Did you ever leave?

1

4 months ago...

'I...that can't be right. It's not even a possibility.'

'If it wasn't a possibility, you wouldn't be here, Miss Carter. I'm sorry, but these results don't lie.'

——————

Present day

True to his word, Ethan and I remained friends after our week in Vegas. We meet up every few weeks and hang out, doing whatever we feel like doing.

Eden and I are in the same place we were - her, being completely fine and me, questioning why we were ever friends. We still attend college together - it's the start of our first semester, Eden a sophomore and I a junior - and share our apartment. I try to be like my old self, but it's getting harder to act.

I haven't saw Grayson since the night before I left. I made Eden promise not to bring him over unless I'm out or working but I think she's getting tired of fitting her and her boyfriend's alone time around my schedule.

Now that we've caught up on the basics, we can get into the real story. I was actually having some alone time, myself, when I received a call from my agent.

'Milo?'

'Angela. How are you?' I asked, breathless.

'That doesn't matter. I've got some very exciting news.'

'Okay...shoot.'

'I've just received a very interesting call from Deena Katz.'

'Who?'

'She's the casting director for Dancing with the Stars.'

'Are you serious?'

'She wants you in an interview on Good Morning America in three weeks...as part of the cast of professional dancers.'

'Angela...are you telling me that...that I'm going to be on Dancing with the Stars?'

'That's exactly what I'm telling you.'

I screamed and hopped onto my bed. Eden burst into the room.

'Milo, what the fuck?'

I scrunched my eyes and shook my phone.

'What-'

I put the cellular device back to my ear and regained my composure.

'That sounds like something I would be interested in, yes.'

'Are you sure you're up for the challenge? You'll be the youngest dancer in the history of the show, along with Julianne Hough.'

'I'm ready, I swear. Why did they scout me? I'm only eighteen, they don't usually go for people so young.'

'They saw a video of you on YouTube and thought you'd be perfect for one of their younger stars.'

'I can't believe this is happening.'

'I'll call you in an hour with the details, okay?'

'Okay.'

'Okay, what is going on? Why are you so pumped?' Eden asked.

'Eden...I'm going to be on Dancing with the Stars!'

We both started shrieking and jumping up and down.

'No way! Oh my god!'

'I know,' I said, collapsing onto the floor. Eden took my desk chair.

'My best friend is going to be on tv.'

'I'll be telling this story in an interview when I'm the world's most famous dancer in ten years. How I was called with the news while masturbating; you don't get a story more quirky than that.'

'You were getting off? Gross, Milo,' she said, throwing a pillow at me.

'I wasn't exactly expecting Angela to hit me up, was I?'

'I wonder who you'll be paired with,' she pondered, dreamily.

'They said they had someone in mind. He's supposedly young, so I'm putting my bets on one of the Stranger Things kids.'

'Probably. Or maybe Noah Centineo.'

I shook my head. 'I think he's going to be young. Like, a kid. That's why they'd get the youngest dancer they could in.'

She sighed. 'You're probably right.' Her phone started buzzing. 'I should probably take this.'

She stood and walked into the hall. 'Hey, Grayson.'

I looked up that the ceiling.

This is going to boost my career into the stratosphere.