Be Like Them

Prologue

Claudia stepped out into the chilly fall air and pulled out her phone. Her feet were sore from dancing for hours. Hundreds of her peers swarmed around her as they left the school. She looked down at her phone to see she had got a text from her mom.
Just now leaving. Be there in 25.
She sighed and walked over to a bench, relief flooding her body as she sat down to rest. It was only 8:30 yet the dance had ended. It did start at 5:00 though. Her long blonde hair was sticking to her neck and she could feel sweat dripping down her back. Ulch disgusting, she thought as she reached back and pulled her shirt loose. She leaned her head back and looked up at the sky that was almost entirely faded to black. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as a gust of wind blew by, making her shiver on the cold bench.
"Hi, is it okay if I sit here?" a quiet voice suddenly asked. Claudia looked up and met two bright blue eyes behind a black pair of glasses. Brown wavy hair fell over the other girls eyes but she quickly moved it away. Claudia looked down to what the girl was wearing. It was a red and blue flannel and tight black jeans.
"Oh yeah of course," replied Claudia anxiously. She scooted over to
make room for the girl. She awkwardly tapped at her phone screen until the girl said something again.
"I'm Elle by the way." Claudia looked up again and smiled.
"I'm Claudia."
"I hope this isn't too awkward but I don't really know anyone so.." Elle's voice trailed off and she looked down at her feet.
"Are you new here?"
"Yeah yesterday was my first day. I saw posters for the dance up so I decided coming might be nice. So I could like, make friends I guess." She laughed awkwardly and brushed her hair out of her eyes again. She's really pretty. And she's sweet.
"Well did you like the dance?"
"Yeah it was okay. Dancing alone was little awkward but about halfway through I just kinda danced in the middle of the floor where everyone else was."
"Oh yeah me and my friends just kinda stayed off to the side and danced. We aren't exactly the social type."
"I'm the same way. I guess. Like I'm super awkward yet I'm still really loud? It's weird."
"I know what you mean."
Claudia and Elle confined to ramble on to each other for about twenty minutes until Claudia's mom showed up and she had to go. Claudia was walking towards her moms car until Elle shouted behind her.
"WAIT! What's your number?" Elle started laughing and her eyes crinkled. Claudia ran over to her and grabbed her phone. It was unlocked - probably because she was gonna add Claudia's number - so she went to Elle's contacts and quickly added her number. She handed Elle her phone back and ran to her car. "I'll text you!" Claudia gave a thumbs up and quickly jumped in the passenger seat.
"Who was that?" asked Claudia's mom.
"Oh just a new friend." Claudia thought about Elle all the rest of the night. She didn't text her that night, but Claudia woke up the next morning to a cheerful text from an unknown number. And she couldn't have been happier.

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Hi!! So first chapter! This is a story I just thought of today and I knew I wanted to write it. I hope you all like it! I'll probably publish another chapter sometime this week so be on the lookout! Thank you for reading!
~Olive