Emily frowned as her hazel eyes scanned the crowded room that she had been waiting in for the past two hours. If watching all the other dancers practice wasn't intimidating enough, seeing girls running out of the big double doors on the other side of the room, pretty much bawling their eyes out because they didn't get the part, didn't' help.
Standing up and making her way out of the crowded waiting room without being noticed, Emily walked up the flight of stairs that she'd become accustomed to over the last few years. Since the place where the music video auditions were being held was the dance studio she had pretty much grown up in, she knew exactly where all the smaller, less known studios were in the building and there was one particular one on the fifth floor that she was dying to practice in. Besides, she had been the last to arrive to the audition, and since there were still about fifteen girls before her, she had nothing better do than practice.
After laying her dance bag in the corner, Emily took out her iPod and put it on Big Time Rush's Music Sounds Better With U. If there's anything she needed, it was money to take care of her and her little brother, and being a dancer in this video would be more than enough money to get out of the sketchy neighborhood they lived in, get a better apartment, and take care of the both of them for a long time.
Emily put her headphones over her ears and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting the first few seconds of the song run through her mind. Like every other time she practiced, she nailed every move, executed every spin, and stuck the landings on a couple flips she added to the dance for extra flair.
After the song ended, Emily took her headphones off and grabbed her bag, knowing that her audition would be coming up soon. She walked out into the hallway and went back down the flight of stairs she came up on, and by some stroke of luck, her name was called the moment she entered the waiting room. All the girls with the evil glares and supposed 'professional' dance experience were gone, and that made her feel a little better about auditioning. She was still nervous as she walked into the room, instantly being met by two pairs of eyes watching her every move as she walked over to the table they were sitting at and handed them her resume`.
They both looked it over for a couple minutes while Emily stood idly by, hoping that everything was put together correctly in the last-minute resume` she had made the night before.
Emily instantly knew who the man was when she walked in. He was Donald Deeton; one of the best directors in Hollywood. If she wanted this part, she definitely had to work overwhelmingly.
"So you've been dancing since you were four, Emily?" Donald asked, looking up at Emily and grinning. She nodded and stood up a little straighter, hoping that she'd come across a little more confident than she truly was.
"Yes sir." Emily replied, her voice cracking a little on 'sir'. "My mom used to be a professional ballet dancer, and my dad was a dancer in a lot of Broadway musicals, so dancing is just in my blood."
Donald nodded and wrote a few things down on a clipboard, while the girl next to him smiled and waved at Emily. She looked really familiar to Emily, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Either way, she was the first friendly face that Emily had seen all day, and she was beyond happy about it.
"Now this question is a little more personal, but I see that in your resume`, it says that you haven't done anything for the past year. No music videos, no plays. Nothing. Do you mind explaining why?" Donald asked.
Emily tensed up at the question, but with all the bravery she could muster up, she answered, "Yes. I do mind."
Donald's eyes widened, along with the girl next to him, and they both stared at Emily for a while. After a minute or so, Donald finally spoke up again, "Even if it meant losing the chance to be in the video?"
"Yes. I've had a lot of issues in my life for the last few years, and I don't really care to elaborate on them. All they do is bring back bad memories and make me unfocused." I said, thinking about my little brother, Ethan, and everything we've gone through. "The whole point of dancing to forget all your troubles and do what you love, right?"
"Right you are." Donald agreed, writing something else down while the girl next to him gave Emily a thumbs up. "Now let's see you dance."
For the next half an hour, Donald had Emily do the routine to the song over and over again, changing a few things throughout the whole process to see if Emily could keep up with the rapid changes that came with professional choreography. To his surprise, she handled everything he threw at her, and she seemed to get better every time she did the routine. After her fifth time, Donald stood up and walked over two Emily, surprising both her and the girl at the table.
"Are you ready for long dance rehearsals, late nights on set, and possibly getting peeved off at your partner on a regular basis?"
The girl at the table laughed a little, and although Emily didn't get the joke, she nodded and smiled.
"Does that mean I have a part? Any part?" Emily asked, hope evident on her face.
Donald smirked and handed her one of the sheets of paper that were attached to his clipboard.
"Fill out this sheet with your clothes sizes and height, and come back here tomorrow at four. I suggest you wear comfortable clothes, because you're going to be here for a while." And with that, he walked back to the table, picked up his bag, and left the room, leaving two very excited girls in his wake.
