A Little Trouble Will Do

Chapter One

Dakota's POV:
***
Rain thundered outside, droplets like bullets hitting against my apartment window. I lay upside down on the couch, my long silver hair, which was naturally blond, but currently dyed, looking like a waterfall that ended at the fuzzy rug bellow.
"Ashley, I just want to know why I'm so nervous!"
"I've told you!" Ashley replied. "Because on your first day of college they are hurling auditions for the show at you." Ashley's dark brown, almost black hair was messy from frustration. "I don't know why I came if all your going to do is be nervous." Ashley, who was usually patient was now loosing her temper.
"I'm sorry!" I replied. "I just... I don't know... I hate that everyone else already started college a week ago!"
"I feel the same way. Mine doesn't start until a week after yours, so I'll have nothing to do till it starts."
"If they hadn't started we could all be together right now." I complained, my head touching the rug, as I was now awkwardly slumped on the couch ready to fall off.
"Except Ellen. She started in July."
"No," I corrected Ashley. "She was picked, and started practice in July. Even I know this."
"Oh..." Said Ashley, eyes drifting to the right to watch my dog frantically rolling around on the carpet. He was a Yorkshire Terrier named Motor, as an homage to my late childhood dog Scooter. Motor noticed Ashley watching him, and started barking for more attention, now walking over to scratch her legs.
"Don't the downstairs neighbors want to kill you. This dog is so noisy."
"Oh yes, but they are so old that every time they come to complain to me I tell them they are just out of their mind."
"And..." Ashley pressed, now lightly petting Motor.
"It usually works." I finished. Suddenly, my phone buzzed once. It picked it up as I fell off the couch. I laid there a minute before finally turning my phone on to see who texted me.
"Who is it?" Ashley asked.
"Nosy, nosy!" I joked. "Elsa." I then said, turning on my phone to see the text notification banner with her name at the top.
"What did she say?"
"Just asking me how I was, and what time auditions were tomorrow."
"Its unlike her to care about your Theater business."
"She's probably just in a good mood. Let's remember, she did make it into her dream college: The Annapolis Navel Academy."
"What time is it?" Asked Ashley out of no where.
"Ummm..." I checked the time. "Five o'clock, why?"
"Do you want to eat that fried rice my mom made you?"
I perked up. "I'd forgotten I had been waiting to eat that all day!" Ashley's parents where both from China, and since they had moved to Queens to be with their family now that Ashley was in college- they always delivered me their homemade Asian food one way or another, since I was going to attend NYU and out apartments were close. "Yes, let's eat NOW!" I said.
"Jeez pig!" Ashley laughed. I quickly picked up my phone, and texted Elsa.
'Guess what I'm about to eat?'
Moments later, she texted back. 'What?'
'Ashley's moms fried rice.'
I looked up. "Okay, let's eat!"

•••

Elsa's POV:
***
I reached in my pocket as my phone buzzed. I looked at the text from Dakota.
'Ashley's moms fried rice.'
A friendly jealously tugged at my gut.
'Dang it! Wish I was there, that's my favorite!'
I quickly typed, sending it. I looked outside, the Annapolis campus covered by clouds. It was Sunday, and I had survived my first week and finished all my work... Pretty good.
"I'm going to go for a walk." I said to myself, as I got up.
"What was that?" Came a voice from the other bed in our dorm.
"AH! Oh- sorry Lily. I'm not used to sharing a room yet. I was talking to myself." She was sitting there, on her phone, still in her pajamas.
"Oh, okay." She replied, putting her nose back in her phone.
Lily was my roommate, and she was usually doing work, so I was surprised to see her sitting there still in her pajamas.  Especially at five o'clock. Usually she'd be out jogging in the summer evening, when the sun was still up while she still could until the early autumn and winter nights came.
"Well, see you later." I replied, opening the door to leave.
"See you Elsa!"
I walked out the door, and stood outside for a minute. Then I was off.
---
The air was crisp and dry- which was odd for early September. I sighed as I walked along the path spread throughout campus. I had no place in particular I wanted to go, so I just walked slowly, until I spotted a bench. The timing was perfect, because not only seconds later did my phone buzz. It was Dakota again, just bragging about how good the rice was. I closed my phone, and looked over to the bench. It was not empty anymore though. It was occupied by a somewhat familiar boy, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why he was so familiar. I suddenly realized I was staring at him because he looked at me and our eyes immediately locked.
"Were you going to sit here?" He asked, a puzzled look on his face- and when I began to answer he cut me off with a: "Say don't I know you?"
"I was thinking the same thing..." I said.
Then, he sat up as if a lightbulb went off somewhere in the back of his mind.
"Elsa! Your Elsa Malloy!" He exclaimed, though not very loudly.
"How do you know me?" I asked, startled to hear him say my full name.
"We went to Middle School together, remember. I moved the summer going into ninth grade, to Germany, but I came back to attend Annapolis. You must remember me! We were friends!" He said when I didn't say anything. I did remember him, but I was silent for a whole other reason. I used to have the BIGGEST crush on him.
"Yea... Yea... I know you." I said, trying to stay cool. "Girard Smith."
"I knew you would. Why don't you come sit down next to me?"
I nodded, and sat down very awkwardly next to him.
"Thanks." I smiled and nodded. Now that I remembered who he was, I realized he hadn't changed a bit. He was still strawberry blond, his eyes were still blue, and his face was still thin with a big lower jaw. I realized I was staring again, and looked away.
"So how come I haven't seen you all week?" He asked.
"Good question. I really don't know." I said, finally easing into conversation with him.
"You know, I always saw you going to Annapolis. I don't know why... I just always envisioned you here."
"And I always envisioned you in Harvard." I laughed trying to make a joke. He laughed back respectfully.
"I thought about it. I just became uninterested."
"Oh." I said.
"It's so funny."
"What is?" I asked.
"I was thinking about you the other day." My heart skipped a beat.
"Why?"
"I don't remember." He said, as if trying to swim through a barrel of memories. "Well, anyway it was nice talking to you again. I guess I'll see you."
"See you too!" I said, as he got up and walked off. I watched him go, and when I could no longer see him I turned my phone on and started texting all my friends.
•••

