I'm taking this one step at a time
I'm letting go a little more everyday
But moving on doesn't feel right
I still think about you every single night
I guess I gotta give it for you a little more time

Jordin Sparks, "One Step at A Time"

Chapter One

Three Weeks ago...

Taylor waltzed into her house carrying four bags from expensive shops after spending up a small fortune during a shopping spree with Annie and Brittany.

She figured that the shopping spree had something both Annie and Brittany had conspired together in an effort to have her come out of the house and stop moping about while she waited for a phone call from Conner. Conner had been in rehab for four weeks now and he had promised to call her soon but so far, she had yet to get his call. It wasn't that she missed his call because she made sure to never go anywhere without her phone. She didn't want to miss it for when he did call her. Taylor got that Conner was busy trying to get over his addiction but still, he had promised to call her. It wasn't like him to break one of the promises he made to her. He never broke a promise-well, not one Taylor knew of.

Call her crazy, she was trying to move on without Conner, she just didn't want to completely forget about him either. There was a part of her that hoped he'd come home and want to rekindle the relationship they had had before everything turned sour. She knew it was a long shot but she didn't care. It was all she could think about and as much as she had tried to say yes to guys when they asked her out, she always managed to turn them down, knowing that she wasn't completely over Conner and probably wouldn't be until she knew for sure that it was over between the two of them. Then she'd start dating again.

"Mum. Dad, what's the matter?" she asked her parents when she walked through to the main living room and found both of her parents sitting together on the couch.

They looked up from a piece of paper they were reading.

"I would ask if you had fun shopping but I think the bags are a good enough answer," her father noted.

Taylor sheepishly glanced down at the bags she was holding, setting them down on the floor. "Yeah, but don't worry, I didn't go overboard." She meant that she didn't max out the emergency credit card her parents gave her or spend all the cash still being kept in her Chanel purse.

Her father sighed relief. Without saying anything, Taylor knew what he meant-good, I won't see my bank account decrease as rapidly as I usually do.

Taylor raised her eyebrows, spotting the paper in her mother's hands. "What's that?"

"An acceptance letter into a three week program at a prestigious dance school in New York City," her mother said. "I found it when I emptied your clothes hamper. Why didn't you say you were accepted into a dance program?"

"Why didn't you tell us you applied to a dance program?" her father added.

Taylor shrugged, sitting down on the sofa opposite her parents. "I don't know...I guess I wasn't sure if I should go or not. I only applied because I didn't think I'd get in. The program runs this time every year and according the school's website, not everyone who applies is guaranteed a spot into the program because they only offer thirty positions to the truly talented dancers. I didn't think I was that good of a dancer."

"Honey, I always knew you were a talented dancer. You've always had a passion for dancing," her mother told her.

"But, you have to say that. You're my mother."

"Well, yes, that's partly true, but obviously these people at the school think you've got talent as well or otherwise they wouldn't have offered you a spot in the program."

Taylor knew her parents were right, but she couldn't go. The timing was all wrong. What would she do about school? Yes, she could probably afford to miss three weeks of school since she was well ahead in all of her classes. But she had only applied to the program when Conner had been missing in action due to the explosive intervention his family and friends tried to give him. At the time, she had nothing better to do other than worry about her boyfriend and so she had filled in an application, sending in a video with it.

"I guess...but what about school? Do you really want me missing important school days?" Taylor asked, determined to find fault in something that meant she couldn't go to New York because her parents wouldn't allow it. Though, she knew that the only reason she didn't want to go was because she wanted to be here when Conner called. She kept telling herself that he would call her because he had promised her. And it was the only thing keeping her sane.

"Of course not, but sweetheart, this is an opportunity you can't pass up," her father said. "And we've already spoken to your guidance counsellor. He seems to think you'll manage fine for three weeks. Apparently, your grades have maintained well above average this year. You won't have to work hard to catch up when you resume school in three weeks."

Taylor should have known that her parents would have done their research before committing to something like allowing her to miss three weeks of school to dance. They were always thinking of her education because making sure their children got an education was their top priority and they made sure their children knew that too.

"I understand if you don't want to do it and your dad and I will support you either way," her mother sympathised with her. "But I think you should strongly consider going. You wouldn't have applied if you didn't want to go. And I'm afraid that if you don't go, you might regret your decision later."

Taylor knew that her mother was right. She did want to go but by going, she didn't want to give up thinking she and Conner didn't stand a chance at being together again. She hoped they did. But she couldn't miss out on an opportunity like this. And she'd have her phone with her for when he called her. She wouldn't miss his call.

"Actually, I think I do want to go," she said at last.

"Well, then, you better get packing," her mother glanced down at the piece of paper in front of her, "because you have a deadline." She looked up at her daughter. "When did you receive this letter?"

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know...I can't remember."

"Well you're supposed to be there by Monday which means you've got this afternoon to pack so that we can purchase you a plane ticket to New York."

Taylor stood up and leaned into her parents, embracing them in a quick hug. "Thank you. You're the best. I love you," she said before she rushed out of the room and headed up stairs towards her bedroom. When she got to her room, Taylor dropped her bags onto her bed and smiled to herself. Okay, so Conner hadn't called her just yet but she didn't care. She knew that he'd call her eventually. He had promised her and yes, he was in rehab to get better but she also knew that he'd make the time to call her because he wouldn't make a promise he couldn't keep-especially to her. But she couldn't sit and dwell on playing the waiting game.

It was pure torture and she wasn't going to torture herself nor was she going to get herself worked up over a phone call that would happen. So she'd go do something she knew Conner would be happy to see her doing. It was only for three weeks and it wasn't like she'd miss his phone call. Even in New York, she'd still have her phone with her. She pulled her phone from her jeans pocket, quickly glancing at the LCD screen to check the time, wishing he'd call her already before she gave up and tossed it aside onto her bed as she made her way to the other side of her bed, opening up the door and walked into her semi organized closet. She had too much to do to continue thinking about when Conner would call her. She needed to pack but the first thing she needed to do was work out what clothes she'd take to New York with her.

She came out with a handful of designer named jackets still on their coat hangers.

"Mum!" She called out as she walked out of her room, not bothering to notice the sound of the phone ringing on her bed, reading 'Conner cell' on the screen.

It was a typical day at the airport in Los Angeles as everybody continued to make their way to and from the places they had to be. And in the middle of the crowded airport, Taylor was spotted walking away from the flight gates as she exited the plane that had brought her back to L.A from New York. And unlike before when she boarded the plane headed for New York so that she could take part in a dance program at an elite New York dance school, this time, a number of things had changed about her that she hadn't been sporting when she left the city.

And as she loaded her bag into a waiting taxi before she climbed in, giving the driver the address of her destination, Taylor tossed her Brazilian brown coloured hair over her shoulder and sighed as she let the cast on her leg rest, ready for whatever drama was planned for her as she settled back into life. A part of her hoped she and Conner would get back together following his recent struggle with alcoholism but one thing was for sure-she was a new and improved and even edgier Taylor and nothing or no one was going to get to her the way it used to because she had come too far to back down now.