Katelynn Madison's Story

As they drove the rental car down the road Katelynn was nervously wringing her hands as she looked out he window. "Hey, whats on your mind beautiful?" Jace asked with a smile reaching over and grabbing her hand.

She sighed smiling, "I am just hopping they won't be to surprised when we show up...I told you that my best friends family will be there along with my family." Jace nodded already knowing that. "But I didn't tell you that they don't know your coming..." She said closing her eyes wincing, she peaked open an eye as he spoke.

"Kate...you didn't tell them?" He said worriedly. "Here I am trying to figure out ways to impress them and they don't even know I am coming." He said running his fingers through his hair.

"I know, I know....but you don't have to worry they will love you..they just might be mad at me for not telling them that you were coming." She said softly before adding in her thoughts, And you'll probably be mad when you realize Phillips family will be the one staying with us. Kate sighed, "I promise they will love you." Katelynn said with a smile squeezing his hand as her phone rang. Mom


"Hi Mom," She said as she answered the phone smiling.

"Katelynn sweetheart...where are you everyone is already here...we're just waiting on you." She said with a tint of excitement in her voice. She knew her mother had missed her while she was away. Kate had missed her parents as well, which was why she didn't mind spending a couple of weeks at the lake house with them. That and the fact that Phillip would be there...it would be just like old times.

Katelynn smiled shaking her head, "I know, mom. I'm sorry the flight got in about an hour ago. I am about 15 minutes away."

"Sorry sweetheart, your father and I have missed you...and the Lefeuvre's haven't seen you in so long." She said sincerely.

Kate smiled, "I missed you too...tell everyone I'll be there really soon and I have a surprise when I get there." She said before hanging up.

Jace looked at her, "You still confident on how much they will like me?" He said with a smile and a raised eyebrow to which Kate laughed and nodded. Her body nearly vibrating with anticipation like she could sense she was getting close to Phillip.

Kate smiled as they drove down the private road that lead to the cabin. As we pulled up she couldn't help but lean over and kiss him gently on the lips before running out of the car. "Alright...I can get the bags." Jace chucked running his fingers through his hair.

Quickly making her way inside, "Hello?" she called gently smiling at the memories that assaulted her from the familiar cabin. "Mom? Dad? Anyone?" she laughed as her mother came from the kitchen nearly tacking her.

"Katelynn sweetheartI have missed you so much." she said hugging me tight before pulling away to look at me. "You look amazing baby. Darling come here, come look at our daughter."

Kate internally rolled her eyes at her mother but still smiled, "I missed you too, mom. A lot." she said hugging her father as he walked in. "Hi daddy."

He chucked at her. "Hi princess. You look extra happy to be home." he said looking at her blinding smile.

She nodded, "Yeah, I am but there something else I am really excited for. I have a surprise-" Hearing someone on the stairs she turned to the side gasping, her smile becoming nearly impossible. "Phillip!" she said all but running halfway up the stairs and hugging her best friend. "I missed you most of all I have to say. Strange even though we're in the same state for college." she said pointedly, to the fact that he was always either studying or with some girl and rarely had time to see her during the school year.

"Baby, I have to say I am pretty lucky most girls pack 7 bags extra. You just have-" he stopped seeing everyone in the room. "Oh I thought everyone would be-" he stopped turning a twinge pink before clearing his throat . "Hello, Mrs. Madison, Mr. Madison and..." he said trying to excude he normal confidence but Kate could hear the nervousness as he spoke to my parents and the jelous tint to his voice as he looked at Phillip and myself.

She smiled sheepishly seeing her parents looking at her for an answer as to who this was in their cabin. "Mom, Dad, Phillip...this is my boyfriend Jace." she said walking down the stair grabbing his hand. "I kind of invited him to stay with us."

Her father looked at the boy with guarded eyes. "Katelynn don't tell me this is your-"

She smiled nodding. "Suprise!" she said sheepishly with a smile before leaning up and kissing Jace's cheek to ease his nerves. "Everything will be fine." she whispered.

He looked at all of them looking at her, "I am sorry if I suprised you I really thought you all knew." he said rubbing the back of his head.

Mom shook her head smiling. "No it's fine we all were really quiet suprised. Let me show you where to put your things." she said leading him away not before looking back to her daughter and winking. "He's cute." she mouthed walking upstairs.

Kate's father sighed shaking he head muttering something about needing a drink as he went into the kitchen.

She looked at her best friend who's expression was unreadable at best as he stared at her. "So.....?" she said with a raised eyebrow hoping to know what was running through his mind to cause such an expression.

