(Untitled)

[hadyougoing]

All right.

Ava has jeans, sneakers, her favorite cami-and-cute-jacket combo, and she has brushed her hair

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[not_lugosi]

Bela comes down the stairs in one of her favorite outfits. It does not include jeans or sneakers, but she doesn't judge. Much.

That's what the shopping trip is for!

"Morning," she says, taller than usual in her Louboutin slingbacks. "Let me get some coffee, and I'll be ready to go."

She waves down a waitrat, and then notices Ava's occasional smile. "So what's up with you?"

[hadyougoing]

"Oh, Bela! Nice shoes," Ava says dreamily.

Then she blinks.

"What's up with me?" she repeats. "Not a lot! I'm excited for shopping!"

A beat.

She glances from left to right.

"And ... umm. After you left last night ..."

[not_lugosi]

"Yeah?"

Ava's been shifty a lot lately. Bela finds that to be an admirable trait.

"What happened?"

The waitrat brings her a blessedly hot and caffeinated latte. She sips it with content and waits for Ava to stop being shifty.

[hadyougoing]

Ava smiles as she picks at her pancake. It's the kind of smile that puts one in mind of adjectives like 'glowing.'

"It's not a big deal," she says.

"But, um. Saw the boy again."