Furries

First Date; Barbara and Lance

Barbara's POV:

Tonight is the big dance! The dance that all the girls in school have been talking about for weeks, the dance that EVERYONE has been preparing for, the dance that I will be attending with Lance!

Oh my! I am so full of nerves! This will be my first date ever and with Lance no less. I keep trying to remind myself that this is will be my part to repay Lance. It seems to calm my nerves for a short moment, but then they end up coming back.

I sigh deeply as my roommate, Lydia, is finishing up my hair.

Lydia has been my roommate ever since I came to this school. She welcomed me with open arms and helped make me feel comfortable here. She's quite perky and loves to talk, a lot! She will tell me endless stories about herself, her family, her favorite things, the vacations she's went on, the most embarrassing and greatest moments of her life, everything! I, sometimes, rarely ever get to talk when I'm with her, not that I usually do. But when I told her about Lance asking me to be his date for the dance, she exploded with squeals and screams. After a short while she finally stopped and then she dragged me into town where we went dress and shoe shopping for the dance.

I must admit she did a fine job with the makeup. And she's curling my hair with her curling iron, turning my locks of red hair into big, beautiful curls. But I'm afraid that not her makeup nor how curly she makes my hair is going to hide the fact that I am nervous.

Lydia heard my sigh and stops curling my hair, "What's wrong Barbara?"

"....I-I'm just really nervous about the dance," I confess to her.

"Are you nervous about all the girls at the dance who will go crazy over the furry students? Or are you nervous because Lance will be your date?" Lydia questions and continues to curl my hair.

"Because of Lance being my date, yes," I confirm, "I mean, going to the dance with him would help pay my debt to him as he said, but this will be my first date, I'm afraid of how things will turn out, especially between Lance and me."

Lydia stops curling my hair and turns me around, having me face her.

"I know exactly how you feel," She says to me.

"You do?" I question her, feeling curious about what she means by that.

"Yes. See, when I was 15 I went on my first date with this cute boy who was a student here at school, but then he and his family moved to England and he had to transfer to a fancy boarding school. Anyway, he asked me to go see a movie with him, and even though I said yes I was a total wreck! I wouldn't stop babbling, my hands were shaky, I was sweating a river, I was completely losing my mind. Then, my mom and older sister sat me down and told me that if I continue to be nervous and worry about everything nothing would go right on this date. So I asked them 'how do I calm down?', and they told me to take a couple of deep breaths, do some vocal exercises, and think to myself 'if I'm so nervous about this date, think about how nervous he must be'."

I think about her words as she turns me back around and finishes with my hair. From her story, she sounded as nervous as I am right now. And what her mother and sister told her does sound like good advice to give. So, I decided to try and do what she did. I close my eyes and take big deep breaths, recite some vocal exercises in my head, and think to myself 'if I'm nervous then Lance must be nervous as well'. And I repeat that line in my head over and over again.

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Everyone arrived at the grand ballroom of the school. All the girls are wearing beautiful gowns, and the boys are wearing dashing tuxes, and the ballroom was decorated with strung-up spring flowers, and music filled the room as the orchestra band played.