She showered then started putting up all her room accessories and by 9:30 she was finished, with all her shelves filled and her clothes in her closet. She sat on her bed and started her economics homework. Fifteen minutes later the room door swung open and Anna walked in with two girls.

"Who's this?" one of them asked.

"Oh, Amber, Grace this is my new roommate Cassandra," Anna said.

"Hi," Cassandra said. The girls put on fake smiles.

"Hi," they said in slightly bitchy tones.

"Ok," Cassandra said to herself and went back to homework.

"So are Duke and Andrew in their room?" Amber asked.

"I don't know," Anna said from her computer.

"Well I'm going to go check," Amber said. She lowered her pants a little bit and perked up her chest. "Come on Grace." They walked out of the room.

"Are they dating Duke and Andrew?" Cassandra asked nonchalantly.

"They wish, those girls have been after them since freshman year."

"So I'm guessing that Duke and Andrew are…"

"Single-handedly the most popular boys in this school, as well as Toby but we all now he's taken by Eunice."

"Eunice?"

"She's one of the biggest nerds in this school, but Toby likes her, let me correct myself, he loves her. She's sweet though." Anna stood up. "You see, this school is ruled by the beautiful people, hence soccer team and cheerleaders. If you want to be popular you hang out with them."

"I really don't care about popularity."

"Really? Then why did I see you talking to Duke today?" Anna asked.

"We have some classes together."

"Ok so that's why I saw you talking to him outside of economics, but why did I see you out on the field today while they were practicing, and then waiting outside of the locker room?"

"Oh, well he told me if I wanted to swing by practice I could, so I did and then I waited for him to shower and we walked over here together, it's really not a big deal." Anna laughed.

"Are you kidding? You're the new girl and you're being seen with Duke Orsino, that's a really big deal. Be careful, you don't want the girls hating you that fast." With that she left the room and went to the bathroom.

"Hating me?" Cassandra asked herself. She had to admit, girls usually weren't too fond of her. For some reason they felt threatened by her, at least twice a week a girl would get in her face saying that she was trying to steal their boyfriend away, just because her boyfriend mentioned her name and how hot she was to one of his buddies. There were times that she didn't even know the guy. She would just stand there and wait for the girl to finish then walk away, usually with the girl yelling at her back. It wasn't her fault that guys loved to make her the topic of their conversations. She barely spoke to them; Cassandra would never walk up to a guy on her own.

"So Duke," Amber said, sitting on his bed and lifting her shirt up a little so her stomach showed more. "I saw you today at soccer practice, you were great," she said.

"Thanks," he said, not really paying attention.

"Hey Grace can you hand me my calculus book?" Andrew asked.

"Sure," she gave him the book.

"So did you guys meet Anna's new roommate?" Andrew asked.

"Yea, she looks young."

"She's a junior."

"Why is she in the senior dorms?"

"She's really smart, has every class with me except English," Duke said.

"Oh," Amber said, getting a little jealous, she didn't have any classes with Duke.

"So she's like a nerd then right?" she asked, starting to laugh with Grace.

"Well if she is she's the hottest nerd I've veer seen," Andrew said. Amber and Grace let out fake giggles.

"You're so funny Andrew," Grace said. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Andrew yelled. Cassandra walked in and he and Duke quickly sat up.

"Hey," they said.

"Hi, sorry if I'm interrupting anything," she said.

"Actually you are, we were talking," Amber said.

"About nothing," Andrew said.

"Are you sure, because I can go back to my room."

"No, its fine, what's up?" Duke asked. She lifted up her economics book.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Yea, sure." She sat down next to him on the built in wall couch. She opened her notebook and he started explaining the work to her.

"Oh, right. Yea, thanks." She got up. "Alright, goodnight guys," she said.

"Going to sleep already?" Duke asked.

"Yea, jetlag is kicking in." she smiled once more and walked out of the room.

"She is so cute," Andrew said.

"Total kid, I mean who goes to sleep at ten?" Amber asked.

"Amber you're seventeen, just a year older than her," Duke said.

"Well…so what are we going to do tomorrow?" she asked.

"A group of us can go to Cesario's at seven and then go to the movies," Andrew suggested.

"Works for me," Grace said.

"Yea I'm good with it too," Amber said. "Duke?"

"Sure, I'll go. We can tell Cassandra to come as well."

"Um, will she really fit in?" Amber asked.

"She can meet everyone."

"Good idea," Andrew said.

"I'll tell her tomorrow," Duke said. Amber was about to protest but he turned back to his homework. About twenty minutes later they were gone.

"Are Amber and Grace starting to bother you or am I the only one?" Andrew asked.

"You're not," Duke answered. He put his books down and walked over to his bed. "Night man."

"Goodnight."

Cassandra's alarm clock blared at 7:30 the next morning. She got up and went to the bathroom. When she came back to the room Anna was just getting up.

