Chapter 4

The next day after school Tammy told JC that she couldn’t work on the project because she had to do something after school. She told JC to go to her house to work on the project after she was done. She wouldn’t tell him what she had to do. He wondered if this was why she was so upset. He convinced himself that if he would follow her in case something happened, he would be there. Tammy sat in the passenger seat of her friend, Jeff’s blue Porsche. JC got into his black Jeep and waited for them to drive ahead. He kept a safe distance and when they stopped he parked about a half a block away and waited. Jeff drove away and JC pulled up to where he was. He found himself in front of a large building. It was a dance studio. He got out of his car and walked cautiously in the building. There was an information desk to the right with a woman sitting behind it. In front of him were more doors. They were glass. He walked into the room. There were a few yards of carpet then the rest was hardwood floors. The wall on the left had an extensive mirror on it and a railing. To his left was a staircase that led to a walk way above him. He went up the stairs and leaned against the railing. A door on the right side down below opened and Tammy walked out in black dance shorts, a black tank and a soft blue strap shirt over. She had on dance shoes. She was followed by a man not much older than she was. Wearing semi baggy pants and a black muscle shirt. She sat on the floor and began to stretch. He walked over to the railing on the wall with the mirror. JC sat down on a bench and watched. He sat there for the next thirty minutes, watching them move gracefully. Then two other girls came out and stretched. An older woman who appeared to be the teacher followed them. Tammy walked over to a chair and put a towel around her neck and drank from her water bottle. JC was startled by a voice from behind.

"She's great, isn't she?" It was the guy she had been dancing with before. JC's face had a mixture of desperation, embarrassment and nervousness in it. "I saw you come in and watch her. " -

"Oh." - JC

"My name is Matt"

"JC." He shook his hand then sat and turned to look at Tammy who had returned to her dancing. After a moment of silence he sat down next to him. Matt sighed then spoke.

"She's been through a lot." He paused then continued. " She's tough, it’s been hard for her." - Matt

"Do you know what happened to her?" Matt nodded in response.

"I promised her I wouldn't talk to anyone about it." - Matt

"I understand. How long has she been dancing?" - JC

"About five or 6 years now I think. She sings too but not for other people." - Matt

"Have you ever heard her?" There was a hint of interest in JC's voice.

"Yep. She was playing around though in her dressing room before a recital. I hear you sing as well." - Matt

"Yea, I take vocal lessons. I dance too but not ballet. Can Tammy dance anything else besides ballet?" - JC

"Yea, she's pretty flexible. Just show her how to do it and she makes it look good. - Matt

"Well, I gotta go. Can you not tell Tammy about this?" - JC

" Oh sure no problem." - Matt

"OK, Thanks a lot bye." - JC

"Bye." Matt watched JC go down the stairs and out the door. He smiled at the thought of what was happening. Matt went back down stairs and rehearsed along with the others. JC got in his car and drove in the direction of Tammy's house. He drove past her house and stopped in front of Kailie's house. He walked up to the door and knocked. The door opened to reveal half of Kailie's face. She looked up and studied him for a moment then opened the door wider.

"Can I talk to you?" JC wasn't sure of why he was doing all this.

"What about?" - Kailie

"Tammy." - JC "

"What about her?" JC could feel that he wasn't going to get much out of Kailie and that she would tell Tammy he had stopped by so he decided to make it brief.

"Do you know where she went and when she will be back?" He didn’t want to sound like he knew where she was.

"I think she had to do something in downtown for a while. She'll be back in seven or eight minutes." - Kailie

"OK thanks." - JC

"Uh huh." - Kailie

"Bye." - JC

"Good bye." She closed the door behind her and grinned for she knew what he really wanted to know.

Days went by and still JC could gather no more information. Soon it was the end of the week. That meant it would be the end of the presentation. He worried about Tammy. He wasn't sure why he went out of his way to help her even though before the project was assigned he had never spoken one word to her. Tammy knew that this would all have to come to an end and she would never talk to him again so she didn't let herself grow fond of him. By the end of the week her vision of him as a big ego- pretty boy still remained. She wouldn't let herself see beyond that. She was afraid that it might happen all over again.

Chapter 5

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