This is the fourth-last chapter. 

I squinted my eyes at the book in front of me, "Is this even in English?"

Opal gave me a small laugh, "No, it's Japanese. It's my last HSC exam next week."

"Ah... Opal?"

"Yeah?" she raised an eyebrow. 

"How am I supposed to help you study for Japanese when... um, I don't know Japanese?" I collapsed into a fit of giggles.

Her face fell and she muttered, "Tawagoto."

"What does that mean?" I asked, looking at the scribbles in her book. 

"You don't wanna know," she replied, "Okay, I'll get Steph to help me later, then. Dinner's starting."

"Food?" I looked up from her book of nonsense. 

"Yes, food-lover, dinner," Opal smirked, "It started... two minutes ago."

"What?" I shrieked, "Why is it always me running late?"

"I'm staying to study for Jap. You go down and eat."

"Okay!" I didn't even argue as I ran out of the common room and down to the dining hall. 

Principal Wednesday was halfway through the school pledge when I ran in and she frowned at me but continued. 

A few giggles escaped from the younger girls as I - red-faced - made my way to a table. Whitney whispered to me, "How on earth are you S.B.P. when you're always late?"

I grinned, "Because I'm better than you."

Whitney rolled her mascara-ed eyes, "Sure, sure. I'll let you believe that."

"You may begin eating," Principal Wednesday said and I finally looked to my plate.

My face twisted, "What the fudge is this?"

I used my fork to pick up the squishy brown thing. The bottom of it was charred black, "Ew, ew, ew..."

Whitney chewed into her lasagna but across the table, Emily's face was also grimaced, "What on earth is this?"

I shuddered, "I'm not eating that... Anyone up to pizza and wedges in my dorm?"

Emily nodded quickly, "Deal!"

We both stood up to make our way to the dorm but Principal Wednesday asked coldly, "Where do you two think you're going?"

I winced, "To my dorm?"

"Why?"

I looked to Emily quickly. She stuttered, "Um, uh, we're, I'm not, we're not hungry."

"Really?" Principal Wednesday crossed her arms, "Natalie's always hungry, though."

Emily gave a short bubble of laughter and then said, "Mum, the dinner looks gross."

"It's called scrapple, Emily," Principal Wednesday sighed, "And it's not my decision on what the chef chooses to make."

I wrinkled my nose, "What is scrapple?"

"Pork loaf, basically," Principal Wednesday said, "And you girls both had it at the beach house a few years back."

Right, back when I'd eat anything in a fit.

Emily grimaced, "Please, Mum?"

"Fine, go," Principal Wednesday rolled her eyes, "A waste of food but fine."

Emily quickly dragged me out before I could feel any guilt crush me. We raced up to Teresa common room and I put my frozen pizza in the oven with a tray of sweet potato wedges. 

Emily trodded to the DVD player and glanced through the DVDs beneath it, "You've got Romeo and Juliet?"

"Who doesn't love some Leonardo DiCaprio?"

"But I thought you hated R&J?"

"I only like Luhrmann's film because it's not as tacky. It's a little more modern as well," I answered her. 

"Right," she smirked, "Also because you acted it with Chris?"

"Maybe," I shrugged, "You putting the disc on or not?" 

I climbed onto the lounge as Emily put Luhrmann's R&J into the DVD player. As it started, I fell in love with the soundtrack all over again. 

***

"You..." I said with a mouth full of chocolate popcorn, "Need to come to my place these holidays."

"Duh?" Emily grinned, "I'm your best friend, your brother's girlfriend and I still need to meet your stepsiblings and stepdad."

"So it's official?"

"What?"

"You and my brother?" I wrinkled my nose as I said it.

"Yeah," Emily cocked her head, "He asked me out a few days ago. I didn't tell you?"

I threw a piece of popcorn at her, "No!"

"Sorry," she squeaked, "I thought I did."

"Well you didn't," I pouted, "But yeah, come over these holidays. You know where the house is."

"Have you invited Christian to see you, yet?"

"His invitation goes without saying," I chuckled, "Besides, Shawn's probably invited him, anyway."

"Right," Emily said, "You coming into town this weekend?"

"We're allowed to?"

"Yeah," she chuckled, "You're so clueless, sometimes. We're all going dress shopping for the formal."

"But that's still a month away," I frowned.

"No time like the present," she shrugged, "Do you know what colour you want?"

"Nope. I'll see when I get there."

***

"Paaa-rk," I whined, "Can't I have some fun...?"

Parker - no... I meant Park, silly me - let out a slight chuckle, "Are you even gonna remember this in the morning?"

I shrugged, "Who knows? Let's not worry about the present! Let's live in the future!"

He chuckled softly again at me.

"That's not it... Oh, wait, I meant let's not worry about the future! Let's live in the present! That's right, right?" I giggled loudly before stopping myself.

I looked up at him with wide eyes and a pouty face. If he told me I was wrong... I wasn't sure why but it might break my heart...

"So you're a giggly drunk?" he smirked, "Nice to know. Oh, and nice dress, Dove."

"Thank you," I smiled brightly, to show my care and twirled in a circle, "Woah... that which hath made me drunk hath made me bold..."

"Did you just quote Macbeth?" he asked with wide eyes, "Oh my lord, she's a smart drunk..."

