Hey guys! Just a quick update on my poll - I've added Jase as one of the cover choices (trust me on this, he's a key character in Exagora) and a photo with all the possible covers for Exagora will be uploaded to my twitter ( IWillBelieveIt) within the hour if you want to go and check out what all possible covers may be.


Caroline

"Okay, I need a favour from you," I said, cornering Vanessa after school. Camden, standing beside her, threw me a curious look, but she turned and kissed him quickly. "Go."

Camden raised his eyebrows, but he gave her a small smile and started off. Vanessa turned to me, but before I could say anything, arms wrapped around my waist, palms pressing against my stomach as I twisted to face Ains.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my mouth quirking up into a smile. I watched as his mouth curved and he asked, "What are you two doing?"

"Girl stuff," I replied, kissing him quickly.

"Like what?"

"Like shopping for dresses," I told him, rolling my eyes.

"Oi! Williamson! Are you coming?" Camden shouted from the school gates and Ains sighed, kissing my cheek before he started towards Camden, calling, "Have fun!" over his shoulder. As Ains reached him, Camden threw his arm around his shoulders. Ains shoved him off, and I watched, smiling, as they started down the street, shoving each other playfully as they walked.

"Those two are so close to being in a bromance it's not even funny," Vanessa commented, turning to me with a smile. "So, why do you need me to come with you?"

"Because I feel like we never just hang out," I said. "And I need a second opinion. I want to look hot for this dance."

"Oh, please," Vanessa said, but she tugged me towards the school gates.


"So how did that thing with Ains and your mum go?" Vanessa asked, looking at me over a rack of dresses.

"Oh, it was great," I said sarcastically. "Mum even asked about his parents."

"Oh, ouch," Vanessa winced. "Sounds like fun. Did Dan mention your ex?"

"Jase? No. I did."

"You did? Wait, you mean to tell me that you willingly talked about your dick of an ex-boyfriend to your current boyfriend? Are you insane?"

I shrugged. "Probably."

Vanessa laughed. "Sounds like you. Oh, this is gorgeous."

"Show me?" I asked, leaning over the rack as best as I could. Smiling, Vanessa produced a light blue dress. It was strapless and looked like it would hit about my mid-thigh. It looked like it would hug my body until my waist, where it kind of flowed loosely. It was exactly the kind of dress I'd wanted – the kind that looked like it would make me look hot in ways that my school uniform could only dream of, but was elegant in its own way.

"That is gorgeous," I agreed, staring at it over the racks. It was simple, but that was more my style anyway – I liked to make simple outfits more glamorous by adding accessories over having a dress so glamorous in itself that I couldn't wear any jewellery with it.

Vanessa threw the dress to me and I caught it easily, throwing her a questioning look. She had this almost psychic ability to tell what way my train of thought was going before I did.

"Go and try it on. And I want to see before you take it off. You did bring me here for a second opinion, remember?"

I laughed. "I do remember something like that being said."

Vanessa grinned at me and followed as I weaved my way through the store, finding the change rooms easily. I'd shopped here a thousand times with my old best friend, Miliah, back before she'd slept with my boyfriend and I decided that she wasn't worth my time.

I swung the curtain of the first available change room I could find across, providing the illusion of privacy. I stripped off my school uniform and slipped into the dress, reaching around my back as best as I could to zip it up and fasten it against my body.

I took a deep breath and turned to face the mirror, gasping at what I saw. At closer inspection, the dress appeared to be only a shade lighter in colour to my own eyes. The dress made a nice contrast to my lightly tanned skin and it clung to me in all the right places. I tried to imagine Ains' expression when he saw me in it, and I grinned.

As soon as I stepped out of the change room, Vanessa sat back, her eyebrows rising into her hairline as she sat back.

"Nice, Care," She said finally, looking impressed. "I might even be into you."

"Thanks for that," I told her, looking down at myself. I suddenly felt self-conscious, as if every male within a five-kilometre radius was staring at me.

"That dress is going to drive Ains crazy, if that's what you're worried about," Vanessa told me, smiling. "Now go take it off. We still have to hit shoes and jewellery before we get some dinner."

"I called you here to help me with the dress, not the whole outfit, Ness. You don't have to do that."

Vanessa shrugged. "I'll do it anyway. It feels like I never get to go shopping anymore. I feel like the only real friends I have are you and Ains." At my puzzled look, she said, smiling slyly, "And Camden. But Camden's special."

I made a gagging noise – I really wasn't interested in hearing about her relationship with the boy whom I'd come to think of as the extra brother I'd never had. I could compare it very much to Zoe telling me about her relationship with Dan, which wasn't particularly fun. I'd had to sit through it once before, when we were abducted by V95, and Zoe had attempted to explain why V95 was so obsessed with my brother. I remembered it being an unbelievably uncomfortable conversation; partly because my brother's girlfriend was telling me about her relationship with my brother, ultimately, and Zoe had had to keep stopping to cough. The poison, at that point, had just begun to take effect.

Vanessa stuck her tongue out at me and I rolled my eyes, walking back into the change room to change back into my own clothes.