Beth hadn't heard from Alison in 3 days- not that she'd contacted her either.

She had thought about texting her a few times. You know, once or twice. Per class. And she'd thought about the excuses she could make... just following up, anything I can do to help? She doesn't want to pry or seem like a stalker though. She's just… concerned. Being in charge of teaching her and all. Beth's mulling it over, what she could text, when Coach S grabs her before their work out.

"Beth, what's the latest with that coxswain?"

"Uh, not sure. I haven't heard from her..."

"Well, listen, we need to know if we can count on her or not. Soon. Or we may have to drop down to rowing a 4, with one of you coxing..."

"But then 3 of us can't row!" Beth isn't necessarily concerned about herself- she'd probably make it in the boat- but no! She's not letting half the team sit out while she can help it.

"Well then you'd best be working on getting her here. By the end of the week."

Oh you bet I will, Beth thinks. After practice, she starts to walk to her where her stuff is to grab her phone, but then stops. There's a flutter, that gurgle of anxiety again at the thought of texting her. Rather than push it, Beth turns around and stalks over to the men's team, who are finishing putting away oars.

"Hey. Ram-o," she calls out.

The coxswain, as poised as ever, leans against the side of the building and nods to her. "Childs."

"Hey, have you talked to your friend Alison lately? Is she still interested in coxing for us?"

"My-my, someone's impatient," he smirks.

Beth rolls her eyes. "Well YEAH- I'd like to actually fucking ROW sometime this year. Besides Coach S is breathing down my neck."

"Well, I could be persuaded to reach out to her..."

"Well make sure you are. I need an answer by the end of the week..."

"Aye aye Captain. I'll let you know," He says saluting her sloppily.

Beth wonders how someone so obnoxious was friends with someone as wonderful as Alison. Wait, when did she become wonderful? She shakes that thought away. "Thanks...-Hey actually just have her text me? Uh, if that's easier. Thanks!" Beth starts to walk back towards the parking lot.

"Hey, Childs- I don't have our number though!" The coxswain shouts from behind her.

"She has it. So no worries. Thanks again!" Beth walks back towards her car and checks that her phone's on. Anticipating a call that probably won't be coming for a while.

Alison Hendrix, does not procrastinate. Mostly, because there's always too much to do. Between her job, and class, and homework and whatever else she gets involved in, she never has a later. Just a next. That in mind, she gets all the work Beth gives her done the very next day. She even somehow manages to fit in a swim test during the afternoon before her biology class- and gets a few stares when she shows up with soaking wet hair, reeking of chlorine, but she lets that one go.

And she reads the packet Beth gave her. She keeps it in her book bag, taking it out periodically, when she has time. She reads it between classes. She reads it at lunch. She reads it over and over until she feels comfortable with the terms and information. Way-Enough- that's the command to stop. And always do everything 'in two' giving rowers enough time to respond to the call in unison... She practices the phrases in her head, and tries to picture what they'd look like in action.

It wasn't that Alison was scared to go back… she was just nervous. Which, she reasoned to herself, is perfectly understandable. After all, it's all new. I don't want to disappoint Beth. Or anyone really. Maybe I'll just look over that packed once more…just to be safe.

That first day, Beth had been right next to her- and when Beth explained it, it seemed to just make sense. Now, however, days after, it had all become confusing again. Part of her wants to call Beth- to see her again and have her tell Alison all over again. A small part of her still wants to call Beth and talk about ANYTHING but rowing too.

But she doesn't. She doesn't want to bother her. And she knows that Beth will want to talk about rowing. She makes her decision.

I can do this myself.

It's strange to both avoid something, and yet spend so much time thinking about it. In fact, it was mulling over this issue of going back to practice yet again, that kept her from noticing a familiar face had come into her diner and was currently sitting in her section. The place was pretty dead since they're only open for another 2 hours, but there she was. She must have only just sat down a few minutes ago, but already the table is littered with papers, and she's already digging out and setting up her laptop.

"Lord and butter…" Alison mutters to herself before stalking over to the booth. "What are you doing here?"