I rolled my eyes impatiently. Did he not understand what I just said? I pouted again, "I said, that which had made me drunk hath made me bold, Park!"

"And what are you so confident about?" he scratched the back of his neck, making his shirt rise up.

I caught the hem of it before he could lower his arms and I stared for a moment, "Jesus Park! You've got a sexy little eight-pack there, don't you?!"

Park slapped my hand lightly away from the hem of his shirt, "Now I see what you're so confident about."

I giggled again, "Did you know that your voice sounds like velvet?"

"Velvet doesn't make a sound."

"In my mind it does," I thought for a moment, "And it sounds like you!"

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" he winced.

"Duh!" I slapped his chest, hard, "I'm trying to be a good little girlfriend, here!"

***

"Oh. My. God," I whispered, "I was so drunk that night..."

It was also the first time I kissed Christian. Not that I remember it, now.

"Natalie!" Whitney shouted, "You're late! We're leaving in five minutes."

I groaned and rolled out of the bed. I stretched my limbs and yelled back, "Remind me to get a new alarm clock!"

No reply. I rummaged through my dresser and pulled out a pair of denim shorts and a striped white and navy blue shirt. Once my shoes were tied I grabbed my handbag and stuffed my wallet and phone inside before rushing downstairs. 

About half a dozen of the girls in my year were impatiently waiting for me, again. I grimaced, "Sorry girls!"

Rose chuckled at me, "Don't worry. Let's go dress shopping!"

Emily stepped to open the door but someone shouted, "Girls!"

We all froze. Emily slowly turned away from the handle, "Mum?"

Principal Wednesday walked down the stairs and approached us, "Headmaster Rogers called from D.A.B.; they're also out today. I remind you all to not get into too much trouble."

With that, she sent a special glare to her daughter. Emily grinned brightly, "Of course, Mum, love you, Mum, bye, Mum."

With that, she pushed open the door and we all rushed out into the fresh air. 

"Why does the boys' school have a headmaster and a principal?" Diana asked, eyebrows raised.

"The headmaster is in charge of the entire school," I said, "They have two principals - one for years 7-9 and the other for years 10-12."

"How do you know that?" Emily asked.

"Because of Shawn?" I shrugged.

"Right," Emily face-palmed herself. 

We made our way down the street towards the mall making gossip about girls in other years. I found out that the reason Melanie Harter left last year was because her parents' business had suddenly gone bankrupt. Julie Von Stein's parents pulled her out because they thought DAG was too preppy. Sophia Nicholson in Year Eight had been the one spreading rumours about Opal. 

We walked into the mall and immediately were hit with the smell of, "Donuts!" I shouted.

"Of course," Bree mused, "She goes straight for the food."

I gestured for them to follow me as I walked up to the Donut King. I pulled out my wallet as I waited in the short line. The others stood next to me. 

Emily groaned, "You haven't even eaten breakfast yet."

"I know," I shrugged, "I'll buy a donut now, eat it and then have breakfast. It's not like I'm gonna put on weight."

It's true. At the FSWC Sydney, they tried to get me to put on a few extra kilos that I could afford to lose but my weight wouldn't budge past sixty-two. 

"At least, you're eating," Em grinned. 

I ordered my two cinnamon donuts and the cashier person got them from the cooking tin near the back before putting them in a pink paper bag for me, "Enjoy your donuts."

"Thanks," I nodded my head at her and then took off with the other girls, eating into one donut. 

"Can I have a bite?" Emily pouted.

"No," I said pointedly, "My food. Besides, you think it's weird to eat a donut before breakfast."

"Not now that I've smelt it and I've looked at it."

"A small bite," I ordered her.

Except, of course, she chose to take the biggest bite known to mankind. It was like the shape of the bite Homer has out of his donut. 

I growled at her, "You just ate like a quarter of it!"

"You've got two!" she argued.

"But I bought it!" I argued.

Bree stepped between us, "Both of you cool down. Remember, we're going dress shopping."

With that, Em perked up and I slouched down even further. 

Great... 

I finished my donuts and threw the bag in a bin as we passed, "Yummy..."

Rose pointed to a store, "Let's go there. Kayla in Year Twelve was saying she went there last year."

"Didn't we go to that store last year?" Bree pointed to the one opposite. 

"I didn't go last year," I reminded her, "Only half the grade did because we were the youngest."

"Didn't you?" Bree cocked her head.

"No," I repeated, "I wanna see that store!"

I pointed to the one Rose had suggested. Bree and Emily made their way to the other one whilst Diana, Rose, Whitney and I walked to the one Rose liked. 

As soon as we were in the store, the other three dashed to the corners of the room, finding dresses they liked immediately. 

I walked more casually around the shop, eyeing different things but I couldn't imagine myself in any of them.

"Hi, Miss, can I help you?" a woman asked from behind me. 

I looked over my shoulder to see that she was speaking to me. I smiled gently, "Yes, please. I'm looking for a dress for an end-of-year dance?"

"Is the dance semi-formal, casual or formal?" the woman asked me, subtly looking me up and down. 

"Formal," I answered, "I'd like something long, I think."

"I have just the dress for you," she smiled triumphantly.

***

Song: Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee. 

xx Sharky.