Alexandria waited outside of the closed meeting room, the impatient tapping of her foot turning into a stomp. Another day of her being locked out of negotiations because she's "not a Pussycat", another day of her not being able to meet the musicians her brother was attempting to schmooze because she was "mean to others".
But no more. Her foot stomp turned into forward momentum and she flung open the doors, ready to demand attention be paid to her - only to be caught off guard by one of the visiting musicians already standing there.
Alexandria's gaze was caught by the way the other girl's striking black hair bounced as she jumped back at the sudden opening of the doors. It then moved up towards her equally striking black eyes, ones that had shifted from surprised to glaring within a second.
That glare put Alexandria's guard back up. "And just who are you?" she spat.
"I'm leaving!" the musician spat back, shoving Alexandria out of the way. She stormed down the hall.
Alexandria yelped in offense and whipped around to say something but was once again caught off guard by the girl's long black hair, the way it swished as she turned the corner and disappeared. After a few seconds she was able to get out a weak "H-hey! Watch where you're going!" and then berated herself under her breath.
She shifted herself and her attention back towards the meeting room doors. "I don't know what kind of conversation you all are having in here-" Alexandria yelled into the room "-but the real expert is here to give her advice!"
She was pleased to see a couple people running towards her.
"Alexandria, thank goodness you're here." Her brother Alexander said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You speak mean and nasty - go get her back."
Alexandria scowled and pushed her brother off her. But before she could verbally reject his request-
"Oh, oh, come back Shelley!" one of the other visiting musicians cried out, as if her bandmate could still hear her. "He's the one making you be mean and nasty!"
Alexander tried to defend himself. "I am not! She's the one being unpro- yipes!" He was swept off his feet by a shark.
"Shelley's right!" He argued. "The Neptunes are no opening act!"
Alexandria let out her own "Yipes!" at the scene unfolding in front of her. She turned on her heels and went out the doors, leaving her brother with whatever mess he had made for himself.
"I'll go get her!" she declared. But not because she was asked to.
No, this Shelley girl had captured her attention again. Someone like her, with such physical allure and an ability to cause such strife, was someone that Alexandria needed to know personally.
Not that the physical allure part was that important, Alexandria justified to herself as she searched. It was a form of mutual understanding, really - she herself was a beautiful girl with stunning black hair, so it would make sense she would recognize when another girl was beautiful with stunning black hair. She was just recognizing someone worth her time.
A faint stomping noise was able to lead Alexandria to her destination. She poked her head around the corner to see Shelley leaning against the wall, tapping her foot in frustration. The exit door she was next to must have been locked.
She casually strolled into the room and leaned up against the wall next to Shelley, deciding to play it cool. Alexandria waited a few moments before announcing her presence.
"Look, I don't know what my brother told you-" she started, then paused to let Shelley snap her head towards her. She eyed how the girl's luscious black locks moved lightly even in anger, and then locked onto her deep, dark eyes. "But you shouldn't listen to him. He's an idiot and every he says is stupid."
Shelley's expression softened briefly before turning her head back. "I noticed."
A few more moments of silence passed. Alexandria shifted from one foot to the other trying to come up with something else to say.
"That shark said something about an opening act-"
Shelley gagged. "Don't remind me that I actually agreed with that blubber brain."
Alexandria snorted at her reaction. She supposed she wouldn't want to agree with a shark either.
"I think it was insulting," Shelley continued. "We come up here to the surface to what, be the opening act for a band in silly animal costumes?"
"Imagine someone like you having to open for someone like Josie," Alexandria agreed, laughing.
Shelley let out her own chuckle and turned again towards Alexandria, this time her more relaxed expression letting Alexandria see how pretty her dark eyes were. "Imagine naming the band after yourself. I'm the star of the Neptunes, but you don't see me bragging about it!"
"Oh, Josie's desperate for attention. You should see how she acts around our roadie-"
The mood in the room lightened significantly once the girls realized they had something in common. Shelley relaxed, her foot stomping ceasing completely. Alexandria had gone back into her head again, thinking about how Shelley was both beautiful like her and had the same tenacity as her.
"I want to see them being our open act," Shelley said. "Make them come underwater instead of forcing us up on the surface. I bet they'd flounder."
"Or drown," Alexandria added. She snickered at the idea.
But Shelley was serious. She straightened herself out and pushed herself off the wall and into forward momentum. "Let's see how they like it!"
Alexandria pushed herself off the wall too, intending to come up with a witty response to keep the conversation going, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She found herself not wanting Shelley to leave yet. In her mind the pull she felt towards Shelley was still strong, and the thought of someone who was like her and liked being around her leaving that quickly was putting her on edge.
She dashed forward, ready to chase Shelley down the hallway, but had to skid to a stop when she saw that she still just around the corner, seemingly waiting for Alexandria to follow her.
Shelley stuck out her hand. "Just so you know, I'm Shelley. You'll need to know when that band you hang around with comes down to open for us."
Alexandria paused for a second to process the situation, and then grinned, firmly grabbing her hand and shaking it. "Alexandria Cabot. I'm sure you've heard of me already."
"I haven't." Shelley let go and turned around, starting down the hallway again. As she went, she called back to Alexandria in an almost teasing way, "But maybe that can change. I better see you at one of our concerts."
Alexandria wasn't one to do what she was told. But she was going to be at one of those concerts.