"Well hello to you too roomie…" Cosima smiles. "As for what I'm doing here, like many of your patrons, I'm hungry."

There's something about the way that Cosima smiles, smiles so big you can see all the way to her canine teeth. While normally sort of endearing, for some reason, it just rankles Alison today. "So out of all the places in and around town to eat, you just happen to show up at mine?"

If Cosima register's Alison's frustration and tension, she doesn't show it. Instead, the dread-haired girl continues to smile and simply shrugs. "You mentioned this place, that it had good food, and I thought I'd check it out. Grab some grub, do some homework, you know…"

Alison nods, skeptical. She stands there as Cosima continues to look at her expectantly. "Oh. Yes. Well, what can I get you?" Alison adds, realizing Cosima's waiting to order.

"Let's see…" Cosima glances down at the menu. "Alright, let's do some blueberry waffles... uh, maybe some mozzarella sticks… and a club sandwich. Can I get extra pickles with that?"

Alison finishes writing when it dawns on her. "Wait are-" she drops her voice to a harsh hush before leaning in and finishing, "-are you HIGH right now?"

"Not that it's any of your concern, but I may have indulged before coming down here, yes…"

"Heavenly hosts Cosima! What am I- what…"

"Whoa, chill girly. Relax. I'm just here for some waffles. I mean I know you're very, very busy right now…" She makes a motion to the almost completely empty restaurant, "So don't worry, I won't be bothering you. I mean, you're welcome to chat, but like I said: Waffles are a number one priority right now."

Alison levels a gaze that would normally freeze someone where they stood. Cosima seems completely unaware though, so Alison is left to just sigh and say, "Fine. I'll get you your waffles. Be right back…"

She brings her order pad back to the kitchen, sticking it up for the cook and ringing the bell. Jim, the order cook snags it off the counter with barely a second look at her. She liked that about Jim. He was in his 50's, overweight, mutters obscenities quietly under his breath, balding, and is -on his best days surly- on his worst downright hostile. But they had an understanding at this point. Neither of them wanted to be there, but they both had to. They shared the silent bond of those trapped in an impossible work situation. Comrades on the front lines of mediocrity. It helped that sometimes she made him cookies.

Alison goes back to the counter and, without much more to do, sets out to roll some silverware. She glances over to Cosima again, who's typing away at her computer. Alison sighs and realizes that maybe she was a bit dismissive of her roommate. At least I know she's listening to me- to know where I work.

A flash of regret registers and Alison decides to go and mend things- even though it's unlikely Cosima even realized the was something off in the first place. She brings her silverware folding operation over. The manager won't mind. Place is dead.

"Mind if I join you after all? Sorry I was a bit rude earlier, just a lot on my mind."

"No worries, have a seat," Cosima gestures, barely taking her eyes off her laptop screen. "Hey- I never asked, how'd your not-a-date go?"

Alison chuckles. "My not-a-date went great. I got all the information that I needed."

"Cool, cool. So are you a coxswain now?"

"I will be when I go back… I'm just…" Alison hesitates, before deciding to continue. "I'm just nervous about going back. It's all confusing and even though Beth, the captain, seems really nice it just… overwhelming. I mean I have school and work and all sorts of other things to balance… I'm just unsure of what to do."

Cosima pauses her typing and furrows her brow behind her glasses a moment. "Well," she begins, looking at Alison again, "I'd say just follow your gut. That's what I do. If there's something telling you to give it a go and push through all the shit- that it might be worth it, go for it. Worst case scenario, you go back, it's too much, you decide to quit. No big deal, life moves on."

Alison considers it a moment. "That's very salient advice actually, from someone who is completely stoned…"

"I try," She says, and this time Alison smiles back.

Alison picks up her next set of utensils before asking, "So... how are things going with that TA you mentioned?..."

Cosima quirks an eyebrow, "Thought that was 'wrong' and forbidden."

Alison shrugs, trying to emulate Cosima's levity from earlier. "Maybe I judged too harshly. I should be more open minded. I'm sorry."