"Finally! I can talk now." The girl at the table said, standing up and walking over to Emily. "Hi, I'm Gabriella. But most people just call me Gabbi."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Emily, but most people just call me… Emily. Or Em, but I prefer Emily. Do you by any chance know who my partner is? Or who the other girls are? Not that I mind at all, but I like to know who I'm going to work with before I'm just thrown into some project with them." Emily babbled, making Gabriella laugh at her curiosity.
"Well, Emily, to answer your first question, your partner is Logan." Gabriella started, sticking her tongue out at the mentioning of Logan while Emily's heartbeat almost doubled in pace.
"He's my cousin, so I think he's gross, but judging by the way you're blushing, you don't."
Emily grinned and looked down at the floor, so Gabriella continued.
"I'm in the video, too, but my partner is Carlos, who's the most hyperactive twenty two year-old I've ever met. Then there's Angel, who's Kendall's partner, and Sophia, who's James' partner. I've known them for years now, and they're trouble. Just straight up trouble. I wouldn't deal with them if I were you- the girls I mean. Not the guys. But I guess it's to each their own."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Emily said, looking down at her watch and sighing. It was eight o'clock in the evening, which meant that Ms. Dowling, the middle-aged woman that took care of Ethan during the day, would have to go to work in ten minutes. "Uh, I have to go now. Again, it was nice meeting you Gabriella."
"Wait, you seem like you're in a hurry. Do you need a ride?" Gabriella questioned, already rushing to grab her purse and car keys.
"No, I'm fine. Thanks though." Emily called, already halfway to the front door of the building. Running as fast as she could, she made it back to her apartment building a few blocks away. There were the usual perverted remarks from the sketchy guys who hung around outside, but she ignored them as she ran inside. After knocking on Ms. Dowling's door, Ethan answered it a few seconds later, a huge smile on his face and peanut butter all over his cheeks.
"Emily!" he exclaimed, clinging to my leg and holding on for dear life. He was four and a half and the cutest little thing, but Emily was still worried about him opening doors without an adult with him.
"I love you Ethan, but you need a grown up with you to answer the door. Remember?" she asked, reaching down and ruffling his hair with her hand.
"I'm right here." Emily looked up and saw Ms. Dowling standing in the doorway, a tired expression on her face. It was a job keeping up with Ethan alone, and it couldn't feel good to have to go to work after entertaining him all day.
"I'm really sorry about being late Ms. Dowling." Emily began, opening the door to her apartment across the hall and letting Ethan scurry inside. "It won't happen again. I promise."
"Are you still having financial issues sweetheart?" she asked, getting straight to the point.
"Why would you ask that? Ethan and I are doing fine Ms. Dowling." Emily lied, trying not to let her eyes tear up.
"Emily, don't lie to me. Whenever you bring Ethan over, he's always starving. Now if you need some help, just tell me, because I know you have to be hungry too darling."
"No, I'm fine. Things have been a little tough lately though." Emily admitted, her mood suddenly perking up as she remembered the job she had just gotten. "I got the part in the video though! The first practice is tomorrow, and I'm getting six thousand dollars a week."
"Really?! Oh my gosh, I'm so proud of you Emily." Ms. Dowling smiled and rested her hand on Emily's cheek, just like Emily's mom used to do. "You're a beautiful, talented young lady. Do you understand me? This is a blessing, and you'll have many more to come. I'm sure of it."
"Thank you Ms. Dowling." Emily said quietly, flinching at the sound of something hitting the floor in her apartment. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay sweetie. And I hope you know that you and Ethan are coming to my apartment tomorrow morning and afternoon for breakfast and lunch." Emily started to object, but Ms. Dowling already continued. "Your stomach was growling during our whole conversation. I would make you eat something now, but I'm already late for work. Goodnight Emily."
"Night Ms. Dowling." Emily replied, smiling as she entered her apartment and found her DVD collection sprawled out on the living room floor. Ethan sat on the couch, holding the Finding Nemo DVD case and smiling.
"Nemo?" he asked, handing it to Emily eagerly. She wanted nothing more than sleep, but it couldn't hurt to watch a movie with her little brother. She always tried her best to keep him happy, and they'd had plenty of fun nights watching Finding Nemo and pretending to be fish together.
After cutting the TV on and putting the DVD in the player, Emily pushed play and walked back to the couch, sitting down net to Ethan and letting him climb onto her lap.
About twenty minutes into the movie, both of them were fast asleep. Ethan, dreaming about having a mom and dad like every other kid- even though he never told Emily because he didn't want to upset her- and Emily, dreaming about the day she'd finally be able to move her and Ethan out of the hell hole she called their apartment, and move somewhere nicer, safer, better in general.
Finally, after years of things going wrong for Emily, things were finally going right, and she loved it.