet. "This is cute."
"But that's so skimpy. I don't want to look easy," Christine replied. She snatched it from Katelyn's hand and threw it back on the floor of the closet.
Katelyn held up a long, white, thin dress. "Okay, so you want something more like this?" she asked.
"No, that's not skimpy enough. I'll look like a prude," Christine said. She dropped it on the floor of her room.
"Fine! Wear this one!" Katelyn groaned exasperatedly, tossing her a Hawaiian print sundress that came down to her knee with wider straps. "It's shorter than the white one and less revealing than the blue one. Is that any better?"
Christine looked up and smiled. "That's perfect, Kate. It's a nice, healthy medium." She grabbed it and threw it in the bathroom connected to her bedroom. "Now I have to clean this mess up."
Katelyn rolled her eyes. "Just throw everything back in the closet. You don't have time to clean it up. You have to finish packing!"
"But-"
"No buts, Teeny. You don't have time to clean," Katelyn interrupted. Sighing softly, she pulled another suitcase in from the hallway. "I'll throw whatever else that you need in here," she replied, looking at the bed. There were still a few outfits and several mementos left to pack. "You go change."
Knowing that she had been defeated, Christine stepped into the bathroom and changed. She looked into the mirror and admired herself. Her soft auburn hair draped neatly over her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled with excitement. She turned and looked at her slim, curvy figure and smiled happily. She quickly applied silver eye shadow and pink blush to her ivory skin. Finally, she took one last look in the mirror. "I look good," she murmured confidently as she stepped out of the bathroom.
Katelyn had already finished throwing everything in the suitcase, and Christine opened her dresser drawers, making sure she had forgotten nothing. "Kate, should I take this shirt?" she asked, holding up a tight, black, spaghetti strap tank top.
"I thought you were worried about looking easy," Katelyn teased. "It's cute, but kind of revealing."
"Okay, then I won't bring it," Christine said, tossing it back into the drawer. "But I'm gonna bring this white one," she added, pulling out a white one of the same style and tossing it to Katelyn.
Katelyn rolled her eyes and caught it. "You're so lucky, Teeny. I wish I could go! I would give anything to meet the Backstreet Boys!"
Christine looked away guiltily. "Well, I was going to surprise you, but Fatima said that I can have eight front row tickets and backstage passes for the Madison concert at half price," Christine said happily, referring to the choreographer she would be working with, and also the woman that hired her. "Guess who's gonna get one of each?"
"You're kidding! It better be me," Katelyn said.
"Yeah, I suppose…" Christine trailed off and thought about whom else she could give one to. Her parents each got one. Her twenty-three-year-old sister, Michelle, would want one. Her brothers, Jason and Sam, would each get one. The other two could go to her brothers' girlfriends, Amber and Carlie. Amber was twenty-four, and she was Sam's girlfriend of four years. Carlie was nineteen, and she was Jason's girlfriend of two years.
"Earth to Teeny?" Katelyn muttered, waving her hand in front of Christine's face.
"Oh, what?"
"I was asking who you were gonna give the other seven passes to," Katelyn groaned.
"Actually, I was thinking about that. I was thinking Mom, Dad, Michelle, Jason, Sam, Amber, and Carlie. They'd all love to go," Christine replied. "Well, Jason and Sam will just come to see me, and Michelle is kind of my sister so I have to give her one." Jason and Sam didn't like the Backstreet Boys, and Michelle was not necessarily the easiest person to get along with, as Katelyn had learned in her near ten years as Christine's friend. Christine and Michelle were constantly at war over something or another.
"Sounds good," Katelyn said. She looked at the clock. "Dude, Chris, we better get going. You should be there at least a half an hour early, don't you think?"
"Yeah, probably. Go make sure Sam and Jason are ready," Christine ordered. Sam and Jason were accompanying her to the airport because their parents and Michelle were at work.
"SAM! JASON!" Katelyn yelled. "YOU GUYS READY?"
The two boys came bounding into the room. "Yep!" Christine eyed her brothers. Sam, age twenty-five, had dark brown hair, tan skin, and green eyes. He was tall and built. Jason could be his twenty-year-old twin. Katelyn had always thought they were good-looking, but never acted on her crushes because they were Christine's brothers, and besides, Amber and Carlie were really cool.
"Let's go. I have to be at the airport in twenty minutes," Christine said, grabbing one of her three suitcases and her carry-on bag.
Jason groaned. "How much CRAP did you need to bring, Chris?" he complained as he hoisted another of her suitcases off the ground. Sam grabbed the last one.
"Quit your yapping and get carrying, bro!" Christine snapped jokingly.
They went down to Christine's battered, ten-year-old Ford Tempo and opened the trunk. The boys threw her suitcases in and slammed it shut, then opened the back door for the girls.
"How come I have to sit in the back?" Christine complained. "I'm the dancer, here!"
"Because we're both older! Just close the door so we can go, Chris," Sam said, shaking his head.
Christine slammed the door as Sam waited. "Oh, fine. Come on, start the car, I'm gonna be late!"
"Not with me driving," Sam said, grinning devilishly.
"Sam, if you crash or get a ticket and we're late, I'm holding you responsible for wrecking my dream job!" Christine joked.
Twenty minutes later, right on time, they were at the airport. Christine checked her luggage and went to the gate, her brothers and Katelyn following. A voice boomed over the loudspeaker. "Now boarding, Flight 778 to Tampa, gate G19!"
"Well, guys, I guess this is it until we come to Madison, and that's not until September," Christine said.
Katelyn gave her friend a hug and an encouraging smile. "Break a leg, and don't you dare forget to send me my ticket and backstage pass!"
"Gosh, someone is greedy!" Christine teased.
"Hey. If you don't send me those things, then guess who won't be able to come visit you backstage?" Katelyn replied threateningly.
Christine pretended to be scared. "Okay, okay! I'll do it!" She turned to Jason. "I'll see you in September, Jay-Bear!" She ruffled his dark hair.
"Aw, Chris, I hate when you call me that!" he said as he smoothed his hair back into place.
"Duh! Why do you think I say it all the time?" Christine replied. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Love ya."
"Love you, too!" Jason said.
"See you, sis," Sam said, giving his sister a fierce, protective hug. "If any of those boys try anything, you just tell them they'll have me to answer to and they'll lay off you right away!"
"I'm sure they will, Sam. Everyone is afraid of you," Christine said sarcastically. "I'll miss you, boy," She kissed him on the cheek as a tear escaped from her eye. "You guys are making me cry."
"Aw, don't cry. You'll see me in September," Sam said, brushing the tear away and flashing her a goofy grin, causing her to laugh.
"I'm not crying over you, dork," Christine teased. "Nah, I'm just kidding. I love you!"
"Love you, too."
"I'll see you all at the concert in September! I'll call as much as I can! Thank goodness Mom and Dad gave me phone cards," Christine said as she picked up her carry on.
"Have fun with the Boys, and tell AJ he has a fiancee waiting for him in Madison!" Katelyn joked.
"Which one is that?" Christine asked.
"He's the crazy one with the weird hair and all the tattoos and junk," Katelyn answered. "I would say give that message to Kevin, but since he's, like, ten years older than me..."
"Which one is the blonde one that I think is hot?" Christine asked. "I can never remember."
"That's Nick Carter. He's nineteen, the youngest, and he's the one that everyone likes," Katelyn answered. "But I can't blame them, because he's certainly cute."
"Okay. Well, I'll see you all later!" Christine called over her shoulder.
"Bye!" shouted the two brothers as Christine disappeared down the long hallway into the plane.
Christine took one final look at her old life and got onto the plane.