"So, how do you like Tampa?".

I turned to my penpal and nodded with a smile. "It's really cool!".

Daisy locked her car and led me into her house. My head kept turning around to take in the surroundings. Tampa was so different from my tiny home town in Kentucky. It was so... exotic!

"You can have this room," Daisy said as she opened a door to a pretty large spare room, decorated in crazy colors like pink and orange. "I hope it's not too bright for you!".

I laughed. The room was bright but that was OK. "Did you design this room?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah. I gave all the rooms a crazy, bright and bold look to them,".

"It's cool," I told her. Daisy herself was pretty bright and bold. That morning she was wearing a lime green and bright orange zebra-print tank top and tight black leather snake-skin look pants. Her bright orange curls were streaked with blue highlights.

"Thanks for picking me up at the airport," I told Daisy.

"No problem," she said with a shrug. "Leave your bags in the room and come down for some lunch,".

We sat in her kitchen, which was decorated in a cool, modern way with lots of chrome and wood mixes. We talked while we ate some lunch.

"So let's listen to your album," Daisy said eagerly.

I blushed. "It's not that good," I said as I slipped off my stool and went up to my room to get one of the CDs.

Daisy loved my album. "It's really cool! Wow Mel, you have an amazing voice! And your songs are really good. Nick'll love this,".

"Thanks," I said shyly. "So when are we going to Nick's house?".

Daisy held the CD in her hand. "Not yet! We still need to work on this,".

"How do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Don't say you were going to give it to him like this! You need artwork for the CD. Photos. So he remembers what you look like... you know,".

I realized what she meant. "Well I'm not very good at art," I confessed. "I may be creative with my words when writing songs but I'm no good with a paintbrush,".

"Leave it to me!" Daisy said with a grin. "I have some real good graphics programs on my computer and an excellent printer. But first we need to take some photos of you,".

"I hate being photographed. I mean, I'm not exactly beautiful..." I said.

"You're forgetting I work in a salon, aren't you," Daisy laughed. "I'll do your make up and hair and we'll pick you out some cool clothes,".

I hesitated. Daisy's style was a little wild for me...

"You don't have to look really crazy like me," she said, guessing what I was thinking.

I blushed. "So when?" I asked.

"I have to go to work for a few hours this afternoon so you can come along and I'll give you a free make over,".

I could hardly turn down a free make over! "Thanks!" I said gratefully.

"...And tomorrow is my day off so we'll go search for Nick then. He lives near here, I know that. But he's not my fave, I've not really bothered searching for his house before,".

"But you searched for AJ's house," I added.

Her eyes lit up. "Yep! I told you about that, didn't I? I managed to find his house, beautiful place, but it's in Orlando which is a little far to go very often. Plus he's moving,".

"I've got some photos of Nick's house off the net," I told her. "That'll help us search,".

"Yeah. Now come on, let's go unpack your stuff!".

"Oh my Lord!" I exclaimed when I looked in the mirror after Daisy had given me my make over. I look really... different.

"Like it?" she asked, smiling proudly. She'd done a great job.

"Yeah... thankyou!".

"You don't have to thank me," she said.

I walked over to a full length mirror and looked at my reflection. I looked more like a rock star than a college student now! Daisy had lent me some pink and black snakeskin-look pants and a tight black and silver glittery design tank top to wear. She's made my eyes up with silver and black eye make up which made my them look bigger and more sparkly. She's colored my hair a strawberry-blond color and layered it really nicely, adding some streaks of black. I looked much cooler now, thanks to Daisy.

"Nick will be impressed," she promised.

"I hope so," I said nervously.

"I have to get to work now," Daisy told me. "Why don't you look around town for a few hours then come back here to the salon later when I've finished work. Then we can go back and buy you some cool new clothes,".

"OK," I agreed. "I'll see ya later,".

I walked down the street and looked around Tampa's shops. There were so many stores, I wasn't used to there being so many! Back in my home town we have a small mall but that's all. I usually had to travel to Lexington for shopping.

The time flew by and before I knew it, it was time to meet Daisy. "Did you see anything you liked?" she asked when we met up.

"Yeah, I few things..." I went on to tell her some clothes I had seen.

We went around the shops buying clothes, all to fit in with my new 'look'. It was almost dinnertime when we'd finished. "Let's go for a coffee," Daisy said with a yawn. We were tired out!

We were approaching a cool little coffee shop when I gasped. "What?!" Daisy asked, looking around wondering what I had seen.

"Isn't that Jade," I whispered, motioning to a beautiful girl looking in a jewellery store window.

"What, Jade as in Nick's girlfriend? Yes! I think so!".

We stood and watched her gazing in the window across the street. My heart sunk, Nick was the guy I'd dreamt about for three years and he was already taken by this girl. I couldn't help feeling jealous. Jade was so beautiful. She had the body of a runway model and the complexion to match. Her golden curls were to die for and her clothes were so cool, and obviously very expensive. But I didn't dislike her. All the fans liked her as she seemed so sweet and nice, we didn't know anything bad about her.

"I wish Nick was with her," I said. "I'd love to see him!".

"You will soon," Daisy assured me.

Jade walked into the store and we went into the coffee shop.

"We'll take some photos and scan them up tonight," Daisy told me as she sipped on her latte. "I'll make some really cool artwork for you and they'll be ready for tomorrow, when we'll look for Nick,".

"I can't wait," I said excitedly. "I just hope the plan works,".

The next day we found Nick's house. After a search on the internet then night before after completing the album artwork, we'd found several possible addresses, and with the help of the photos I'd found, we located the house. It was a stunning house on the edge of the city by the water.

"Want me to come in with you?" Daisy asked.

I nodded. "Please! I'm so nervous!".

We walked up the path of Nick's house, luckily the gates were open. I knocked on the door, my heart beating like a drum, clutching my album tightly in my hand.

I could hear dogs barking. "His pugs," I said quietly with a smile.

The door was opened by a middle-aged woman who looked bothered. "Hello," she said in an irritated tone. I guessed she could be the housekeeper.

"Is Nick in?" I asked shyly.

She shook her head. "No, goodbye!". She shut the door on us.

"How rude!" Daisy exclaimed.

I looked down at the floor sadly. "This was a stupid idea. I should have guessed that we wouldn't get to see him,".

"Don't give up!" Daisy said as we got into her car. "We'll come back later, maybe the old witch would have gone by then. You'll get to see Nick sooner or later,".

"I hope so," I sighed.

>>>>>