After my emotional breakdown, I left the park with Nick and Brian with as much dignity as I could muster. We rode back in the monorail in silence....we drove back to the apartment in silence. It wasn't until we had pulled into the apartment parking lot and Brian had cut the engine that he turned to look at me.

"Ange...we're going to be fine. We'll figure something out." Brian said gently.

I didn't respond, but continued to stare blankly out the window of the Jeep Wrangler.

"Angie...please...you're scarin' me," Nick said quietly.

"Well you know what Nick? I'm glad SOMETHING seems to affect you."

He knitted his brows and continued to concentrate on me.

"Nick...you never liked school anyway. I had two dreams in my life: to go to college and settle down with a family and a decent career; or to become a famous singer. Now, I never really expected THAT to happen." I crossed my arms in disgust.

"Who's to say you still can't become a singer?" Nick challenged.

I snorted "Nick, you know as well as I that that's not likely to happen. We had our chance...maybe there's a reason why Chris wouldn't invest his time in us!"

"Yeah there is Ange," Brian countered. "And if you remember correctly, he said it was because of our lack of experience."

I shook my head doubtfully.

"Guys, if we give up now, we'll never make it very far. We need to be resiliant...we need to show up guys like Chris. Hell, I'll wager that two years down the road he'll regret using us and then throwing us on the backburner."

"Backburner?" Nick repeated, "I would say that we've been removed from the stove." Nick looked over at me for help.

I gave him a tiny smile "I'll say...I think by now we've been thrown in the fridge to be served as leftovers."

Nick grinned at my recovery.

"We'll show them you guys!" Brian said.

I smiled again...but I secretly believed that we had blown our chance.

We began planning our method of recovery (or as Brian called it, our "resiliant recovery") the very next day.

I shuffled into the kitchen the next day to find Brian at the kitchen table, poring over the yellow pages. He looked so cute and serious that I couldn't restrain myself from ruffling his bangs.

"Hey what are you DOING?" I protested. "I'll have you know that it took me all of five seconds to perfect this do!" He said referring to his out of control bangs that tended to curl up at weird angles.

"What's the secret?" I asked as I poured myself a mug of coffee.

"That clear stuff that comes out of the faucet when you turn the handle," he said matter-of-factly.

I sat accross from him "what're you looking up?" I asked.

"Prospective job opportunities."

"What's wrong with the A&P?"

"NO! Not THAT kind of job...I want to get us a gig," Brian said seriously.

The look of pleasure must have been evident:

"I told you that I'd take care of you Angie. You didn't think that you left school for nothing did you?"

"Bri, you're awesome!" I clutched his hand briefly.

Nick shuffled into the kitchen with his blonde hair in disarray from his night's sleep. "Man, sometimes you guys scare me. Don't be acting all romantic and shit on me now.

I laughed nervously, hoping it sounded like I thought he was bring riduculous.

Brian stood up with his list of phone numbers. "I'm going in the other room to make a few phone calls ok? Maybe by tonight we'll have a few interviews set up."