When I returned to Dinah's house the next day, I was nervous. I mean, how couldn't I be? She did kick me out.

I was actually even more nervous than when I came here the first time. That's only because back then, I kind of knew what to expect, but right now... not so much. All I've ever seen Dinah was friendly, but... I don't know, she was too sweet to me to allow me to even think about what she'd be like mean.

I just couldn't see it. She could literally do no wrong in my eyes.

I wasn't even sure that she'd open the door, so to pass time, I started shifting my feet, keeping myself busy. I'd already rung the bell once, and I really didn't want to be a nuisance. You never know with females. One minute you're cool, the next minute you do something and they just snap.

After two minutes, I'd decided to ring the bell again. It was getting cold out. The wind was a bitch. After I pressed on the button again, I shoved my cold hands into my pockets and began walking in circles to keep myself warm. It was really cold.

And then it happened.

She opened the door. And to my relief, she was wearing that precious smile, putting me at ease almost immediately. My nerves melted away.

As soon as the gate popped open, I opened and closed it, made my way quickly down the pathway and into the house. I was really really cold.

Dinah was already further in the house, in the living room I'm assuming. I closed the door and made my way towards my usual spot, but as I peeked into the living room, I saw nobody in the recliner, so...

"Take a seat, I'll be right over." She promised as if she had heard my thoughts.

"Okay." I nodded and made my way over to the usual couch, taking out my things. After I was all set up, Dinah returned from wherever she was a minute later with two mugs, so I'm assuming the kitchen, and my favourite smile. "Thank you." I smiled as she handed me the cup.

"It is freezing." she rolled her eyes lightly as she sat down in her chair. "Like as in... freezing."

"Yeah, it is." I chuckle as I remove my gloves and then pick my cup up again, enjoying the warmth. "God." my eyes almost rolled back into my head. There was nothing better than being warm after being cold. And I was basically an ice block. A walking ice block. I wasn't going to call Dinah out for probably ignoring me the first time, I mean, I was just happy that she didn't seem mad. She never does.

"So... topic for the day?" I asked, putting my cup down to grab my pen and open my notepad to a fresh page.

"Make it..." She paused as she pursed her lips, obviously thinking. "You know what?" She asked with a small smile. "Make it Ally."

"Ally?" I raised an eyebrow. "Okay." I obeyed the Poly's wishes, writing her best friend's name in my best Sunday School handwriting in the middle of the page. After that, I drew a neat, or at least I think it was, circle around it, and made my first line.

Best friend. 29. Artist (Painter and sculptor). Pretty (I added that one for good measure.) Heart of Gold.

I connected lines to all of them, leaving space, just in case Dinah wanted to add on to any of them.

"So when did you guys meet?" I began my list of questions.

"A few days after I moved here. It was the first week of school." She spoke, looking into the air with a small smile. It was adorable.

"You met at school?" I asked, confused. But then Dinah nodded silently, adding onto my confusion. I wasn't going to let this question slip. "But how? Weren't you in your last year?"

"Oh, I was." She chuckled, obviously seeing my confusion. Ally was older than her. "That time, Ally was heading up the drama department. She loved it so much that she couldn't leave, it was like her second job."

"Ally loved drama?"

"She's actually really good." Dinah indirectly answered my question. "She's an amazing actress, and she has an even better voice, but I guess she wanted to express her art some other way." Dinah finished, making me add two more things to my observations of Ally.

Sings, Acts.

Multitalented. I could never.

"Okay, so how did you guys meet?"

x x x x

Dinah's POV

I was nervous. I mean, I had just come to the school, and I was still pretty lost, even though the girl from next door helped me a lot. I mean, I could ask her where the class is, but I'm not even sure where she is, and I'm not even sure that I'd be able to focus.

She smelled really good. So I couldn't focus half the time. Plus, she was really pretty, and it seemed as if everything good just came naturally with her. She had this adorable natural giggle, and this adorable natural smile, and this adorable... let me shut up and find this class.

I didn't want to ask anyone else because I didn't want to be a burden. But I really was lost, and I didn't want to make a bad first impression. At my old school, drama was a requirement, a subject, but here it was an extra mural. Which sucked, because it took of my time after school, but I was really excited though. This was a fresh start for me to show people what I could do.

Yet here I am, standing in the nearly empty hallway, helplessly looking at the numbers on the doors, which didn't correspond with the "drama room" on my paper. Actually, it did, but when I entered the classroom, there was no one there, and I knew for a fact that I wasn't the only person taking drama. I'd overheard one of the girls in my English class, one of the really intelligent, Shakespeare this blah blah blah ones, talking about drama this afternoon. But not even she was here.

