Vicki fidgeted nervously.  The dance started in five minutes and Tay 
hadn't shown up yet.  People streamed in the doors of the gymnasium, laughing 
and having fun.  She felt extremely out of place in her white lace dress that 
she had bought that day where she had met her favorite guy and celeb.  Nick 
passed her, coolly ignoring her.  Jackie had accidentaly spilled the beans 
about Tay, and at first Nick had been deeply hurt.  The next day, however, 
anger had replaced sadness and Vicki faced a frigid wall everytime she tried 
to explain to him.  He didn't understand and he didn't want to understand.
        Vicki's musings were interrupted by the tooting of a horn.  She 
glanced up to see Tay emerge from a white limosine in a white suit.  He 
smiled and Vicki's heart fell apart.  She yanked her composure back together 
as she ran over to him.  "Tay, I thought you'd never get here!  Nice suit, by 
the way."
        "Bon ŕ vois tu, auusi," he replied with a twinkle in his baby blue 
eyes.  (Good to see you, too.)
        "Oh, I'm sorry, Tay.  I meant that too; I was just really worried 
that you wouldn't show, and you know . . ." Vicki smiled sheepishly.  "Okay, 
you win.  By the way, you smell good."
        "Why, thanks," Tay said.  "You smell and look wonderful."  Vicki had 
bought lily of the valley perfume that blended with the lilies in her hair 
which was in a half-French twist, a style that Vicki looked magical in.  Her 
white dress cascaded down to her ankles where white lace-up sandals adorned 
her feet.  She had on a necklace of pure gold saying "MMMBop-Baby" that Tay 
had given her on their second date.  Her earrings were also gold, in little 
dangling strings of balls.  To Tay, she looked and smelled like an angel.
        Vicki blushed.  "Well, we really should go in before we miss out on 
all the good music."
        "Yes, I s'pose we'd better," Tay smiled.
        The cafeteria was decorated with bubbles floating through the air and 
lightly colored streamers swayed from the ceiling.  Tay was taken aback.  
"They did all this for the dance?"
        "You better believe it.  And this is only a summer dance.  The Winter 
Magic Dance looks sixty times more enchanting."
        "Kind of like you," Tay teased, half-serious.
        "Stop it," Vicki said.  "We should dance."
        "You're right.  After all, this is a really good song."  Tay started 
moving with the fast-paced music.  Vicki was surprised, for she had always 
thought that he wouldn't know how to dance, being home-schooled and all.  Tay 
noticed her surprise.  He grinned.  "My mom taught me."
        Vicki laughed and started dancing to the beat, as well.  In between 
gasps of breath, she tried conversation.  "So, where are you and your 
brothers planning on going with your music now?"
        "Well, Ike and Zac are really concentrating on some exams right now, 
so we're taking a small break from the group music.  But I did my exams a 
month ago, so I'm free and creating a new classical CD.  Right now I'm in the 
composing stage."
        "Ooh," Vicki said.  "What sort of music will be on there this time?"
        "Well, I thought it would be cute if my family did a piece together.  
So, I taught Mac, Jess, and Avery how to play a few notes of the guitar, let 
Zoë learn her part on her violin, showed Tracey and Ben a few chords of the 
piano, Zac volunteered to play a chimes part, Ike said he'd play a melody on 
his guitar, and I asked Mom, Dad, Kevin, and Claire to sing a little solo in 
the middle of the piece; then, I added a melody on my piano, practiced the 
piece several times with my family, and recorded all of us playing the tune 
together.  It has so many different parts, for the instruments all play a 
different octave or harmony, and everything revolves around the melody that I 
play.  It's really spectacular."
        "Wow!" Vicki panted.  The music was really moving now.  The two 
danced and smiled for the rest of the song without speaking, for the song was 
really fast and their breath was needed for looking good on the dance floor.  
When it was over, the two walked over to the side of the cafeteria and leaned 
on the wall for support.
        When their breath was back, Vicki looked over at Tay.  "Let's sit 
this song out."
