"I couldn't be happier that it's Friday," Aspen says at 8:30 the next morning. Our office doesn't officially open until 9, but of course we get here early to set up. "There's a festival this weekend, is anyone going?" She asks the group.

"I was thinking about it," Harry replied. "It sounds like it could be some fun."

"I'm going with Lauren," I said. "She convinced me it'd be fun." Everyone kept talking after that, but my mind was elsewhere. Honestly I was thinking about Niall. It was kind of a weird coincidence that he and I ran into each other. After all, we only went to school with each other for a year; as far as I know, we went to different universities. And he's friends with Harry! How odd. I wonder if he's friends with anyone else that works here...

Just as I'm debating on whether or not to ask Harry about him, someone calls my name. "Emma!" It's Aspen. "Wake up, your first appointment is here!" she says. I shake my head and stand up, going out into the waiting room.

"Mason?" I called out. Mason, a former college football star who's career came to an abrupt halt when he permanently injured his shoulder, stood up. "Come on back. How are you doing today?" I ask him.

"I'm pretty good," he answers. Mason has been coming here for about two months, ever since he got his second surgery done. He thinks he's really tough and sometimes pushes himself too far, which is most likely why he got another surgery. "How's my favorite therapist?" he asks.

I laugh. Mason is sweet. "I'm alright. Okay, we're gonna do the same thing as last week, and if you feel stronger you can add five to every exercise," I instruct him. Mason knows what to do, and I retreat back into my thoughts.

Eventually it's lunch. I plan to go out by myself when I'm stopped by Harry. "Want to go out to lunch with Louis and I? We were meeting another friend of mine," he offers.

"Sure, why not?" I accept, thinking I'll ask Harry about Niall in the car. I follow him and Louis out the door, Louis shouting "Shotgun!". I laugh and climb in the backseat of Harry's old four door Jeep.

"I've had this car since junior year in high school," he told me once.

"Why don't you buy a new one? I mean you're an adult with a job," I asked.

"It still works, and you know what they say," he countered. "'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'."

We pulled up to a Panera Bread, and got out of the car. I walked behind Louis who walked behind Harry. Harry began waving at someone already siting down. As we made our way over to him, I realized it was...Niall?

"Hey man," Louis said, sitting down. I sat next to him, with Harry and Niall on the other side of the table. Niall smirked at me, and unsure of what to do, I just looked away.

"Niall, this is-" Harry starts, but is interrupted by Niall.

"Emma," he says. "Nice to see you again."

Harry looked confused and Louis looked surprised. "You two know each other?" Harry asked.

"We ran into each other yesterday after we walked home from work," I explained. "And we went to high school together for a year or so." I was almost suspicious honestly. I knew that this was all a strange coincidence that we've been running into each other like this, but there was always a small voice in the back of my mind that tried to tell me it wasn't.

"Oh, well that makes things easier then," Harry laughs. "Niall, you've already ordered right?" Harry asks him, and he nods. "Alright, then Emma and Louis and I will order. Be back in a second!" he says, and we all stand up.

"Why didn't you say anything about running into Niall?" Harry asks me as we wait in line.

"I don't know, it just slipped my mind I suppose," I lied. The words came out just a little too fast, and I felt my face threaten to heat up. Louis noticed.

"Well he was always a bit of a trouble maker in college," Louis pointed out. "Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy but he's very...what's the word..."

"Flirty," Harry finished up. I felt a twinge of anger and maybe jealousy in my chest.

"Well I doubt I'll be seeing him much after this lunch so I suppose it doesn't matter," I say, and then order my food.

A waiter brings us all of out plates and we dig in. I love Panera; I love any bread product to be honest.

"So you work with Harry and Louis?" Niall asks me, and I nod. "I went to high school with Harry and college with Louis," Niall explained.

"Where do you work?" I asked him.

"I work at a pharmacy in town, for Dr. Parker," he answered. Dr. Parker's was a doctors office, with its own pharmacy. From what I've heard it was pretty popular, but whenever I needed a doctor I usually just went to the hospital.

