When I was in my 5th grade Science class, I heard four dreaded words. The Principal of San Diego Junior High (Mrs. White), came in and started talking to my teacher, Ms. Starsmore.

When Ms. Starsmore came over to me, I was like 'oh great what did I do now?'. But she had an 'I'm so sorry' look on her face.

"Please come outside Juliet," she said, looking like she was about to start bawling her eyes out. Although my given name is Avalon Juliet O'Shea, everybody called me Juliet or Juls.

"What happened?" I asked getting a little nauseous, and I knew it had to be pretty bad. I also knew that she was thinking of a good way to tell me bad news.

"Juliet, honey, your parents had a car accident. Your father is alright, but your mother is, um, she died in the car accident."

I wanted to run away, I was running away. This was a dream, and I was going to wake up at any moment. My mom couldn't have been dead. She had taken me to school that morning.

Why was Ms. Starsmore hugging me? I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. I knew it was true deep inside me, but I couldn't believe it.

A week goes by...

I didn't go to the wake. My father had said that I was too young; I was only 10. I still couldn't believe that my mother had died six days earlier. When I was at her funeral I remember still not believing that she was dead. At the end of the funeral, I walked over to her grave marker and lay a white rose on it. I asked myself, "Why did this happen to me?"

Chapter 1

Five years later...

"Hey Juls! I want you to meet someone!" my dance teacher Mimi Davis yelled at me.

"Okay you guys. Just try not to fall over each other," so that was a bit rude. These guys were excellent dancers, but they didn't have very good co-ordination. Don't ask

. "Juls, this is Kenny Ortega. Kenny this is Avalon Juliet O'Shea," Mimi said. Kenny shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you Kenny. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Well, if you must know. Mimi asked me if I could do her a favor. The favor is," he paused as if there was a drum roll, "to employ you as a dance teacher, for a musical, movie."

Suddenly my face lit up. I guess I should tell you that since I was about 13, I dressed in all dark, dull colors and hardly smiled. It was more or less a gothic look. "Thank you Mimi!" I exclaimed hugging my teacher of ten years.

"So, can you start next Monday? You would have to work Monday through Friday, from 3 to 5 in the evening."

"Sure! I mean...yeah that would be great," I said smiling without teeth.

I left Kenny and Mimi to talk, heading back to my charges. Sure enough they had all tripped and fell onto the ground.