        "Better yet, let's get some soda," Tay suggested, pointing the 
refreshment table.  Vicki nodded her agreement.  As the two strolled over, 
Vicki leaned on Tay's shoulder.  (She found it really comfortable.)  At the 
refreshment table, they had their pick of water, Dr. Pepper, Surge, Diet 
Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Mug's Root Beer, or Sparkling Cherry Water.  Tay picked up 
a cup of Mug's Root Beer while Vicki grabbed some Diet Pepsi.  They drank 
gratefully, chatting more about the new CD while they sipped.  As they tossed 
their cups into the trash can, the song finished.  A slow song came on.  
"Let's dance," Tay suggested, pointing to the couples on the dance floor.
        Vicki followed.  When Tay put his arms around her waist, Vicki felt a 
shiver go up and down her back.  "Cold?" Tay asked.  Vicki shook her head.  
She put her arms around his strong shoulders and leaned close to him resting 
her cheek on his shirt.  (He had taken his jacket off while walking in the 
door.)  They swayed to the beat of the soft, slow music from years ago called 
"Have You Ever?" by Brandy, who had gone on to become an actress, leaving her 
music career behind.  As she swayed, Vicki listened to the words of the song 
that had been popular when she was a young teen.  "Have you ever loved 
somebody so much it makes you cry?/ Have you ever needed someone so much it 
makes you die?"  Vicki knew that Tay would always be special to her, no 
matter what happened, for she loved him so much that it was making her cry 
inside.  Yes, love, she decided, because she'd had many crushes in her teens 
and none of them had ever felt like this.  All too soon, the song was over 
and another old song by B*Witched came blasting over the speakers, "C'est La 
Vie."  (Incidentaly, that is French for "It's the Life.")  Vicki quickly 
wiped her eyes and pasted a perky smile on her lips.
        "I loved this song!" she exclaimed, starting to dance.
        Tay smiled.  "Me, too."
        The dance flew by in a blur.  The highlights of it (Vicki wrote them 
down in her journal when she got in bed that night) were: "Kiss Me" by 
Sixpence None The Richer, (an old song) when Tay nearly tripped, "Jenny", by 
Johnson Boyz, [A.N. -- Fake group, fake song…duh! ;)] when Vicki had told Tay 
about her childhood visit to the zoo when the gorillas got out and she talked 
to male silverback and told him to get back into his cage like a good little 
boy (and unbelievably, the gorilla obeyed!), and Tay cracked up, "June Bugs 
on the Window", by Your Baby Girls [A.N. -- another fake.] when some weirdo 
knocked water all over Tay's white shirt, "I Don't Wanna Wait", by Paula Cole 
(a very old song) where Tay caught Vicki as she fell and ended up on the 
floor with her in his lap, "Just Tonight", by Smokin' Pepperoni Pizza [A.N. 
-- I think you are starting to figure out which are the fakes, but just to 
confirm it -- THIS IS A FAKE, TOO.  ;)] a slow song where Tay almost kissed 
Vicki, (another weirdo jostled Tay's arm at the wrong time, stupid idiot) and 
many, many more.
        As they left the cafeteria sweaty but happy, Vicki turned to Tay in 
the warm July night.  "Would you like my email address?" she asked.
        "Sure," he answered.
        "SwtLily16@aol.com."  [A.N. -- If you email this, you will (one day) 
be emailing me, (I want to change my account name, but I can't yet....) You 
are welcome to email anytime, of course…my email is Emsies@aol.com.....I just 
wanted to warn you.]
        "Write mine down, 'cause I have one too."
        "I know yours, silly."
        "No, you don't.  I have a private account that no press member has 
ever heard of.  It's RhodesMan68@aol.com."  [A.N. -- Sorry, this is totally 
fake, as I don't go by this addy nor anyone else I know.  Just for the 
record, Rhodes is a kind piano.]
        The night slid into the stars as Tay and Vicki talked for hours at 
the lake they had found that night when Vicki visited Tay's home for dinner.  
They discussed politics, music, sports, and everything under the sun.  When 
Vicki finally got back to her dorm, it was 2:43. .  "Grace ŕ dieu c'est 
vendrede," she murmured sleepily.  (Thank goodness it's Friday.  Actually, 
the direct translation, if you're interested, is 'Thanks to God it is 
Friday.')  It was a good thing because she didn't have classes the next day, 
so she could sleep in for hours.