"I thought you had been kidnapped or something," she said.

"I just wanted to shower." She started getting dressed. As she was putting on her white converse there was a knock on the door.

"Are you decent?" Duke asked.

"Yea." He walked into the room. "Hey," she said.

"Hey." He looked around the room. "See you decorated the place."

"Yea, so did you come in here to check out the room or…"

"No, I wanted to know if you wanted to walk to class together."

"Sure." She picked up her bag and they walked out of the room.

"Duke!" Toby called.

"Hey, do you know…"

"Cassandra? Yea, what's up?"

"Hi."

"On your way top pick up Eunice?" Duke asked.

"You know it, bye guys." He walked down the hall.

"So are you excited about going to art?" Duke asked. Shoe nodded.

"Duke!" someone called from behind. He and Cassandra turned around and Amber was walking their way.

'Ugh, why is he walking with her,' Amber thought when she saw Cassandra.

"Cassandra hi," Amber said with a fake smile.

"Hey."

"So Duke do you want to walk me to class?" Amber asked.

"Well Cassandra and I are walking together."

"But you always walk me to class on Fridays."

"Uh, no I don't," Duke said. Cassandra turned her face so Amber wouldn't see her let out a small laugh.

"Oh, right, so I'll see you tonight then, bye." She walked around them.

"You guys going out on a date tonight?" Cassandra asked.

"What? No, it's actually good that she brought that up. Tonight a bunch of us are going to Cesario's and then a movie, want to come with us?"

"Yea, it sounds like fun."

"Alright, cool." The art class had about twelve students, ranging from beginners to advanced.

"Cassandra, can I see you for a second?" the teacher. Ms. Jane asked. They were working on portraits of each other. At that moment Duke was drawing Cassandra.

"I'll be right back." She hopped off the stool and walked over to Ms. Jane. "Yea?"

"Cassandra these drawings are amazing," she said as she looked through her notebook. She had requested any previous work she had done.

"Thanks."

"I was wondering if you would let me enter some of these in an art exhibition at a nearby art gallery for the public."

"An art gallery? Wow, nobody has ever asked me before, yes you can."

"Great. Now finish up today's assignment; I want to see how you draw your partner."

"Ok." She took her seat and Duke finished drawing her and then they switched positions.

"Remember class, I want you to embrace your partners, I want you to be creative," Ms. Jane said.

"Creative? Alright," Cassandra said. "Duke, do you mind taking your shirt off?" she asked.

"What?"

"Please?" he smiled and took it off. "Ok, just put your arms at your side and look at me."

"Smiling, sad, angry?"

"Serious."

"Alright." Cassandra reached into her bag and took out a pencil and then looked back at Duke. He looked like a model. "This good?" he asked.

"Yea, that's perfect," she said. He smiled. "Hey, did I say you could smile?" he got serious again.

"Ok class, we are just out of time so let's start picking up. You can choose whether or not you show the portrait to your partner," Ms. Jane said. Cassandra took the soft canvass sheet and rolled it up.

"So what do you think?" Duke asked. He gave her her portrait and it was cute.

"I think it's nice," she said.

"Thanks for lying," he said. "So are you going to show me what you drew?" he asked as he put his shirt on.

"Um…" she picked up her bag and started walking out of the class. Duke pulled his shirt over his head and Cassandra was no longer standing in front of him. He looked at the door and saw her walking out of the class. He picked up her portrait and ran out of the class; he quickly caught up to her.

"Hey, why'd you walk away?" he asked her.

"Because…because you asked me if you could see what I drew and I don't know if you're going to like it."

"I'm not going to stop being your friend if I don't. You saw how I drew you, it can't be worse," he said putting his arm around her. She looked around, the hall was clearing up. She nodded.

"Ok." She took the rubber band off of the sheet and handed it to him while it was still rolled up. He handed gave her his and opened it up.

"Cassandra this is…"

"Oh man you hate it," she started to walk away but he grabbed her arm.

"No, this is amazing. Wow, I can't believe you drew this."

"What?"

"Cassandra this is awesome."

"You really think so?"

"Yea, you are really talented."

"Thanks."

"Come on, I need to show this to everyone," he said.

"How about I just put it up in my room and whoever walks in there sees it? I don't want people to think I'm trying to show off or anything."

"Alright, but you're going to have to show me what else you have drawn," he said as they started walking to the library.

"Ok, I'll show you."

"Hey, why did Ms. Jane call you?"

"Ms. Jane, I forgot she wanted me to show her the portrait when I finished, um you go ahead without me."

"No, I'll come with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yea, we have free period anyways." She shrugged and he followed her back to class.

"Oh Cassandra, I'm glad you came back," Ms. Jane said when she walked in.