"No worries. And it's going really well... actually...we're supposed to meet me here..." she says, sheepishly.

"What! Tonight!?" Alison gawks.

"Yeah and I'm...I'm totally nervous," Cosima blushes a bit. "This is the first time we're meeting outside of the lecture hall. I mean, yeah, I've stayed after and we've chatted- for like 2 hours once, but I never- you know," she makes a motion with her hands, "Asked her to meet outside of campus before." Cosima meets Alison's eyes again. "That's why I picked this place- I figured at least if things go south at least I have a friend around to keep me from totally dying from embarrassment..."

A friend. Alison can't help but smile. In fact, from the look Cosima's giving her, maybe she should even turn it down a notch. "Yes, of course I'll keep you from dying from embarrassment..." she squeezes Cosima's hand for a second, and gives the bespectacled girl another supportive smile. "What are friends for?"

Alison stands again. "I'm going to go check on your order, do you need anything else?"

Cosima lets out a slow breath, "Naw, I think I'm cool. Thanks."

Alison nods, and heads back behind the counter just as Jim puts the order up, ringing the bell. She picks up, "Thanks Jim!" Jim just grunts in response. She brings the plates to Cosima's table, and as she sets them down she hears her friend (friend!) inhale sharply.

"Oh my god- That's her. She actually came. She's coming in the restaurant right now..." Cosima grits it out quietly so only Alison can hear.

Alison turns and looks anyway and is stunned. A tall blonde woman, with beyond salon quality hair, is making her way through the glass doors right now.

"Her? I didn't know your TA was a woman..." Alison whispers back.

"Yeah...oh shit, she sees me..." Cosima waves, and the blonde woman waves back, and begins her easy walk over. "Wish me luck..." Cosima breaths and Alison moves back a bit from the table.

"Hey Delphine- you made it!" Cosima smiles. And for some reason the flash of canines don't bother Alison as much now.

"Oui, and I see you took the liberty of ordering us some snacks..."

"Oh, uh, Delphine- this is my roommate Alison. She works here part time."

Alison is still processing the woman part of Cosima's crush- let alone the part about that woman being insanely beautiful - let alone her being French- when said woman sticks out here hand. "Enchanté Alison."

Alison shakes it, "Enchanté, Delphine... Well I better get back to work. This silverware won't roll itself. Just give a wave if there's anything else you need." She smiles and heads back to her counter to leave her roommate to it.

Alison keeps herself busy with small tasks around. Straighten up things, cleaning the counter, that sort of thing, but she can't help glancing her roommate's direction every few minutes or so. She doesn't know why she was so taken aback that Cosima's crush was a woman. She's never been small-minded (like so many of her peers in her tiny town). She was even on her high schools GSA club for a half a year- until the Spring production got in the way. She supposes she just assumed it was a guy.

That's what you get for assuming. Makes an ASS out of U and ME, she chides herself.

As the remaining hour winds down, so does Cosima's date. Alison watches as they part ways, Delphine giving a very poised double-cheek kiss that her slightly awkward friend blushes through, before turning to go. The blonde gives Alison a small wave goodbye as well, and heads back out into the night.

Alison can't help it- she rushes over. "Well that went well!"

"Yeah, yeah it did. I can't believe I was so nervous," Cosima grins, gathering up her papers and laptop, packing them away.

"Hey, if you wait 5 minutes, we can walk together. I mean, if you want to?"

"Of course."

Alison finishes busing the last few tables before grabbing her bag and walking out with Cosima. They're not far before Cosima elbows Alison playfully. "Sooooo, whatdija think?"

"Of?"

"Of Delphine of course! I mean, think she's Del-FINE, but that's just me."

"No, she's definitely beautiful. And that hair!"

"Seriously. I think it may be witchcraft."

"Totally..." She pauses, weighing whether to both with the rest of her thoughts. "I was surprised though. I mean, I guess I just didn't know you were gay."

"Well, Bi, actually.."

"Bi?"

"You know, bisexual. I like guys and girls. Sexuality is kinda a spectrum anyway."

