alana

        HER BROW SHOT up almost instantly at the declaration to not move, stopping in her tracks as she watched the woman scramble on the ground, everything suddenly making sense as she gathered up the papers and then she let out a little laugh, “all of that for some papers?” indy asked curiously, she’d stopped by the area to pick up her little brother’s backpack, he was home with a small cold and she furrowed her brows together, “well, luckily, you’re exactly who i was looking for…i’m rico’s older sister, he left his backpack here the other day when he had to go home early?”

Hands quickly reach to smooth out her hair back into those perfect curls. With a sigh and a smile, Alana folds the paper a second time and tucks it in a tiny pocket of her purse. “A very important paper”, the woman explains without really looking. That is until the other explains her own tale and suddenly Alana’s eyes are on the woman with the pretty hair, a hint of surprise on her face, “Oh!” Alana exclaims, her smile growing slightly and her eyes sparkling up a bit. “Of course, hi...” Eyes narrow for a bit as she tries to work her memory– “Indiana, right?” The name rolls out of her tongue a bit slow, a bit uncertain. “Let me get it for you, unless... you want to come in with me?”

laurel could sense that she’d hit a nerve, the change in expression, the way the woman carefully tucked it back into her wallet so it didn’t crease or get damaged. she couldn’t fathom why a construction paper heart could be that important, but she sighed. “right, sorry, totally didn’t mean it. i’m sure your kid is like, super talented, i just don’t get art so i was confused for a sec. very abstract,” she said, without a hint of genuine emotion in her voice.

A contained roll of eyes, if you’re ever seen one... or maybe it’s better described as discreet, or more to herself than anything. ‘That’s not the point’, she wants to state back, but what would be the point of that really? “Right... It’s fine um... thanks anyway, I’m sorry I interrupted your day”. Alana offers a tight smile and a nod.

  her lips twitched in the slightest by the response she seemed to have received, either from her words or looks it was amusing none the less. “a bit yeah, especially being a lady only can imagine what things people scream ‘freeze’ certainly was a surprise.” clarifying with a glance to the paper, “love letter?” jesting to the darker haired woman.

An apologetic smile follows, but Alana can’t help but giggle a bit at the other’s assumption. “Of sorts”, she answers with a tilt of her head. Fingers twist so the tiny pink hard drawn with crayon and the words “for mis halana” face Pandora. “Written by an eight year old”, Alana explains, yet a moment of silence follows as she reflects a bit on the word ‘freeze’ and the little show she’d put on just a minute ago. Cheeks turn a shade of pink as she says, “Really nothing scandalous”.

the way she hesitates before moving makes the secrecy of the paper that much more intriguing. what exactly was on it that had her thinking on whether or not it was something she could show? he follows her with his gaze carefully as she steps forward, eyes falling back onto the paper as she unfolds it to reveal the penmanship of a child. completely anticlimactic. though he refrains from making such comment. after all, he is a gentleman and must act as such, despite how unimpressed he actually is. “how delightful,” he smiles, charming eyes twinkling down at her, “i’m guessing that’s going on a fridge somewhere?”

she didn’t want to be mean, really, she didn’t. it tended to escape her in fits and spurts. even knowing that it was done by an eight year old with a heart of gold, laurel still wrinkled her nose in distaste. “um, i’m pretty sure you could have just let it go. don’t kids like, sneeze out a billion of these things a day? no offense, but it’s kinda deformed.”

Alana is genuinely hurt now. She can feel her heart shrink a little as she folds back the piece of paper and blindly pats for her wallet safely kept in a black vegan-leather purse. Her smile fades and transforms into a thin line with disappointment written all over it. She could’ve explained how it was given to her by the cute little girl who sits in the back every day and speaks to no one at all and that this little heart right here is basically the only thing she’s ever communicated with her for the entire semester... but the woman in front is clearly not worthy of that precious information. “Well I didn’t. Thank you for keeping it from flying away, it’s important to me”. Alana states way less cheerfully as she places the heart in her wallet.

a small chuckle leaves his lips as he places drops his phone back into the pocket of blazer, eyes focused on the girl in front of him as his gaze drops to the piece of paper in her hands. “guess it’s your lucky day then,” he answers, “may i ask what this is anyway?” normally he wouldn’t be curious but considering how important that piece of paper seems to her, he can’t help but wonder.

   she almost held her hands up at the sound of ‘freeze’ but oddly enough they stuck by her side, perhaps there was something dangerous ahead she missed. however the darker haired woman suddenly popped up and ‘thanked’ her of all things earning an odd gaze from panda. “did you know freeze holds the same power as fire in a public space?”

Busy unfolding the tiny piece of paper in her hands, Alana smiles to herself while the other one speaks.... and then her eyes finally meet the other with an open mouth and a loss for words. “Oh...” The woman reflects on it an extra second before pressing her lips together, “I didn’t even think about it, did I scare you?”

laurel looked down, where a girl was plucking a piece of paper from under her boot where she’d trapped it when she’d seen it flying past. “uh, you’re welcome?” she said, watching with arched eyebrows, judgment written all over her face. “that shit better have the secret to eternal life or kfc’s secret 11 herbs and spices on it, ‘cause you’re making a scene.”

Alana meets an all too familiar expression -mostly found in her own reflection– and gives it a soft smile. She might have gone for a classic roll of eyes to fight that look with a little judging of her own, but the other did advice against a scene. “Just a little spice for your day” Alana shurgs, “presented by an eight year old with a heart of gold”. She unfolds the piece to display the tiny hard drawn into the paper and the words “for mis halana” written on the bottom.

The girls were in the mood to make a very specific type of cookies tonight and of course, they were freshly out of half of the ingredients to make them. So, there she was, at the packed store filled with people who had no idea how to push their carts without running into other people. It was taking everything in her not to scream “move”.  The blonde glances over to the woman who seemed relieved to have found her list.  “Looks like I wasn’t the one who came here at probably the worst fuckin’ time, huh?” she sighs, putting her hands in the pockets of her leather cut. 

Alana bites down on her bottom lip and looks around. Multicolored chaos surrounds them and for a second she thinks it’s almost pretty... and then an elbow hits her side and a mumbled “sorry” follows. “My mom always recommends to do groceries at a very specific time on a very specific day”, she tells the other one, “And I never do because I never pay attention when she does... this is my penance, I’m sorry it’s also yours”.

the voice catches him off guard , he’s too preoccupied with sending the email back to his associate to pay attention to what’s happening in front of him. furrowed brows look up in confusion at the woman. a calculated reaction as he offers a charming smile accompanied by a small nod. “i wouldn’t say i did but much you’re welcome.”

Her eyes are set on the piece of paper, as she unfolds it one can see the warmth and love in her eyes, a tiny smile is the automatic response to the little pink heart carefully drawn in her hands. Upon the man’s words, her gaze sets on him, “Well you didn’t step on this”, she says, holding up the paper in between her fingers, “that’s more than enough”.

be careful around ALANA GREEN (laura harrier)!! she might look innocent, but they’ve HAVE BEEN IN TOWN FOR 8 YEARS. people say she’s CARING & DEPENDABLE but can be a bit JUDGEMENTAL. if you want to find out for yourself, you can find the 27 YEAR OLD working at the elementary school as a science teacher or hanging around LOOSE LEAF or HALF MOON  TATTOO. upon getting to know them, you’ll realize they remind you of COMO ACABA by ELSA Y ELMAR.