Chapter 1- Singing in the Rain
I'm staring at my feet, the ballet slippers seemingly conforming to my feet. I lift one foot off the ground. As if instinct, I begin the complicated twists and turns of a ballet dancer. "Earth to Nina." I hear someone say faintly. I stop so abruptly that my long hair, that has been braided back, hits me in the hard in the fac. "Geez, Trinity. Can't you give a girl a more gentle reality check?" I ask dryly. "We have to rehearse this." she says. I sigh. We're in the school's choir room. Trinity is standing at a microphone, staring intently at me. "I just had to try." I say faintly. "You haven't done ballet since you were four." she says. I remove the slippers and replece them with flats. I take my stand by the second mic and Trinity starts singing. Then its my line. I shut my eyes and simply sing. I hear the choir door open, but don't pay attention to it. When we've belted out the last lines in the song, I open my eyes and return to the world. There, in the doorway stands Coulter. That would explain the opening choir door. "To be honest Trinity, I thought you were kidding when you said Nina could sing." he says. "You weren't supposed to hear that until the talent show." I say. "Well, I've heard it." he responds tartly.
I'm about the respond with an equally biting remark, when the sound of a piano stops me. Its coming from the band room, across the hall from the choir room. Only one person we know can play like that, and only one person would be using the school's piano at this hour. "Sounds like Madeline is back." Coulter says, but I can tell he's just as shocked as Trinity and I are. We walk out of the room and catch sight of Dover. Coulter makes a motion with his hands, that resembles a bow and arrow, and aims it at the ceiling. I drag him out by his wrist. "Why did you do that? Now he knows we're the ones that took out the light fixture in the house." I say through gritted teeth. "It doesn't take rocket science to figure that out Nina. You had the bow and arrow one of us obviously did it. I was just making sure he knew that it was me." he says. I shake my head. He honestly worries me. We walk out of the school, and just like our state promises this time of year, its raining. I breathe deeply and sing out. "Its raining men! Hallelujah!" This gets a laugh from Trinity, and a eye roll from Coulter. We head to Trinity's car and pile in. We head towards Coulter's house. When we arrive Coulter leans towards the front, kisses the top of my head, and gets out. Trinity pulls out. "Its like, you two are afraid of each other's lips." she says. I grin. "Let's head to the bank and cash this puppy and go Christmas shopping." I say holding up my check. "Not today. We'll go Saturday. You, me and Coulter." Trinity says. "You hate Coulter." I say. "I know, but I will put up with him for you." she says.
Chapter 2- Saturday at McDonald's
We're sitting at McDonald's near the school. Its the first time greasy food has entered my body since I began losing weight. That being something Trinity has said she doesn't like. Coulter hasn't rang in with an opinion, but he is Coulter so I know he has one. He is now eating his fourth cheeseburger, while I struggle to eat my first. Coulter keeps eying me, as though he's gonna say something, but doesn't. "You two need to hurry up." I say sounding almost rude. "Nina, eat." Trinity says. "I did." I say back. "Coulter, make her eat." Trinity says. Coulter simply takes a swig of his drink. He, for now, is on my side of this. Trinity rolls her eys. "You two are the worst." she says. "I could take offense to that." I say. Trinity looks at me. Her blue eyes staring into my brown ones. "Fine." I say caving. I take another bite of my cheeseburger, finish the stupid thing off, eating my fries and finishing my drink. Coulter looks at me. "She ate." he points out to Trinity. "Yeah, cause I made her." Trinity quips back. "I wish you both would stop." I say almost cringing.
When the two slowpokes, that I hang out with finally finish, we return to Trinity's car. I get into the passenger seat and slam my head up against the back of it. "Take it easy Nina." Coulter says. "I wish you two wouldn't tell me what to do." I say. "We don't. Trinity does." Coulter says. This just causes the two of them to "debate" (ahem argue) about them telling me what to do. This is almost more annoying. "STOP" I yell. "Nina Cortez do not yell in my car." Trinity says. "There you go again". I say. Thank God we're at the mall. I get out and slam the door as hard as I can, just to prove a point. I know I'm being a brat, but I don't really care. I walk toward the mall, not watching where I'm going, which gets a response of a chorus of honks, and Coulter yelling and cursing at me to watch where I'm going. "Shut it Coulter!" I yell back. He grabs my purse strap and turns me around by the shoulders. "What the heck was that?!" he says, so loudly that people stare. "It was walking." I say as angry tears begin running down my face. "You scared us. Don't do it again." he demands. This time I don't argue with him about not telling me what to do. Trinity has caught up to us, just as Coulter hugs me. "Don't pull that brat move again." she says. Again I don't argue, cause I know I was being bratty.
