"Reports suggest that superstar Nick Gray has finally cracked under the media spotlight. Sources told the National Enquirer that the famous singer, who is about to embark on a world tour, had a meltdown at his younger sister's -"
Angrily, Miley Stewart press the 'off' button on the television remote and threw it down on the couch beside her. She glanced up at her roommate, Lilly, and narrowed her eyes. "I can't believe I'm working for this guy. He's such an asshole!"
Lilly smiled and threw herself down beside Miley. "I believe that, last time I checked, you were working for his record label, not him. And besides, half the things the National Enquirer come up with are complete bull. Scratch that, most of the things the National Enquirer come up with are bull. I'm sure Nick Gray is perfectly stable right now," she reassured Miley.
"It isn't just this meltdown they're talking about. Everyone knows he has a new girl every week, and he's clearly a bigger diva than Lady Gaga," Miley snapped.
"Come on, Miles. All of that is just rumours. You've never even met this guy. Give it a chance," Lilly soothed.
Miley sighed and glanced at her watch. "I have rehearsal in an hour. I better get going." Miley rose to her feet and grabbed her bag from beside the living room door. "I guess I'll see you tonight."
"Hey, has he showed up at rehearsals yet?"
Miley shook her head. "Apparently he's too busy to rehearse with his dancers right now." She rolled her eyes. "The guy won't know what to do on this tour if he hasn't even showed up for rehearsals with the rest of us yet." Miley sighed once more and grabbed her phone off the mantlepiece. "Anyway, see you tonight."
"Bye!" Lilly called as Miley made her way to the door of their apartment.
In the elevator, Miley glanced at her phone to check the time. She hadn't even gotten ready. She was going to be late for rehearsal. She just knew it. A text popped up on her screen as she impatiently tapped her foot on the elevator floor.
Get here now. Nick Gray is here!
Miley rolled her eyes. Another dancer on Nick Gray's tour, Demi, had been dying to meet the star of the show ever since she had gotten the job. Every day at rehearsals for six weeks, Demi talked and talked about how hot Nick Gray was and how talented Nick Gray was and how Nick Gray had hooked up with her college roommate at some A-list club back in 2009.
The elevator doors opened and Miley walked out, swinging her bag over her shoulder and walking towards the door of the apartment building. She turned left on the pavement and walked a small distance to a large dance studio. She turned into the building and walked up to the front desk.
Miley smiled at the receptionist. "Hi. What studio is the Nick Gray tour rehearsing in today?"
The receptionist looked at Miley over the top of her glasses. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid you'll have to show me your pass. Security measure. There have been teenage girls trying to get in for the past two weeks. They know he's here today. There's a whole crowd of them out back," she said softly.
Miley took her pass out of her bag and showed the receptionist.
The receptionist smiled and pointed to the elevator. "Take the elevator up to the second floor. Studio 6 at the end of the hall," she said. "The changing rooms are across the hall."
"Thanks!" Miley called over her shoulder as she headed towards the elevator. She pressed the button and waited patiently. The doors opened. Head down, Miley walked in. She bumped into a solid surface. She looked up and saw a large man with a frown on his face staring down at her, obviously annoyed at her carelessness.
"Sorry," she muttered. "Just heading up to my rehearsal."
The large man grunted something and walked out of the elevator, trailing his feet as he walked past the receptionist and down a narrow corridor. The doors of the elevator closed before Miley could see where he was going.
Once the elevator reached the second floor, Miley rushed down the hall and into the changing rooms across from Studio 6. She quickly pulled on her rehearsal clothes and rushed across the hall and into the studio. When she stepped inside, she saw the other dancers circled at the front of the room, laughing loudly at something in the centre of their circle.
Miley tentatively stepped into the studio. "Sorry I'm late," she said loudly. "Won't happen again." She stepped further into the room as the dancers all turned around to face her. She smiled at Demi and made her way to her. "I got your text. Are you -"
Demi widened her eyes at Miley and moved her head slightly, motioning for Miley to turn around. "Miles ... He's behind you," she hissed.
Miley spun around on her foot and found herself facing Nick Gray. He was taller than she was. His basketball shorts hung low on his hips. His white v-neck clung to his body, showing off all the muscles he had on his arms and the abs on his chest. He was sporting the smirk and messy curls that Miley had seen so many times, staring up at her from the magazines in the grocery store. His chocolate eyes carried a light twinkle as he gazed down at her.
"And who might you be?" he asked in a low drawl.
Miley stood tall and cleared her throat. "Miley Stewart. One of your dancers." She stuck out her hand.
Nick smiled and took her hand. He shook it as he glanced her up and down. "One of my dancers, are you?" He glanced over his shoulder and looked at a man in the corner wearing black dress pants and a white button-down. "Joe? Get me the file on Miley Stewart, would you?" he called.
"Checking my file?"
"Don't take it personally, sweetheart. I check everybody's file," he replied.
Ashley, the choreographer, walked into the room. "Okay, everybody, break it up! We're leaving for this tour in five days days! We only have three more rehearsals here, and then one in Portland, before our first show!" She turned to face Nick. "I see that you've got my dancers all excited, have you? Well, I suggest that you put your head down and get to work if you want this tour of yours to be a success."
Nick glanced Ashley up and down and nodded. "I can do that," he muttered.
Ashley rolled her eyes and clapped her hands. "Okay everybody, get in your places. We'll show Mr Gray here the routine for 'Conspiracy Theory', shall we?" She headed over to the stereo beside Joe and put her hand on the play button. "Okay. Five, four, three, two, one!" Her index finger hit the play button and a loud guitar solo hit the room, followed by Nick's voice.
