It Can Only Get Better From Here

Chapter Ten

We walked into the hotel room, almost bumping into Heith and Jack.

"All practiced out, Katt?" Jack asked with a grin.

"More like... all panicked out." I smiled back at him. I was still feeling shaky and my chest still felt a little tight.

Anderson walked out of the bathroom with a towel on, not seeming to notice my embarrassment at his exposed chest. Not that I minded the six pack.

"Panicked? Why would you panic?" He asked, towel drying his hair.

I looked at Xaivier to explain, and he laughed lightly. "She was playing piano, singing, and dancing a little and didn't notice me come in and play along. Apparently she's really shy."

I blushed, making Heith laugh and pat my head.

"Katt? Shy? I never would have guessed that." Raphael said in astonishment. "She seems alright with bitching people out."

I nodded, deciding to ignore the last comment. "My Dad told me not to 'show off' in front of my Mother." I felt my nose wrinkle in disgust when I mentioned her. "As soon as I was old enough, she would've sent me to the nearest strip club."

"What does 'show off' mean?" Jack asked. I just shrugged. "He never told me what he meant by it, so I just never talked to my Mother."

I stretched and sat down on one of the beds. I could see myself in the mirror, and was horrified.

"OH MY GOSH! Have I looked like that all day?!" I looked anxiously at Heith, who nodded.

I stared in dismay at my wild hairdo, the curls sticking in every direction. I moaned and picked up a brush.

"This might take a while." I muttered. Muffled laughter came from the corner of the room.

"Oh yeah. Katiana, this is Yolanda!" Raphael announced. I quickly studied her face as she murmured a greeting.

She was about my height, with black hair. She looked a little Asian. I decided that she was naturally beautiful.

"Hi, Katiana!" She smiled brightly. I felt my own lips rising into a smile.

"I'm so excited to go shopping with you! I've heard a lot about you." She was still smiling. I felt a blush appear on my cheeks.

Xaivier coughed awkwardly and rubbed his hands over his head. I blushed more, realizing that Xaivier was the one who told Yolanda all about me.

I frantically tried to change the subject.

"I have money." I said, the thought jumping into my mind.

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

"I didn't think about it until now. I guess I should pay you guys back now, huh?" I reached into the pockets of my track pants and pulled out many crumpled bills.

"How did you get this much money?" Anderson gasped. I just shrugged and walked to the corner of the room.

"Hold on a minute." I reached down my shirt to pull out more money. It wasn't the most comfortable place to keep the sharp paper, but Richard would have never looked there.

I carried the rest of the load back to the others and dumped it on the bed. "How about you guys help me count it?"

"You must be the luckiest person alive to have not been caught." Yolanda said. She was shocked.

"Yeah..." I murmured. We silently counted and added the sum together.

"Holy shit, Katt... There's over three thousand dollars here!" Heith said, gesturing to the pile.