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"What was that for?" Natalie asked while rubbing her eyes after getting splashed by Cameron. Cam just grinned and dove back into the water, coming up for air about ten feet away. She thought about going after him, but was distracted as Bianca gracefully swam past her. Devon was standing close to Trevor who was trying to get Demetra into the pool.

Cameron suddenly appeared next to Devon and splashed him. "Water fight!" Devon declared. Natalie swam a little closer so she could be a part of the fight. Water was being flung everywhere. A wave of water went over the edge and landed on Demetra, drenching her fashion magazine.

"You did not just do that!" Within seconds, Demetra was in the pool, splashing with everyone else.

It started to get dark and chilly. Everyone was now sitting on their towels in the grass outside of the pool gates. They were discussing where their dorms were.

"Really? I have Air-2 too!" Natalie exclaimed.

"Oh my god! That is so cool. I thought for sure I would be stuck with some loser,” Bianca jumped up and hugged Natalie.

Natalie looked down at her watch and saw that it was almost eight o’clock. “I totally forget to call my mom to tell her I made it here alright.” She reached into her pockets to get her cell phone, but it wasn’t there. “Crap! I must have left my phone in my jeans when I went up to change.

“Do you want me to go back with you to get it?” Bianca asked.

“That would be awesome,” The two girls jumped up and walked to their room. When they got to the room, Natalie took the key off her neck and unlocked the door.

“Wow! That is so cool,” Bianca was admiring the necklace that Natalie had left in the door.

“Thanks,” Natalie was holding a pair of jeans and searching the pockets, “Found it!” Natalie dialed her mom’s number. It rang, but her mom didn’t pick up. She closed the phone and sat on the bed.

Bianca realized Natalie had not been able to talk to her mom and sat on the bed next to her, “Maybe she is asleep?”

“Or maybe she is to busy to talk to her only daughter, like she was to busy to tell her goodbye when she left this morning,” Natalie started to cry as she remembered how heartbroken she had felt when she came down the stairs that morning and her mother was gone.

“I am so sorry Natalie,” Bianca hugged her. “Do you want me to leave you alone for awhile?”

Natalie just nodded and lay down on the bed. Bianca put the necklace on the table and left. Natalie continued to cry until she was asleep.

Bianca came back into the room a couple of hours later. She took Natalie’s blanket, which was at the end of the bed and laid it across her. Bianca changed into pajamas and climbed into bed. She quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Natalie woke up to the growling of her stomach. She sat up and looked at Bianca’s bed. She wasn’t there. Natalie quickly got dressed and raced to the cafeteria. When she walked through the door, she saw Bianca getting in line.

“Hey Bee,” Natalie said as she took a place behind her.

Bianca turned around to face Natalie, “Oh. You’re awake. I would have waited for you, but I didn’t know how long you would be.”

“It’s cool.”

“So what are you going to do today?”

“I was thinking about going shopping or something in town. Do you want to come with?” Natalie secretly hoped Bianca would come even though she didn’t make it sound that way. Natalie hated shopping by herself and still didn’t know if Bianca was really her friend, or if she was just being nice.

“Of course! Never pass up a good shopping trip!” Bianca looked truly excited, so Natalie figured she really had accepted her.

They got their good and sat at the same table that Natalie had before. When they were finished eating, Natalie called Ian. Ian picked up the phone on the third ring. “Ciao Natalie!”

“Ciao. My friend Bianca and I need a ride to go shopping. Be outside the building in ten minutes?”

“Okay Miss Natalie.” She hung up the phone and raced up the stairs after Bianca to get her purse.

Natalie and Bianca walked down the street. “Hey! Let’s go in that one,” Bianca said, pointing to the little boutique called Vivere. They went inside and Bianca asked, “So do you like?”

“Are you kidding? I love,” Natalie smiled as she ran her hand against a silky dress.

“This is my favorite store on the plaza,” Bianca said. They shopped for the next couple of hours, going in boutiques such as Ridere and Amore. While they were in Amore, Natalie’s phone vibrated.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw that it was her father, “Ciao papa.”

“Natalie! I need to talk to you,” She thought he sounded almost as if her were crying, but her dad never cried. “I will be at your new school in a little bit.”

“Okay papa,” She clicked off the phone and went to find Bianca. “Bee, we have to go back to the school. My father needs to talk to me.”

Ian pulled up to the front of Amore and the girls quickly got in. Natalie’s thoughts raced on the way back to the school, “Why does he need to talk to me? Why isn’t he in Japan anymore? It must be important, for him to leave. He never does that.”

Bianca and Natalie didn’t talk the whole ride back to the school. When they got back, Bianca quickly disappeared, sensing that Natalie would want to be alone. Natalie paced they main hall, waiting for her father. When he finally showed up, he went straight to the office. Natalie sat at the bottom of the steps, waiting for him to come out.

Natalie’s father and the headmaster came out of the office ten minutes later. Natalie jumped up and followed them. The headmaster led them to an empty classroom and left. “Ciao Natalie,” Mr. Lombardi said, closing the door.

Natalie couldn’t take it anymore. She ran to her father and hugged him. When she stepped back, she saw that his face was filled with sorrow. “Papa, what is wrong?”