Alternate Realities

“I remember years ago
Someone told me I should take
Caution when it comes to love
I did”
I transitioned into final position as the ending notes of the song played, laying on my side, curling my knees and tucking my head into my chest, basically in a fetal position. When the song completely ended, I straightened and stood, facing my audience. Kevin had his eyes wide open, a dumbstruck expression on his face. Demi was smiling like crazy, nodding her head in approval, while Joe mirrored Kevin’s expression except his mouth was wide open. Slowly, I trailed my gaze over to the curly-haired mystery, telling myself not to expect anything from him. Meeting his gaze, I did my best to hold back a gasp. His normally emotionless eyes were burning fire, like molten chocolate. Was he angry? Why? I blinked and quickly looked back at his brothers and Demi. I didn’t want to deal with him and his problems.
“So…what’d you think?” I questioned, walking forward and plopping down in front of the group.
“That was awesome!”
“You’re amazing!”
“UN-believeable, as usual!”
Three voices started talking all at once, and I chuckled, holding up my hands, “Okay, okay, calm down jeez.” The three of them chuckled and stopped talking, waiting for me to continue. “Thank you guys, I’m glad you liked it. Ok, so now I need details about this contest. When, where, who, all the good stuff.”
“Okay, um, when: December, exact dates are TBD. Where: L.A. obviously, and who: you and me Pretty Lady.” Joe answered, winking. I laughed and reached over to punch his shoulder, “Demi, you need to control your boyfriend.”

I heard a dark chuckle from behind me and turned. “She’s right Demi. You might want to be careful who you let your boyfriend be around.”

“And who are you in this conversation again?” I glared at Selena. I had forgotten that she was still there, that she too was a part of this new opportunity.

She shrugged innocently, “What? I was just offering some friendly advice. I wouldn’t want to let you steal my friend’s boyfriend.”

I shot up to my feet, clenching my fists. Demi too, had slowly risen and came to stand next to me. “Yeah, ‘cause that’s your job, right Gomez?” I spat at her, “You’re a pro at that, aren’t you?”

She paled, narrowing her eyes at me, “I don’t know know what you mean Michaels.”
I let out a dry chuckle, “Oh I’m sure you don’t Gomez. You tend to “forget” stuff like that often. Tell me something, do you remember anything other than a)how to seduce boys to get your way with them or b)throw a hissy fit when you don’t get your way?”

Her mouth dropped open, eyes widening, and she tried to say something, stuttering, "Uhh-I-I uhh, Umm-" But I held up my hand, interrupting, "Before this gets even uglier, I suggest you leave Selena, and please, don't come back." I pointed to the door, plastering an exaggerated smile on my face, before turning back around to face the others. I heard the door slam, and I let out a breath, looking at Demi.

"Are you okay Shay?" she whispered, rubbing my back softly.
I managed a weak smile, nodding, before facing the three brothers and trying unsuccessfully to ignore the gaze burning into the side of my face.

"Guys, I'm sorry. I would love to be your choreographer, but with Selena in the picture, I just won't be able to. We can't be around each other for more than a few minutes, and I don't want to let that ruin your chances. I can give you the names of a couple other really great choreographers around here, and I'm sure-"
"Woah, woah, what?" Kevin interrupted my rambling, shaking his head furiously, before Joe pitched in, "Yeah, what are you talking about Pretty Lady? We're not switching choreographers."
I gave them a confused expression, "But Selena and I would bicker like cats and dogs everyday. That'd be way too big of a distraction for all of us."
Demi spoke, "Who said we're working with Selena?"
"Okay, now I'm even more confused. I thought this was a Disney dance competition?"
"Yeah, it is. But if you remember correctly, it's a dance-off. Meaning different teams."
I brightened instantly, grinning, "So no Gomez? Just you guys?"
"Nope, no Gomez at all. You're stuck with these three stooges. And me, of course."
I pulled Demi in for a side hug, smiling, "I'd take that any day and you know it!", before clapping my hands together, looking around the group.

"Alright guys, lets get down to business. Anything else I should know or anything you guys want to know before I start planning?"
"Yeah, quick question, actually, "Kevin questioned, "When is your dance competition?"
"Mine? December as well. I'm trying for a dance scholarship. College isn't exactly cheap." I smiled, shrugging my shoulders.
"Who sponsored it, do you know?" This from Joe, a worried expression crossing his face.
"Yeah, Berkeley did. In partnership with someone else that I can't remember." I looked between the two older brothers, "Why? Is there a problem?"
Joe sighed, running his hand over his face, "Not exactly a problem. I'd say it's more of a complication. You see, that's the same competition we're in. Berkeley partnered with Disney in an effort to reach younger kids about the importance of education or something."
"That doesn't sound too bad. What's the complication?"
"Errr, well, the rules are that our choreographer can't participate in the actual dance competition unless they're part of our team." Joe avoided my gaze, looking down at his lap.

