Jake

I was sitting in the cafeteria with Josh, Tom and Matt, waiting for Tara to come by like she had promised. I really wanted her to finally show up because the guys were kind of starting to get on my nerves right now.

Josh was pretty much depressed because Kathy had shut him down and now refused to even go to the homecoming dance at all.

“It’s not the end of the world Josh,” I told him, trying to think of something to somewhat cheer him up. His mood was starting to depress me too, or maybe just piss me off; I couldn’t tell the difference anymore. “You know, you can always find another date before the dance.”

Josh groaned, “Two days before? I don’t think so.”

Just then, Tara rushed up behind me and slid into the seat next to me, her cheeks were flushed with excitement, “Oh my gosh, you will never guess what I just heard!” she exclaimed.

I smiled as I kissed her mouth, funny how it didn’t make my heart beat as fast as it used to, “What?” I asked her.

“Kathy is not going to homecoming!”

Josh groaned and dropped his head on the table.

I took Tara’s hand, “We know sweetie, but why is this such a big deal?”

“Because everyone goes to homecoming,” Tara said patiently, as if I was a kid that wasn’t listening to her. “She probably thinks she’s too good for the dance and clearly doesn’t care if she loses all her social status.”

Matt raised an eyebrow at Tara, “I didn’t realize she had status. I just thought she was the hot new chick, and that wore off a while ago.”

Tara rolled her eyes, “Everyone thinks she is just so cool. It makes me sick. Besides, have you guys ever noticed how her voice changes sometimes when she’s talking to people?”

We all looked at her oddly.

“Oh come on,” she said, “You’re telling me you have never noticed how she sometimes develops an accent?”

“Actually, I have,” Tom said, “I just never really thought about it.”

“Well, I’ve only talked to her once,” I said, then hastily added, “at Josh’s request”, when Tara shot daggers at me. Feeling safe from any further damage to my relationship I told her, “So I’ve never actually noticed any difference in her voice.”

With his head still on the table, Josh mumbled, “Her voice is perfect.”

Matt rolled his eyes, “Dude, we all know you are crazy for the chick.”

“And that she keeps shutting you down,” Tom added, making us laugh.

Then Tara asked, “Why isn’t she going anyway?”

“She has to go to CCU for the entire day Saturday,” Josh said.

“For what?”

We all looked at Tom, who shrugged, “She came here on a hockey scholarship, maybe that’s why.”

Tara snorted, “Field hockey doesn’t start until the spring, why would she have to go now?”

Matt laughed, “Maybe she is one of those ice hockey chicks from Prism.”

While my friends screeched with laughter, I couldn’t help but think my Prismian friend Kathy, who actually was one of those ice hockey chicks from Prism. Why was it that this Kathy kept drawing so many parallels? If Kathy really was an ice hockey chick from Prism, then… maybe my earlier thoughts were right and she is the same person as the one that I know. But really, what were the odds of that?