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Lila paced nervously outside the café, clutching her phone like it was a lifeline. She'd been texting Iris all morning, trying to confirm their plans. Iris had suggested coffee—simple, casual—but the thought of spending an hour (or more!) in her company made Lila's heart do backflips.
"Relax, Lila," she muttered to herself, fidgeting with the hem of her oversized hoodie. "It's just coffee, not a marriage proposal."
Her pep talk was interrupted by a sudden burst of chaos. The café door swung open with alarming force, and a blur of purple hair and panicked energy stumbled out.
"LILA!" Iris shouted, waving frantically as she tripped over her own feet.
Time slowed. Lila reached out instinctively, catching Iris before she could faceplant onto the pavement. The impact sent them both teetering, and in a spectacular twist of fate, they ended up in a heap on the ground—Lila pinned beneath Iris.
"Iris, are you okay?!" Lila asked, her voice high-pitched from both concern and embarrassment.
Iris groaned, propping herself up with her hands. Her face was mere inches from Lila's. "Define okay. Because I think I just discovered what it's like to be hit by my own clumsiness."
Lila froze. She was acutely aware of two things: the warmth of Iris's body pressed against hers and the fact that Iris's lavender eyes were staring straight into her own.
"Um… can you… get off me now?" Lila managed, her cheeks glowing like a neon sign.
"Oh! Right! Sorry!" Iris scrambled to her feet, brushing imaginary dust off her jeans. She extended a hand to Lila, who hesitated for a moment before taking it.
As soon as Lila was upright, Iris started laughing—a loud, unabashed sound that drew the attention of nearby passersby.
"What's so funny?" Lila asked, crossing her arms to feign annoyance.
"You look like you've just seen a ghost," Iris teased, poking Lila's cheek. "Relax, it's just me. No need to act like I'm some sort of alien."
Lila swatted Iris's hand away, trying to suppress a smile. "I'm not acting weird. You're the one who nearly killed me with your grand entrance."
"Hey, I didn't mean to! My bag got caught on the door handle," Iris explained, holding up her tote bag as evidence.
Lila sighed but couldn't stay mad. Iris's chaotic energy was one of the things she loved most about her.
They finally made it inside the café, where Iris insisted on ordering for both of them. Lila watched from their table as Iris animatedly argued with the barista about whether whipped cream was a human right.
"She's impossible," Lila murmured to herself, though her fond smile betrayed her words.
A few minutes later, Iris returned triumphantly with two drinks in hand. "One vanilla latte for you, and one double chocolate mocha for me. With extra whipped cream, because I'm worth it."
"Thanks," Lila said, taking a cautious sip of her latte.
They sat in companionable silence for a while, the hum of the café filling the gaps in their conversation. Lila's nerves began to settle, and she found herself relaxing in Iris's presence.
But then Iris struck again.
"So, Lila," Iris began, resting her chin on her hand. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Lila choked on her latte. "W-What?!"
"It's a simple question," Iris said innocently, though the mischievous glint in her eyes suggested otherwise.
"No, I don't have a boyfriend," Lila replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Good," Iris said, leaning closer. "Because that would've made this super awkward."
"What do you mean by—" Lila started, but her words were cut off when Iris reached across the table and booped her nose.
"You're cute when you're flustered," Iris said with a wink.
Lila's brain short-circuited. She wasn't sure if she wanted to melt into the floor or tackle Iris in a hug. Instead, she opted for the safest route: changing the subject.
"Anyway, um, how's your art project going?" she asked, desperately clinging to the thread of normalcy.
Iris smirked, clearly enjoying Lila's reaction. "Oh, it's fine. But don't think I didn't notice you dodging my comment."
"I wasn't dodging!" Lila protested, her voice a little too loud.
The barista glanced over with a raised eyebrow, and Lila sank lower in her seat. Iris, on the other hand, laughed so hard she nearly spilled her drink.
By the time they left the café, Lila felt like she'd run a marathon. Her heart was still racing, and she couldn't decide if it was from the embarrassment or the fact that Iris had casually held her hand while crossing the street.
"Thanks for the coffee," Lila said as they reached the corner where they'd part ways.
"Anytime," Iris replied, her smile softening into something almost shy. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, tomorrow," Lila said, watching as Iris walked away.
She stood there for a moment, replaying the day's events in her head. Despite the chaos, despite the teasing, she couldn't stop smiling.
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