(with some help from S_Dasher)
The next morning, Dasher was first at the breakfast table, eating her cereal.
She was wide-awake too. Usually she took ages to come down, dragging her feet,
but today she was eager and waiting.
“Someone’s looking forward to school today,” said Wen. “Yeah, sure am. Well,
I better go, I’ve finished. Bye guys!”
She dashed out the door. The rest of her family sat staring after her except
Shell, who smiled knowingly. She whispered something to Su, who nodded briefly.
They both left the table.
“Well, everyone’s certainly acting weird this morning, Flo. What do you suppose…”
Florepa shrugged. “Venusian stuff, I guess. Nothing we’d understand.”
That day at school Dash and her friends were strolling through the gate when
a familiar figure walked calmly up to the group.
“Hey, Dash!”
“Oh, hi Par! These are my friends, Daine, Butter and Kai. Guys, this is Par.”
Buttersplotch, Kailaila and Daine, fighting their surprise, nodded hello.
“How’s things been?”
“Oh, great. My marks are pretty good too, lately.” He smiled. “Great.”
They were talking and laughing like old friends when an attractive spotted
Gelert female walked up to them and tapped Par with a delicate, slender paw.
“Par, we’ll be late for class.”
“Oh, hi, sweetie.” Par nudged her ear. “Dash, this is Flutter, my girlfriend.
Flutter, Dash.”
It was strange how quickly Dasher’s spirits dropped. One minute she had been
overjoyed to see Par again, but now a deep, piercing pang, had replaced the
initial warm tingle. “Oh, hi,” she said, sounding more cheerful than she felt.
Flutter smiled at her. “Hi. Now, Par, we really have to go.”
“Gotta go, Dash. Maybe I’ll see you later on.” Dasher nodded dumbly, watching
them walk off together. Well, that was it, then. Looking round, she saw her
friends gazing at her curiously. With a sigh, she told them the whole story.
That evening there was a visible change in Dasher. She was no longer cheery
and jaunty like usual. She hardly tasted her food. She just lay down, glumly,
on her bed. Finally, Shell and Su came into her room.
“Dash, suppose you tell us exactly what’s the matter with you.”
Dasher sighed. There was no getting out of it. “Okay, but only if it’s just
you both.”
Dear Diary,
He has a girlfriend. He Has A Girlfriend. I CANNOT believe how stupid I was,
falling for, or believing I fell for, a Gelert like that and then finding he
has a girlfriend. They’re really close too, I saw it. Well, I guess it was too
good to be true after all. I told Shell, Su and the girls though. They were
nice about it, but it doesn’t help much. Shell says I should be friends with
Par. I’ll do that. Will I ever find my one true Gelert?
Dash | 
