Be brave, Aria. You can do anything you set your mind to. "Hello...Earth to Aria!" Quincy clapped trying to get her attention. Aria Caldwell was physically choreographing her third routine for the day, but mentally she was checked out trying to subdue the ever-growing anxiety about August.

June was halfway over and she still had so many things to get done before moving to Austin for school. "Yes...yes...what?" Aria laughed, as she finished a pirouette. "Girl, you are gone! You're heading off to the capital, so I know you think you're the Queen and we're the sorry people, but you still have work here with us peasants!" He pouted.

She was going to miss her summer lover. That's what he liked to call himself, even though Quincy was loud, proud and flamingly gay. She, Quincy and Deja, their summer mistress, had all been friends for the past 4 years, but it seemed like they'd known each other forever.

"She isn't MY Queen," Deja shouted from beside the stereo. "Yo soy mi propia reina!" She beamed as she practiced a round of high kicks. They grew closer with each summer despite going to rival high schools. They had weekly dinners and sleepovers that would no longer happen now that she was moving to Austin.

"You still have ALL of July to get it all together! Quit worrying, chica!" Deja warned as if she could read her mind. "You'll get wrinkles and then no hot college guy will want you!" Aria stared blankly at her. The thought of a hot college guy hardly ever crossed her mind. She didn't get to be that girl.

As the oldest of three, Aria had responsibilities that didn't include dating. Her father was gone. Her mother worked two jobs to make ends meet and her twin brothers were starting school at the new charter in August. Aria didn't get the guy, because she was too busy studying or working.

She was the city of San Antonio's dance instructor, baby sitter, dog walker, house sitter, church volunteer, and jack-of-all-trades. Aria did take pride in her ability to use her talents to help provide for her family.

She wasn't so proud of her love life, or really lack thereof. The fact that she had never had a boyfriend and that her V-card was still intact was appalling to Quincy and Deja. Her first kiss was Richard Matthews at one of her dance camps. He taught her everything she knew and always commented on how great of a kisser she was.

She didn't mind being his beard so that the other kids would stop bullying him and bought the lie that she was his girlfriend. There was no attraction – just practice. What good did the practice do if you never used it? You haven't kissed anyone since then and that was over two years ago! Aria shivered at the realization.

College wasn't going to be much different from high school for her. Aria was there to study, get exceptional grades, and become the best dance student in the program. It was this same academic tenacity and ridiculously strong ability to fight off blossoming hormones that got her a full scholarship to Texas University.

She was the first person in her family to go to college and she wasn't going to let her mom or brothers down. The dance program was nationally ranked and aggressively rigorous. Each year about fifty students were accepted into the program as high school seniors.

Of those selected, five to ten would be given the opportunity to audition for the legendary Madame Boudreaux and join her elite dance team. Aria had been selected and was going to do everything in her power to make the cut.

"Girl, now you know damn well Aria ain't worried about no boys!" Quincy stated matter of fact snapping her back to reality. "She's going to be a nun, despite the fact that she's NOT Catholic. Heck, that or become a cat lady!" Her silent smile quickly turned into a loud tremor. Deja and Quincy laughed aloud as they watched the mental picture form in her mind.

"You see, Aria! That is your fate if you don't loosen up! Escúchame!" Deja sighed. Aria wanted to. She secretly wished at times that she could be more outgoing, wild and free like Quincy and Deja. She envied their carefree personalities and reveled in their recaps of parties, hot sex and roller-coaster relationships. But that wasn't her – she knew it and they knew it. It could be you! She stifled the laugh forming at the very thought of her being anything besides a shy, silent wallflower.

"Y'all quit worrying unnecessarily about me! I should be harping on you two for betraying me and not applying to Texas U with me." Deja and Quincy weren't ready to leave the nest. Aria couldn't blame them. They both had wonderful homes, great families and stability.

I wouldn't leave either if I were in their shoes. Instead, they applied to the Harris College in San Antonio with plans to commute. It was a great plan if you wanted to stay, but Aria had every intention of leaving San Antonio and only look back during the holidays.

"Girl, please! Even if Deja and I wanted to leave there is no way our grades would have gotten us into the bourgeois Texas U." Quincy huffed sweeping his bangs from his face. "I should have tried," Deja sighed joining them on the floor to stretch. "Lord knows what fashion faux pas Aria will make without me present!"

Aria rolled her eyes as they prepared for their first dance session. "I'm going to be fine! I am taking Austin by the horns – you'll see!" Aria liked the false sense of confidence in her voice, but knew they could see through it. "Horns? Girl, forget horns! Grab Austin, Taylor and Jacob by the balls!" Quincy shouted as he gyrated his hips while in a split.

They were a part of the Dance Officer staff for the city's summer and winter camps. Aria had been on the main staff for four years and to date was the youngest member to ever make it. This was Quincy and Deja's third year and she couldn't have been more delighted.