"Pharmacy was Emma's third choice for a career," Harry says. I forgot I told him that.

"What were the second and first?" Niall asks.

"Oh well second was physical therapy, and first was...dancer," I say, slightly embarrassed. Dancers don't make much money and people usually tend to think it's not a great career choice.

"So why aren't you a dancer?" Niall asks. "I mean it was your top choice."

"Oh, well I just wanted a guaranteed career," I say, which is partially true. I did try to get a job that somehow involved dance, but I always came up short. Either I would get hurt right before the audition, or there was always someone just a little bit better than me. It was disappointing, but I learned to accept it.

"I bet you could do it," Niall said, and then went back to his conversation with Louis. I was surprised by his response, in a good way.

Before we knew it, lunch break was almost over and we headed back out to our cars.

"Bye everyone!" Niall waved at us. "Oh and Emma, don't get stuck in the rain today, I'm not sharing my umbrella!" he winked and got back in his car. I felt my face flush, and I quickly climbed into the backseat.

When work was over, I decided to head over to my childhood dance studio and dance around for a while. I'd been choreographing myself a solo, just because. I liked to stay in practice even if nothing really was coming out of it. It was a good stress reliever.

I pulled up to the empty lot and parked. I was really close to the owner, Janine. She gave me an extra key to the studio and let me help teach a few classes when I was available. I let myself in and changed into my black Nike pros and my deep red sports bra. My long brown-red hair went into a ponytail on top of my head, and I pulled on my dance shoe.

The song I've been dancing to was "In This Shirt" by The Irrepressibles. I hit play and the instruments begin to sing. I start moving.

I am lost

In our rainbow

Now our rainbow

Has gone

I keep dancing, turning, jumping and dropping. No matter how many times I hear this song, it always gets to me.

Overcast

By your shadow

As our worlds move on

I think I hear the door open, but I keep dancing.

But in this shirt

I can be you

To be near you

For a while

There's a crane

Knocking down

All those things

That we were

That part always gets to me. When the song says "in this shirt", I wrap my arms around myself and do an aerial. I smile at the thought of how long it took me to get that "no handed cartwheel" as I used to call it. But then it goes "knocking down, all those things, that we were", and I recoil as though I'd been punched it the gut. And there's not much acting involved.

Soon, the song comes to an end, and I stand up, breathing hard. I hear someone clapping slowly by the door, and I jump. I whipped my head around to find Janine.

"Oh my gosh," I exhaled. "You scared the hell out of me!" Janine laughed.

"Don't I always?" she answered. "That dance looks really good. You did that all by yourself, huh?" she asked.

"Yes I did," I replied proudly.

"You know, you should audition for this new dance company," Janine says. "A few great dancers from all over decided to start one, and they need more people. They're holding auditions in a month," she explained.

"Jen, how on earth do you know this!?" I exclaimed. "I mean this is great! How'd you find out?"

"I've got connections," she says slyly. "One of my college buddies was in the top 10 on So You Think You Can Dance, and her and some others from her season are starting up a company, and they told me to have my best dancers audition. And that would be you! So how about it?" she asks.

"Yes of course! Oh my gosh thank you so much!!!" I say, hugging her. Janine insists it's no big deal as I rush out the door, back to my apartment to call Lauren.

"Eeeeee!" she screams after I tell her the story. "That is so great Emma! Wow I can't wrap my mind around this, I mean it's crazy!"

"I know!!! I'm in such a great mood right now. So if we're going to this festival tomorrow, we better make a plan before I change my mind."

"Okay, okay um...I'll come pick you up at 6 and we'll go walk around down there for a while, have fun. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" I reply. "I'll see you tomorrow!" and with that, I hang up and get ready for bed.

YAY more writing! there's going to be a lot more Niall, and everyone in general coming up in these next few chapters, just hang in. I might have the next chapter up tonight as well! Again, I'm making up all these people and this dance company is not real. I hope you enjoy, and I promise it's about to get a lot better!

-emily🌞💙