Scars [An Exclamation Point Fan Fiction]

PART 1

A man with a clipboard comes out.

"Nikki Garner," he says. "You're up."

I walk toward the man. I'm lead to a stage with judges sitting around a table like on the T.V. show, So You Think You Can Dance. I walk to the center.

"Name and age." A woman says.

"I'm Nikki Garner and I'll be nineteen in April." I say.

"You may begin." she says.

The music starts. I picked Loved You First by One Direction. I finish and the judges applaud me.

"That was impressive." Another jude says.

"How long have you been danicng?" A male judge asks.

"Uh about four or five years." I say."I danced in high school and I teach dance at a school in my town."

The judges whisper to each other. Finally the first judge looks at me. "We look forward to seeing you in LA in August." She says smiling at me.

"Thank you so much!" I say with tears building up in my eyes. I run back to Danny and Paul to tell them the news.

PART 1:

Everything that could've possible gone wrong this morning happened. I woke up half an hour late, my clothes were still wet in the dryer, and I'd forgotten to charge my already low battery phone. I get ready and speed to the dance studio I teach at. I walk in and my students look at me.

"You're late Miss Nikki!" One girl says.

"I know, I know." I say as I throw my stuff down. "Now let's get started!"

After three hours we're done rehearsing.

"Ok guys be back at the studio at six so we can get make up and hair done. Curtain call is at seven."

I drive to my house and pick up my things for another practice. Before my practice I got to lunch with my best friend, Cori, and her boyfriend, David.

"Hey guys." I say sitting down with them.

"Hey Nik." David says.

"You ok? You look stressed." Cori says.

"When am I not stressed Cor?" I say laughing.

She laughs. " True. The bruise on your cheek looks better."

I reach up and touch the bruise under my right eye.

"What happened again?' David asks.

"Nate and I were practicing and I slipped." I lie.

The three of us talk and eat. After lunch I go back to the dance studio so I can rehearse with my boyfriend, Nate, for our performance tonight. 

Nate, Cori, David and I went to high school together. We graduated last May. Cori was on the color guard, David was in band, and I was on the dance team. Nate moved to our here our sophomore year and joined the dance studio I danced at.  

For the next few hours Nate and I practice our routine to the song, Love The Way You Lie. I mess up once and Nate gets angry. After we're done we walk out to our cars.

" I feel good about tonight." Nate says. "Just don't screw up."

"I won't." I say. "Isn't the choreographer from NYADA coming?"

"Yea." He says. He stops me and grabs my shoulder. " So you really better not screw up." He lets go and shoves me to the ground. I get up after he leaves. The whole way home I try to ignore the bruise forming on my shoulder. I get home and my parents are gone. I text my mom to see if they're coming to the show tonight. After I've finished getting ready my mom texted me back. My parents are visitng my brother, Brady, in rehab. Last year my brother od'd and has been in rehab since. I still haven't gone to see him. I walk out of the house trying to shake off the tears. My parents have always been too busy to come watch me dance. I'm halfway to the studio when my engine stalls. My phone is dead, and none of the mechanics are open. I sit in my car and finally let the tears out. After a couple of minutes a car pulls up by me. I look up and see a guy in purple skinny jeans and a snapback walking towards my open door.

"What do you want?" I say looking down.

"I saw your car stopped, and you crying." He says, "I wanted to see if you needed help."

"Not unless you can fix my car." I say looking at him.

He smiles. "I can try. I have jumper cables, we can try hot wiring it."

"Ok." I say getting out of the car so he can work.

"So what's your name?" He asks.

"Nikki." I say, "What's yours?"

"I'm Paul."

"Where are you from?" I ask.

"Maryland. My best friend and I moved down here."

I don't know what else to say so I lean against the car and watch him work. A few minutes later my car is running again.

"Thank you so much!" I say, "How much can I pay you?" I ask reaching for my wallet.

"Don't pay anything." He says smiling, "I'm just glad to help."

I thank him again and drive to the studio in time to help make finishing touches. All of the classes perform their routines, then the teachers do theirs. After the show parents come back stage with flowers and such for their kids. I go back to the stage and sit when a farmiliar voice calls my name.