"Oh. Of course..." There's a beat pause. Alison, not sure if she made it awkward, tries a joke. "Well, I guess you probably don't have trouble finding a date then. With both guys and girls to choose from."

"Well, no more than anyone. I mean, just because there's not exactly a specific gender I'm attracted to over the other, doesn't necessarily mean I have double the dating options…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. That was foolish…" Alison blushes. I'm an idiot.

"No, it's cool. I mean, how do you know something before you know it right?"

"Right..." Alison shakes her head. How can someone be so, just so accepting? So open. Alison feels like pushing it a bit further, brave. "So… what do you look for? You know, in someone you're interested in."

"It's just like anything, I look for that connection, you know?"

Alison nods, slightly. Cosima continues gesturing, as if she's trying to paint her words in the night air. "I mean, I just look for someone that lights me up- that excites me. Someone who, when I'm around them, there's that charge in the air between- like static electricity in the atmosphere- like the slightest spark will set the space between us on fire. Someone that makes your stomach do flip flops when you're around them and you get so nervous you could puke- but at the same time you know if you did, you'd be cool because that person- they care. About you. You know what I mean? Have you ever felt that way?"

Alison reflects. She thinks of past few boyfriends, of Chad and his pawing at her at a Halloween party. No, that definitely was not there... Then Alison feels like someone has dropped a lead brick in her stomach because she realizes that yes, she does know that feeling. But the last time she felt that, was 3 days ago, at about 5 in the morning, with a certain team captain. And Alison isn't exactly sure what that means.

Cosima continues, again unaware of Alison's internal crisis already in process. "Anyway, yeah. That's what I look for. And shit- Delphine… man I've never felt it to quite that extent. I'm telling you, this is something huge. I can feel it…"

Alison keeps her eyes fixed on the asphalt ahead of them, still dazed by her thoughts of Monday morning. "Well, you're lucky. To feel all that and to find she feels the same way? That's amazing."

Cosima chuckles darkly next to her, and now Alison turns to meet her eyes. "Well, I never said she felt the same way… I just sort of asked her and hoped for the best. I mean she showed up, which is… totally encouraging. Remains to be seen if she feels the same way though…"

"Well I'm rooting for you." Alison smiles. "I think that's very… brave."

"Well, what choice did I have right? I'd hate to let something amazing slip by just because I was afraid."

Alison nods. They're almost back to the dorm, but she's made a decision. "You're right," she says, stopping. "Hey, um, I'm going to head over to Ramon's for a bit. I'll see you later, if you're still up."

Cosima grins, "Dude, you know I'm a night owl. I'll see you then."

Alison turns and heads in the direction of East campus. She takes out her phone and dials.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ramon? I'm coming over. I need you to teach me everything there is to know about coxing…"

Beth wiped down the leg press machine and glances at her phone again. Nothing. Shit.

"Childs, that's like the 20th time you've looked at your phone. You expecting a hot date or something?"

It was late, and her and Art were just finishing the last of their workout for the night. "No, but anyone's got to be better than spending an evening with you, dipshit..."

Art makes a mock gasp. "Ouch. And here I thought we were BFF 4 life!"

She shoves before throwing out her paper towel and grabbing her kit. "Let's get out of here..."

"Please!" He says.

She glanced at the clock as she exited into the cool night air.

9:30. Wonder if Ramon talked to Alison at all…Shit. She berates herself again. Well, I have to know or the team's fucked! She rationalized. I mean, she's whatever, but we need a coxswain is all...

Beth inwardly cringes anyway. She'd been doing that all day-wondering what Alison was up to. Wondering when she'd get a text from her.

She and Art walk stride for stride slowly back towards their dorms. Beth sighs, and Art glances towards her. They've known each other since High School and she inwardly cringes again, realizing she just gave something away to her ultra-perceptive friend, that she hadn't intended to.

"Geez Beth, sounds like there's something awfully weighty in that head of yours. Care to unload?"

"Not particularly..."

Art shrugs, "Fine. Your call."

They walk along a bit further before he speaks again. "You know, Paul asked about you the other day...He said he was sorry…."