"WHAT?" I yelled, "That makes no sense at all. That's unfair!" I got up and started pacing around the room, "Guys, I'm sorry, but if that's true then I really can't be your choreographer. I need that scholarship." I clasped my hands together tightly, twisting and un-twisting my fingers. That scholarship was my key to college. It was the only chance I had, the only way I could afford all the bills that were building up. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Kevin and Joe get up until I had rammed right into them, as they stood in front of me. They each put a comforting hand on my shoulders, and Kevin spoke, “Don’t worry Shay, we’ll figure something out. We really want you as our choreographer and we’ll do the best we can to make sure that happens, okay?”

I nodded gratefully, and he continued, “We’ll get back to you within the week, I promise.” Suddenly emotional, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around both brothers. “Thank you so much guys. You don’t know how much it means to me that you’re trying.” Kevin gave me a gentle squeeze before stepping back, but Joe kept his arm around my shoulders as we walked back to Demi and Nick. “No worries Pretty Lady. Besides, you’re not getting rid of us that fast.”
I rolled my eyes playfully, letting out a dramatic sigh, “Grrrreat. So I’m going to be stuck with a goofball like you?”
“Hey!” Joe pulled away, pouting, until Demi came over and kissed his cheek, wrapping her arms around his waist. Smiling instantly, he pulled her closer, kissing her forehead before speaking to his brothers, “Okay, so I think Shay-Bay-Bay over here, has insulted me enough for one day. How ‘bout we call it a night and get going?”
I waited for Kevin and Nick to nod before smacking Joe upside the head. “OW! What was that for woman?” he glared at me, rubbing his head.
“Shay-bay-bay, Joe, really?”
“What? I like it.” He shrugged, giving me a smirk.
“Oh, alright then, Joey Bear, whatever you want.”
He groaned, still smirking, and I smiled innocently at him. “Hey, are you two doing anything coupley tonight?” I questioned, packing up my stuff.
Demi looked up at Joe before turning to me, “No, not that I know of, why?”
“Good, ‘cause I’m stealing my best friend for a girl’s night tonight. Thanks Joey Bear.” I hooked my arm with Demi’s and together we skipped over to my car. “Hey, WAIT!”
Joe yelled from across the parking lot, “Why don’t you girls come over for dinner? It’s just the three of us at the apartment and it’ll be pretty boring.”
Demi and I looked at each other, “Um…I don’t know Joe….I kinda wanted to spend some time with Shay.” Demi shouted back to Joe.
“Aww, come on, please? It’s only 5:30 right now, what if you came over at 8? Nick could come pick you up-“
“No, I can’t.” A hard voice cut through and I looked over to see Nick glaring at Joe. Joe ignored him, continuing, “at your house Shay and bring you over to-“
“I said I can’t Joseph. I’m busy and I have better things to do than be a chauffeur to your girlfriend and her friend. Who, by the way, is a complete stranger.” Nick spat out, slamming the door to his car and driving away, leaving an extremely confused Kevin and shocked Joe in his wake.
“Guys, forget it, it’s okay. Demi’s right, I wanted some alone time with my best friend. Besides, you should get used to sharing Joey Bear.” I tried to ease the awkwardness of the situation, while in reality my mind was spinning. Judging by the reactions of his brothers, Nick wasn’t usually so….aggressive. I couldn’t help but think that his rough attitude was because of me. Why was he so cold towards me? What had I done to him? Joe snapped me out of my thoughts, apologizing profusely. “I’m sorry Shay, I don’t know what’s gotten into him. He’s not normally so uptight, I promise.” Kevin nodded, agreeing with his brother. “I’ve never seen him be so rude to anyone, let alone us.”
I tried to smile convincingly, “Guys, relax. It’s totally fine. We all have those days. Besides, seeing Selena couldn’t have been easy for him either. Anyways, we shall see you boys later. Have a good weekend! Oh, and let me know if you guys need any help in moving stuff into your apartment.” I waved at them, moving to get in my car, but the sound of Joe’s yell stopped me, “WAIT! Shay-bay-bay, we don’t have your number!”
I sighed, too tired to walk all the way to their cars.” I’m being lazy right now, so you’re going to have to get it from Demi, Joey Bear! Bye!!”

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Walking into the house, I whispered to Demi, “When we get up the stairs, keeping going straight, to the end of the hall. That’s my room. I’m just going to check on Care real quick.” She nodded, grabbing my arm to make sure she was going the right way since I hadn’t bothered to turn on the lights. I opened the door to my sister’s room, as Demi brushed past me, and peeked in, trying not to make too much noise. Carrie was an incredibly light sleeper, and since she barely liked to sleep anyway, I didn’t want to wake her up. Creeping closer to her bedside, I smiled. Half of her body was hanging off of her bed as she hugged her pillow to her, her blond curls spread out and fanning behind her.

I spotted the family picture that she always talked to before bed fallen backwards, and reached down to fix it. Picking up the heavy metal frame, I studied the picture, looking in between the goofy expression on my dad’s face and the bigger-than-life smile on my mom’s. I remembered that day. It was Carrie’s 8th birthday, and she had begged for us to celebrate it in the park. Of course, none of us had bothered to check the weather report and all of our hard work had been blown away by the wind. I remembered Mom laughing, Dad groaning as the cake wobbled and turned over on its side. I remembered laughing so hard that I snorted, hanging on to the swing sets so that I wouldn’t fall. I remembered Carrie screaming and crying, throwing a tantrum until she fainted. But mostly, I remembered the diagnosis, "Your daughter has type 2 diabetes Mr. and Mrs. Michaels. I'm sorry." I sighed, shaking myself lightly, and leaned down to kiss her forehead softly. Leaving the room, I whispered, "Sweet Dreams...Care Bear."