Ellen's POV:
***
"SHOW ME SOME HUSTLE LANE! IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THE FIRST NATIONAL GIRLS LACROSSE TEAM I'M GOING TO NEED YOU TO RUN FASTER!"
'It's not my fault I have practice for five hours after classes every day.' I thought, as my Coach, Mark, blew the whistle.
"You have ten minutes of rest everyone!" He announced, walking over to Patricia Maple, and girl on our team, to talk to her.
"Ellen, are you sure you don't need to leave early. You've been here longer than all of us, I'm sure Coach Mark wouldn't mind." I heard a voice behind me. I turned around to see Indigo, my friend who was also on our college team, coming towards me.
"No I'm good." I said. She wouldn't understand. I wanted be on the first National girls lacrosse team, not just on the college team. I had to be here all the time.
"You sure?" She asked, finally reaching me. Her long, dark braid trailed behind her. She was Native American, and tradition was not to cut your hair. I always wondered how she played sports as well as she does with that giant braid always following.
"Yea. I'm sure." I said, taking a giant chug of water.
"Okay. Hey want to hang out at the park later?" She asked.
"Sure." I replied. "Better than dealing with my upstairs neighbor. All he does is scream at his video games until midnight and I can never fall asleep."
"Oh Damon. The one you have a crush on?"
Indigo teased.
"I don't like him. He's REALLY annoying." I replied, as Indigo laughed.
"I don't know, your really defensive whenever I bring it up."
"Just drop it!" I said as my phone rang. It was my friend Elsa, and she had started a group chat. I saw that Indigo was in it, but she had already reached in her back pocket to find her phone, as it had probably buzzed too. I quickly read the text.
'Guess who I just found out I'll be attending Annapolis with?'
'Who!?' Came another text. It was Dakota.
'Guess.'
'Who?' I typed.
'GUESS!' Replied Elsa.
'I don't know.' Ashley texted.
'GIRARD SMITH!'
•••

Kassidy's POV:
***

'OMG GIRARD AS IN YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL CRUSH!' I typed, looking to my sister, Gia, who was busy talking to her boyfriend Jay Kelly. Her dark brown hair covered her face of freckles, as she put her forehead against his. He had caramel colored hair, and bright blue eyes, which were locked on Gia. "Gia.... GIA!" I said loudly, getting her attention. She looked up, as our waitress came over to our table and placed three hot coffees upon it.
"Yes?" She asked, Jays hand curled around hers as it rested on the table.
"Elsa saw Girard."
"Girard Smith?"
"That's the one."
"I wonder if she still likes him."
"Same." I sipped my coffee, but it was too bitter.
"I'm going to go put sugar in my coffee." I said. Gia nodded.
"Okay."
I got up and started walking past the tables. I looked back to see Gia and Jay, and just as I turned around I tripped, my coffee spilling all over the floor. I got up, and was going to go get a bunch of napkins when I realized the boy in the table next to where I tripped was already helping wipe it up with his napkin.
"I'm sorry!" I said frantically, as he handed me more napkins.
"It's okay." He said, looking up at me. His eyes were dark brown, matching his hair. We wiped up the coffee, and picked up giant chunks of the now broken mug. We both stood up, and I realized he was short, around my height. He had a basketball jersey on. He smiled at me and said, "I'll help you find someone who works here to clean this up. What's your name?"
"Thank you... And it's Kassidy. I said quickly, feeling very flustered.
"Alright Kassidy. We should-" but as he started to speak, the waitress who had given me my coffee came over.
"I've got this. You two can go sit down." She said.
"Well, thanks again." I said, looking to the boy in the basketball jersey who had helped me, as the waitress walked off to get cleaning supplies.
"No problem."
"What's your name?" I asked quickly, before he sat down again. I wanted to slap myself. What was that?
"Caleb." He said. "Caleb Salmon."