Dancer Girl

"What are you doing here?" We were back in my room at home.

"I came to see you," James said. He looked confused. "Didn't want me to see you?"

"No, no," I said. "I do. But... you left New Jersey just to come see me?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're my best friend." He smiled at me. That made my heart twitch, and I'd read enough romances to know what that meant.

"Thanks..... I-uh-you too." I couldn't bring myself to say what I'd yell at the characters in the many books I'd read to say. Besides, he'd just said I was his best friend.

James wasn't fazed by my momentary loss of words. "So what have you been up to since you got home?"

"Nothing," I said truthfully.

"Come on," he tried to get something more out of me.

"Honestly. I haven't done anything since I've been home."

"Nothing?" He asked. I shook my head. "Your life is boring."

"I know." I flipped my hair.

We lay down on the bed and just talked. We talked for hours about everything and anything. I'd missed this while I'd been here alone. Finally, I asked a question that had been burning in my head since the night I left.

"James. Why didn't you come?"

"Where hun?"

"To the hospital. In New Jersey."

"I...." he sighed. "I couldn't. I had to finish the show, and then we had notes. It was too busy after the show."

I sat up, just realizing how dark it was in my room. We hadn't bothered with the lights, and the sun had gone down.

That hurt, but I understood. "Okay," I wasn't angry. He had a bigger responsibility to his dance team than he did to me.

I fell asleep talking to him.