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7

Virginia parted her lips to cake on the bright pink lip gloss that Catherine had gifted her, stating that it went better with Virginia's blonde than with her brown hair. Virginia smiled at her winged eyeliner and double braids and called it a finished product.

"Okay, how about it?" Catherine turned around, her dark curls pulled into low pigtails under her ears. She held out her arms to show her dark blue skirt and her white, flowing blouse that had blue flowers embroidered onto it.

"You're very festive," smiled Virginia, noting Catherine's choice of colors as being the same as those of Martins, navy and white.

"And you are very not," Catherine cocked her dark eyebrow at Virginia's choice of denim shorts and a green top that fell off her shoulders.

"I haven't gotten to wear this shirt yet," Virginia defended her choice, pulling at the shoulders so the fabric sat at the proper spot on the slope of her arm. "Besides, it makes me look tan, which is a struggle for a girl as white as me."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you'd better wear those gorgeous gold sandals you have and the big, gold hoops that you got from your mom."

Virginia narrowed her eyes. "Do you know my wardrobe better than I do?"

"I expect so," shrugged Catherine, grabbing her white sandals. Then she asked: "Who are we playing?"

"Mount Fairview," Virginia said without recognition. "They're from somewhere in Mississippi or something."

"Yeah, outside of Jackson," nodded Catherine.

"Oh," Virginia shrugged. "Were you thinking about going to school there or something?"

"No," she laughed shortly. "No, Martins is the only place for me. My Mom went here, you know."

Virginia did know that, but she could sense Catherine wasn't telling her something, so she kept silent.

"I just have a –" she paused and altered her tone. "I know a guy who goes there, that's all. I think he might even play on the football team."

Smiling, Virginia walked over to her friend, adopting a specific tone. "You 'know a guy'? And who is this guy?"

"No one," Catherine rolled her eyes. "A guy I used to be friends with, but we're not anymore. That's all. Can we let it go?"

Wetting her lips, Virginia nodded. "Okay. Let's go watch cute boys in tight pants run into each other for three or four hours. Sound good?"

Catherine half-sighed and half-laughed. "As long as we can get a couple hot dogs and one of those giant sodas filled with Mountain Dew."

"Of course!" Virginia slung her arm over Catherine's shoulder. "Just make it Root Beer."

"I think I can compromise on that," Catherine laughed as they left their dorm room. "But we do have to pick up Alexa and Lainey."

Virginia nodded. Alexa had become a good friend of Catherine's, thus Catherine had been inducted into the almost cult-like following Alexa commanded. Alexa Ludlow was a pretty gymnast who had latched onto an attractive senior named Tate Connelly early on. They had been "dating" (Catherine put in the air quotes when she told Virginia about them) since the second day of classes. Already, Alexa had pooled people around her, including her roommate Lainey, Catherine, and two other devoted followers named Courtney and Sarah. There were more too. Alexa was the kind of girl who felt alone if there were less than six people paying attention to her.