Disclaimer: It's not mine.

Gah, I can't believe I haven't written all summer! I'm so sorry! I blame it all on work! Damn we should kill work! I really am sorry, I'm kinda going through writers block here and I have some issues at school goin on, so yeah, please bear with me, I'll try to update regularly, like once every two weeks or something. If you guys have any ideas, they're more than welcome. This chap is really short, I'm sorry but I don't know what else to write!

Ryne-Ryne

Preperations

"Stop fidgeting!" Ryne told Alanna, the cry muffled by a mouthful of bobby pins.

"I can't help it; I want to see what it looks like!"

"Well, you can't so sit still!" Ryne sighed as she placed the last bobby pin. "There, those extensions are great, very natural. Now, the dress."

"Dress!?"

"Well, yeah, it is a semiformal, and anyway, with your bod, it'll be totally hot, and it's lavender to match your eyes, it's simple, yet elegant. It has spaghetti straps and an open back with crisscrossed straps. There's also a slit on the side up to the thigh, both to show off your legs and to leave room for movement. Go on, try it, I got in petite, it should fit." Ryne sighed when Alanna hesitated. "Humour me." She smiled encouragingly.

Alanna smiled back, picked the dress from the edge of Ryne's bed and went into the adjoining bathroom to change. It was Thursday afternoon and Alanna was spending the night at Ryneka's to prepare for the dance the next day, over the last week, they had become close friends and Alanna had introduced her to her friends, Kyla, Lindsey, Steph and Emily, they were all going to meet at Ryne's house the next night to get ready before the dance. Tonight was more of a prep course for Alanna, to figure out all the details of her outfit.

The mirror in the bathroom was covered with a sheet because Ryne didn't want her to see herself until she was all done over. Alanna slipped into the dress, careful not to let it catch on her hair. It was actually comfortable; unlike this "bra" contraption Ryne had bought expressly for her and made her wear. The slit on the side really did leave room for movement and the material—silk—felt very different from her usual, rough, men's clothes.

I wonder what it looks like. Alanna thought, then, one peek, she'll never know. Her hand, as if of a mind of its own reached for the sheet draped over the mirror, she didn't try to stop it.

"Don't even think about it!" Boomed Ryne's voice from the other side of the door. Alanna jumped an impossible three feet high. "Move away from the mirror and exit the bathroom with your hands where I can see them!" She was laughing now.

Alanna came out, heart beating fast, eyes wide.

"What? You look like you just saw a ghost." Ryne chuckled.

"How—" Alanna's voice emerged as a croak. She licked her lips and swallowed before trying again. "How did you know?"

"Know what? That you were going to look? I'm not sure, I just got this… purple feeling and I knew what you were thinking, that I would never know that you peeked, you just wanted to know what you looked like. So I answered." Ryne shrugged as if it was the most normal thing to read someone's thoughts. "Anyway, come on, we have to finish you up before supper, let me see the dress on you." She grabbed Alanna by the wrist and dragged her out of the bathroom.

"Oh, yeah! That looks great! It really suits you, Alanna!" Alanna looked up sharply. "Hey, you gotta get used to it, my friend, we can't go around calling you 'Alan' at the dance, now can we?" She smiled. Alanna nodded. Ryne continued, "The dance is going to be so much fun! Who do you think I should go with?"

"Umm… I'm not sure who are you looking at right now? Who are your choices?" Alanna asked, settling back in the chair so Ryneka could do her makeup. It was nice to finally have someone to talk to as a girl.

"Well, I was thinking maybe it would be nice to go with Gary… but he probably won't want to, I mean, he's new and all, he probably won't even go…" Alanna didn't say anything, letting the information sink in as Ryneka kept talking. "Then there's Ayden, but I don't feel comfortable asking him, after I just broke up with Russel, maybe I should go alone and hook up with someone there… What do you think?" Ryneka asked Alanna, looking away from her hands which mechanically continued applying eyeshadow to Alanna's closed eyelids.

"You like Gary?" Alanna blurted.

"Well, yeah, ever since I met him and I got this weird feeling… like… I don't know… as if my stomach had lunged, like when you go downhill on a rollercoaster, or when you fall in love," a slight frown appeared on Ryne's delicate brow. "And this warmth spread all through me. I've never had a feeling like that before from anyone."

