"C'mon D.A.! You've had you head stuck in a book since grade school! Come explore with me today, live a little!" Carlos said, as he ripped the LSAT study guide from her hands. Time had treated Carlos well. He was taller now, but still had the same dark hair and darker eyes that he had as a child. The tan shorts, tree-green baseball tee and navy loafers helped show the definition in his muscles that seemed to have appeared overnight.
"Uggh, Carlos! Give that back! I have to study! My test is tomorrow!" Dorothy Ann retorted. She had matured, if it were possible, since those days in Ms. Frizzle's class. Long gone were the pig tails. Now her blond hair hung in waves down to her shoulders. Her blue eyes were still as questioning as ever, and at this moment, they desperately wanted to get back to the studying at hand. But seeing as she was still a head shorter than her friend, even in shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers, getting that book back was proving to be quite a problem.
"No way. How many studies have you rattled off to me about how learning takes time, and that there is no point in cramming the day before?"
"But Carlos! This is important! I need to do well on this test. And I need that study guide."
"Uh-uh. You are hanging out with me today. Amazingly there is this funny little thing called 'Life' once you pull your nose out of these books. "
"Carlos" she began, exasperated. "Ple-ease D.A.? We haven't hung out at all since you started studying. I'm bored. And I miss my best friend. Please?" Carlos begged.
D.A. sighed. "Fine. I'll do whatever you want – but only after I finish my section."
"Fine," he caved, "but I get to quiz you."
An hour and a half later, Dorothy Ann had finally declared them done. Although still nervous, D.A. was satisfied with her knowledge of the test material. Carlos, on the other hand, had learned more legal jargon than he felt he would ever need.
"Are we really done?" he asked, with rising excitement.
"Yes." She resigned, mentally prepping herself for the amusing, and often memorable, afternoon that was about to follow.
"YES! Wait here." Carlos jumped out of his chair and ran the familiar path to D.A.'s bedroom. There he grabbed a scarf from the closet, her keys from the dresser, and her medical insurance card – just in case.
"C'mon. We have to hurry if we're going to make it!" he said, running back into the living room and all but pulling her out of her chair on his way to the door. "Hurry. Hurry. Hurry!" Carlos rushed them down to the parking garage, locking the door to Dorothy Ann's apartment behind them.