1. Flowers and Coffee

Lana watched people move around her as she walked toward the cafe. She always loved people-watching. 

Everyone seemed to bustle around in their own little worlds, yelling into phones, laughing with friends, rushing somewhere that apparently couldn’t wait another five minutes. 

 Up ahead, a little girl in a yellow sundress danced around her mother while the woman tried unsuccessfully to get her to walk in a straight line. 

Lana smiled, as she thought how the moment would make a great photograph. Sometimes Lana couldn’t help it. Her brain had a habit of turning ordinary moments into pictures. 

Everyone was the main character in their own lives. 

Her pocket started to vibrate.

 She pulled out her phone and smiled at the name on the screen. She slid the answer button across and held her phone to her ear.

  "Jase~" she answered in a sing-song voice. 

A husky chuckle sounded from the other end. 

She could almost imagine the little smirk on his face. 

  "Where are you?" He asked, sounding amused.

 As she got near the cafe entrance, she spotted him leaning against the wall by the door, looking in the opposite direction. 

A playful smile crossed her face as she snuck up behind him.

  "Guess~" She teased, covering his eyes with her hands. 

She felt him smile as he grabbed her hand and pulled it off. Locking their fingers together.

"You kept me waiting." Jason handed her a bouquet of lilac flowers. 

"What are these for?" Lana looked at them and smiled softly as she stood on her toes to kiss his cheek; her thick chestnut-brown hair fell in loose waves down her back. 

Six years together and Jason still occasionally managed to surprise her.

"Because I missed you." Jason smiled as he looked down at his girlfriend. 

“Aww, so charming.” She smelled the flowers and held them to her heart. “You do still love me.”

“Occasionally,” he smirked. 

She smacked his arm with the bouquet.

Jason laughed and pulled her into the cafe. They ordered iced coffees before finding a booth by the window.

 Lana set the flowers carefully beside her. 

Jason immediately pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his email.

 She stared at him for a few minutes and sighed when he continued to read. 

 "Wow, your hair isn't styled today." Lana leaned across the table and tugged lightly on a piece of his shaggy hair.

 "I stayed up all night at the studio." 

 "That’s why.”"She tugged his hair again, harder this time. “It’s so rare that your hair looks like this.”

 "Hey!" He finally laughed, swatting her hand away.

 "You don't like me touching your hair?" She asked innocently.

“Stop it.” He tried to catch her hand. 

She pulled it away, laughing.

Six years earlier, they’d met fighting over the last copy of an album at a music store near campus.

Neither of them had been willing to give it up, so they’d eventually split the cost and passed it back and forth like divorced parents sharing custody.

Somewhere along the way, fighting over music had turned into friendship. 

Friendship had turned into this.

 "Stop it." - He swatted her away again, laughing.-" Are you coming over tonight? I have a meeting, but the guys want you to come hang out.”

  "Are you going to be late? " Lana asked, frowning. 

"Yeah, sorry, babe." He leaned across the table and kissed her.

"I understand." She sighed and pulled away from him. "Should I bring anything?"

"Bring snacks." He answered immediately.

His roommates were a mix of his college buddies, all making their way in the entertainment industry. She had joined their group after their bonds were formed, but she loved them. 

"Well...you know they adore you."

"That's because I'm cooler than you." She stole his drink and acted nonchalant, having already finished her coffee.

"Don't be delusional, baby." He went back to reading his emails.

"I have to go to a shoot, so I'll see you later. You better be there when I come over!" She stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, picking up her flowers, before walking out of the Cafe.

Lana waved down a cab, gave the address to her studio, she leaned back and stared out the window. Putting her headphones in, she turned on one of her most recent playlists. She especially liked creating mood playlists for her photo shoots, it made the whole grueling experience a lot better for everyone involved. 

Music made the hours of adjusting lights, changing lenses, moving equipment and telling people to please stop moving for literally two seconds slightly less exhausting.

By the time she arrived at the studio, she was already humming along and ready to shoot. 

She barely had time to put her bag down before an irritated  voice called out. 

“You’re late!”

Lana looked up. 

Sora stood in front of the backdrop with her hands planted dramatically on her hips. 

“By four minutes.”  Lana rolled her eyes. 

“Unprofessional.” Sora glared.

“You’re not paying me.” 

“That’s irrelevant.” Sora tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Lana laughed and tossed her bag onto a chair. 

“Remind me why I’m doing this for free again?” 

“Because you love me.” She said looking at her nails nonchalantly.

Sora had come into Lana’s life around the same time she and Jason had started dating, and somehow she’d never left.

There weren't many people Lana could trust completely. But Sora was one of them, with her bluntness and brutal honesty. 

“Come here.” Lana picked up her camera. “Let me see what I’m working with.”

Sora desperately wanted to break into the film industry and Lana had promised to help her anyway she could. 

Which meant free headshots. 

"Chin down."

Click.

"Shoulders back."

 Click.

"Stop trying to seduce my camera."

"I can't help being beautiful."

"You're exhausting." Lana lowered the camera.

So Ra grinned.

They worked for another twenty minutes before Lana finally stepped back to look through the shots.

"Oh."

"Good oh or bad oh?" Sora immediately hurried over.

"Annoyingly good." Lana rolled her eyes.

"I told you." Sora leaned over Lana's shoulder to look at the camera. "God, I'm gorgeous." 

"Please develop an insecurity. Just one."

"I'll think about it.”

Lana laughed and nudged her away.

So Ra walked toward the mirror and began fixing her hair.

"So, are you going to introduce me to one of Jason's ridiculously attractive friends or are you planning on hoarding all of them forever?"

"I've tried."Lana looked up.

"And?"

"Jason hates the idea."

"Does he?”Sora's hand stopped for barely a second.

“Apparently dating within the friend group is a terrible idea." Lana explained.

"That's a little hypocritical., considering how you started out”Sora turned back toward the mirror.

Lana frowned.

"I'm just saying it's selfish. Maybe I want a handsome, emotionally unavailable man too." Sora smiled at her through the mirror.

"Take your pick."Lana snorted.

"What about Clark?" Sora suggested immediately.

"Clark?”

"The others are cute, but Clark is just delicious."Sora smirked, licking her lips dramatically.

Lana considered it.

Tall. Dark hair. Blue eyes. Ridiculously good-looking in that irritating way that made women stare at him everywhere they went.

And somehow permanently single, since the day they’d met.

"You know what?"

"What?" Sora's eyebrows rose.

"I might be able to work with that.”