The next day

‘Hey check out the new girl.’

Lauralie raised her head at the sound of whispering from her classmates, scanning the room briefly, the new girl didn’t take long to spot. Lauralie saw the girl sitting two rows behind from her. She was dressed all in black, with medium length black hair. Lauralie found herself thinking the girl to be very pretty, but immediately decided that she didn’t like her at all. The way she sat and postured gave Lauralie the feeling that she was very arrogant. The girl rested her chin on steepled fingers, almost sulkily. Her expression was vacant and her eyes were cold.

Lauralie turned back to her desk.

‘What's she like?’ the whispered conversation continued nearby.

‘I don’t know. I heard her name is Rhian. She’s not from around here, apparently she just moved in recently.’

Lauralie returned her attention back to her work. A picture she had been drawing in pastel of a woman, floating on a lake in a rowing boat with her child. It was shortly afterwards the bell rang, and people started filing out of class. Lauralie dusted her hands off on her jeans, gathering together her pencils and sketch books.

‘I’ll see you later Christina’ she told her friend.

Christina winked cheekily at her, waving as she danced away. Lauralie left the classroom alone once she had packed up her things, swinging her bag over her shoulder and strolling out into the corridor. It was seconds later another one of her friends caught up with her.

‘Hey Lauralie!’

She squeaked in shock as her friend pounced on her, jumping from behind and grabbing her shoulders.

‘Why does everyone have to frighten me like that all the time?’ Lauralie whined.

‘Well’ her friend Alice said slyly, clinging to her. ‘You're so easily startled, it’s hard not to make fun of it. You're like a little lamb.’ Alice gleamed, looking much like a cougar standing before its prey.

Lauralie hooked her arm though Alice’s as they walked together.

‘So where are you heading?’ Alice asked. ‘Do you have another lecture to go to?’

‘No I'm finished now.’

‘Great’ Alice beamed. ‘I'm finished too. Actually I was finished ages ago. I wanted to wait for you because me and the others are going over Kirsty’s now. Do you want to come?’

‘Sure’ Lauralie said perking up.

‘Great’ Alice said again. ‘The others are already there. I told them I would wait for you.’

‘I know where her house is’ Lauralie laughed.

‘Yeah but I wanted to walk with you.’

Lauralie squeezed her friends arm tightly. ‘You're so good to me Alice.’

‘I know right?’

They walked slowly together, heading out of the college grounds.

‘Did you hear the word on the street?’ Alice asked.

‘What word?’

‘The brothers are coming to town!’

‘Eh?’

‘They’re well known street dancers, entertainers’ Alice rambled on. ‘They’ve been travelling round together for the last year doing their thing and now they’re coming home again. They’re going to be putting on a show. I hear they’re pretty good at it, though I've never seen them myself.’ She cast a sideways glance at Lauralie, grinning happily. ‘I've heard they’re both pretty handsome.’

‘If you haven’t seen them before how do you know they’re any good?’ Lauralie asked.

‘My little sister is friends with their little sister. She’s told me about them. Anyway I was wondering if you wanted to come along to see them. Me and the others are going together, you can bring a friend or two of your own if you wanted. The more the merrier, that’s what they say.’

Street dancing? Lauralie thought. Oh please, what a ridiculous thing to do, go around prancing in different towns making a fool of yourself. Dancing is for girls and gays…

Lauralie smiled sweetly at her friend.

‘That sounds brilliant, I’d love to come.’

‘Great!’ Alice beamed squeezing her arm excitedly. ‘Who will you bring?’

‘I could ask Drake, he might be interested.’

‘Drake?’ Alice made a comical face. ‘Is he your…?’

‘Friend’ Lauralie finished. ‘Just a friend.’

Alice sniffed disdainfully. ‘You make me jealous to know that? You have so many boyfriends.’

‘They’re not my boyfriends’ Lauralie scowled.

‘Alright, boys that are friends’ Alice corrected.

‘That’s better.’

‘Anyway, Kirsty’s got a film to watch tonight if you’re not expected to be home.’

‘That sounds fun’ Lauralie replied. ‘I wasn’t going home tonight anyway.’