Alanna thought this over. Maybe Gary does like her, how would I know? I still think she should ask Ayden though… I'm intrigued by these insistent 'feelings' though, I wonder what they are. What do they mean? Perhaps if I stay close to her, I will find out. Alanna delt with the more expedient problem: "To tell you the truth, I think you should ask Ayden, I know he likes you and he's dying to ask you to the dance but he doesn't want to ask you when you might still be a little tender over Russel."

"Yeah? Okay then, I wasn't sure but I think you're right. And he always knows how to make me laugh, so if the dance is boring, he'll make up for it," Ryne smiled brightly. "Allright, I'm done, get up so I can see it properly," Alanna complied. "Oh, it's beautiful! Now all you need is jewelry and you're all set." She gently led Alanna to her dresser, where she opened a drawer, revealing a dozen or more necklaces, all different and for different occasions, bracelets, anklets and rings. In a second compartment, they found a cornucopia (I just had to write that!) of sparkling earrings.

"You want me to wear that?!" Alanna cried.

"Well, yeah, of course. It's the 'pièce de résistance'. You need jewelry to make te effect complete. You'll see, it'll be great." Ryne, was sifting through her amazing collection without obvious direction when she pulled out a necklace of white gold strung with amethyst, it was simple but intricately woven yet not too showy. She then extricated a small ring with an amethyst on it's silver crown and a matching silver anklet that sported elaborate designs that caught the eye and brought attention to the legs, there were no stones on the anklet but there was no need for any. Ryne strung the necklace on Alanna, looked pleased with herself and proceeded to add the other two pieces of jewelry. "All we need now are earrings," she smiled.

"Oh no, you don't. you are not piercing me with a foul little needle to put in that marvelous yet unecessary little decoration." Alanna stated nervously, backing away from Ryne as she filtered through the assorted earrings.

Ryne looked at her like she'd sprouted a second nose, of course I won't pierce your ears it would totally give it away when you became Alan again, I'm going to give you fakes, now do you want clip-ons or magnets?" she held up two pairs of identical earrings that twinkled in the sunlight coming in through her window. "Magnets have less chance of falling off but they may hurt a little more." Alanna shrugged and pointed at the magnetic ones. Ryne nodded and discarded the other pair, moving towards Alanna with the chosen ones. She clipped them on without difficulty and smiled. "You're lovely, my dear."

"Thank you." Alanna almost whispered.

Ryne led her to the full length mirror silently, placed her squarely in front of it and lifted away the sheet that was draped over it.

Alanna gasped audibly, her hands flying to her face and hair, she twisted around to see all angles of herself. "I'm beautiful!" She murmured in awe. She turned to Ryne, beaming ecstatically. "Thank you, Ryne. You're a miracle worker."

Ryne smiled, "It's all in you, girl. You are only as beautiful as you make yourself." She hugged Alanna tightly, "Knock 'em dead, sister."

The rest of the night went by uneventfully, they sat around watching movies,eating junk food and talking about boys and the dance, and most of all: Tortall. Alanna explained everything to Ryneka, about Thom and George and Coram and everything. Ryne was very attentive and even understanding. She told of George's love for her, and her own lust for Jon, of what had happened between them. Ryne tried to be comforting, she couldn't really help the situation but she knew that someone to talk to was better than nothing so she listened and put in encouraging words where they were needed.

Ryne also told Alanna about her 'feeling' toward Jon. That he felt like a really close friend, who knew everything about her. She was even positive that he knew about her liking Gary. She didn't know what it all meant but she intended to find out.

All of a sudden the girls heard the shrieking cries of two cats fighting. They rushed out of the room to find their two black cats at each other's throats. The girls pried them apart and soothed them, then demanded an explanation but the cats refused to answer. The companions agreed not to fight again but anger still flashed through their vertical pupils.

Thinks he's the Mother's favorite… I know it's not true. I've done much more for her than he has… I had to leave home! I had to go live in a strange world where there is no magic! I had to protect Ryne from herself as well as everyone around her… Tru was muttering to herself silently, still furious about Faithful. Just because he's closer to her all the time doesn't mean she likes him better! She padded around a corner of the hallway and came face to face with her opposite.

Faithful hung his head in shame, I am sorry, I should not have said what I did, the Mother loves us all the same, we know that. We shouldn't fight over her affection. I'm sorry. He looked up into her beautiful blue eyes with pleading.

