Josh was sitting by his favorite tree at the lake, waiting for a friend of his. He had sent a note to her at breakfast asking to meet her at the lake. Not that Josh would have been entirely surprised if Sky had been planning on spending some time relaxing by the lake anyway, seeing as it was one of her favorite spots. How did Josh know this? Well, Sky was a good friend of his and her knew her habits. Even if she cared less about studying than him, they got along. Even if their tempers could be an issue at times.

Sky walked out of the castle headed towards the lake, she'd recieved a note this morning from Josh to meet him there.  She briefly wondered why, but then moved on to other thoughts, as it wasn't unusual to recieve a note at breakfast from a friend.  As the lake came into view she saw Josh there, "Hey Josh, what's up?" she asked him as she walked up to him. 

"Hi Sky." Josh replied, smiling at her. "Have you got anyone to go to the Yule Ball with yet?" Josh asked, he knew she didn't have anybody to go to the Ball with a week ago, when he had walked in on the end of a discussion between her and Fig about the Ball, however, he couldn't be sure she hadn't been asked since. Grabbing a stone, he skimmed it across the Lake, somewhat worried. If he didn't have someone to go to the Yule Ball with, he would look ridiculous, since the Champions were opening the dancing.

"Nope, I'm dateless, and according to my brother, it's a very bad thing." She grabbed a stone and tried to skip it across the lake, but it only fell with a large splash on the first time it hit the water.  "I don't know what the big deal is, I mean, for the champions it is, but for all of us lowly peasants," she said with a sarcastic grin, "It's just another excuse to dress up and dance."

She looked at him, "Why do you ask anyway, surely a stud like you would already of landed someone." she laughed at her own remark, Josh was a good friend and that was it.  She tried to be one of the boys most of the time, she liked being a tomboy, it was way more fun than worrying about make-up and crushes.

"Nope, I don't have anybody to go to the Ball with. I asked, because I was wondering if you'd go with me as friends?" Josh asked her, they both knew that there would never likely be anything romantic between them. Josh wasn't particularly attracted to tomboys, and their tempers... It would be a recipe for disaster. As good friends, they worked, even if Josh was far more studious than Sky. Josh wondered how Shade woudl react, though, considering he was overprotective to the point of ridiculousness.

Sky thought for a moment and then replied, "Sure, but I do have a question for you." she said as she finally successfully skipped a rock a few skips before it sunk beneath the water.  It was the best plan, really, to go as friends. "Are you sure you can put up with me for one whole night?" she gave him a wide grin, "Not many people can, are you up for it, overprotective twin and all?"

"Sky, we've been friends for six years now. Yes, I can handle you for a night. I doubt even Shade could cause too much trouble. Most he can really do is glare at me. " Josh said, grinning at Sky questioning if he could handle her. They both knew they got along, despite what most people would think, even if they could be polar opposites at times. " You've probably got a surprise lined up for people at the ball, so what is it? wearing a suit?" Josh said, half-joking. Though he did rather want to know, if for no other reason than making sure if ti was particularly good, he brought a camera.

Sky laughed out loud when she heard Josh ask if she was going to wear a suit, "No, but that would cause quite a stir wouldn't it?" she asked him as she turned to face him.  "Alright, you get to know, only cause I'm going with you.  But remember the talk about what I wore at the Halloween ball?" She paused to let him think if he remembered.[1] "My dress is bright pink and I'm not wearing heels, but pink boots to go with it, trust me, I'm going to look fabulous."

 She told him as she thought about the outfit, "Wanna see it?" she asked him, she'd had her mother take a picture of it and send it to her with the dress last week so she knew she would be ready for the ball should she decide to go.  She would show him the picture of her dress, but she wasn't entirely sure if he would be okay with her choice.  "You know me though, if you don't like it, well, it's too bad, I'm not going to change my mind." she said with a smile.

1.	I'm going to pretend that Sky went to the ball, even though I had just started here and Sky hadn't been created yet, but the talk was about how she didn't dress up as something ugy, horrific, or disfiguring like everyone thought she would, but dressed in this costume

"It would, it's why i suggested it." Josh said, smiling. "Sounds like it'll look good. Should get people talking, anyway." Josh said, smiling as he thought of people's reactions to Sky wearing a bright pink dress to the Yule Ball. "Yeah, I'd like to see the dress. " Josh said "As for changing your mind, I think that would be one of the signs of the apocalypse." Josh said teasingly. He personally doubted most people could get away with the joke.

Sky laughed when she heard him make the joke, "You're right, it would." she agreed with him.  Then she pulled the picture of her dress out of her back pocket and handed it to him, "That's the dress, I'm surprised I like it, it's kind of short for me." she mentioned as she thought back to the day she found it, "But the color is so ... so me.  I had to buy it." she told him.[1]

1.	I totally messed up her outfit, but let's just pretend she showed him the picture

Josh spent a couple of minutes looking at the dress. "Yeah, I can see what you mean. I couldn't see, say, Sophie Flitwick wearing it, but it looks like it'd suit you." Josh said, still amused at the thought of what people's reactions to the dress would be. Sky was known for doing her own thing, and this'd be a prime example.

"Well, now that we got that all worked out, I really must go and annoy my brother, I've been slacking off on that lately." she told him and with a wave goodbye she headed back into the castle, wondering what most people would think to see her in a short dress for the Yule Ball.