Chapter Four
At practice the next day Wade called out to Lisa
while they were on break. “Hey Lee, come up here.” She jogged over,
“What’s up Wade?”
“I need your help.
I have to work out this sequence for the guys with you girls. I just don’t know what I want to do with
it. Can you just free style it?”
“Sure, anything you want.” She replied,
“Cool.” He
smiled and then turned to everyone else.
“Hey, take a long break, like twenty minutes. We’re going to start “Girlfriend” when you guys get back.” Cheers came from the group as they began to
filter out the room slowly. A few hung
back just to chill in the room.
Wade turned back to Lisa and clapped his hands,
“Okay my little dance machine. Let’s
work it.”
“Put my thang down flip it and reverse it.” She sang back to him making him laugh.
“Kay Lee.”
He moved over to the stereo to turn on the song. “Like I said, completely freestyle and do
whatever. I’m looking for something new
to incorporate.”
“I’ll do what I can.” She said and the music started.
Wade and Lisa began to dance.
She was just letting herself go with the music. She used Wade, mirroring him sometimes and
other times doing her own thing.
They
both freestyled for ten minutes with the song playing continuously in the
background. They worked through the
song till Wade stopped the music. They
were both slightly out of breath.
“Wow, good moves Lee.”
“Did you get what you wanted?” She said leaning over on her knees,
“Yeah totally.
Thanks. Take a fiver and then I
want to do some spacing with you. When
we’re done you can go teach the girls.”
“Kay.” She
said and turned to get her water bottle.
By her stuff, JC was talking with Amy.
She took a deep breath and walked over there, “Excuse me.” She said softly
and grabbed her bottle quickly.
“Lee that was awesome what you just did with
Wade. Where did you learn that?” JC asked and she blushed slightly.
“Wade does that with people who need more
work.” Amy butted in and Lisa raised
her eyebrow at her,
“Then I guess he’ll be asking for you next.” Lisa retorted and walked away.
“Dude, aren’t you warm?” Lance asked her after
eyeing her long sleeve shirt and long pants.
Lisa wiped the sweat off of her face, “No, I’m
fine.” She lied, she was dying, but if
she took off any more layers, people would be able to see bruises. She’s rather put up with the heat than the
questions her bruises would raise.
“Man, Lee, I don’t know how you do it. I swear I’d be dying of heat exhaustion
right now.” Lance said wiping himself
down,
“Guess I’m just used to the heat because I’m from
it.” She grinned and downed a whole
bottle of water.
Carrie walked over to her, “Whoa, girl, save some
for the rest of us.” She teased and
Lisa looked at her best friend as she wiped off her mouth with her sleeve,
“Nope, I’m way too selfish.” She teased back,
Lee was soaked by the end
of practice, literally. She quickly
packed up her things and headed out to the vans, craving a shower.
“Lee, where’s the fire?” Diana teased catching up with her.
Lee looked over at her, “My shower’s calling me big
time.”
“A couple of us are going out tonight, you game?”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I’m in for the night.”
“Come on Lee, we’re hitting cl-u-ubs.” Diana said trying to convince her.
“As much fun as that sounds, I’m exhausted. I’m going straight to my bed with a
book.” She said hopping into the
awaiting van.
Diana hopped in after her, “I can’t believe you’re
giving up dancing.”
“Well, I can’t dance if I don’t take care of
myself.” She said wiping her face down
again, “Dude, it’s so freaking hot out today.”
The heat felt like it was sitting right on her chest.
Analisa turned around to look at Lisa, “It’s
Louisiana Lee, it’s hot.” She laughed
and shook her head, “Maybe if you didn’t wear eight layers of clothing, you
wouldn’t be so warm.” She teased,
Lisa smiled weakly, “I’ve got to get rid of that
water weight some how.” She wiped
herself down again, “Man, this ride is taking forever today.” She moaned leaning against the window. She was beginning to feel suffocated, like
she couldn’t get a good breath.
Carrie looked worriedly at her best friend, “You
okay?” She asked softly,
“Just really warm.” Lisa replied weakly.
Carrie yelled up to the driver, “Jerry, can you
turn up the AC?”
“Sorry babe, the AC’s out.” He yelled back,
“Great.”
Lisa muttered.
Carrie handed her a bottle of water, “Here hon,
drink up.”
“Thanks, are we almost there?” Lisa asked taking sips of water,
Carrie glanced out the window, “I think so.”
“Is everything okay back there?” Jerry the driver asked,
“Yeah,” Carrie answered, “Lee’s a bit exhausted,
that’s all. If you could get to the hotel
faster, that’d be great.”
“We’re pulling up now.” Jerry yelled back and stopped the van at their entrance to the
hotel.
Carrie turned to Lisa, “Come on Lee, we’re
here.” She said softly and brushed hair
out of her face,
“I’m too tired Care.” Lisa answered closing her eyes,
“Nope, come on girly-girl. We’re gonna get you upstairs and into a nice
cold shower. Doesn’t that sound good?”
“Yeah.” She
nodded slowly,
“Need help?”
Diana asked worriedly,
Carrie looked over at her, “Um, yeah, can you get
Eric? I need help getting Lee to the
room.”
“No problem.”
Diana said hopping out of the van.
“I’m fine Care, I promise.” Lee said weakly, “I’m
just warm and tired.”
“I know honey, come on.” She said gently pulling Lisa towards the door of the van. Eric, one of the body guards, popped his
head into the van.
“Need me?”
Carrie smiled
gratefully at the large black man, “Yeah, Lisa needs a piggy back up to her
room.”
Eric grinned at the two dancers, “Will do. Hop on the express, Miss Lee.” He said turning and helping Lisa to climb
onto his back. “You guys have a long
rehearsal?” He asked,
“Yeah and it’s hot.” Carrie replied, “She’ll be fine once we get to the room.”
They
traveled to their room and Eric gently placed Lisa on one of the beds. Carrie thanked Eric and showed him the door
before cranking up the AC in the room.
She went over to Lisa and began to pull off her clothes. She shook her head at the bruises on her
best friend’s body.
“Lee, you’ve got to get light clothing if you’re
going to wear long sleeves.”
“I know, I feel a lot better already, thank
you.” She said softly and Carrie helped
her to sit up,
“You’re welcome, shower?”
“Yeah.”
Lisa nodded and Carrie helped her into the shower.
After
her shower, Lisa felt ten times better, although not 100%. She flopped down on her bed. Carrie was reading a magazine and looked
over at her before going back to her magazine.
Lisa sighed, “No lecture?”
“You want one?”
She said shortly.
“No.” Lisa
shook her head gently and sighed, “Can I ask you to do something for me?”
Carrie looked over at her, “You know I’d do
anything for you.”
Lisa paused for a moment, “Can you promise me that
you won’t tell anyone about my home life?”
“But-”
“Please Carrie, I just don’t want people to
know. It’s already hard as it is. I don’t need everyone in my business.”
Carrie sighed, “You mean other people on tour?”
“Yeah,” She nodded, “I don’t want to involve them.”
“Okay, I’ll promise only if you promise to call the
authorities when things get rough like this again.”
Lisa sighed, “I can’t call the police because daddy
controls all of them. They won’t do
anything. It’ll be over soon Carrie.”
“You don’t know that, the bruises keep getting
worse.”
Lisa shrugged, “I can hope.” She went over to Carrie’s bed and sat down
next to her, “Please promise me Carrie.”
Carrie sighed, “Okay Lee, I promise not to tell
anyone about your dad.”
“Thank you.”
She said leaning over and hugging her friend,
“You’re welcome, I just hope I’m not signing your
death sentence.”