heaven, sin;

"Good girl." Blair started walking, not waiting for Kati to catch up. "Where’s Hazel? I’m surprised she isn’t hanging on your hip."

Kati happily trailed behind, quickening her pace to match Blair's. Smiling as Hazel is brought up, she shrugs her shoulders. "We have lives outside of each other." Kati quickly retorts playfully before thinking that maybe it wasn't the smartest move to be answering Blair with playful retorts. "I think she's busy unpacking," Kati lies easily, the truth being she hasn't spoken to Hazel since they both departed for their trips. 

“I know what you mean - but there’s only so much time a girl can take with her parents." Italy had been a dream. If only she had been accompanied by someone other than her parents, Hazel would’ve certainly spent more time overseas. But just as things seemed to be perfect, her father decided to return to who he really was, returning late from the hotel’s bar, completely drunk and aggressive. She couldn’t take it anymore, so she returned, leaving them behind. And, her mother, forgiving, decided to remain there for three more weeks. "My trip was amazing!" She lied, bubbly. As much as Kati knew about everything, it was a subject she hated bringing up to the surface - it was painful to talk about all that. "But even the beaches can bore me - you know how I am, I need new adventures." Playfully, she nudged her friend with her shoulder. 

Kati listened carefully to what Hazel relayed to her, forcing a smile as she listened to her comment about spending too much time with parents -- Kati only wished her parents wanted to spend time with her. Laughing, she nodded her head along to the statement, appearing to agree with what Hazel said. Of course Hazel would say something like that, while Kati's parents were absentee, Hazel had her own stack of family problems. Beaming, she smiled as she heard that the trip was amazing. Her best friend deserved that, an amazing trip. Kati was dying to hear every detail with it, opening her mouth to demand that Hazel tell her every detail but Hazel was already moving on. Rolling her eyes, she playfully nudged Hazel back. "Your thirst for adventures never ceases to amaze me." Kati told her, rolling her eyes in a playful and friendly manner. Too soon had Hazel wanted to move on from games when they were younger because she tired of them too easily. Kati on the other hand didn't feel the need for adventure, she craved it sometimes but she was also perfectly content in doing simple things she had done a thousand times before. "Beaches bore you?" Kati injected with a faux gasp, a giggle soon escaping her lips as she looked over at Hazel. "So, what was so amazing about this trip?" She asks, ready to lose herself in somebody else's story of fun. 

Nothing suits New York better than Christmas, I don’t know why anyone would choose this month to vacation.

Nothing suits Christmas better than New York, either. I took a short trip at the start of the month and only just returned, sometimes the cold gets to be too much, you know? 

Because, by the looks of it you’re probably still in high school and normally girls in high school don’t really care about anything having to do with culture or science. 

Okay, yeah, I guess that's true. So are you going to explain to me what Cultural Science is, already?

"I got this, we’re fine," a tipsy Olivia shooed the person away, whipping her head towards the known one sitting next to her. "Heeey! Tequila?”

Tequila! Olivia, you are the best, the very very best. 

“It kinda sounds boring from the males perspective.”

Mmm, guess it would be. Guys seem to have such different interests. 

After a quick moment of silence, Hazel stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her best friend. She pulled back, gazing her face. “Where have you been, anyway? I thought when I arrive you’d be back to Manhattan too. Did your parents decide to kidnap you for an extension of your family trip?" The blonde giggled, lightly squeezing her friend’s hand.

Kati let out a small smile as she felt the weight of her best friend around her, it was comforting and it was familiar, and it turns out Kati had missed it all entirely too much. Her own arms wrap around the blonde's frame for a brief second. Kati rolls her eyes, she wishes her parents had decided to extend the family trip. But, they were out within three days and not long after her brother had followed. "I stayed a little longer than originally planned, I just loved the fresh air and sea too much! I couldn't pull myself away from it. It was beautiful, next time you should join me. Anyway, how was your own trip?" 

And yet here you are, focusing on some guy sitting around you that’s writing a paper instead of paying attention to the line you’re in for coffee. Cultural Science, probably something you wouldn’t be interested in.

Maybe my line got boring, they usually do after a while. What makes you think I'm not interested in Cultural Science? Not that I am. I don't even know what it is. 

"Oh yes, lord knows you need new shoes."

"New shoes? That can be arranged as long as you're there to assist me, wouldn't want to make the same mistake in choosing that I did with my current shoes."

“Then count me in." Hazel’s smile grew wider.

"Good, it feels like we haven't had a proper shop together in ages." 

I'm not hovering over you. Maybe you should be focusing more on the paper in front of you than the people standing around you. What's it on, anyway? 

“You know I can’t say no to shopping, but I’d change that latte for a Mimosa.”

How could I turn down a Mimosa?

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be the right companion for that.”

"You never know, Nate! Maybe one day you should join me to find out. But you're probably right."

I’d prefer watching girls dance out their daddy issues and scotch. Not to be confused with business and play, I’m a man of burlesque.

Is that a yes or a no, Chuck? Your own wardrobe has been lacking it's usual spark lately, maybe your preferred evening activities have gotten in the way of your usual style but that can all be fixed with a quick trip to Fifth Avenue and me as your companion. And I say everything in the nicest way possible, I'm just a friend looking out for you.

Not quite, I’d rather bleed from every orifice of my body. I’d prefer if you didn’t unironically make fun of the amount of plaid I wear.

Good thing the offer wasn't extended to people like you. You'd have nothing to gossip about, except for the fact that your life sucks and nobody needs to hear that. Nobody needs to see that amount of plaid on a person, anyway. So go bleed out from every orifice of your body or whatever, I don't know what it means but it sounds gross and depressing which sums up you as a person!

Maybe you should be making time for that essay assignment instead, Kati. As nice as shopping sounds, I’m sure an ‘A’ paper would feel even better. 

There's always time for the essay tomorrow, or the day after that, or the day after that - when's it due again? I'm sure there'll be plenty of time to shop and to get an A. Or you know, just shop, because while an A is nice, nothing feels as good as shopping after sitting through a day of school. 

Lattes? Seriously?

What's wrong with lattes?