Lost in Another World: Origin Story Part 1

A Friendship Formed

Andrew and Penny couldn't remember life without each other. They had been friends since birth. Their parents met as young adults in the city of Arcadia, all four trying to find their way in life. Penny’s parents opened a small but successful restaurant and lived in a small apartment above it. Andrew's parents ran a handyman and interior design business. Andrew was born a month before Penny, and soon her parents had built-in babysitters; Penny spent many days at Andrew's house because his mom worked from home and the restaurant took a lot of her parents’ time.

As the two grew up, it became clear that Andrew had no rhythm and Penny needed coordination, so their parents put them in an after-school dance class. Andrew did find rhythm and a passion for music, so on top of the dance lessons, he took piano lessons. It did not work out as well for Penny; the girl had no grace in flats but put her in heels or point shoes and she could fly. Her teacher couldn't understand it. However, Penny loved the way all the costumes moved in the light, so she started working on her photography skills to take amazing photos of the dancers. She joined a photo club, and her dance teacher let her practice and used the photos that turned out well on the studios' social media pages.

As they grew, the two kids found that ballroom dancing was their favourite, and they started doing swing and waltz for the yearly showcase They had a trust and bond that made them great partners. They briefly thought about becoming a competitive team, but their music and photography took priority. So they worked out a deal with the studio: the two got a free dance class and a Saturday practice space in exchange for helping out. Whenever their teacher needed a duet for a showcase they were her go-to team. Everyone thought these two would end up in love; their families were close and even went on vacations together. It seemed that Andrew and Penny could read each other's minds; they moved as one and hardly needed to talk. There was a betting pool going for how old they would be when they started dating. That was until Trevor and Sophie showed up on the same day. That first day of school changed everything.

***

Penny and Andrew walked to school together. “I can’t believe we are about to walk into the high school as students!” Penny grabbed his arm and pointed to the building. “This is going to be the best year, I just know it!”

“I know, Pen! Just think - driver's licences, and maybe a date or two.” Andrew winked. Penny giggled and stole his hat that he was never seen without. After all, it was one of the best gifts Pen had gotten him.

“Whatever.” As they walked, Penny noticed two new students at the base of the ramp leading to the school. “Hey, look! I bet they're in our class. Let’s go say hi!”

She pulled Andrew over. “Hi! My name is Penny, and this is Andrew.”

Andrew took this chance to steal his hat back and waved to the new kids.

The boy smiled at her. “Hi Penny, Andrew. I’m Trevor, and I have just met Sophie this morning. Her father is my mother's newest business partner.”

Andrew gave them a once-over and noticed they came with some money. Trevor was wearing a loose-fitting blazer - what teen wears a nice blazer by choice?

“Girl, is that a camera bag I see on your hip?” Sophie grabbed Penny’s arm.

“Yeah!” Penny proudly showed off the small camera that Andrew had bought her a few years back; it allowed her to take better photos than she could on her cell phone, without having to carry her big expensive camera everywhere. “I’ve been shooting for years now. I even have a small business on the side!”

Andrew watched her with pride. Pen had gotten so bold over the years and he was glad to see her share her passion with others.

“This is great!” Sophie exclaimed. “I’m a bit of a designer. Would you like to work together sometime?”

Andrew had to admit - even if he knew nothing about fashion - if Sophie had made the outfit she was wearing, she had some skill.

“That depends…” Penny tapped her chin.

“On what?” Andrew watched as Sophie’s face fell.

“Are we friends? I love Andrew; he’s the best friend a girl could ask for…but a new girl friend would be great!” Penny smiled brightly.

Sophie’s face lit up. “Oh yes! I would love that!” The two girls hugged.

“Dude, did your best friend just replace you?” Trevor laughed and rested his elbow on Andrew's shoulder.

Andrew laughed. “You know what, my guy, I think she might have. You want to take her place?”

“Oh yeah, I do!” The two boys high-fived.

“Rude! I never said I was replacing you, just adding to our group!” Penny laughed. “What do you say, Sophie? Think we can all be friends?”

Sophie tapped her chin and looked at the two boys, who now put on dazzling smiles. “Yeah, I think we can.” She wrapped her arms around Penny, “I think this is the start of something amazing.”

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