Jace looked at the room, "Alright...." He said looking at Phillip cautiously, he carried his stuff to his room. Why hadn't his girlfriend told him that her best guy friend would be here. Her guy friend who from the look of it seemed to have feelings for her, Jace wasn't stupid he knew the look he gave Kate when they arrived. And now the room business, it didn't matter anyway...Jace already had plans of sneeking over to her room every night if she would let him.

He put down his bags, looking at Phillip. " So your the best friend...?" Jace asked eying him up. "I have to thank you...I would have never met Kate if you hadn't stood her up the night you were supposed to meet her at that pub a couple of months ago." He said clapping Philips shoulder as he walked downstairs.

____
Kate sighed looking up at the stairs. "I guess." She listened to Maddie talk about how her life was going with half open ears. Was Phillip upset or mad about Jace.

"So how's Julliard?" She heard Maddie ask just as she tuned back in. Kate smiled nodding, "Great really I am really successful there and I found new love for partner dance, especially because my boyfriend is my dance partner." she said. "And I am trying to get into a study abroad program in France as well."

Kates mother spoke up. "Sweetheart when did you meet this boy?"

"Three months ago." She said leaving out the pub part.

Laura nodded, "Well you seem very happy. I just want you to be careful its easy to get to invested into someone too quickly....it takes a long time to get to know people."

Kate nodded, "Of course Mom, I am. I care about Jace a lot." Kate stopped what she was saying as she felt someone pick her up and spin her making her smile as she smelled the familar scent putting her hands on Jace's cheeks kissing him on the lips. "Did you find the room?" Jace nodded grinning at her. "Where's Phillip?" She asked just as her father called Jace into the kitchen to talk. He looked at Kate nervously. "Go ahead, I'm sure you'll be fine." She said pushing him towards the kitchen.

"If I die just know I did this because I love you." He said making Kate laugh shaking her head at him. She decided to walk outside and sit on the porch and just think. Try to figure out a way to talk to Phillip.

Kate pulled his jacket close on her inhaling the scent subtly she looked at him, "You mean Jace?" She said seeing him look away. "I met him at the pub, I was waiting for you and you never showed. I was tired from practice and he came up and introduced himself. He told me he seen me on campus dancing before and well we hit it off."

She smiled, "He's majoring dance too...and got me into the athletic side of partner dance." Kate said looking at him shrugging.

"Other than that...I am really doing well at school instructors all say I have so much talent for someone so young." she said with a shrug. Lately at school she had lost that extra spark she normally had with dance, but she couldn't tell Phillip that. She sighed laying her head on his shoulder. "I really missed you though."

Katelynn looked at him with soft sad eyes. "Now why I have you been avoiding me ever since we got to New York? What's going on in your life that has kept you away? I know it's not just school...you hate finance." she said looking at him seriously. She could feel the distance between them, and it was weird this was her best friend and...things just weren't right.

“I’m sorry Kate... I-”

“Hey, you two.” a familiar voice interrupted  making Kate look back and see Maddie standing on the doorway. “Supper is ready. Everyone is already there.” she said before turning away. “Oh yeah, dad wants to talk to you.” she said addressing Philip.

Katelynn sighed getting up stretching, "We're gonna finish this conversation later Phillip." she said pointedly shooting him one of her comforting smiles as  she handed him his jacket. She knew how harsh his father could be on him.

---
"Where is Jace?" Kate asked her mother seeing he wasn't at the table yet.

"Um he is in the kitchen dear." Laura said looking at her father who didn't look happy. She looked at him curiously before going into the kitchen.

"Jace? Is everything alright?" she asked seeing him sitting at the counter with his head in his hands. 

"Yeah, yeah...everything's fine baby" he said shooting her a half smile pulling her close, making her look at him shaking her head. 

"Are you sure?" she asked concerned and feeling like he wasn't telling the whole truth. "You know you can tell me anything."

He forced a grin looking up at her pressing his lips to her in a slow firey kiss. "I know." he said pulling away slowly. He grabbed her hand as the walked towards the dinning room which Phillips father had already heading for as well. 

Everyone was already sitting around the table as Jace and Kate went and sat down across from Phillip.

She looked at her best friend who seemed to be way too absorbed in his meal. What is going on with him... she thought to herself, concern flooding her heart as she started to was.

“So, Philip how’s school?” his father asked Phillip making him obviously struggle with had in his mouth and Kate stopped eating to.. “Laura has mentioned Kate is doing great at school. I believe that she is the best dancer of her class.” he continued. “So, I would like to ask if it’s the same for you?"

