"Hurry your skinny ass up," Haley came up, slapping Keely's ass friendlily. "We have cheer practice in ten minutes. And if you're not there captain, I'll have to hang around with the skinny blonde bitches."

But Keely wasn't listening.

Here was the chance, if she took a left and walked into the music room, she would be choosing music. And that would mean that sometime before or after Mr. Summers' piano lesson, she would be calling Miss Jones to tell her that she was going to take her up on the offer.

Or she could turn right, and walk with her best friend out to cheer practice. Live the rest of her high school days like that, cheering for her ex-boyfriend.

But Keely had a feeling that Tony wouldn't be her ex-boyfriend for long if she stayed living her life as the girl that was too afraid to stand up and tell people what she wanted most in this world. And she was rather afraid of that option.

Smiling, Keely turned away from Haley.

"Uh... Keels, I don't know if you're turning into my grandmother, but the gym is this way," Haley laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the right.

"I'm not going," Keely announced.

Instead of being insulted, Haley just looked confused. "Well, you have nowhere else to go. You missed the bus, and you might as well stay until he comes and picks you up."

Laughing lightheartedly, Keely took another step to the left, dislodging her best friend's hand. "What I mean is that I'm going to take those dreams that have been offered to me on a plate. I'm quitting the squad by the way, and I'm going to the music room."

"You don't even play or sing," Haley interrupted blankly.

"You'll just have to find out when you buy my album, which I fully expect you to do by the way," suddenly confident, Keely turned on her heel and walked to the music room.

Mr. Summers was standing by the door, holding it open while watching her decision. He nodded with a smile to her as Keely walked past him into the room, and she had a feeling that they had chosen the same things.

Pulling out her phone, Keely pressed quickly on Miss Jones.

"Hello?" the raspy voice answered.

"I want to see the effect of my music helping people as much as others have helped me. And I'm trusting you with it."

For Maureen Jones, the voice didn't need any introduction. First of all, she'd had the hope for Miss Keely Staub to say yes hovering in her sub-conscious since she had proposed the deal. And, though she would say she had known Keely would sign with her label the entire time, Maureen had been worried.

Worried that Keely would want to keep her music to herself. Secondly, there was no mistaking the wonderful sound of her voice.

"Why don't we talk about it in meeting?" she started.

"Sorry," Keely interrupted immediately. "But I'm in the middle of my piano session, can I call you back?"

Maureen was taken back for a moment, but said, "Of course," graciously.

Smiling brightly at Mr. Summers, Keely sat down on the piano bench. "So what did you choose?"

"The same as you."

Three hours later, Keely's head was feeling a bit light, her voice a bit hoarse, and her fingers a bit sore. She was feeling amazing.

Since she was feeling so happy go lucky at the moment, with her head alight with success, Keely pulled out her phone. For some reason, she already had Miss Jones' number on speed dial, so it was a simple matter for Keely to dial as she grabbed a book from her locker.

"Maureen Jones," raspiness was rushed.

The high feeling Keely was riding on couldn't be diminished, "Hi Miss Jones. It's Keely Staub, do you have a minute?"

"Of course," she answered.

"You said you wanted to talk about a meeting," prompted Keely as she pulled the back pack strap over top of her hand and grabbed her song book from its special shelf on her locker.

"Oh, yes," Maureen was playing it cool. "Would you be able to go out for a late lunch tomorrow?"

"Uh, I have school and I don't have a car..."

That surprisingly beautiful laugh tinkled over the phone. "I can send a car for you tomorrow, don't worry about that. Let's say about one thirty?" Though Keely had no idea, this was a subtle test that Maureen was setting up for her. It was the test to see how much the record deal would mean to her, if she would put her music before her schooling. But what Maureen didn't know, was that since Keely came true about her one true love, she would put it in front of anything.

Because she was already putting in front of the things she loved and wanted most. Horses, Joe, her father's love and Haley.

"Sounds perfect," she challenged.

But her words were almost cut short, because while she was talking to Miss Jones, Keely was strolling through the deserted eerily lit foyer. And as she pushed open the door, she was not only met by a blast of freezing Bellingham air she was also greeted by a cold ice blue eyes.

"The car will be waiting for you at one, I'll see you tomorrow." And suddenly there was a clicking in Keely's ear.

After a moment, Keely whispered a goodbye before pushing it in her pocket. She always hated when Joseph looked angry. "Hi..." she smiled slightly nervously as her voice shook anxiously.

Without saying a word, Joe pushed up from his leaning position against the hood of his car and walked briskly towards where Keely was standing underneath the covering.

"What," his voice was slow and steady, almost carefully calm, "Would cause Haley, who I might add has only talked to me once since we broke up because she hates my guts, to call me in the middle of my class because she was so worried about you. About how you were talking about putting out an album while blowing off your best friend to go into the music room. That sounds insane, and the Keely I know hasn't been committed yet."

Now there was only a quirk to the side of her mouth for a smile, she wanted happy Joe. "Well, maybe you forgot about the real Keely. Because she hasn't made an appearance since her mother died."

"I like the Keely that was around yesterday."

Not even finding it odd that she was talking in third person, she tried to explain to her honorary brother. "The Keely that was here yesterday was an insecure little girl who was hiding behind cheer leading and popularity to try and save herself."

"The Keely I've known for the past years never hid herself behind anything, she's not afraid of anything."

"She was afraid of everything," Keely whispered quietly. "She finally started to gain some nerve when she broke it off indefinitely with Tony. But her confidence didn't even fully return when she was offered a record deal by the owner of a very prestigious label, just so you know. She was terrified to take the dreams offered to her, and now she has let go of everything and is just a girl with a dream life laying neatly at her feet."

"You always wanted to be a famous coach or rider, and you always had enough talent to. You just think this is your dream because it was offered to you, Keely, you deserve greatness, and this is not how to get it. You'll be picked up, and spat out, that simple, Keel." Joe changed seamlessly back into first person.

For the first time annoyed, Keely watched Tony pull into the parking lot. If there was one person who would understand her at the moment, it would be her ex-boyfriend, even though she wished it could be Joe.

"This is how I'm getting my greatness, and this has always been my dream. I took the blinders off Joseph. Now, I'm thinking about what I want for once, not what you, your mother, Haley and my father always wanted for me."

Figuring her words were suitable, Keely turned on her heel for her dramatic exit.

Well... it would have been dramatic, except for the fact she tripped over the crack in the sidewalk as she left, but that never diminished her grace.

- Short short chapter, but it's one that needed to come out!

Yay!!!! I'm hyper, is that weird? Urgh, whatever.... Lol.

So what do you all think? I think Keely is awesome, and it was about time she made a decision XD

Advice... hm... Don't decide it's a good idea to check what's in the crawl space beneath your house at four in the morning because you can't sleep. Because there might be a racoon under there, and they don't paticularly like it when you go near them. Nope, not at all. Although my very hot neighbour did come running to see why I screamed, so that was good XD Then he fixed my car for free again, see?! I've got him around my finger!

So I guess you can do all of that, if you're willing to almost get mauled by a racoon to hang out with your sexy neighbour!

Although I don't recommend it!

I need to stop talking now, okay, I shall, very soon.

So what do you think of Joe now? Huh?

Comment, vote, tell me what you think!!! -

Oh, dedicated to jules130 because I happen to be talking to you right now!