Inspire by Heather Buchine Page B

experience for me. So I decided after that night, that although I couldn’t change everybody’s ways or make them see the light, I could get them to donate mega bucks that could then be used to help others that truly needed it. So, Pri*Tee Pixies was born. I combined my passion for dancing with my love of helping people and started hosting ticketed events where all of the proceeds go to the charity. And three years later, we have grown into something amazing. But of course, I couldn’t have done it without my best friend Tracey. She is my partner in crime in all of this.”
    Travis had yet to say anything but was still just staring straight into my eyes with a look of awe on his face. “Paige that’s… I don’t even know what to say. You’re just amazing. That’s… incredible,” he said and I felt like he might think I’m Mother Theresa.
    “I do have to be honest though, I still like my Gucci, and my Prada and have been known to totally waste money on clothes. So, I’m not all that saintly,” I added just so he would see that I’m not perfect.
    “Hey! Everyone is allowed to have their guilty pleasures, so you can’t beat yourself up about that. Besides, I don’t know too many people our age who care about making a difference for others, so I would say you deserve your Prada.” Travis could see how important my work was and appreciated my efforts. My ex-boyfriend had told me that I should stop worrying about others and enjoy being a teenager, so Travis’s response made my heart beat fast.
    “So what about you? What was it like growing up in Burlington and spending your summers here?” I asked, deflecting the attention so that it was now on him. I knew my cheeks were burning red, so I wanted to be out of the spotlight.
    “It was okay. My dad is THE surgeon of the city, so I’ve always had a lot of attention. I grew up in a big house in an uppity part of town, and everyone seemed to know who we were. The attention kind of got to me after awhile though so I started rebelling, like a typical teenager I guess. That’s when I went out and got my job at the Coffee House instead of interning at my dad’s office. Something in me just needed to break away for a bit. I wanted to find my own identity away from my family. I’m thankful I did, it’s where I met most of my closest friends.” Travis was being so open that I felt comfortable asking him more about his life.
    “How did your dad take it?” I asked, curious if his decision had caused a rift in the family at the time.
    “My parents weren’t thrilled because shortly after I started working there I began getting my tattoos. I think my mom has finally realized that I never fit the “rich kid” stereotype and have always been a little rougher around the edges. So, she’s cool with it now, but it took her a little while to get used to because when I was younger I was a total prep.”
    “Really?” I said, surprised by his admission.
    “Oh yeah, I played football and soccer, always had the clean cut look, and hung out with all the other preps in town.” He chuckled at that, and I suddenly felt a little nervous knowing that I completely fell into the preppy category. “The job gave me independence and responsibility, and the body art has allowed me to express myself.”
    His candidness was refreshing, and I was thankful that he was being himself and not putting on any airs to impress me. “Anyway, after a while, I took up rowing and joined the crew team, getting heavily into that. So although I wasn’t the star quarterback anymore, my parents were pleased that I was involved in some kind of organized sport again and that I wasn’t spending my days skateboarding or doing drugs.”
    “Oh, so are you going to join crew at Columbia? I heard they have an excellent team.” I couldn’t help but interrupt because his comment piqued my interest. I had thought about becoming a coxswain, so I was really curious if he was considering it.
    “Yeah, I think