The next day “Jumpin’, Jumpin’” by Destiny’s Child came on and Dani began to bounced around to it as she walked around on the deserted stage. Her bouncing developed into dance moves. She closed her eyes and felt the music as it blared through the speakers. Suddenly the music stopped and she whipped around to see JC standing there with Tony.
“Hey Dani.” JC smirked, “Practicing for star search?” He teased and she rolled her eyes,
“Yeah that’s it.”
“Dani when did you learn to dance like that?” Tony asked,
“Watching JC of course, he shimmies with the best of them.”
“Ha, ha, it was good but not that good.” JC said,
“Excuse me?”
“Britney could kick your ass.”
“I can’t believe that you just said that to me. I KNOW I’m a better dancer than Britney.”
“Okay if you say so. She did make the Mickey Mouse Club and you didn’t.”
“Fuck you JC.” She said coldly and stalked off the stage.
“Jace man that was low. You know how she feels about that.”
“I do, I understand more than you know.” JC said distantly as he watched Dani walk away,
“What?”
“Never mind, I guess I’ll go and apologize before she rips someone a new asshole.”
“Damn,” Joey said coming over to them, “What’s wrong with Dani? I said hi and she told me to go fuck myself.” JC raised his hand guiltily,
“It’s my fault I made some comment and she’s pissed at me. Don’t take it to heart. I’m going to slay the beast.” He ran in the direction that Dani went. He saw her stalking away and quickly caught up to her.
“Dani, wait up!”
“Get the fuck away from me JC.” She said coldly and JC pulled her to face him. She pushed him away,
“Don’t touch me you jerk! You promised!”
“I know, I’m sorry. I really didn’t say anything.”
“Why should I trust you? You always shove it back in my face.”
“I’m just trying to get you to see your potential.”
“I don’t want anything to do with performing! Lay off Jace!”
“Dani, come on, I’m sorry.”
“Why the fuck should I accept your apology?”
“Because you love me?” He smirked and she groaned,
“Acting cute won’t get you out of this one.”
“I promise I won’t say anything ever again about the Mickey Mouse Club, okay?” She eyed him for a moment before sighing,
“Fine, you’re fucking forgiven.”
“Sure sounds like it.” He mumbled,
“You wanna push it Chip? Come on try me. I’m so in the mood to deck someone.”
“Okay, okay, I get it!” He surrendered with a sigh and then Dani looked at him,
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to go psycho on you.”
“You were pissed at me, I deserved it.”
“You did, but it didn’t mean I should have done it.”
“So you’re not going to kick my ass?”
“Only if you buy me dinner tonight.” She winked and he smiled,
“You’re on.” He said wrapping an arm around her neck and walking with her.
“Hey Tony.” JC said sitting down next to his best friend,
“Hey Jace, what’s up?”
“Not much.” He shrugged and Dani walked by, flipping off the boys as she walked by.
“What is it with you guys and giving each other the finger?” JC asked,
“A term of endearment that we picked up from Dale.” Tony shrugged with a slight smile,
“How is Dale? I haven’t talked to him in a long time.” Tony’s smile faded,
“I don’t know because I haven’t talked to him in a while either.”
“Really why?”
“It’s hard because of Dani.” He sighed,
“Dani?”
“Yeah, their break up didn’t go that smoothly, so…”
“Whoa, break up?”
“Yeah they dated for a while about a year ago, I thought you knew.”
“No I didn’t, I totally missed that.”
“Well Dani was living with me and Dale hung out all the time. It just sort of happened, I came home and they were making out on the couch.”
“Damn, were you okay with it?”
“At first, I mean it was one of my best friends and my sister.”
“But?”
“I’m not sure on the specifics but I’m pretty sure that she caught him cheating on her. She broke up with him and never wanted to see him again because he just hurt her so bad. Things got hairy and we just stopped talking.”
“Wow, I didn’t know. He never mentioned anything the last time I talked to him.”
“Well you had more important shit going on in your life.”
“Still…just wow.”
