“Alexei come on. A couple of hours, that’s all I’m asking!” Natalia pleaded.
“I can’t Nat. I’m sorry but I have a class, you’ll have to do it. You already said you’d take mom.”
“I know I did,” she sighed. Leaning against the wall next to the payphone, she clutched the receiver to her ear, trying to figure out an alternative. “They said I could use the studio for as long as I wanted tonight, a class got cancelled,” she added in for good measure but knowing it wouldn’t make any difference to the predicament she was in.
“I don’t know what you want me to do,” he replied apologetically.
“No, no, it’s okay, I shouldn’t have asked. Your class is important, I’ll take her.”
“I’m sorry sis, I’d help out if I could.”
“I know you would,” she smiled sadly. “I’ll see you later.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye.”
She hung up the phone and squeezed her tired eyes shut, feeling a headache on its way.
“Who’s Alexei?”
And there was her headache right there.
Her eyes opened and she groaned when she saw him. “Didn’t we already have this discussion? I told you that you already know more information than you need to know.”
“That you did…Miss THOMAS,” Justin smirked triumphantly.
Natalia rolled her eyes. “Get over it…TIMBERLAKE.” She turned and walked back to the studio to collect her belongings.
It took him a second before it registered in his mind. “Hey!” he called out after her. “You know my name.” He followed her into the studio where he found her crouched in front of a stereo sorting through a batch of CD’s. “Hello? Are you gonna answer me?”
“You didn’t ask me a question, you just stated that I know your name and you’re right, I do,” she responded as she threw the CD’s into a bag before zipping it up.
Justin sighed impatiently. “Are we going to have to go through this every time I ask you a question? Because I’ll tell you right now, it’s getting tiring.”
“So don’t ask me any questions,” she replied simply. Standing up she slung her bag over her shoulder and then placed her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side regarding his frustration. “Now if there is nothing else I need to be going.”
“TIMBERLAKE I’D GET YOUR DANCING BUTT BACK IN HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND IF I WERE YOU. DARREN AND WADE ARE AFTER YOU AND I DON’T PROTECT YOUR ASS FROM CHOREOGRAPHERS.”
Justin winced as he heard his bodyguard out in the hallway. He noticed Natalia’s amused expression.
“Does that answer your question?” she asked with raised eyebrows. She shook her head, tutting at him. “You’ve been a naughty boy today Justin, I heard you getting yelled at earlier on too.”
Before he could respond she was out of the room. It happened every time. She just disappeared with no warning. The mystery radiating from the girl was intriguing to him. Of course he admired her beauty but he could always find a beautiful face in his line of work. Finding a brain to go with the beautiful face…well that was another story.
Rarely, if ever, did he come across anyone so unwilling to share information about themselves. In fact information was usually handed to him on a plate. Anything for a chance that maybe he would remember that one face in the crowd. A name, an age, an occupation, whatever information they could get across to him was one up on all those fans that never even got to utter a “hello” to their hero. Maybe, just maybe, they could get that vital bit of information across to him that would make him sit up and take notice.
Funnily enough though it was a girl supplying no information that was the cause of his attentiveness. The fact that she didn’t seem to want him to know anything about her, let alone care what he thought about her was the reason he kept coming back for more.
Utterly confused from their latest meeting he made his way back to join his friends. It had been a long day of rehearsals. Chris had been distracted all day and Justin hadn’t been totally “with it” if he was honest with himself. He was getting more and more discouraged as the day progressed. Mind and body had just not been working together on that particular day.
All in all they hadn’t achieved much at all that day other than sore limbs and making two choreographers extremely exasperated. They were constantly being reminded of the limited time they had until show time and everyone had become exceedingly frustrated. All five of them were born to succeed, wanting to excel in everything they tried. When things weren’t going the way they wanted them to it made for five very irritable men.
Justin trudged into the room not at all enthusiastic about the continuing rehearsal. “Okay I’m here, can we get this over with?” He didn’t mean to come across so rudely but in his opinion it would have made more sense to start fresh in the morning. Spirits would be higher and tensions wouldn’t be running so high.
