Brittany's POV
Olive. Definitely olive. Well, actually, maybe it's caramel. Yeah, caramel is more accurate. It's like when you pour just the right amount of milk into coffee, and the milk slowly swirls mixing with the dark brown liquid. That is the color of her skin, and it is tantalizing. You haven't taken your eyes off her for their entire 90 second set, but it has felt like an eternity. The way she rolls her hips and the way the lights hit her skin, it's like she is on fire. Then she sings. It's like nothing you've ever heard. You wish you could see her whole face, instead of the just her profile view from the wings.
You vaguely recognize that Rachel is ordering your group around "and Sam try not to distract from my singing with your overtly crude body rolls, there is a time and place for such nonsense and it is not during my belt. Artie please be aware of where your wheeling, we don't want another toe incident. And Tina, please try to look happy..." You hear the rest of your group acquiesce and begin to get ready for your time on stage. You finally tear your eyes off this mystery girl and rejoin your friends.
The New Directions are finally here. Los Angeles. The city of angels. After sleeping outside, and waiting in line for 13 hours you made it. Open auditions for the X-Factor. For the past year and half, you and your friends have been singing and dancing at open mic nights, in bars and sometimes opening for small groups at malls, but never did you imagine you would be on a national stage. The New Directions have always been your closest friends, ever since you were in glee club (of the same name) back in high school. The group consists of Rachel Berry, the most annoying yet talented person you have ever met. She may be overbearing, impossible to stay in a room with for more than 5 minutes, but without her The New Directions would be nowhere. She also is one of the fiercest friends you have ever had. There is also Rachel's boyfriend Finn. You don't really understand why people think he is talented, he can't really dance and can't really sing either, but he seems to think he can. The other New Directions couple is Mike and Tina, or as you refer to them Asian persuasion. You used to think Mike and Tina were already married cause both their last names are Chang. You have a special connection with Mike because like you he is a dancer, by trade and by passion. The group is rounded out by Noah "Puck" Puckerman, the groups bad boy factor and then your two best friends Artie and Sam. You have known Artie and Sam since 5th grade, you even dated Artie for a while before you realized you were partial to sweet lady kisses.
Sam used to be a male candy striper or maybe it was male stripper. Either way, he only has one dance move, and he is really nice to sick people. He always says you were twins separated at birth because you both have bright blond hair and blue eyes. Plus, you both think a little differently, some people might think you are stupid, but really you two are geniuses, people just don't know it yet.
Artie used to be in your dance class in 5th grade. In fact, he was the best boy dancer in your grade until Mike moved to town. But one day, Artie was in a wheelchair and never got to dance again. He still has more flavor and rhythm then most guys in this group. Every Christmas you ask that he will be able to walk again. He seems to have gotten over it, but sometimes you think the chair makes him feel less than.
"You ready to go, Britt?" you hear Sam call to you, as you are finishing stretching out your legs.
You look back at him and grin, "Always".
Performing isn't something that makes you nervous. Performing is where you feel free. Where you feel powerful, accepted and free. Nothing has ever come as easy as dancing. When you're on stage, you are no longer the girl that couldn't give a speech about her favorite animal in 3rd grade because the letters jumped all over the page. Or the girl who thought a duet was a blanket. You're a star, you shine. Dancing is what you know, it is who you are. Since you can remember, you have been dancing. In fact, it is your dancing and not your singing that brought you to glee club. Rachel saw you dancing before cheerleading practice, and wouldn't stop speaking at you until you said you would join glee.
As the New Directions get ready to be called on stage, you see the group before you run backstage in a fit of joy. They were moving on. The screamed and hugged and jumped around. One girl yelling "My daddy didn't even need to pay them!"
As the commotion subsides, mystery girl turns around. The girl whose dark hair is deeper than midnight, but shines like the moon and whose smile is so big that her dimples are deep as craters. As she turns, you catch her eyes. You forget to breathe. It's as if time stands still and ever disappears except for the two of you. She mouths hi to you, just before her teammates pull her into another bone crushing hug and carry her out of the backstage area. Then you feel Artie's fingers wrap around your wrist and you hear the MC call out "Ladies and Gentleman, all the way from Lima, Ohio make some noise for the New Directions!"