"Oh my gosh it's Duke Orsino!" one of the girls in the class squealed to her classmate, it was clearly a freshman class.

"Yea, sorry I walked out."

"It's alright, class begin reading chapter 3 on sculpting, come sit. Duke, did you forget something?"

"I'm with her," he said.

"She's so lucky!" another girl said.

"Oh well then take a seat next to her. Now let me see what you drew." Cassandra handed her the portrait. "Oh my, this is incredible. I knew the second I saw Duke take his shirt off you were going to draw something incredible. Did you see this Duke?" she asked.

"Yea, I think it's amazing." Cassandra handed him her notebook and he gladly took it and started looking at her drawings.

"So, the exhibition is in a week in a half, on Halloween to be exact and I would love to enter this portrait as well as a few others I saw in your notebook, I'd like to have them as soon as possible so I can take them there myself. They will not be harmed or sold, and you will get them back framed. They will be awarding the best pieces and…oh I need you to name them for me."

"Well just tell me which ones you want and I'll get to it." Duke gave Ms. Jane Cassandra's notebook and she took out three drawings, one of a sinking sunset, another of a ballerina on point in the middle of a lake with a feather in one hand, and then one of a little girl looking at her reflection in the water. She gave her Duke's.

"Duke do you mind if she enters this?"

"No not at all," he said.

"Great, so bring those to me whenever you are done. Sign them all in the bottom and then write the names on a post it and they will put them under the frame."

"Ok, thank you Ms. Jane."

"No thank you Cassandra." They got up and walked out of the classroom.

"An exhibition? That's awesome Cassandra!" Duke said.

"I know! Thanks for letting me use your portrait."

"I'm honored that you drew me."

"I have to go and name these, I'll see you later," she said.

"Wait you're not going to come to the library with me?"

"Duke I'll see you later."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye." She turned around and skipped down the hall.

"Hey Duke, where have you been?" Andrew asked when he walked into the library.

"I was with Cassandra."

"Who's Cassandra?" Olivia asked. She was a good friend of both Duke and Andrew, really nice.

"She's Anna's new roommate."

"Oh cool."

"So, what were you guys doing?" Toby asked.

"Oh, Ms. Jane is entering some of her drawings in an art exhibition taking place at an art gallery on Halloween."

"Really? That's awesome," Olivia said.

"Yea and one of them is portrait she drew of me today."

"Sweet," Andrew said.

"So is it an open exhibition, or is it just for artists?" Toby asked.

"No it's for everyone."

"Well I'm clearing my calendar as of now," Anna said.

"So are we all on board for tonight?" Andrew asked. Everyone nodded. "Did you ask Cassandra?"

"Yea, she's coming."

"Ok."

Cassandra walked into her room and sat down on her bed and laid out the drawings in front of her. She named the sunset picture: Drowning Light, the ballerina: Light as a Feather, and the one of the little girl: I see Innocence. Then came Duke's. She wrote the name on the post it then closed it up. She went back to Ms. Jane who she stayed with for a while talking about the exhibition and art in general.

"These are great names Cassandra, especially the one you gave Duke's portrait."

"Thank you." She looked at the clock, 4:30. "Oh my gosh, time has gone by so fast. Sorry Ms. Jane but I have plans tonight and…"

"Go darling."

"Thank you, see you next week."

"Goodbye." Cassandra left the classroom and went to her room.

"Hey, where were you?" Anna asked.

"I was with Ms. Jane."

"Oh, well if you're coming tonight you should start getting ready." She took a shower and got dressed in a gray short sleeved hoodie, jeans and converse. She was tying her shoes when Anna asked her if she was ready.

"I'll meet you guys in the hallway." She finished tying her shoes then grabbed her biker jacket and bag and left. "Sorry to keep you guys waiting," she said as she closed the door. She turned around and there were quite a few people there.

"Took you long enough," Amber said.

"It's fine," Duke said. "Come on." Amber narrowed her eyes at Cassandra and it frightened her a little bit. Everyone started moving down the hall and Cassandra stayed in the back. Duke made his way over to her. "Hey," he said.

"Hi."

"You look great."

"Thanks, but I see some girls are wearing skirts, am I underdressed?" she asked.

"No, those are mainly the cheerleaders, they like dressing up."

"Well if they would go to the movies in a skirt in New York they would get laughed at," Cassandra said.

"So did you name all the drawings?"

"Yea."

"Including mine?" she nodded. "What did you name it?" she shrugged. "You're not going to tell me are you?"

"No, I'm not." They were crossing the street, and the restaurant could be seen.

"Well, will I ever know?" she stopped walking and the group walked into Cesario's.

"If you come to the exhibition you will…will you?"

"You mean as your date?"

"Only if you want to," she said shyly.

"Well I do."

"Really? I mean great, thanks." He smiled at her and they walked into the restaurant.