Beth tenses at the name. She breaths out ice, "Well he didn't say it to me..."

"Whew- okay, never mind. Forget I mentioned it. I just thought that maybe, after a year, you guys might be able to bury the hatchet..."

"Are you fucking kidding me Art? Who's side are you on?!"

"Yours. It's always yours. But, I mean, maybe if you just talked to him?..."

"Why should I make an effort- make the gesture- when he was the one who-"

"-Beth! If was like the second month, of freshman year! No one probably remembers it even…"

Beth takes a long breath, exhaling slowly through her nose, trying to quell the anger from spilling out entirely. "Yeah, well, I remember…"

"Okay… okay. I'm dropping it, alright? You're a captain, he's a captain…So I wanted a little team unity? So sue me." Art smiles down at her and Beth feels the remaining anger fade away. He was always amazing at that- anchoring her before she flies off the handle.

They're almost back to Beth's dorm before he speaks again. "And you sure you don't want to talk about the intriguing someone that has my normally stoic best friend all in a tizzy checking her phone?" He smirks.

Beth hesitates a moment before shaking her head. "No. It's nothing. Really."

"Fine fine. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Goodnight Art."

As soon as he turns the corner, Beth checks her phone once more. Nothing. She frowns.

It's nothing. It's literally nothing, she thinks, before heading into her building for what was sure to be yet another night of very little sleep.

"You know it's 10:30 at night, right?" Ramon deadpans at her through the cracked door.

"Oh please," she says, pushing through the door into the apartment. "It's Thursday. I knew Felix is at studio and that you'd be alone."

"Ever think that maybe I might WANT to be alone?" he says, closing the door and moving to join her in the living room.

"Well this is more important. I need your help. I need to have some idea what I'm doing before I go back to practice."

"Fine…" Ramon says, resigned. "Well, why don't you tell me what you already learned and I can start you from there…." He sips at his drink next to the chair.

"Well, I have memorized this." Alison says, pulling Beth's now dog-eared packet out of her bag. She tosses it, the papers landing squarely in Ramon's lap.

He sighs, and picks it up, starts to leaf through. "And you memorized all this?" He says, an eyebrow raised.

"Is that so hard to believe? I memorize scripts all the time for my performances."

"No, it's not hard to believe you memorized it, but you memorizes scripts over weeks. You've had this what a few days? Where you get this anyway? It's good stuff. Very informative…"

"Oh Elizabeth gave it to me.."

"Elizabeth..." It takes him a moment before he realizes. "Oh, you mean Childs? She gave this to you? Huh."

"Yes. Beth Childs."

Ramon takes another swig. "Well that's convenient. She just happen to have this the morning you happen to show up…"

"Oh, no. She met up with me later that day so she could give me the waivers and stuff, and that's when she gave me the packet."

"Really…"

"Yes? Is that so strange?"

"Well ,from what little I know of Childs, frankly yes. Guys on the team have always described her as kind of a cold fish. All business. Not exactly the go-out-of-her-way-to-be-nice type. And there was this rumor last year… well, whatever. Not important."

"Well, it's probably all just part of her duty as captain anyway. To help out the new members."

"I think I remember Felix's sister saying that when she joined up, all the captain did was pull the new girls aside and tell them 'If you fuck up the boat, I'll kick your ass.' "

"Well Regardless, she was very helpful to me."

"Yeah? Good. Because I have a feeling you're going to need all the help you can get. Oh, by the way, she was asking for you today."

"Who? Beth was?" Alison's eyes shoot up and she feels that flutter in her stomach- which is becoming all too common now.

"Yeah. She was just asking when you're coming back. Said for you to text her..."

"She did?" Alison can feel her smile widening, and a bit of warmth moving to her cheeks. Her mind flits to what Cosima said earlier, about those feelings. She quelchs the thoughts as best she can. Deal with...whatever it is later. Focus

"Yes. She did. You know, when I said to make some friends that wasn't exactly who I was expecting. At any rate, it's late. Let's get to work."

Alison nods.