Welcome to Gaia! ::

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"So, what do you wanna do now?" Delia asked her, attempting to change the subject. Danielle looked at the ground in thought, her thumbs hooked in the belt loops of her denim shorts. "We could go to the mall, pick out some cute stuff?"
Delia bit her lip. She would much rather check out the book and comic store down the street, but she didn't want to seem like even more of a "wet blanket" than she already had been. So she shrugged and nodded, wondering in the back of her mind what she meant by "cute stuff". "Okay, sure. Like what, makeup and stuff?"
"Sure, whatever you want. I haven't actually been to this mall, so there'll probably be a lot of stores both of us have never been in." Danielle picked up the speed of her walk, a new skip in her step. "You have no idea how grateful I am you're my roommate, De. It would be so lonely without you here painting the town pink with me."
Delia laughed but didn't reply, unsure how to respond to such a randomly sweet remark.

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"Sooo, what do you think?"
Delia peered at herself in the mirror, and at the outfit that Danielle had so kindly picked out for her. If she were to be honest, she'd say it was a little bit overdone, especially for a movie. But she had flung herself all over the store to find every little bit and detail that would go "just right" with the dress she'd picked out.
The dress itself was fine, a cream-colored dress with navy blue trimming and built-in pockets. Everything else, however, was a bit overdone. The shoes were so uncomfortable she could barely walk in them, and the earrings she'd found were much too heavy for someone who barely ever wore jewelry in the first place. On top of that, Delia had been given black fishnet stockings to try on and a silver dress that was much too form fitting for anyone's size, both of which she'd turned down in an instant.

"Um, well... I like the dress," Delia replied, focusing on the positives of the ensemble. Danielle practically jumped up and down, opening the door to the changing room and grinning from ear to ear. "You look fabulous."
"I'll get the dress, but I dunno about the rest of it. It's a little over-the-top, don't you think?" She gestured to the blue and white striped bow that was stuck in her hair, and the long, 20s styled chain necklace that went to her mid-drift.
The blonde looked her up and down for a moment before nodding. "I guess you're right. It is kind of an all-over-the-place kind of look. Definitely not your style." She paused, taking off all the pointless accessories she'd stuck on Delia as if she was a billboard. "There. Much better."

The girls left the mall with a couple bags each. Delia gained two new dresses, the cream and navy blue one, and another that was pale pink one that was, in her opinion, a little too short. Danielle had beat Delia in the quantity department, but the quality of the numerous items she'd bought was another thing. Danielle was one of those people who bought anything and everything that seemed appealing to them. It didn't matter what it was made of or where it was made; if it looked good, then she was a happy camper.

Delia and Danielle walked back to the college, just in time for an early cafeteria dinner. It wasn't as good as the sandwich shop, but they didn't complain. Afterwards, they changed into their new outfits and "prepared for the funnest movie outing everrr", as Danielle had put it.

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"Are you sure it's not too much?" Delia asked as they headed down the street to the theater. She tugged at the navy blue beaded collar of her dress and glanced down at the pair of red low top sneakers she'd paired with it. To be honest, she felt rather pretty in the new but casual outfit with her hair pulled back in a bun except for her bangs a few strands that fell into her face. But she wasn't trying to impress anyone, and it was just a movie. Danielle seemed to think otherwise though; she'd applied a fresh coat of makeup to her own face and wore a pair of bedazzled skinny jeans and a cropped top.
"You like him, don't you?"
Delia did a double take at her friend's face out of the corner of her eye and laughed. "I literally just met him a couple days ago. We're friends."
"Then why do you have that look on your face?"
"What look?"
Danielle laughed and shook her head. "Nevermind. Stop worrying. You look fine."
Delia huffed a sigh and kept her arms crossed nervously as they approached the theater. The sun was just about to set, casting an eerie orange glow over the seaside town. From the front of the theater, they could just make out the horizon line of the ocean; it was spectacular. They marveled at it one more time before stepping inside and getting their tickets.

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Delia clutched to her ticket as if it was the single most important thing at the moment. Her hands were shaking rather violently, and it didn't help that Danielle kept flashing her a look that screamed "Calm down you idiot!" The two made their way through the throng of giddy people. Delia's eyes combed through the little crowds, but she was unable to find Jac at first. She didn't really have a moment more to worry about it, because in the next moment he was approaching him with a freshened look in his face. He looked much better than he had earlier, and it made her feel relieved.

Ironically, Danielle had barely recognized him at first, having done a double-take when he approached. Her bright blue eyes went from Delia's face, to Jac's, then in reply to his question held up her tickets and grinned. At his offer, Delia opened her mouth to say it wasn't necessary and in the same moment, Danielle replied chipperly, "Sure, I'm craving popcorn drowned in butter. How 'bout you, De?"
Delia sighed and smiled. "Popcorn sounds good to me."

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Delia smiled, parting her lips to say "Thank you," just as Danielle tugged her away by her wrist with a cheerful "'kay, thanks!" They handed in their tickets hurried through the dark alleyways of the theater, Delia becoming quite uncomfortable with Danielle's bony fingers clenched so tightly around hers. "This is going to be sooo perfect; you have no idea!" she practically squealed as they entered the cavern-like room with the screen that went up to the ceiling.
The glow of it etched out their profiles as they made their way through the shadows and into the perfect seats, not too close but not too far away and in the dead center of the theater. "Looks like we got the place practically to ourselves," Danielle observed, noting the numerous empty seats. She took a seat towards the middle, and Delia hesitantly sat next to her, closest to the way they'd come. There was one more seat, of course, and it was next to her. She expected this was part of Danielle's evil scheme, but she didn't complain.

When Jac finally arrived with the snacks, Delia's smile returned and she looked at him up and down under the flickering glow of movie trailers. "You're just in time," she told him happily, patting the seat next to her.

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"How thoughtful," Danielle whispered, and Delia felt her nudge her in the ribs. She ignored her and took the water bottle gratefully. As the lights dimmed and the movie started up, she began munching on a handful of popcorn, her mood going from anxious to perfectly content. That was when an aroma other than buttery popcorn found its way to her nose. Was it...no, it couldn't be... She threw a sideways glance at Jac, realizing that she hadn't been this close to him until now. The profile of his face was outlined in soft blue light, illuminating every fluff of hair and a glow in his eyes. Becoming aware that her glance had turned into a stare, she quickly turned her gaze back to the movie.

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For having seen The Avengers at least five times before, Delia was well-familiarized with the plot line, and her mind was only half into it. Most of her attention, -and she would deny this if Danielle asked about it later- was on Jac and his uncannily adorable reaction to anything remotely cool in the movie. The first time she had seen the movie was with a few other friends and it had been a huge nerd fest, t-shirts and everything. Seeing his face light up like a kid's at Christmas because of a superhero movie was probably the best thing she got to witness in a while.

When his hand brushed against hers, butterflies erupted from the very center of her naval. "It's okay," she replied with a quiet giggle. Luckily Danielle was so enthralled with the movie she was too distracted to notice anything else.
It was strange; for a minute it didn't feel like anyone else was there but her and Jac, and though Delia mentally kicked herself for thinking it, she kind of liked it that way.