CLEARWATER -- Tracy Williams swishes across the stage to an R&B number at the Mars Music Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. Flanked by the rest of the pop foursome, PYT, she belts out a tune from the group's debut album.

Dressed in baggy orange parachute pants, a black midriff-baring tank top and chunky-heeled sneakers, she harmonizes with her mates: "Oh-oh, baby, I get weak." The crowd of teeny-boppers scream and cheer as the group wraps up the soulful number.

The next morning, Williams sits in the back row of her Spanish classroom and clips articles from the newspaper for a project. Her peers, intent on cutting and pasting, don't seem to see Williams, who wears her school uniform, a yellow Polo shirt, khaki pants and brown Dr. Martens.

Williams lends a glue stick to another student in Spanish class at Clearwater Central Catholic. In front of her is classmate Jessie Whitley.

These are the the two lives of 15-year-old Williams, honor roll student and member of the girl group PYT (Pretty Young Things). Since the Tampa-based quartet landed a Sony record deal in 1999, PYT has toured with 'N Sync, Britney Spears and Destiny's Child.

She and the other girls -- Lauren Mayhew, Lydia Bell and Ashley Niven -- all 15, completed a 14-city tour with 98 Degrees early Friday morning. Along the three-week tour, the girls traveled in a plush tour bus, received catered meals at each location and were showered with gifts by loyal fans.

But the flashy life has its drawbacks.

"I've missed the first day of school for the past three years," Williams said. Although sophomore classes at Clearwater Central Catholic began Aug. 24, Williams' first day of class was Tuesday. She arrived at campus discombobulated.

"I didn't know my homeroom, I didn't know my schedule and I didn't know where my locker was," she said.

Despite the difficulties of balancing a pop career with a normal school life, Williams said she would have it no other way. Neither would her parents, June and Will Williams.

"We want her to have a complete educational experience,"Will Williams said. "We don't want her to grow up on the road and not have a school environment to look back on."

To guarantee that, the couple looked into educational options before their daughter's freshman year. They checked public schools, but they said most weren't willing to accommodate their daughter's special needs. Their son Billy, 17, attended Clearwater Central Catholic, so it was top on their list of private schools.

Williams autographs a picture for Emily McMann, 8, of New Port Richey after PYT opened for 98 Degrees.

The school said they were willing to work with her, but they weren't willing to compromise the school's educational standards.

"My concern is that we don't jeopardize the significance of a diploma from Clearwater Central Catholic," said Sister Mary Dion Horrigan, the school's principal.

After a conversation with Tracy Williams, Sister Horrigan gave the green light. The staff brainstormed to make sure Williams could keep up with her assignments while taking care of PYT business.

Williams' world history teacher, Regi Winer, agreed to be a liaison, collecting assignments from each of her teachers. There was a folder in the teachers lounge set aside for Williams. Her schedule last year included religion, physical science, Spanish and algebra. Winer also set up a page on her class Web site, just for Williams, posting most of her assignments there. Williams signed up for two online classes from the Florida Virtual School as well.

While on the road, she worked one on one with a tutor. At hotels, before shoving off to the next destination, she would pound out assignments on her laptop computer.

For the most part, it has worked out well for her. Williams completed the majority of her assignments and made A's and B's.

Succeeding in school is a big deal, she said, because she wants to be a lawyer. It's a big deal for her father, too. Will Williams said he reminds her almost daily that her career comes second to her studies.

"This is all well and fine. But our first priority of paramount importance is education," he said he told her.

For the most part, Tracy Williams is right on track, but there are drawbacks.

When Williams returned to town in the spring, after missing most of her second semester for PYT's tour with Destiny's Child, she had several tests waiting for her. Production of a music video made her miss all of her final exams.

She was overwhelmed when she took them in July. "I didn't get the review," she said. "Since I'm not there for class, I didn't know what to expect."

Now most of Williams' tests are faxed to her at hotels and supervised by her tutor. As for her finals, she plans to take them ahead of time this school year.

Now, instead of posting Williams' assignments on a Web site, Winer e-mails them. Before Williams' tour with 98 Degrees, which began Aug. 13, her mother touched base with her online teachers to make sure her daughter had books needed for upcoming classes.

Things seem to be running smoother, Tracy Williams said, because she and her teachers know what to expect. And even though teachers make an extra effort for Williams, her classmates don't hold it against her.

"She has to come back and have all this homework and all these notes," said 15-year-old Kevin Imperiale. "(The teachers) don't give her any slack."

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