The Story of Steps

Freetime and Dance

Faye:

I'm awake with a shrug, looking around in confusion in the slightly darkened room and attempting to ignore my pounding head. From another room, people are talking so probably the rest of the band is already planning to head off to rehearsals. I put the blanket aside and almost fall over because apparently someone left their suitcase near the door. Upon walking in the living room, Claire as well as Lee and H welcome me with a surprised expression as I basically stumble against the door.

"Hey, you should relax." Claire says, helping me back to my feet and to walk over to the table so I could sit down. I sneeze again, a shiver running through my body. "Oh Faye." she says worried, her hand already on my forehead to check on the fever. "Your fever isn't sinking by any means yet."

Ignoring her words in the best attempt possible, I only ask, "You're about to go to rehearsals, aren't you?"

"Yes, we're heading off to rehearsals later but you aren't and neither is Lisa." H explains calmly. "Take a seat, here that's for you." he adds, passing me a glass of juice. "Stop looking at me as if I said something insulting, there are definitely no rehearsals for you today." 

"What, but-" I stutter. 

"Stop speaking back, would you?" Claire almost snaps back. She seems to realise how harsh that seemed, because she sighs. "Okay sorry, that was rude."

"Look, all she wants to say is that it's obvious that you're off." Lee explains calmly, once again being the one of the band who stays calm and polite. "You're cheeks are quite reddened and even if you would go to rehearsals, they wouldn't let you dance because your eyes are so glassy. That's what our choreographer would say too, just so you know. He wouldn't let you or Lisa dance when you both are off with a fever." 

I rub my eyes and blink against the sunlight that makes my head hurt even more, before focusing back on them. "But our crew will be angry. You know, the new music video and our trip to Japan is soon as well - they'll be so annoyed." 

"And you know what? Let them be annoyed, we certainly aren't." H explains with a shrug. "Honestly, let them be angry or annoyed, who cares? Although you can believe me when I say that they're fine with that."

"He speaks the truth. Come on, we're going to rehearsals now and you and Lisa will relax, okay?" Claire asks with a frown. "Come on now." she says, helping me to walk and to lay down again. As soon as I lay down again, she puts a hand to my forehead again with a sigh escaping. "You can't rehearse like that. Besides, it's not like Pete will tell you or Lisa off."

"What?" Lisa mumbles half-asleep from across the room. "Why should I tell someone off?"

"No I said- oh, seriously girls." Claire sighs, a slight laugh escaping nonetheless. She walks over to Lisa, checking if her fever might be sinking but Claire just shakes her head slightly. "Please just relax and I mean the both of you." she explains. Most certainly Lisa is already asleep again, not even fancying to turn around and look at us; it seems as if she wasn't even listening at all. Claire shakes her head, a slight amused smile still on her face as she walks out of the room; closing the door without any further words while I drift back to sleep.

When my eyes open again, I look around confused. Lisa isn't in the room anymore either and for a brief moment I wonder where they all went to. To rehearsals? Leaving me here? I half-stumble back to the living room - welcomed by the rest of the band. H greets, immediately walking over to help me so I wouldn't just fall over; smiling slightly. "Aren't you supposed to be at rehearsals?" I mumble, before sneezing again. 

"What a warm welcome. Speaking of warm, there we go." H replies with a laugh, placing a blanket around me again. "We called Pete and he said it doesn't make sense to go to rehearsals without Lisa and you. So he said we should meet at our normal dance studio again and practice, we'll soon head off to film again anyways. And we head off to Japan soon as well, so- well, he said we should take a few days off and relax."