Author's Note: Hello everyone! I apologize for the delay in posting this latest posting this latest chapter, but I recently returned to school so it's taking me a bit of time to get used to balancing school and personal writing. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, those who favorited/followed the story, and to anyone just enjoying it as they come across it.
Julie arrived the day before school officially started and Harlow didn't see her as threatening at all. Penny, who was spending all her time with her new boyfriend, said she was crazy. Julie was tall and confident, but her smile was warm. She and Harlow took to each other just as quickly as Harlow and Connie had. The only "issue" – if it could be called that at all – was that Julie did found it hilarious that Harlow was a ballerina.
"Are you sure I'll never get to see you in a pink, frilly tutu?" Harlow rolled her eyes. That particular question had been posed at least four times since Connie had found out she was a ballerina.
"For the last time: not any time soon." Connie giggled as Julie put on a mocking pout. "You only wear fancy things like frilly tutus when you're in a production. Since I'm the new kid on the block I'll probably get stuck as a chorus girl." Julie shrugged.
"You never know. We were the new kids on the block last year and we beat the Varsity team."
"Not to take away from your triumph, but there's a lot less prima donna drama in hockey than ballet. You'd be surprised at the nasty way some of the ballerinas can act. It can be downright deadly."
"I didn't know ballet could be so cutthroat." Connie grinned.
"You laugh, but believe it." Harlow walked to the window near her bed. School started tomorrow and she was starting to have butterflies. Spending time in her dorm with Connie and Julie was one thing; walking into a new school full of students was quite another. She hadn't even met the other ballet students yet. Sensing her unease, Connie got off of her bed and came to stand beside Harlow at the window.
"Nervous?" Harlow nodded. "Don't be. It'll be fine."
"Yeah," Julie agreed as she joined them at the window. "You have your first class with Connie and two classes with me and you have your friend Penny so…." Julie broke off with a muttered 'oh my God'. Connie and Harlow shared a frown.
"What?" Julie pointed out the window. The two others girls moved their eyes to the direction as Julie explained,
"It's Fulton and Portman." Connie burst out laughing; Harlow's jaw dropped. Two guys – she assumed Fulton and Portman – were clearly dancing to some very loud hair metal music in their room which was exactly across from the girl's. They were jumping all around, banging their heads to music that none of the girls could of course hear. All three girls started to giggle as the guys started head bashing while playing air guitars.
"Are they are on your team too?" Harlow asked around her giggles.
"I almost hate saying this, but yes." Julie laughed. "The shorter one is Fulton Reed. The taller one is Dean Portman."
"They're the Bash Brothers." Connie added.
"I can see why." Harlow giggled.
"Oh I am so giving them grief for this tomorrow." Julie laughed. "I wish I had a camera."
"Tomorrow? Howa' 'bout forever?" Connie joked.
"How are they not hurting themselves?" Harlow asked curiously with a grimace as both Bash Brothers did some particularly deep head bangs.
"They're the Bash Brothers." Julie shrugged as though that it explained it all perfectly. "They live for pain." Harlow shook her head in disbelief before moving away from the window.
"Boys remain aliens to me in so many ways." She declared as she fell backwards onto her bed.
"That's only because you've never dated one. They lose a lot of their mystery after the 2nd or 3rd date." Julie informed her wisely. Harlow turned her head just in time to see Connie nod in agreement.
"I had Guy figured out by the 3rd date. Basically – and I love him so this is all meant in the nicest possible way – he wants to make out all the time." Connie said this nonchalantly, but Harlow could see that her cheeks were tinged with pink.
"That's pretty much all Scooter wants to do." Julie affirmed.
"Who's Scooter?" Harlow asked.
"Her senior boyfriend." Connie replied teasingly in a sing-song voice. Julie grimaced and threw a pillow at her friend.
"Don't say that word." She grumbled. "I don't want to think about him leaving after this year."
"I'm sure it'll all work out."
"Just drop it, okay?" Connie sighed.
"Fine." Bored, she looked around the room. Her eyes landed on Harlow and she broke out suddenly in a grin that instantly made Harlow nervous. "I think our mission this year should be to find Harlow a boyfriend." Harlow groaned.
"Really, that's not necessary."
"Come on! Every girl deserves a high school sweetheart." Connie said this wistfully and with eyes as wide as they could get. Harlow looked to Julie for help, but was chagrined to see that she looked just as excited at the idea as Connie. "It's a shame Charlie's with Linda because you two would make the cutest couple."
"They so would." Julie agreed. "What about Dwayne?" Connie nodded slowly.
"He's a possibility."
"Look guys, I'm sure Dwayne is a nice guy, but I'm really not interested in dating anyone, okay?" Her tone was pleading enough that both girls – reluctantly – agreed to drop the topic. "Thank you."
"I guess we should try and get some sleep." Julie said, already walking over to switch off the light. Harlow slipped under her pale blue comforter and turned onto her side. With the whir of the dorm lights gone, she could just barely make out the 'thump, thump, thump' of the Bash Brother's music. School was going to happen tomorrow whether she got enough sleep or not. Sighing in resignation, she pulled the other half of her pillow over her head and closed her eyes.
Author's Note: Slowly but surely progress in the story is being made. Thank you for reading!