Katelynn sighed she didn't want his father comparing her dance to what Phillip did in school. Because Phillips passion was art...not dollar signs and business...of course he wasn't going to do as well as she was because she loved what she was going to school for he didn't.

“It’s not the same for me, dad. I don’t dance” he mocked him making the room go silent for a moment.

“How dare you mock your father in front of our host?” his mother erupted from her chair.

With that, Philip stood up from the table and left the cabin, the door slamming closed behind him.

Kate looked out the door where he went, only returning back from the meal when Jace gently squeezed her hand making her look at him and give him a sad smile. Not knowing seeing her look so longingly towards the door Phillip went through took his mind back to the conversation he had with her father.

"-I just don't understand! The boy has been given so much more than many other people...but yet he is ungreatful!" Kate winced tuning back into conversation.

"He isn't ungreatful because if he was he would have went to school for what he wanted to do not what you forced him to." Katelynn said bluntly putting down her fork

"Katelynn!" her mother repriemanded, "I know he is your friend but don't be rude." she said.

Her father spoke up, "I am sure what she means is Phillip is probably going through the rough patch everyone goes through when they transition into adulthood."

"Mr. Madison is right...I went through a rough patch at college for a while." he said serious and wanting to get some brownie points with her father, making Katelynn look at him. Now wasn't the time to agree with them.

"I am going to go check on Phillip." she said standing up making Jace look at her, jealousy flaring in him. She leaned over kissing him briefly. "Babe, I need you here." he said not wanting her to be out comforting him.

"I'll be back...I promise. I just need to check on him." she said letting go of his hand and running out the door.

He heard Maddie speak to him, "Don't worry they are like that when it comes to each other." she said eating her salad, making Jace clench his fist under the table. He was gonna have to make sure Phillip knew who Kate was with.

---

"You know I thought you said you didn't smoke anymore..." she said softly sitting next to him on the edge of the dock. She pulled her knees up to her chest, looking at him. "Is school really going that bad...?" she asked seeing him looking at his cigarette.


She sighed, "Phillip...you used to tell me everything...Now I feel like I barely even know you." 

She looked out at the water, "I miss the boy who I used to draw pictures with even though I sucked horribly at it. The boy I used to give the craziest dares to and he still would do them even if he got hurt." she said shaking her head at the memory of the Tarzan dare.

"I know we haven't talked as much as we used to...even since high school," Kate said knowing that was because of Phillips parade of girlfriend each one worst than the last in Kate eyes, "But you know you can tell me anything...that I am still your biggest supporter ever."  she said looking at him.

“I still remember the promise we made to each other when we were eight.” he said as he looked into the lake. “It was on this very edge of the dock. I remember you were sad because it was our last day before my family leave for France. You said you will never forget me and you wished I could have stayed.” he paused. “After all those years, I was not able to tell you this before, but I was so glad to hear those words from you. It made me feel that I matter to you.” 

Kate looked at him surprised. "Of course you matter to me." she said looking at him.

Kate smiled to herself shaking her head. "Phillip...I have alway been a girl who loves making new friends and meeting new people but I learned at a very young age people don't have to like you for you are...when your family came here I thought it was going to be another person who didn't really want to be my friend."

She smiled grabbing his hand gently. "Little did I know I would find a French boy who looked at me with probably one of the cutest confused face  whenever I spoke." She said laughing lightly at him. "You have to know I won't ever leave you behind because you mean to much to me. Your my  best friend...my oldest friend. I know you feel like everything is really bad but you have to know when you fall I am here to help you up."

“But looking at things, everything is just so distant.” he said." I’m stuck in Columbia. God knows why i’m still keeping up with it. And you, you’re doing great at school and now you have Jace to accompany you wherever you go.” he said with bitterness.

“It’s just that things are doing well for you kate, but for me it’s like being stuck in a whirphool - going in circles, no where to go.”

She shook her head angrily. "No..don't do that! Don't put me on this pedestal like I am good enough to leave you behind because that will never happen." she said seriously making turning his face to make him look at her.  "Do you understand me Philip Ward Lefeuvre...? I don't care if I am the world prima ballerina or married to the president. You are a part of my life indefinitely."

"You're my best friend...and yes you've lost yourself a little this year but I know you're going to figure it out."  Kate smiled softly at him. "Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find out who you are and what you want, to go for it."

