The audition was fairly simple, and fairly quick. Bri was asked to do a few technique combinations, and then performed her routine from her team in Dallas. It was a routine that she had choreographed, and she made sure to tell them that. By the time she finished, the looks of disdain were replaced by shock, and even some grudging acceptance and respect. Bri was asked to wait outside while the team deliberated. It took only five minutes for her to be called back in.
“Welcome to the team!” the advisor, Belinda, hugged Bri. “We’re so excited to have you! We think you’ll fit in beautifully! And now,” Belinda guided her to the gym door, “we have a few things to take care of. The rest of you are dismissed. See you bright and early the first day of school!”
Belinda pulled Bri into her office, and spent the next hour taking measurements, going over practice schedules and team rules. She gave Bri a list of required items, including practice wear and team makeup. Belinda’s face brightened when Bri handed her a check paying all her dues in full.
“I knew you’d fit in here! We resume practices again at 6:00 am, on the first day of school. Feel free to call me if you have any questions at all!”
Bri walked out to her car, beaming. She’d promised Cole she would call when she found out, but she decided to stop by and tell him in person. She did call her dad, who was almost as anxious as she was.
“That’s great, Sweet Pea! I knew you could do it!” her dad exclaimed. “They are dang lucky to have you!”
“Thanks Dad! And, thanks for fighting for me.”
“Always, Pumpkin. Well, it all seems kind of official now, doesn’t it? Registration is in two weeks, and school starts two weeks after that. It’ll be here before you know it!”
Bri’s stomach shifted nervously. Four weeks of freedom until school started. She wasn’t sure she was quite ready to face life at a new school. But summer wasn’t over yet, and she was determined to make the most of the time she had left.
After hearing the good news, Cole insisted on taking Bri out that Saturday to celebrate. They met at a sushi joint in town. As Cole smiled at her, Bri stopped, shocked.
“Okay, what color are your eyes, exactly?” She was utterly confused. The gray eyes she was used to seeing weren’t gray tonight, but a dark blue. Though they were no less sexy, it kind threw her that they’d changed.
Cole laughed. “Well, they are officially hazel. But they kind of change color depending on what I’m wearing.” He motioned to his dark blue shirt. “They look blue when I wear blue, or green if I wear green.”
“Okay, that is really cool! I wish my eyes could change color,” Bri was jealous.
“I kind of like your eyes just the way they are,” Cole smiled. “They are like a cool, golden brown. Almost the same color as your hair. I’ve never seen eyes like yours before.”
She blushed, and he led her into the restaurant. Bri had to remind herself that there was a very good reason they were just going to be friends, though sometimes it was hard to remember exactly what it was. They spent the night talking and laughing, and finding out they had even more in common than they’d thought.
The next couple of weeks flew by. Bri would go visit Cole at “work”, and they would meet to go run, or grab lunch a couple times a week, and they would go out on Saturday, as friends. So, they saw each other almost every day. Bri hoped she wasn’t coming off as clingy or needy, but Cole seemed to enjoy their time together just as much as she did. And, to his credit, he hadn’t tried to kiss her again.
Bri decided that it was probably time to invite Cole over to her house. They had been meeting everywhere, so neither of them had been to the other’s house. It had seemed too personal before, but now that she and Cole were well established friends, she felt it was time.
They had planned to meet Tuesday morning to run. There was a park about halfway between their houses that they had been running at. It had a lot of great trails and paths. So after their three mile run, Bri brought it up.
“Hey,” she said to Cole as they were stretching. “Do you want to come over to my house and grab a drink or something?” She tried to sound nonchalant, but her heart started pounding nervously.
“Really?” He was obviously caught off guard by her invitation.
“Sure! That’s what friends do, right? Hang out at each other’s houses, annoy each other’s parents. Only my parents won’t be there.” Bri had purposely picked a day when Summer and the boys wouldn’t be there. Her brothers had a gymnastics class that morning, not that the little monkeys needed any more encouragement. Then they had a lunch date with one of Summer’s friends. They wouldn’t be back until early afternoon at the earliest.