Ashly had found her way over to the empty bunk and was now tugging at the bag Laren had unceremoniously dumped there earlier.

"Hey, aren't you going to unpack?" she asked.

"Sure, but..." Lauren looked over to the other bunk. The bed had been neatly made up with the inevitable grey blanket and pulled taut. There wasn't a thing there. There wasn't a poster or a knicknack or even an alarm clock on the small ledge above it. 

"What about you?"

Ashly looked startled for a second. "Oh... but I HAVE unpacked."

Laren confused, didn't know what to say. If Ashly had already unpacked where was the stuff she'd brought? Laren felt suddenly weird about spreading her things out in front of her new roomie. In her experience, girls as stunningly beautiful as Ashly usually had at least a picture of a boyfriend or something up. But there was nothing. It didn't make things easier for Laren.

Ashly was looking at her with a half-quizzical smile. 

"Do you want me to help?" 

"Oh no... its just, I'm a little embarassed," said Laren. "But its okay. I'll get used to things I guess." She walked resolutely over to the bag on the bed. Ashly leaned over curiously poking her long thin fingers at the bag's zipper.

"Ewwwewweee", she squealed as Laren opened it up and lifted out the stuffed white polar bear she had put carefully on the top of her things.

"Ewwweeweee", Ashly repeated.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, they'll NEVER let you keep that!"

"What do you mean? Who?" asked Laren, suddenly realizing how nervous she really was. For a split second she wished she'd never left her parents and her whole world behind to come to this strange place. She hugged Mr.Biggles the polar bear she'd been given for Christmas when she was twelve tightly to her chest. She looked anxiously over at Ashly.

"The guard said you'd tell me the rules... but I never thought Mr. Biggles would be a problem." 

"Oh yes," giggled Ashly yet again. She was busy twining her long-black hair between her fingers as she looked impishly at Laren.

"Which rules do you want? THEIRS..." She raised her eyebrow sternly. "Or..." she said, suddenly bright and full of laughter, "OURS?"



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