"Remember when we were 9 and I told you I wanted to be a dancer when I grew up. Not once did you say you wanted to be like your dad. You said you wanted to be an artist and draw and paint pictures of me dancing. It might seem like that reality is impossible right now but in my heart I know it will still happen."

She plopped her feet gently in the water looking out at the water. "Now I think you should transfer out and go to the school with the major you want...I miss seeing you drawing everywhere you can put paper down..." I smiled.

Jace saw Phillips face narrow with anger and laughed to himself. "Dude I told you. You gave up your chance on that piece of pure perfection the night you didn't show up that pub with her." he said looking at him as Phillips hand clench.

He shook his head getting the much needed confirmation he needed. Although what he had seen outside was a huge hint, especailly when he saw Kate's apparent best friend wrap his arm around her waist and look at her the way only he should as her boyfriend.

"Oh does that make you angry dude?" he asked goading Phillip on. "We'll here's a news flash, your her best friend yes but, I am her boyfriend. I am the one she seeks comfort from now, I am her protector, I am the one that sleeps next to her at night, the first and only one who has ever had her. Your days of being the number one in her life are over. You would do well to realize that."

Jace smirk to himself seeing something snap in the kid as he moved himself off the counter.

---

Kate had showered and changed into her pajamas before heading downstairs to the kitchen to what felt like a tense atmosphere as Phillip walked towards Jace. "What are you boys talking about?" She asked grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before walking over to Jace.

"Nothing babe." he said wrapping an arm around Kate, placing a kiss on my neck right below her ear. "You smell amazing normally, but when you come out of the shower." he chuckled against her skin making her shiver. He looked at Phillip knowing this was getting to him as he said the next part loud enough for him "I can't wait to see what surprise you have waiting for me underneath this."

Kate smiled shaking her head, not realizing what Jace was doing to Phillip. "Go shower Jace...I'll be up...I promise." she said kissing him sweetly before pushing him towards the door gently.

"Alright babe. I will come to your room later." he said kissing her one last time before leaving the kitchen.

She turned back around looking at Phillip. She frowned seeing the look on his face. "Sorry about that..." she said walking over to him. She sighed, "Do you want to watch an old French movie like we used to...you can still translate it for me even though I know what it says now?" she offered wanting the look on his face to go away immediately. She could seethe questions floating in his head. Now the only thing left to wonder was what were they about.

Kate frowned to herself as Phillip went upstairs, "Tina?" She frowned at the name. Phillip was still seeing her? Kate couldn't stand the girl, everything about her screamed face, including her chest. The two of them had a rough introduction which already had put a bad taste in her mouth about the girl but Kate tried to still give the girl a chance.

The more she interacted with everyone, the more she realized that the girl was just like the others. A superficial gold digger who probably didn't care about anything other than Phillips looks. She probably didn't even know much about his interest or care about them.

Kate sighed grabbing a bottle of water from the from the fridge opening it up and taking a drink as she headed for the stairs, her mind on the last things Phillip had said. What did he mean, why now? She hadn't seen Phillip to often and when she did get to talk to him he seemed otherwise preoccupied somehow.

That and she wasn't sure about Jace for the longest time. She knew any boyfriend she got might not be okay with Phillip and her being as close as they were but it was something that wasn't optional for her. Phillip was going to be a permanent fixture in her life and she needed someone who could accept that. And over the past three months Jace had seemed to show it didn't bother him.

She was reluctant at the same time for another reason...one she still couldn't figure out. Like she was waiting for something else to happen, something better but it never came.

Walking upstairs Kate opened the door to her room turning on the light, she looked at the picture on her nightstand as she sat down. The one of them both as children, smiling to herself. She missed this, when they were closer than anything else...not like this with this almost mile high wall in between them. With her keeping things from him and probably him keeping things from her.

She didn't want it there anymore...and she was gonna do her best this summer to get rid of it.

"Hey, you okay?" Jace asked scrubbing his hair with a towel.

Kate looked up smiling putting the picture back down, "Yeah. I am fine, just thinking about everything memories and stuff." She said with a shrug. "Mind's just kind of in overdrive like normal, you know."

Jace smirked, shutting the door behind him walking in as he leaned over Kate. "Well, I know the perfect way to distract you." He said kissing down her neck slowly towards her chest. The thing was even as he did, Kate's mind still lingered on Phillip.

---

"I really didn't mean to babe." Jace said seeing the mark on her neck. "I just got a bit carried away...that new stuff you got from Victoria's Secret was hot. Combine that with how beautiful you already are and all self control goes out the window." He said kissing the spot murmuring an apology.