It's alright, I'm glad you understand how much I have lost. I understand that you have also faced many challenges and that we will both face many more. Tru approached Faithful cautiously, when he didn't back away she rubbed her head and neck against his tenderly. Faithful started to purr loudly and did the same.

Ryne, on her way to get some more drinks found them there and smiled, "I'm gald you two made up." She picked up both cats and brought them back to her room after getting the beverages she wanted.

"Hey Ryne!" Alanna's penetrated through Ryne's dream of dancing passionately with several partners she could not remember.

She rolled over and stared through sleep fogged eyes at the girl and the two cats licking her face to wake her up. Tru, getting impatient gently sunk her claws into Ryne's shoulder.

Ryne jerked and exclaimed, "Ow!"

The sudden movement caused Faithful's claws to seek purchase in her smooth skin.

"Ah! Stop that!" Ryne cried, brushing both animals off her gently. She nursed her wounds excessively to make the cats guilty.

Alanna rolled her eyes at her and grinned. "Hurry up and take a shower. You're going to be late for school! You'll probably want to clean up too, as Linds, Kyla, Emily and Steph are coming over tonight."

Ryne groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Ryne lurched to her feet, grabbed an outfit she had picked out the night before and stumbled into the shower.

Half an hour later, Ryne had taken her shower, done her hair and makeup and was currenly cleaning her room of the mess she and Alanna had made the night before. "Oh whatever, the girls can deal with a little sloppiness." Ryne told herself, giving up on trying to remove a Coke stain from the carpet.

Alanna walked in all ready to go, carrying both her own and Ryne's school bags. "Ready to go?" She asked, looking skeptically around the room and holding out Ryne's bag.

"Yeah, let's go."

The two friends walked to the bus stop and waited there for a few minutes when Ryne finally turned to Alanna and asked "Are you going to ask him out today?"

Alanna didn't have to ask who 'he' was. "If I work up the courage. Are you going to ask him out?"

Ryne also knew who this 'he' was. "Yeah, I think so."

"I hope they say yes. Because if they don't' I don't think I'll want to go anymore." Alanna said. Ryne just nodded.

After a few more minutes, Ryne frowned and asked "What are you going to tell the girls?"

"About what?" Asked Alanna.

"About you, they still think you're 'Alan' don't they?"

"Oh, that. No I told Kyla and Emily on Tuesday, somehow they didn't seem very surprised. I'm sure they've told Steph and Lindsey by now."

"Why didn't you just tell all of them?" Ryne asked with perplexity.

"I don't know, it's just that, Steph's been haning out with Alex a lot and that makes me a little nervous," Alanna was frowning now. "And Lindsey is sort of a blabber mouth …" Alanna shook her head at herself.

"I see. But you trust Kyla and Emily?" Ryne proddded.

"Yeah, totally. Kyla is a lot like you, actually, I think you two will get along great and Emily is really easy going and always willing to help a friend. I'm not worried about them giving me away."

Ryne nodded firmly, "Good."

They boarded the bus quickly and arrived at the school just in time to catch the guys going in through the front doors. Jon caught sight of them first and grinned at Alanna and waved, walking closer. Alanna smiled shyly back and moved closer to him. Ryne beamed at Ayden and started a boisterous conversation with him about the cafeteria lunches.

They made their way to their lockers and pulled out their books just as the bell rung for homeroom. Jon turned to Alanna and smiled shyly and offered: "Can I walk you to class?" softly. Alanna smiled back and nodded; they walked down the hallway and Alanna glanced over her shoulder to see Ayden walking Ryne to her class. Ryne also glanced over her shoulder and both girls mouthed to each other 'Good luck!'.

Jon breathed in deeply and turned to his squire; " Can I walk you to class?" he was sure to be beat red now. As she nodded he forced himself to remain calm. They walked down the hallway and just before rounding the corner, Jon looked back down the hallway and made the thumbs up sign to Ayden who was doing the same from Ryne's side. Hopefully she says yes! Jon breathed deeply again and focused on the task at hand.

Alright, that's all for now. Sorry it's so short. Any suggestions? Flames? I'm ready and eager for them. Please review, say whatever you like; I'll work on getting another chapter up soon but I'm not sure what's going to or should happen next (I don't seem to have a plot anmore) so if you have an idea e-mail me or put it in a review or whatever. I'm really sorry again for the delay!