Miley blanked out the other dancers. She blanked out Nick. She blanked out Joe. She blanked out Ashley. She focused simply on the music and her image in the mirror as she moved her hips and followed the choreography, counting the beat in her head and moving at all the right times.
When the music ended, Ashley clapped. "Good job, guys! Nick, you stand over here between Miley and Demi and follow my moves. You in the corner! Do me a favour and start the music." Ashley moved in front of Nick and showed him what to do.
Before they knew where the time had gone, three hours had passed and they had been through four routines.
"Everyone take a quick break. Back to action in fifteen!"
Miley slid down the mirror with Demi. "I take it that you're excited he's actually turned up?" Demi nodded. "I don't know why you're so excited, Dem. He seems like an asshole to me."
"I appreciate the prejudice, I really do." Nick sat down in front of Demi and Miley and smirked. "You two ladies talking about me? I knew it wouldn't take a pair of beautiful women like yourselves to realise that we could work together." He winked and laughed.
"You disgust me," Miley hissed.
Nick shrugged. "I get that a lot. Trust me when I say that insults like that stopped getting to me years ago." He smiled and placed a hand on Demi's knee. "Hey, baby. I noticed the way you moved those hips. Damn, girl, you can dance."
Demi giggled. "Thanks!"
Miley elbowed her in the ribs. "Demi, sweetie, face it. He's only trying to get in your pants. Once he gets what he wants, he won't even give you a second look." She gave Nick a disgusted look. "I've met a million and one guys like you."
"And what would a guy like me be like?" Nick asked.
"Cocky. Completely self-centred. Thinks he can get any girl he wants just because he's famous and knows how to charm a girl. Please, honey, you aren't the first guy to come on to one of my friends with a comment about her hips. It's how guys like you always start off. You give a girl a compliment, then days later, you break her heart."
Nick's face softened as he stared at Miley. "You think you have me all figured out, huh?" he asked. "Well, sweetheart, I hate to break it to you, but even a girl like you can't crack me that quickly. I'm a hell of a lot harder to figure out than one of these guys you're talking about." He laughed and leaned closer to Miley. "I've got my own moves. My own style. Besides, no other guy could sleep with as many girls in one night as I have."
Miley raised her hand to slap him, but quickly lowered it. "You literally make me gag, you know that?"
Nick laughed loudly. "You really are a feisty little thing, huh? You're one crazy chick." He smirked as he glanced at Miley's body, then at Demi's. "You know, I have plenty of room on my tour bus for some girls like you two. You can join me on there, if you really like me that much."
Miley rolled her eyes at him. "There are so many things I could say to that. All of them include the words 'never in a million years'."
Nick smirked. "Damn, I was looking forward to you two ladies joining me every night." He chuckled and got to his feet. "I have a feeling we could have some fun on this tour, ladies. Don't you?" Nick laughed and turned around. "Oh, and by the way, you two look good when you dance." A smile on his face, Nick walked over to Joe, leaving Demi and Miley in a stunned silence.
"He's good, isn't he?" Miley turned her head to search for the source of the voice. Selena, a dancer who had spent every rehearsal alone in the corner, was sitting cross-legged beside them. "He can really get any girl to fall for him." She sighed sadly and looked down. "I should know. He did it to me once too." She looked up at Miley and Demi. "Don't make the same mistake I did. Keep far away from that guy. You don't want to end up like I did." Selena then turned away, staring at the hardwood floor.
Miley opened her mouth to say something to Selena, but she was interrupted by Ashley clapping her hands.
"Ladies, gentlemen, back to work, if you please. We have a lot to get done before the tour starts!" Ashley turned to Miley and smiled. "Miley! My best dancer, you know that? I need you to do something for me."
Miley stood up. "What do you need?" She placed her hands on her hips. "If it's another solo during one of his costume changes, I don't think I should. I think you should give somebody else a chance to work their skills, you know?"
Ashley studied Miley carefully. "Miley, what did you tell me your dream in life was?" she asked.
"Open a dance school in Tennessee," Miley said automatically. She smiled at the simple memory of her hometown in Tennessee. Ever since she had moved to LA for dance school, she had wanted to move back, but she knew that she simply didn't have the money or the skills to kickstart her dream yet.
"I need you to do another routine. I know you think I should give other people a chance, but the exposure this one routine will give you could mean lots of things, Miley. You could find sponsors. People might donate to your dream." Ashley paused, observing Miley. "I want you to pair up with Nick for one dance. We haven't got a routine for 'Stay' yet. The label and I have been thinking about it, and seeing as they're putting so much money into Nick's tour, they want a proper show. They think that Nick dancing with a girl during 'Stay' will add to the emotion of the song. They think it will bring the song more publicity."
Miley stared at Nick across the room. Seconds before, he had been repulsing her with the mention of sharing a tour bus with him. How did Ashley expect her to dance with a pig like that?
"This dance ... What kind of dance do you mean?" Miley asked quietly.
"Slow, obviously. Passionate. Loving. Gentle. All the things that Nick's fans would expect from a song like this." Ashley paused. "This is an excellent opportunity, Miley. This could really get your dream going. I don't think you could get a better platform than a dance with Nick Gray."
Miley looked back at Nick. He was a pig. She wouldn't deny how she felt about him. He disgusted her. But Ashley was right when she said that it was an excellent opportunity. Miley couldn't think of a dancer on Nick Gray's tours who had danced with him and had not been fired into the media spotlight. Publicity would mean a spotlight on her dream, which would could lead to people sponsoring her dance school ...
"I'll do it."
So here's the first chapter of my newest story. I hate first chapters, but whatever. Hope you all enjoyed it. I like the idea of this story, so I hope you all keep on reading it :) I apologise for the short chapter, but I hate long first chapters :P Hopefully the next one will be longer :)
Leave me a review! I love reading them x