Christine

This morning was rough with Katia. For both of us. She cried at one point. It broke my heart but she wanted to keep going. It was hard but we made it. She's so determined and stubborn. Very stubborn. After our dance rehearsal, I helped her in the shower but then I had do leave for work. I'm approaching the dance studio now and who is the first person I see? You guess it. Valerie. Sweet Jesus.

"Good morning, Miss Bell."

"Mrs. Bell," I correct her. "Good morning, Valerie." I unlock the studio door and walk in with her right on my heels.

"You're married?" She asks before looking down at my hand. I hold it up for her to get a better view of my ring.

"I am."

She furrows her brow before shrugging. "Anyway, I realized yesterday I may have came off a little brash. I want you to know that's not who I am and I'm sorry. I'm just very passionate about dance and excited to get this year started. I can't tell you how thrilled I was when the school announced that you'd be teaching here this year."

I put my things down and turn to face her. I give her a polite smile. Maybe she's not that bad. "Apology accepted but it's okay. I understand and thank you for notifying me about the dance team. I plan to hold try outs this weekend. I assume you'll be here."

Her smile grows ten times in size. "Oh yes ma'am. Absolutely. I'm the team captain."

"I'm sorry. How is that usually determined?" I ask.

"By popular vote amongst the team every year." She pauses and considers what she has said. "Well, at least I have been the team captain the last three years. I'm sure nothing will change."

I chuckle lightly. "Well, we don't know that for sure. I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up to be disappointed"

Her lips become a rigged straight line. "That's unlikely."

"Hm. Okay. Well good luck and I'll see you in class."

She nods puts a fake smile on her face. "Yes ma'am."

I roll my eyes and start to get ready for my day. I put my things away and I warm up. All the while I think about what we'll have for dinner tonight or what we'll do over the weekend. I dread these damn dance team tryouts. I don't think of ballet when I think dance team. I think of cheerleading and I could tell you right now, I'm nobody's cheerleading coach. They might as well find someone else right this instant. Hopefully I'm wrong. Hopefully I have the wrong idea.

One by one, students start to come into the studio for class. Of course the first one back in Valerie. She takes her normal place at the bar closest to my desk. The term teacher's pet doesn't really feel right for her. That should be reserved for relationships between students and teachers that actually somewhat like each other. I don't care for Valerie. The same way I'm sure she doesn't care for me. In this instance I'm sure the phrasing that would fit us better is, friends close and enemies closer.

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Katia

Chris is at work and I'm at home. I'm so bored I could cry. After this morning's workout, I thought I'd at least be tired enough to go to sleep but no. Here I am, flipping through channels once again. So many channels. So little things to watch. It's infuriating. I wonder what Chris is doing? She told me about that little bitch Valerie. I hope she's not giving my wife a hard time. I'd go up to that school and run her toes over with my chair.

Randomly, there's a knock at the door. I'm not expecting anyone so it catches me off guard. Not to mention that if it was Elizabeth coming to check on me she would just let herself in. Elaine had a full day at work so it won't be her. Hm.

When I finally get to the door and swing it up, there's Olivia standing there. She's by herself and she looks like she ran here. Her face is blotched red and her hair looks as if the wind combed it for her.

I know how much of a bitch I was to her at the hospital and I know all the things leading up to the very second have been shit between us. The truth is though, I've missed her. My ego and stubbornness have stopped me from picking up the phone. I deleted her number from my phone but I know it by heart. She's had the same number since ninth grade. I guess I'll always miss her as long as we're not speaking but I've convinced myself it's something I'll just live with. I told myself there's no repairing what we broke. And maybe I was right about that but maybe we can build something new. Something better. Something stronger.

Olivia takes a deep breath before she starts. "Alright so just shut and let me say this before I lose my nerve. I'm sorry about the accident. I know it was my fault. You would have never been there if it wasn't for me. Me telling you I love you and expecting you to drop everything for me was selfish. Going silent on your for all those months was so fucked up and this is the biggest fight we've ever had. I know. I knowwww but this sucks, Kitty. I miss you and I want to make things right. I want my friend back. So if you want to yell at me and call me an idiot or whatever or hit me or something, just do it. I don't care as long as that helps us fix this."

I stare up at Liv, the girl I once knew so well. The girl who is now more woman that girl. The woman I used to love more than myself at one point. A stranger to me now and I start to weep. She stands there silently until my crying turns to laughter.

"Uhh.. Kat?" She says confused.

"Sorry. Sorry." I say as I wipe my eyes. I laugh a little more. "We're both idiots, Liv."

