"So her name is Puck then? Like in, Musicals Arts?" Nicole glanced over at Dustin.

Dustin nodded, "Mhm!" He was casually strolling down the hallways of school with Nicole, heading to their shared sixth period class. Nicole was fairly tall, nearly an inch above Dustin, and Dustin himself was above average height. She had gold hair that fell down just a few inches past her shoulders and bounced as curls in front of her, her hair tucked behind her ear on the right.

"Do you know any classes that she's in?" Nicole adjusted her grip on her backpack straps as the two made their way up the crowded staircase of the Highschool.

Dustin took a breath to answer but then let out a huff of defeat, "..No..."

"Alright, well you said you don't have her number, do you even know if she's back at school yet?"

"She has to be!" Dustin paused, "I mean...right? She woke up earlier than me and hardly had as many wounds." He glanced down at his bandaged hand, "So she probably got dismissed, don't ya' think?"

Nicole shrugged, "'Dunno, that could be a possibility- or she was totally fooling you, Dust."

"Sh-She wouldn't do that- she's not that kind of person I don't think." Dustin frowned.

"Dusty. You knew her for just over a day- you can't say you actually know her." Nicole looked over to see Dustin fiddling with the hem of his jacket.

"I know but...nobody would do that..." Dustin murmured.

Nicole put a hand on his shoulder, "I hate to say it, bud...but yes, yes they would."

Dustin sighed, "I suppose...but-" Dustin stopped mid step, "Wait!" A smile broke into his frown, "She's in the afterschool play!"

Nicole nodded, "Yeah, that's a possibility- but let's get out of the way of-"

"Move it tall-ass!" A jeering voice shoved Nicole into Dustin, causing the both of them to slam into the lockers that bordered the hallway.

Dustin yelped, "N-Nicole! You're kinda' c-crushing me!" He managed to squeak out.

Nicole shook her head out of a daze to notice she was practically pinning Dustin against the locker with her back, she hastily leapt forward, "Ah shit man, sorry." She winced at the pain in her left shoulder from where it hit Dustin.

Meanwhile, Dustin was rubbing his cheek where Nicole's shoulder hit him.

"Let's just get to class, you can meet your girlfriend after school." Nicole dragged Dustin forward by the collar of his jacket.

Dustin staggered forward and slapped at Nicole's hands until she released him, causing him to stumble a little bit before regaining his balance and catching up with Nicole, "Sh-She's not my girlfriend! Like you said, w-we've hardly known each other for more than a day- what are the chances of me getting together with a near stranger?" Dustin rolled his eyes.

"Ah you're right, I forgot, Jenna Rolland is your girlfriend." Nicole nodded.

"Ha! I wish!" Dustin chuckled a bit too loud, receiving some glares and murmurs, and earning himself a blushed up face.

"Need a microphone? Geez." Nicole giggled.

"Sh-Shut up!" Dustin's voice came out squeaky.

"Oh but you know it's true."

"Yeah right, she barely even knows I exist..." Dustin muttered.

"Doesn't she text you?"

"Yeah, when she needs gossip- she can't even remember my name for the most part!" Dustin crossed his arms with a huff.

"Hey, don't get so bent out of shape, at least your crush doesn't despise you." Nicole shook her head, "How was I supposed to know that that avocado pie would go bad in their locker over the weekend? I put it there on Friday for their birthday! They should have checked." Nicole furrowed her brow with a pout.

"Ah, the locker now know as Pico Di Gay-No." Dustin chuckled.

"Yeah and how's a girl supposed to know if someone else is gay, huh? She never said she wasn't gay. So obviously the pie is what any lover would do."

"Yet you're the first." Dustin winked at Nicole.

"Am not!" Nicole hissed, "It's a standard Highschool tradition to slip stuff in your crush's locker!"

"Yeah. Like notes. And chocolates on an actual holiday."

"It was her birthday!" Nicole raised her voice a little on accident.

"Actually, you got the date wrong, remember?" Dustin grinned.

"Shut up." Nicole rolled her eyes and slugged Dustin on the arm.

Dustin winced and rubbed his arm, "Ow!" He whined.

"Oh please. That wasn't even hard."

"Your definition of hard and my definition of hard are very different, Nicole."

"Yeah, because you're a guy." Nicole winked.

"Wha-" It took Dustin a moment before getting what she meant, and then punching her hard in the arm with a deeply reddened face, "Stop it with those-" Dustin paused, trying to dodge around the subject- "Those jokes!" He squeaked, "I don't like smut." Dustin cringed at the word.

"Pft, you're such a girl." Nicole rolled her eyes.

Dustin flinched with a frown.

"Er- I am too I guess- so that backfired." Nicole chuckled before coughing, "We're almost to class."

"You're horrible at insults." Dustin murmured before entering class.

"Are you sure about that?" Nicole huffed under her breath, then following him.

The two picked their seats next to each other, Nicole propping her feet up on the desk and leaning back in her chair, "So, what's your plan? Sprint like your life depends on it to find Jenna? Or moderately spring to find Puck?"

Dustin shifted back and forth in his chair, "That's...actually a good question..." He frowned, "I have been slowly edging into Jenna's crowd after school lately- I mean, they don't mind me hanging out with them and they barely even acknowledge my existence so I've got a pretty nice thing going here-" He took a breath for air, "But then again, I might be missing out on another potential friendship if I don't find Puck." Dustin groaned in defeat, pressing his cheek to the desk's surface.

"Ew, that things filthy." Nicole rolled her eyes but gave Dustin a genuine smile, whilst moving his cheek away from the dusty desk, "How about you go hang out with your crush and then go find Puck after the afterschool play rehearsal is over, that sound good?" Nicole suggested.

Dustin was quiet for a moment before nodding, "Actually...Nicole that's brilliant!" He grinned, "Thanks!"

Nicole smiled kindly, "What are your gal pals for?"