His words rung in my ears, even though it was 2:00 am, and we all left the coffeeshop hours ago. Nick was going to take a leave of absence? In recent monthes, Nick and I had become really good friends. Although we never realy spoke about it, I would be willing to wager that each of us thought of the other as our best friend. I didn't want Nick to leave me for stardom. I wanted him to stay with me. I really felt that we had a special kind of kinship...it was almost like we had known eachother all our lives. I had this innate desire to be with him...why did he have to leave? Things were just getting started.

"Angie...you're not asleep are you?" asked Karen into the darkness of our room.

I sighed and rolled over, "No, how could you tell?"

"Well, the frequent sighing and tossing and turning was a major indication," she giggled.

I sighed yet again, "Karen, I'm so confused. Like, I don't even know what I want in life."

She sat up and turned on the light over her bed, and looked at me expectantly.

"Like, I don't know if I even want to be a doctor anymore." I threw my head into my hands. "I've always had this, like, inner battle inside my head. I LOVE singing. I LOVE writing. I LOVE designing things...I like to create things. I think I'm a right brained person."

"Well, it's a little late to be discovering that, wouldn't you say?" she asked gently.

"A huge part of me doesn't want to see Nick go...I'm gonna miss the guy...a lot! But I think something clicked when he told us that he was going to try and make a record deal...Karen I'm JEALOUS. I'm insanly jealous...because I wish that it were ME going off and living this dream."

"Hey, hey...hold on a minute there. Nothing is set in stone yet. Nick has a manager...not a record deal."

"I know...I just wish that it were me too!" I moaned. I wanted to have a record deal! I felt like a child whining...but I didn't really care. I knew that I had a voice just as good as Nick's...there was no reason why I didn't stand the same chance. Nick and I would often sing and harmonize together...we were told that we sounded beautiful together.

"Oh my GOD!" a marvelous idea struck me. It was brilliant...absolutly perfect. I grabbed the phone and dialed Nick's number...praying that he would go for it.

The days that followed proved to be very difficult. I couldn't concentrate on any of my studies because I was too distracted. Nick had been exstatic at the idea. We had a chance to form our own duet! Not only did we sound great together, but the concept of a duet was completly original. Nick had called his scout new manager, Chris. Nick was driving us to Chris' house so that we could sing for him.

Nick looked over at me from the driver's side of his 4-Runner. "Ange...don't tell me that you're nervous!!"

"OK, then I won't!" my stomache was doing a number if its own, and every time the vehicle went through a curve I wanted to vomit (to be blunt). I starred out the window, dizzily watching the trees and houses fly by.

"Hey retahd," Nick joked in his northern accent. "Don't look out the window or you'll just feel worse.

I just pouted and ignored him, not letting him know that I was about ot take his advice, I continued to stare out at the continuously moving scenery.

Nick just rolled his eyes. A few minutes later we pulled into the modest looking plaza where "Chris P. DeFranka Managment," was located.

Chris was a short chubby man that I immediatly felt relaxed around.

"Hey, you must be Angela right?"

I laughed nervously as I shook his hand, "Don't wear it out!" I quipped.

He removed his glasses and looked over at me..."shall we get to business?"

I nervously cleared my throat. Nick lead me through a two minute warmup.

I took a deep breath and plugged in the small stereo that I had brought with me. The familiar ballad "When you Believe" filled the air.

Chapter 4