• Looking at myself in the dance studio mirror reminded me of my mom. My mom who used to be a hip hop dancer, like me, died four months ago. So now I live in New York with my fiancé, Austin. I’m seventeen, and he’s eighteen, we’ve known each other since we were in diapers. I dropped out of school when my mom died, now I’m a full-time hip hop dancer. I teach four classes a day, I’m also taking professional hip hop classes after I’m done teaching. For a black haired, blue eyed, fair skinned girl I can dance better than almost everybody in New York. I have a diamond bellybutton ring and a purple butterfly tattoo on my lower back that Austin bought me for my 17th birthday.
    As I walked out of the studio, I saw Austin waiting for me with his new car. I smiled as I walked up to him. He hugged me in an iron grip. I hugged him back, that’s when I saw her, Lacey Daniels, one of the preppy girls I used to go to school with. I tucked my head into Austin’s shoulder, but it was too late, she had already seen me. She walked up to us and tapped my shoulder; I looked up.
    “I thought it was you, Haley.” She said with her snobby voice.
    “What do you want?” I asked harshly.
    “I just wanted to see who this fine guy was.” She said eyeing Austin.
    “He’s my fiancé, Austin.” While I said this, he turned around so I was behind him with my arms still wrapped around him. Lacey gasped as she took in Austin’s black hair, transparent blue eyes, tan skin, and perfect face features.
    “Hi,” he said smiling, showing his pearly whites. I stifled a laugh as Lacey choked out a hi.
    “Lacey,” I said. “Don’t you have a football player to go screw? Isn’t he paying you like two dollars?” I asked. She threw me an evil glare; I laughed. I grabbed Austin’s hand and pushed past Lacey to get to the car, that’s when I felt her grab my hair, she pulled back as hard as she thought(it didn’t hurt) I stumbled back, and jerked my hair free. I turned around and punched her right in the nose. While she squirmed on the ground holding her nose, I stepped over her and walked to the car, looks like she’ll need another nose job, I thought to myself. When I got into the car, Austin and I laughed so hard that I cried. As we pulled into our drive way, I looked at Austin and thought how lucky I was to have him; I smiled as I remembered all the times we got into trouble when we were younger. When he turned the car off, he looked over at me. I looked at him for another half a second before I grabbed his head and pulled him to me and kissed him. I used one of my hands to unbuckle my seatbelt, he did the same. I felt his hands run through my hair, I smiled against his perfect lips, and I pulled away reluctantly and got out of the car. I walked up to the front door and fumbled with my key. Finally I unlocked the door and went inside, while I was taking off my shoes, I played all the voice messages. I listened closely to the last one. I started choking, when Austin came in he saw me on the floor throwing up. He ran over to me and helped me to the bathroom. I started crying; I told him my father called.
    I haven’t seen my father since he left me and my mom for his secretary twelve years ago. It was difficult, in the message he said he had gotten this number from social security. I knew I had to call him back, but I was too scared to. Austin squeezed my hand as I called my father back.
    “Hello?” he answered coolly.
    “Why did you call me?” I asked in an icy tone, Austin squeezed my hand hard and narrowed his eyes.
    “I heard about your mother, I figured that you needed a parent.”
    “I don’t need you,” I spit the last word. “I’m doing fine on my own. I’m a hip hop dancer, I’m getting married, and I have everything I wanted.”
    “What about school?”
    “I dropped out,” I answered coolly.
    “You what?!” he yelled into the phone. “How could you drop out?”
    “Um, last time I checked, you weren’t a part of my life. And I’m not going to let you come in now. What I do is my business. Not yours.” I clicked the end button on the phone. I got up off the couch and went into the bedroom. I got a tissue out of my bathroom, and I began to cry. Austin walked in while I was drying my red eyes. He walked over to me and wrapped me into his warm hug. He tucked his face into my neck; I felt his lips against my skin. I leaned back against him.