Defeated, I walked over to the front desk to get my schedule, but on my way there, I was knocked down by a powerful, yet very small force, causing things to fly everywhere.

I looked at my attacker and saw that she was rather short, had dark brown hair that was pulled into a messy bun, and was wearing really bright clothing. And she was beautiful.

I smirked.

"Sorry Ma'am." I apologised. I didn't even know this girl, yet I treated her like a figure of authority because she looked like it.

"It's not ma'am." She chuckled, allowing me to calm down. "But okay. I'm sorry for hitting you." She apologised as she bent down and began to pick up her stuff, stuffing them in the box she was carrying. I felt bad, and she was nice, so I immediately dropped my bag on the floor and dropped onto my knees, helping her.

"Are you new here?" She asked, and I nodded wordlessly while putting a hat in her box. "How long have you been here?"

"Only a week." I answered truthfully, but it felt like forever in terms of... you know, I've been going to school, but it really also feels like a day because of the way I know nothing about this place, and I wasn't here for long - only until I graduated. Which was less than a year.

"And you're staying after school?" She nodded, impressed. "I've never met someone who just got here, willing to do extra murals. I mean, there are a few, but they're basically just enthusiastic for like... the first two practices or whatever."

"Oh, I'm not doing sport." I clarified. I would never willingly do that. "I'm doing drama." I explained.

She gasped. "Really? That's amazing."

"Yeah, but..." I bit my lip, hoping that this kind woman would help me. "I'm kind of lost."

"Well then." She smiled as she stood up with her weightless box. "It's your lucky day."

"It is?"

"I'm Allyson." She supported the box with her left arm and offered me her right hand. "I help my cousin, Demi, out with drama."

"So you're like a teacher?" I asked, a bit weary of her now, as I took her hand in mine and shook it.

"Well, sort of." She scrunched her face up. "I don't really like that term." She laughed as she let go of my hand.

"Me neither." I admitted with a chuckle of my own.

"So yeah, let's go with teacher..." She paused. "But only cooler."

"I could work with that." I nodded as I picked my bag up from the floor and slid it over both shoulders. "Want me to get that for you?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"Nope. There's basically nothing in here." She said as she began walking, beckoning for me to follow. "Which you wouldn't believe after all we just picked up, huh?" She asked, and I agreed with a laugh.

She was so easy to be around.

"Anyway, you weren't mistaken, your schedule is just outdated." She explained. "That did used to be the drama class, but then we shifted upstairs because... I don't know. I can't remember. They shifted like last year when I wasn't here."

"You used to be a student here?" I asked, raising both eyebrows. I would never go back to my old school.

"Yup. But I'm only doing a part time course, so." She paused, tucking a piece of hair that had fallen loose from her bun, behind her ear. "So I have some free time, you know? And its nice to help out with drama, helping others discover their talents."

"Cool." I nodded, actually really impressed.

I could tell from the second that she said that, that she'd play an important role in my life.

"Here we go." She stopped in front of a door. I mentally retraced my steps for future reference and then opened the door for her, allowing her in. There actually weren't many kids in drama. Just a few that I had recognised. Like the dark haired Shakespeare girl from English, the guy who hits on me everyday, and then... her.

My neighbour.

She looked pretty today. But then again, she looked pretyy everyday. Beyond beautiful.

I caught her eye, and I was frozen. I didn't know if I should look away, or say hi, but thankfully she smiled and waved me over.

"Demi apparently isn't here yet." Allyson spoke as she set the box down on the desk. "But go take a seat somewhere."

I nodded and walked over to one of the prettiest girls I had ever laid eyes on, like the obedient puppy I was. "Yes?" I swallowed.

"Come sit here, next to me." She patted the spot next to her, and I smiled, nodding, sitting down.

x x x x

"And that was it, that was how I met Ally." She concluded.

"She was your teacher?" I asked in disbelief, but Dinah chuckled and nodded.

"Only cooler." She added, making me smile too.

"So this neighbour of yours..." I trailed off, not wanting to push any buttons. "Do I-"

"-It's so cold." Dinah cut me off as she got up from the recliner, taking her cup out of the cup holder in the arm rest, and took mine. "Let me refill us, huh?"

There it was. That strange behaviour. But I nodded without a word. I didn't want to upset her - not again. I remained silent as she busied herself about the kitchen, again making the delicious hot chocolate.

As she returned, I saw that the smile on her face wasn't the usual pretty one. And as she handed me the cup, she faltered in her expression, but there was only one thing crossing my mind...

What did the neighbour ever do to her?