"The sun goes down, the stars come out. And all that counts is here and now. My universe will never be the same. I'm glad you came." I sang along to the We Came As Romans cover as I ran through my stretches, preparing for a long three hours of rehearsal. And then, later, my two best friends, Ella and Carter (who are both female), were going to take me out to celebrate my twenty-fifth birthday.

Oh, yeah. I was twenty-five. Where was Austin, you ask? Well, after we graduated high school, we went our separate ways. Austin left to pursue his dream of being a musician, and now has a band called Of Mice & Men -- I'm very proud of him, and love his music. Meanwhile, I left to pursue my dream of becoming a professional dancer. I'm not famous or anything, but I make a decent amount of money performing for audiences.

"Angel!" Ella waved at me from across the studio, her messy pink bun bobbing. "Ready to rehearse?" I met Ella at dance school, and we've been best friends for years. We often perform together.


"Yeah!" I punched the air, pumped. "Let's do this!"

Ella put in the song for our group number, "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence. (The dance looked like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBG46wvS99M.) The two "lead dancers" were me and this guy, Alec. Alec and I are best friends, but nothing more, since he's openly gay. He's a great dancer, and we perform together often.

After that, Ella and I practiced our duet, "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls (yes, the original NOT the SWS cover). And then Ella had a solo dance, "Check Yes Juliet" by We The Kings.

Finally, it was time to practice the last number of the concert -- my duet with Alec. The song was "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem ft. Rianna --not one of my favorite songs, but I loved the dance. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U_PNcXg7is.) Alec was a great dancer, and this was my favorite number out of our upcoming performance. I liked how it looked like we were fighting as we danced; my favorite part was when I held up the suitcase with the words "End Domestic Violence" written on it along with the hotline number.

When we finally finished practicing, I was tired and sore, but totally ready for a night out with my girls. I went into the dressing room and slipped off my sweaty yoga pants and tank top, trading them for studded black skinny jeans and a low cut red top (the kind of low cut that looks sexy, but not slutty). I took my hair out of it's ponytail, brushing it out and straightening it before I touched up my makeup. I smiled at my reflection, satisfied.

Ella and Carter were waiting for me outside, both dressed for our night out. Carter, of course, had her camera -- She's an alternative photographer. Ella and I model for her sometimes -- in fact, that's how we met. We're all best friends now.

We all piled into Carter's black convertible, driving down the city streets and blasting Pierce the Veil. I love rock music, the heavier the better, although I have a soft spot for acoustic songs as well. Carter's the same way, except she also likes some rap and hip hop music (She, like, worships Linkin Park); Ella's not as into the heavy stuff, but she likes lighter rock music and some pop music (her favorite bands are Sleeping With Sirens and Paramore). Pierce the Veil is one of the bands that we all love.

Carter pulled up at the local "alternative" club, The Morgue. This is the popular weekend hangout for all the "goth", "scene", and "punk" people in our area. I've been a few times before, and I love it. Black walls and neon lights, Punk Goes Pop remixes, and lots of attractive "alternative" guys -- I really feel at home here.

*Skipping about four hours of Angel, Ella, and Carter showing off on the dance floor and having the time of their lives*

I knocked on the door of the apartment next to mine, a smile on my face. My next door neighbor, Agnes, runs a daycare business out of her home. She watches my baby girl for me while I'm at work.

Oh, yeah. I have a daughter now. Her name is Harmony, and she's one year old. Her dad, this guy named Jace, seemed perfect. We were dating for three years before I found out that I was pregnant. I though he'd be happy, but he freaked when he found out. It was just me and Harmony now, but that was okay. I loved my little girl, and she was the brightest star in my sky.

Agnes smiled as she handed me my sleeping daughter. I kissed the top of her forehead, gently holding her in a comfortable position, careful not to wake her. I carried her over to our apartment, gently unlocking the door.

I set Harmony down on my bed. She sleeps with me, because she tends to be restless if she has to sleep alone. I quietly walked around the apartment, changing into my Hello Kitty pajamas and getting ready for bed.

I sighed as I sank down next to Harmony on the bed, thinking of Austin. I supposed that the whole "backup fiance" thing was off, since he's been married and divorced in the last few years, and I have a daughter now. Too bad really, I missed him. A lot more than I liked to admit.

With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.