Katalina & Ash [@Kirah]

After having left Ben after having spent some time with him and promising to meet up at dinner, a very happy Katalina was heading off to unpack. So, maybe Ash was finally there. If so, the two could talk. Or maybe Ash was off necking with Jamie. Wouldn’t surprise Katalina, since the two had been making goo-goo eyes at each other since Freshman year. She opened the door and noticed Ash was there. She put on her best smile and looked over at the other girl. [color=0076a3][color=00aeef]“So, we’ll be rooming this year it seems,”[/color][/color] she said brightly.

“Yeah it would seem so.” Ash was sitting on the bed to the left, shoes off, and kicked under the bed. “I asked Ms. Reese and she said there was no changing, but you get to enjoy morning swim practice without me again.”

Katalina frowned already. She knew Ash disliked her, but to already go to a teacher about changing rooms. She sighed to herself and went over to the bed on the right, and picked up her suitcase and started unpacking. [color=0076a3]“I see. I guess there are no free rooms this year, which isn’t that much of a surprise. I saw a lot of new freshman at the ceremony,”[/color] she said, ignoring the jab about swimming practice. 

“Seems like there’s always more of them every year.” Ash’s voice sounded bored. 

Katalina continued to unpack, deciding to ignore the tone that Ash was taking. [color=0076a3]“Well it means there are new students we can help! Since we’ve been here three years, people will look up to us,”[/color] she said, working on hanging up her clothing. [color=0076a3]“And anyways, it will be nice to keep our minds off… well… other things.”[/color]

“Yeah.” Ash shifted and then pulled her own bag from the end of the bed, and started putting away her clothes in her dress. “Do-” Ash cut herself off and shoved some shirts into a drawer.

[color=0076a3]“What were you going to say, Ash?”[/color] She asked, not turning to look at her roommate as she started putting swimsuits away.

Ash sighed, “I was just wondering, if you thought, they’d catch...” Ash trailed off, “You know.”

Katalina nodded. [color=0076a3]“At this rate, it’s filed under cold cases I’m sure. It’s been months… and… nothing. I miss her. We all do…”[/color] She thought back to Natalie. She had been tutored by her for a bit in Math by her… and Natalie was sure Kata was going to be the next Student Body President and had been giving her tips before… She paused, realizing she was clutching her hands, hard, almost drawing blood. She looked over at Ash and sighed. [color=0076a3]“Y’know… maybe we should try getting along… we’re all going to need each other, more this year than last.”[/color]

Ash doesn’t respond at first, and the sound of her shoving clothes into her drawer stops. “Katalina, I don’t want you to think,” Katalina noticed that Ash was very neutral looking at this point, “That I hate you, you’re just competition.” 

Katalina frowned. [color=0076a3]“I never think of you as that way, but if that’s what you want, then fine, I’m competition,”[/color] she said simply and went back to unpacking. She could never quite understand why Ash thought of her that way. They both did swim, yes, but Ash was a long distance swimmer, and Kata was more of a sprinter swimmer. They had only been pitted against each other when Ms. Reese made them compete. Katalina had tried, but Ash was very abrasive, and unfortunately this had rubbed off a bit on her best friend, Jamie.

“Whatever. I’m going to dinner.” Ash grabbed a worn paperback from her bed and shoved it unceremoniously into her back pocket, then left. 

Katalina sighed and rolled her eyes. She soon finished unpacking as well and went to head to dinner as well.