Wade regarded the young man, obviously unimpressed with his attitude. Although he was younger than the men of ‘N SYNC he did not let that affect his job. There was no going easy on them. If anything he pushed them until he was satisfied with what he saw. They were a reflection of his ability. If they looked good, he looked good.
On most days the guys would respect him for his approach but today they were tired and they wanted to go home.
“You get this right, you can go,” Wade explained sternly.
Justin rolled his eyes and stepped back to get in position for the start of the song.
“What’s up his ass?” Chris asked to no one in particular.
“I’m willing to bet it’s got something to do with Little Miss Ballerina,” Joey laughed.
Justin gave Joey a dirty look before reassuming his stance. “Come on guys. I don’t know about you but I want to get out of here sometime tonight.”
Chris, JC and Lance looked between Justin and Joey in confusion. Chris finally spoke up for the three of them. “Who the hell is “Little Miss Ballerina” when she’s at home?”
Justin sighed impatiently. “Her NAME is Natalia.”
“Okay so who is NATALIA?” he reiterated correctly.
Justin stared at him silently for a second before shaking his head. “I don’t know…but I’m gonna find out.”
Natalia slammed the car door shut and looked at her watch. She was running late and she still needed to get a shower. She hurried towards the house she shared with her mother and brother. It was a small house, not in the worst neighbourhood but far from the best. It had seen better days, it definitely could do with a new coat of paint along with most of the other houses on the street. Either way you looked at it, it was home for Natalia.
At 20 yrs old it was probably assumed that she’d be in college, out partying with her friends, having the time of her life while she was still young. That wasn’t the case for Natalia and leaving home right now was not an option. In fact with her situation it was hard to imagine how she could leave home even in the future.
“Mom?” she called as she entered the house.
“I’m in the kitchen.”
“Sorry I’m late,” she apologised as she joined her mother in the room. She kissed her on the cheek before dumping her bag on the counter and grabbing a bottle of water.
“I’ve already told you, you don’t have to take me.”
Natalia turned to face her mom. Withdrawing the bottle from her mouth she shook her head. “I told you I’d take you and we’re going.” She gave a small smile to the woman. She looked so much like her even now. They both shared the same dark eyes and dark hair, although Natalia’s was much longer. The older woman’s face had aged considerably in the last few years, that was understandable with everything they had been through, but people did not fail to notice the resemblance between mother and daughter.
“I know this means a lot to you mom. You’ve done a lot for me, it’s the least I can do for you. It’s only once every couple of months, I think I can handle it,” she laughed, but it came out much weaker than she had hoped. “Just let me get a shower and then we can go.”
“You sure?” she asked again. She looked worriedly at her daughter. “Natalia tell me the truth now, I need to know because if you’re not okay with this then I don’t want you taking me.”
“Yes I’m sure,” Natalia replied more seriously. She didn’t want her mom to worry about her even though she really didn’t want to go. She had enough to deal with without adding to her troubles. “Now be quiet before I change my mind,” she laughed trying to lighten the mood.
“Now you just remember who the mother is,” she replied joining in with her daughter.
She hated it, she’d always hated it. Why her mom insisted on going still was a mystery to her. Every time she would get upset and Natalia would be by her side trying to be strong, trying to contain her own emotions.
They had just arrived home. Her mom had gone straight to her room considerably quieter than when they had left the house just a few hours earlier. It was always the way. They came home emotionally drained, both going their separate ways. Natalia to her room and her mom to hers.
She was in bed, the light turned off but she knew sleep wouldn’t come for a long time.
She couldn’t speak for her mom but the following hours were never pleasant ones. The memories, good and bad, always came back thick and fast. The hurt became deeper and the anger finally followed.
She always ended up crying, something she hated herself for. She told herself it wasn’t worth the tears.
The opportunity to stay at the studios had come up that night and it could have been a way out. A way out for her to avoid everything just that one time. Alexei could have taken their mom and she could have stayed in the studio, dancing until she forgot everything. It hadn’t happened though. Perhaps that was a good thing. Avoiding things was not the answer.
They all needed to move on with their lives but she did this for her mom. For some unknown reason she continued to want to go back. Or maybe she needed to. Natalia didn’t understand it but so long as her mom wanted her too she would be by her side to help her through it.
Chapter 3
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