Coach Santiago, the camps Dance Director, loved them because of their creativity, nocturnal natures and ability to improvise. During the summer, they had more needy campers in comparison to the shorter winter camps. The summer camps consisted of 8th grade to junior campers who consistently loved to see how many rules they could break on a daily basis.

It was 7:45 in the morning and they had already moved two campers due to noise complaints, cleaned up vomit in the hallway and broke up a drunken argument in the lobby by two chaperones. They signed up to just teach dance, but they learned early that their responsibilities entailed so much more.

"I guess I just wonder what life will be like there. I mean, it's just going to be so different," Aria sighed. "That doesn't mean it's going to be bad, Aria. Different doesn't have to be a negative thing." Deja looked intently at Aria. "I would kill to be going to Austin!" Aria looked at her friend and laughed. "Yeah, but Deja you want to come to Texas U for the parties and boys!"

Quincy cleared his throat as he walked over to his dance bag, "...so do I!" They laughed at one another. "You're going to do great, Ari! I know you are! You have so many amazing solos prepared for your audition that you'll be a shoe in." She smiled widely. "In fact, D and I will go on a quick visit with you just to warm you up to life as a college student!" Quincy grinned as he fanned an open envelope in his hands.

"What is that, Quincy?" Aria asked suspiciously. "Oh this old thing...nothing really...just an invitation to Fish Fest and we're all going!" Deja clapped her hands excitedly. "I'm so ready to go!!!" Aria was thoroughly confused. "What is Fish Fest?"

Quincy looked at his friend and sighed. "I honestly don't know how you've managed to stay alive for so long!" Quincy handed Aria the envelope that was clearly addressed to her and resumed stretching. Aria couldn't believe what she was reading:

Dear Aria,

My name is Megan Rhodes and I, along with the Freshman Orientation team, would like to congratulate you again on becoming a Texas University Warrior.

We know that you're excited to start your academic career here at Texas U, but we want to give you an opportunity to learn more about the extracurricular activities and traditions we have here on campus.

Saturday, June 12th to Sunday, June 20th we will be hosting activities and sessions listed in the accompanying pamphlet. Please look through each one and come ready to dive further into the Fish Fest events.

I look forward to meeting and welcoming you, family and friends to your new home.

Sincerely,

Megan Rhodes

Freshman Advisor

By the time Aria looked up she saw two Cheshire cat smiles staring back at her. "What is happening?" She questioned more afraid of the answer. "Oh you know what's happening!" Quincy laughed menacingly.

Whether he did it on purpose or not was still up for debate. "This Saturday is June 12th and we are heading to Austin with you for Fish Fest!" Deja squealed happily. She was so ready to be relinquished of this secret that thanks to the postmark on the envelope she had kept for over a month.

"How did you even get the envelope, Quincy?" Aria was still confused by the whole thing and trying to keep a lid on her bubbling anxiety. "Ma'am, I'm going to need you to keep up! It was mailed to the hotel and I just happened to find it accidently. Don't you worry your pretty little head, Ari! Deja has the brush and flat iron. Mama's got you packed and ready to go! We just need to get through the next two days and we will be on our way." Aria was in denial.

"On our way to where?" She had to have been, because that was the only reasonable explanation for her lack of understanding. "We...are...going...to...Fish...Fest. Do NOT try and argue! Do NOT try and fight it! It's happening and as soon as our substitutes Rogelio, Ana and Mark get here for the 6am session Saturday morning we are loading up Hermes and hitting the road!"

Quincy huffed clearly exhausted from having to spell out his master plan. Hermes was Quincy's bright red Acura TSX. That car had been Aria's bed on wheels and fellow witness to many a foolish nights with Deja and Quincy.

As she began to process what was happening she looked up towards the wall. The entire dance room was covered from top to bottom in wall-sized mirrors. Quincy played with her hair as he talked about the outfit options he had picked out for her.

They clearly had been planning this for a while. "Remember sweetie, the goal isn't to find a hot college boy. The goal is for you to go to Austin feeling confident and comfortable." Quincy smiled as he tugged her thick, long black hair back into a ponytail. "You two are insane!" Aria sighed resting into her middle split. What were they thinking? I can't just up and go like I don't have responsibilities.

"There you go overthinking, muchacha!" Deja helped Aria up."This is going to be awesome. You should think of it as just another SA Trio adventure." I am, which is why I'm so worried. "Guys,I think it's very sweet, but I wish you had told me about this. You know I can't just leave mom and the boys to fend for themselves for over a week."

Deja and Quincy gave each other a knowing look that told Aria everything."They know!" She shrieked in shock as the first class began to file in. "I'm going to kill all of you," she muttered through clenched teeth.