Chapter 12

And the rain comes down...

"So afraid to love you
more afraid to lose
clinging to a past
that doesn't let me choose"
Sarah McLachlan 'I Will Remember You'

It was about 8:30 when Trista yawned and fell onto her bed. Alli had already went to bed and Trista figured she would stay up to practice a bit in her room. And it had helped Trista get the moves and parts down. "And it's only Wednesday." Trista said out-loud proudly as she looked at the ceiling. The rain beat fiercely on the roof and lightning flashed all around the house as Trista started to doze off to the sounds of the radio. Just when she was just about to be off to dreamland, lightning striked and thunder rattled the house, making Trista sit straight up as the radio and lights went out.
"Great. This is just great," she said to herself as she reached for the candle on her desk. She then started lighting other candles and opened her door to the porch. Trista sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. The rain hit the ground harder and harder as the minutes dragged on. Lightning struck and Trista turned around and shut the door. She yawned again and then started to get ready for bed. As she climbed into bed, the thought of what Alli had said that afternoon drifted into her head. One minute Trista thought she was wrong and the next started realizing how right she was only to shake it out her head again. She sighed and stared at the cieling. "Wondering what Nick's whole perspective is on this," Trista said out-loud and yawned again.

Nick sighed as he stared at the cieling.
"What are you up to now?" Leslie, Nick's 13 year old sister said as she entered his room.
"Oh nothing. Just staring at the cieling," he answered.
"Nick you can't fool me. Now what are you thinking about?" she asked as she sat on the edge of his bed.
"Les, what do you think about me and Trista? Tell me the truth," Nick replied sitting up. Leslie sat there a minute and then looked at her brother.
"You really want to know what I think?" she asked with a little smile.
"Leslie, I promise I won't yell at you or anything," Nick said.
"Ok, I think that you guys are being a bunch of idiots," Leslie said with a nod of her head.
"Huh?" Nick asked, already confused.
"Ok, Nick. Think about it for a minute. You guys have been sitting here thinking, 'Well, I had a crush on them when we were 13, but that's over' when really, it never ended," Leslie answered.
"You mean to tell me..." Nick said looking at her in shock.
"Yes Nick, you and her had crushes on each other at the same time, and you both told me that you didn't anymore at the same time," she told him with a smile.
"Trista had a crush on me?" Nick said with a little smile.
"She told me one day. The next day you told me that you liked her a lot. You both think that it ended when you were 16. Nick, it never did end but you two are acting like idiots lying to each other and everything so much that you don't see what we all see," Leslie told him matter of factly.
"Is it that obvious?" he asked, a little embarassed that she was right.
"Very. Nick she looks at you like a human being, a person just like her. Not like you're a Backstreet Boy," Leslie answered.
"You know, for once your right," Nick said. Leslie hit him with a pillow.
"Now all we have to do is get Trista to think the same thing," Leslie said.

Trista woke to the sound of rain hitting the roof lightly. She mumbled something and pulled the covers over her head. Just when she was about to fall asleep, there was a loud knock on the door and Nick and Brian walked in.
"Good morning sunshine!!" Nick said excitedly as he sat on the edge of her bed and pulled the covers off.
"Nick, it's too early. Go home and back to bed!" she cried and pulled the covers back over her head.
"Trista, it's 10:00!! Girl get up!" Nick said with a smile as he pulled the covers off again. Brian laughed with Nick as she shielded her eyes from whatever light came from outside.
"Why are you here?" she asked as she stood and walked to her closet.
"Is someone not a morning person?" Nick asked as she pulled out a Tommy Hilfenger shirt and a pair of short jean shorts.
"You don't have room to talk Nick," Brian said with a smile.
"Thank you B-Rok," Trista said with a laugh as she walked into the bathroom.
"Yeah B-Rok, thanks," Nick repeated as he lightly punched Brian in the arm.
"Ah!!! Abuse!" Brian called in a babyish voice. Trista shook her head as she came out of the bathroom.
"So, why are you here to rise me from my beauty sleep?" Trista asked as she sat down at her desk to fix her hair.
"Well, today is our turn to have a run through of the show," Brian replied looking at her pictures on the wall. He picked up one lying on the floor. He crinkled his nose as he saw it was Trista and Nick when they were about 14.
"So, we're running through the whole show, with 'N Sync?" Trista asked. Brian showed Nick the picture and he gave Brian a confused look.
"Well, 'N Sync had their run-through yesterday, so today is our day, no 'N Sync," Brian answered walking over to Nick, handing him the picture.
"I found it on the floor. Face down," Brian whispered in a worried tone as Trista stood.
"Well I'm gonna go get Alli," Brian said with a little smile and left the room.
"Trista, can I asked you something?" Nick asked as she sat next to him.
"Sure," Trista answered, not noticing the picture he held.
"Why was this on the floor?" he asked curiously as he showed her the picture.
Trista bit her lower lip. "It was on the floor?" she asked as if she didn't know.
"Yeah. So why was it there?" Nick asked again, afraid that she was mad at him for some reason.
"It must have fallen off during the storm last night. I swear to God that the thunder shook the house," she said, walking to her closet to get some sandals.
"Oh. Trista, I've been thinking lately," he started and Trista came out of the closet.
"We better go, I mean it's almost 10:30."
Why does she have to change the subject? Nick asked himself as he rolled his eyes and followed Trista out of her room and down the hall. She went up to Alli's door and smiled hearing Alli and Brian laughing inside the room. She then knocked on the door and Alli answered it with a smiling face.
"Hey Tris. I think we're ready," Alli said as Brian stood up and walked out behind her.

"Okay Trista, you'll stand right here after the 'dance' sequence," Fatima said to her as the guys stood in their usual places for the song. She was placed between Brian and Nick. The 'Dance' sequence is what she had learned that morning when they got there. Fatima was determined to get the last song down, before the guys ran through all the stuff they already new. "Okay, where are the other dancers?" Fatima called as three other dancers emerged from backstage talking and laughing. They each walked over to one of the guys, obviously the ones they were partnered with. "Hey girls, where's Ashley?" Fatima asked as she and Brian looked at them with worried experissons.
"She called in sick today. Fell down some stairs and busted her ankle up pretty bad. Her back-up wasn't even home when Tom called," Beth, the girl standing next to Kevin answered.
"Perfect," Brian said, throwing his hands up in the air. Trista looked at the ground in thought and looked out into the seats and saw Alli sitting in the second row, her feet propped up on the seat in front of her and her head back. Nick looked over at Trista smiling and then followed her gaze.
He then smiled and Trista looked at him, "Hey Fatima. I have an idea."


Chapter 13

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