“I know.” Tony said and they were both quiet for a few minutes till JC spoke up,
“So, anyways, speaking of Dani I have a question or rather a favor.”
“What?”
“Can you write a song for her and ask her to sing it?”
“No way she hates performing, she won’t do it.”
“Trust me on this one. If you write it and ask, she’ll do it.”
“How are you so sure?”
“I just know Dani. So will you do it?”
“Why?”
“Because she’s your number one fan and she’ll love it.”
“She hates performing.” Tony repeated,
“She’ll do it for you and then she’ll realize that she loves it too. So will you do it?” JC asked and Tony looked at him and sighed,
“I’ve actually had a song kicking around in my head that would be perfect for her range, but you’re helping me with it. That way she’ll be pissed at both of us.” JC smiled,
“No problem.”
“Sometimes I get so weird,
I even freak myself out.
I laugh myself to sleep, it’s my, lullaby.”
JC joined in softly on the keyboards at first and then at the chorus they all went in for it. Dani really began to get into the song and forgot where she was.
Justin and Lance heard someone singing and playing and went to check it outs. They were surprised to see Dani singing and playing away. She was dancing a little around the microphone as she played.
Dani closed her eyes and pretended that there really was an audience instead of the empty arena.
“Is it enough, is it enough to breathe.
Somebody rip my heart out and leave me here to bleed.
Is it enough to die,
Somebody save my life.
I’d rather be anything but ordinary, please!”
More people from the staff stopped what they were doing and watched Dani perform. JC’s smile grew as he watched what was going on around the stage. He knew what she could do and now everyone else would know too.
Dani sang the chorus one last time as she did little jumps. When she finished the last note, the arena was silent. She looked back at Tony who had a look of complete shock on his face. Someone started clapping in the audience and soon others joined in till everyone was clapping and cheering for Dani.
Tony hopped over to her and hugged her,
“You’ve been holding out on me all these years. You’re amazing.” JC came up them and Tony turned to him, “You were so right about Dani.” He turned back to Dani, “Jeez, all these years I thought you hated performing. Thank God Jace convinced me to get you to sing, it was amazing!” Dani turned a flare on JC,
“Tony, I thought you just wanted me to sing your song to see what it sounded like.”
“I did, but Jace said that you would love performing if you only gave it a shot. The only way to do that was for me to ask you.” Dani narrowed her eyes at JC,
“Asshole.” She spat out and tore off her guitar as she stalked off the stage.
“Wait!” JC yelled as she chased after her. Dani ignored his pleas and kept walking. JC followed her as she went into Tony’s dressing room.
“Dani, let me explain.” She turned to him,
“You promised to keep your mouth shut!”
“I didn’t say anything!”
“Damn it JC, you just don’t get it, do you!? You had to butt in and fuck everything up! Do you honestly think that he’s gonna give up on me performing now?!”
“But you love performing! What’s wrong with that!?”
“Because I’m not the performer, Tony is! That’s the way it should be!”
“Why because you say so?”
“No, because that’s the cold hard facts! I DON’T want to sing for a living, I WANT to paint!”
“No, it’s because you’re afraid of what you could be!”
“You know I’m really sick and tired of you telling me what to do with my life! It’s not your place to decide!”
“Oh but you can decide for everyone else? What if Tony missed his calling in life because of your little stunt? What if he was meant to be a painter and you were meant to be a performer?”
“He’s ALWAYS wanted to perform! It’s in his soul; you of all people should know that, because you are the same way. He’s got the talent and the drive.”
“So do you!” Dani sighed and then threw up her hands,
“Okay, fine. Let’s say I give it a shot and I’m successful. Did you ever think what that would do to Tony? Here he’s been trying all his life and his sister walks in the middle and steals the show. God he’d be so hurt. He’s already been outdone by his best friend, but his sister? Why don’t you just kick him while he’s down? I won’t do that to him.”
“Dani.”
“No Jace, I’m sick and tired of you butting in where you DON’T belong. So just stay out of it, you’re just making everything worse.” She said and stalked out of the room.