I headed towards my room, trying to put on a smile, before I remembered that this was Demi; I had no reason to pretend in front of her, I had nothing to hide. I shut my door behind me, sliding down and curling my knees up to my chest, letting my head fall into my arms. Instantly, I felt a warm pair of arms wrap around me tightly, rocking me back and forth slightly as I shook. "I-I miss them!" I breathed, feeling the tears slip out, "I miss them so much Demi! So much it hurts." She said nothing, just held me close, protectively, and I felt myself relax for the first time in months. It felt good to rely on someone, to know that I had someone to fall back on. After a while, I calmed down, my tears stopping their constant flow.
"You remembered?"
She nodded, giving me a sad, half-smile. "Of course I remembered. I just didn't want to do anything in front of the brothers." I managed a watery smile, pulling back to stand up.
"Speaking of brothers, you owe me details, remember?" Letting out a chuckle, Demi moved to plop down beside me on my bed, both of us lying sprawled out, our legs tangling. We didn't mind, this was our normal routine.
“Yeah, yeah, of course I do. But first, are you sure you’re ok?”
I turned my head to the side so I could face her, “No. I’m not. I don’t think I ever really will be. But I’m tired of moping. Hence, the romantic tales of you and your strange-but-loveable boyfriend are going to distract me. Now talk.”
"Oh boy. What do you want to know?"
"Don't you 'oh boy' me woman! You should've known this was coming. The last few times we talked, I finally got you to admit that you were heels over head for the boy. What happened after that?"
"Heels over head Shay, really?"
"Yes. Now, stop changing the subject and answer!!"
"Okay, okay, calm yourself! Um, well after one of our little "talks"-"
"You mean me lecturing you."
"Yeah, yeah, same difference. Anyways, after our talks, I got enough confidence to confront myself about how I felt for him and a fews days later, I confronted him."
I bolted up, "You WHAT? You HATE confrontations!"
She laughed lightly, sitting up so we were both leaning against the headboard, "I know, right? But yeah, I basically walked up to him and was like, 'What's wrong with us? I know we're meant to be. You know we're meant to be, so why are we waiting?'"
I stared at her, my mouth agape, "Woah....."
"Yeah, he freaked out just a little bit. But came around eventually. And now, here we are!" She smiled cheekily, shrugging her shoulders. I squealed, pulling her in for a tight hug.
"I am SO proud of you! Not to mention ecstatically happy for you both! God knows how long you were mooning over that boy." I pulled away, raising my eyebrow at her, "You did warn him that if he messes up so much as ONCE, I'm going to bash his head in?" I asked, completely serious.
Chuckling, she shook her head, "Nu-uh. The whole "break her heart and I break your face" speech is yours to give. I'm just going to make sure you don't give him an early example of it."
I made a face, "Boo! You're no fun."
"Anyways, enough about me, how have you been? Any trouble with Troy?"
"Uggh, don't remind me. He hasn't stopped trying to hit on me since, well, you know. He keeps trying to corner me in the hallways and stuff. I'm so glad I never have to see him again after this week. But other than that, life's been the same."
She gave me a concerned look," You know, you really should have gotten a restraining order or something. That boy is a creep."
"Forget it. We can't all get a Joe now, can we?" I nudged her shoulder playfully, raising my eyebrows in a suggestive manner. She laughed, swatting at me.
"Speaking of, what's up with you and Nick?"
I gave her a confused look, "You mean besides the fact that he seems to hate my guts for no reason?"
She rolled her eyes, "No, I meant the fact that you two couldn't stop staring at each other the whole time."
"We were not! He was glaring at me, not staring."
"And you were checking him out."
I blushed, "Was not! Besides, how would you know? You were a little to lost in Joe to notice."
"Oooh, gettin' defensive I see."
"DEMI!!"
"Come on, Shay. You can't hide it from me. Come one, admit it. Admit it. Admit it. Admit it!" She poked me repeatedly, attacking my sides, sending me into fits of laughter.
"Dem-i, D-dEmi! Stop! Ok, ok,I admit it! I think he's cute, and there's something about his eyes that doesn't let me look away, and there's a part of my brain that's yelling at me to cut the crap because he's been nothing but rude to me, but the other part keeps attracting me towards him!" I let out a huge breath as Demi's fingers stopped their assault.
"There now, that wasn't too bad was it?" She asked, smiling. I glared at her in response.
"It doesn't matter anyway, Dems. Like I said, the kid hates my guts. I doubt we'll get along."
"Oh you will. I know you both."
"Pssh, are you implying that I'll fall for the Fro-Bro?”
"No, I'm telling you that you will."
"Never gonna happen Dems."
"Oh you'll see Shay, you'll see."