Now she's smiling. She scratches the back of her head. "I guess so."

I wipe the last of my tears away. "If this mess is your fault then it's my fault too. Neither of us got here alone. I'm sorry too. I handled it all so wrong. I wasn't a good friend to you, Livy."

She shrugs. "So... can I come in?"

I roll my chair back so she can get inside and close the door behind her. She bends down and brings me into a great big hug. It's tight and it says so much between us. Things we could never articulate out loud. Apologies neither of us know how to give with words. Apologies we probably didn't know we needed. When we let go of each other, I can see that she started crying.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

She sighs. "I thought I'd never do that again."

"We go a day or two without talking and you start talking crazy." I roll my eyes playfully to ease the heavy atmosphere. "So dramatic."

She laughs hard. A sound I've missed so much and didn't realize until now. "Yeah. Okay. A day or two."

"Come on." I wave her towards the living room. We have so much to catch up on. So much to talk about. I honestly don't care if we talk or not. It's nice to just have her here in my space.

"Where's Chris?" She finally asks after we both settle in the realization that we have each other back.

"Work! She teaches at a different school now." I say excitedly. I'm so proud of her.

"Sweet! Does she love it?"

"She does. She has one pretty annoying student but there's always one."

"Yeah and you were the first one." She teases.

"Hey! I wasn't annoying."

She laughs.

I slowly stand up to seat myself on the couch and Liv looks as if she's going to pass out.

"Whoa!" She says as she grabs my arm. "What are you doing?!"

"Um.. sitting?"

"You can stand?" She asks. "C-can you walk??"

Now I'm the one laughing. "Yeah!"

She helps me sit down on the couch. "Kitty, that's so good! I thought... I didn't know what to think. I had no idea. I'm so happy."

Her genuine happiness for me makes me smile. "Thank you. Yeah I'm happy too. I obviously have some ways to go but it's good to see progress. Any amount."

"That's for sure. I went from basically being a towel girl to at least getting a seat on the bench now." She scoffs.

"That's right! You play professionally now!" I say. "Omg Liv. That's always been your dream." Then I frown. I've missed so much. "Tell me all about it! I'm so sorry I've missed your first game."

She laughs. "You didn't miss much. I haven't seen the field yet. I'm a first year. The only time I even touch a ball is in practice."

"Well that's good!" I say.

She raises an eyebrow at me quizzically.

"I mean, I haven't missed your first actual game!"

"Ohh. Well yeah! I guess you're right. It's so embarrassing though. T shows up to every game holding the biggest sign you've ever seen. She had a t-shirt made with my face on it."

"T?" I ask. "Like...T as in Tori?"

Liv's cheeks turn pink with embarrassment. "Yes."

I giggle. "You two... Liv! Seriously?! Awwww. Oh my gosh! You guys are dating?!"

She nods and covers her face with her hands.

"Please! Oh my god. How did that happen??" I ask.

Liv shrugs. "I don't know. It just did."

"No! No. I want details. The story! I want The Who What when and where! Cough it up!" I pluck her forehead.

She laughs. "Ow!"

"I'm waiting."

She couldn't wipe the goofy smile from her face if she tried. "I was in bad shape after we stopped talking. She would just come over from time to to time. One night I was really bad place. I was drunk and crying and talking about hurting myself. Just stupid stuff."

I interrupt her. "It's not stupid and I'm sorry you were hurting so much."

Liv smiles again. "Thank you. Anyway, she took care of me and made sure I didn't do something dumb. After that she started coming over more and more. I stopped drinking so much. Our friendship stated feeling too small so we broadened the boundaries. At first it was just cuddling and hand holding when we were alone. Then it was kissing each other goodbye or hello. Then kissing for anything." Now Liv's face is so red it looks like her head may explode. "Do I need to say the rest?!"

I giggle. "No."

"She's been really good to me, Kat. I love her."

"You have no idea how happy that makes me." I say. "I'm happy for you, Liv."

"Thank you."

"You went from hating her guts to humping her! A true love story."

Liv punches me in the arm and laughs. "Shut up!"

"Hey!" I hold my arm and laugh but I am in pain. "That hurt!"

"Oh god. Sorry, Kat. Are you okay?" She looks worried, but I punch her back to ease her concern.

I touch the bracelet on her wrist. "Forever."

"Yes I still have mine unlike some people. She eyes both of my wrists.

"Shows how much you know! I still have mine. It's in my jewelry box."

"Really?"

I nod. "Always and forever means always and forever doesn't it?"

She smiles. "Yeah. It does."