Back at the dorm…

Dale arrived at the dorm before Kelly. Upon entering he found Lauri in the living room.
Dale: Hey, Lauri.
Lauri: Oh, hi, Dale. I see you’re coming from the gym.
Dale: That’s right, and I’m desperate for a shower, but first I want to tell you I’m sorry you decided to go to Lucky Palms. I take it it’s because you and Kelly don’t get along, and I know she hasn’t apologized to you yet so…

Dale: I apologize on her behalf and beg you to reconsider your decision.
Lauri: Oh, please don’t, that’s absolutely not necessary. I didn’t expect Kelly to apologize, and much less you. None of this is your fault, Dale.

Kelly: (Entering the room) Dale? Honey, do you have a minute?

Lauri is startled, Kelly’s appearance has caught her completely off base; Dale seems surprised too, he didn’t even hear her arrive. Where did she come from? The kitchen door, probably.

Anyway, Kelly wants to talk to Dale; Lauri’s learned not to pry, so she walks away from him right away, but Dale’s attention is still on her.
Dale: Lauri, please think carefully what you’re going to do, okay?
Lauri: There’s nothing left to think about, I’ve already made my decision.

Kelly: (Getting impatient) Dale? Hello? I’m here. Didn’t you hear me?
(Apparently, not, because Dale isn’t answering her).

Lauri: Well, I guess I’d better make myself scarce. Good luck, Dale, and thanks for the apology.
Dale: No problem.

Dale: (To Kelly) You don’t have to yell, just tell me tell me what’s going on.
Kelly: I’m asking you the same thing.
Dale: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Kelly: Well, first you were acting weird back at the cafe. And when I talked to you earlier you just… ignored me.

Lauri stops dead in her tracks. Kelly’s right, Dale is acting weird. And that sudden exit to the gym… She understands it’s none of her business, but since Sarah’s not around, maybe she should stay a while to make sure everything’s okay.
Dale: I didn’t ignore you, I heard you. You, you asked me if I had a minute, right?
Kelly: Yes, because we need to talk.
Dale: And we will, but it’ll have to be tomorrow, right now all I want is a shower and a nap.

Kelly: But I need us to talk now. Something’s not right with you and I want to know what it is!

Dale: Like I said, we’ll take care of that tomorrow. Now excuse me, my phone is ringing, I gotta take this.

Dale: (On phone) Hello?
Kelly can’t take it anymore; she exits the living room visibly upset and on the verge of tears. Lauri can’t believe it. It’s official now Dale’s being a total jerk. Sarah was right, there’s definitely trouble in paradise.

Dale: What? No, I don’t feel like going to a party right now… I can’t give you a ride there either, just call someone else, okay? … No, I’m not a nerd, I’m just… What part of “I have a girlfriend” you don’t understand? No, I’m not in an open relationship right now, that’s in the past. You know what, Carol? I’m tired, hungry, and in need of a shower, so I gotta go. Bye.

Lauri: Carol Chen? Really? Was it her you met at the gym?
Dale: Excuse me, but it’s none of your business.
Lauri: Sure… Well, forgive me too, but if it bothers you so much that Kelly attracts the stares of her fans, you shouldn’t ignore her like you did. A guy could come along who treats her better. Just saying.
Dale: Thanks for the advice, but again…
Lauri: “None of my business,” fine. Your problem. Good evening, Dale.

Lauri never thought she’d say something like that to her precious Dale, or speak up for Kelly, but…
Lauri: One, girl-to-girl solidarity comes first. Two, if he’s going to be an a**ole to his girlfriend every time someone dares to look at her, he’s definitely not a good match¨, maybe not even for Kelly.

ABOUT AN HOUR LATER…

Dale didn’t follow Lauri’s advice and left Kelly alone cause he was dead tired, so he took a shower and went to bed early. Kelly stayed out in the backyard to try to clear her mind in front of the fire pit. There she received the visit from one of the fans she had talked to at the cafe. She said her name was Jill, and she apologized for visiting the dorm at that time of the evening.

Kelly: That’s okay, it doesn’t bother me, plus everyone else is already asleep, so…
Jill: Thanks, I won’t be staying long, I was just curious to see your dorm, I heard it’s the coolest on campus.
Kelly: Well, it’s just a regular house. And actually, it’s not mine, I share it with my boyfriend and two roomies.
Jill: I see… But how come you’re not sleeping too? You must be exhausted after talking to so many people.
Kelly: I am. I just have a lot on my mind.

Jill: Really? What worries can a successful supermodel like you have?
Kelly: (Chuckles) First, I’m not a supermodel… yet. And second, believe it or not, models have worries too.
Jill: You’re right. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I admire you. I want to be a model too someday. I mean, when I finish my career, cause I still have a few years to go.

Kelly: Well, when you do, look me up in Bridgeport, I’m sure I’ll be famous by then, maybe I can give you a hand.
Jill: Oh, thank you, that’s very sweet of you.
Kelly: I mean it, here’s my number, call me when you’ve graduated.
Jill: Thanks again, Kelly. Well, I should be going now. It was nice meeting you.
Kelly: It was nice meeting you too, Jill.

Jill left in a hurry, partly because of the time, partly because it’s starting to get cold. Kelly is left thinking. This is the first female friend she’s made on campus, meaning someone who’s on the same page as her and, most importantly, someone who is not after Dale.

Dale. He should be fast asleep by now; he looked genuinely tired.
Maybe it was better that they didn’t talk yet, they both need to calm down and think. Maybe tomorrow they can figure out where they’re going wrong and fix it. For now, the best thing to do is try to get some rest.

She doesn’t hold a grudge against Dale, all she wants is to hear him say everything’s okay. However, somewhere deep inside, she’s still concerned about a couple things: What apology was Lauri talking about, and more importantly, who was calling Dale on the phone that he was so eager to answer? Was it the same person he met at the gym? And so, Kelly’s head starts spinning again…

Lauri’s head, on the other hand, is clearer than ever.
Lauri: Apologies, huh? Well, you can keep them. Settle your problems with your girlfriend and leave me out of it… As far as I’m concerned, I’m out of the competition.

And so concludes Saturday night at the Cho Dorm.

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