Kate sighed, as she covered it with make up. " We are late for breakfast. " She said closing her make up kissing him gently. "And I forgive you." She said walking to grab her cell phone and checking herappearance one last time. Her mind had been distracted on the fact that Tina was coming this morning...for how long she had no idea. Hopefully not too long.

"Do you still want to practice today so you stay in shape?" Jace asked her remembering her request earlier. Katelynn nodded grabbing his hand as they made their way downstairs to the garden.

As they approached the table Kate frown momentarily seeing Tina chatting up their parents. She put a smile on her face, "Bonjour tout le monde!" She said happily, "Désolé, nous sommes en retard pour le petit déjeuner." She said with an apologetic smile kissing her mother and father on the cheek before taking her seat next to Jace across from Tina.

"Tina!" She said with a look of surprise. "Wow, I hadn't even realized you had gotten here." She said putting a polite smile on her face. "You look so different from the last time I saw you." She said noticing her chest was notably bigger probably from pastic sugery, internally scoffing.

She kept a critical eye on her until she realized she hadn't introduced Jace. "Oh this is my boyfriend Jace. He is a Junior at Julliard...he's in the dance program."

"Nice to meet you...are you and Kate friends?" He asked as he swallowed his food.

Katelynn looked at Phillip and his arm around the back of her chair shaking her head. Same type of girl, different name, she thought to herself filling her plate with food.

"Oh Katelynn sweetheart, Madelaine came of with the wonderful idea of us possibly seeing a small performance from you two. Its been so long since I have seen you dance and it would be wonderful to see." Her mother said with a hopeful smile.

Kate smiled nodding, "Sure mother...I can show you something from the last dance recital we had."

Kate stretching with Jace on the terrace. "So you an Tina seemed to be having nice conversation." She said looking at her leg as she sat in a split. She had seen the way they talked and where his eyes were.

Jace eyes widened hearing the tone in her voice. "It definately wasn't like that baby...she was talking to me." He couldn't help but look at her chest that was nearly spilling out of her shirt. "I have no intrest in her Katelynn...only you baby." He said getting up and gently pulling her up kissing her hoping to erase the thought from her mind. "Okay?"

Kate kept her frown going until a small trace of a smile slipped out. "Alright...you know I trust you." She said pulling away. "Now what are we going to do to impress my parents and my best friend and his family." She said making Jace look back seeing that Phillip was indeed sitting there.

"Can we do Don Quixote?" Kate as fixing her en pointe shoes.

Jace smiled at her. "Well if that is you asking if I can still do the lifts for that. I can gladly ascertain you I can. That was the first one we worked on together...I remember all of it."

Kate smiled, "Well the first three parts of the grand pas de deux is about 5 minutes which is more then enough." She said as the walked to the terrace where everyone was sitting. "This is the grand pas de deux of Don Quixote." She introduced. Kate went and got in the ready postion not taking her eyes off Phillip as she smiled at him, until hearing Jace started the music from her iPod.

As soon as the music hit her ears she turned off her brain letting her feet and her body feel the music. Let it take control of her body and once she did that it was easy. Kind of in the way that it was easy to be with Phillip, everything just flowed.

Jace was completely sturdy on all the lifts which wasn't a suprise to Katr knowing her boyfriends skill level, and her en pointe moments weren't shaky as she thought they might be. But every so often she would catch her eyes drifting not over to her parents but over to Phillip trying to gauge his reaction. His opinion always had been important to her when it came to dance and as of late it had been missing.

Maybe that was why her spark was missing at school because right now...she kind of felt almost as if it was back...even the slightest bit.

Kate shook her head hitting him gently a smile on her face. "I was really embarrassed that day....and that really hurt." She said remembering the day very well herself. She had been trying to show Phillip the new dance she had choreographed to one of his favorite songs "Chains"

Everything was going perfectly fine until about halfway through the performance she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Kate had tried to just ignore it and finish the song. But at the last turn, her ankle completely gave out with a popping sound.

Despite everything her favorite part of the memory was how Phillip took care of her picking her up easily much to her surprise and trying to cheer her up.

He was their for her just like always, and gentle.

Katelynn was came out of her memories a smile on her face. "You did take really good care of me that day...but you always do." She said leaning against him.

Jace watched with a frown on his face about to walk over when his phone rang. He sighed walking inside to go take the call.

"I do wish you had been able to make it to see that part of the show live, but I think you said you had something going on." Kate said as they walked causally away from everyone else without even really noticing it. 'Probably something with Tina...'

She sighed looking at him seeing him deep in though. "What's on your mind?"