I Want To Know What Love Is

The Town Part 2

TW; Vulgar Language

"Are you ready?" Boscha asked Willow, who was a few steps behind. Willow was busy waving goodbye to her friends, bidding them farewell for the day.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go!" Willow exclaimed with enthusiasm. She quickly caught up to Boscha, walking alongside her as they made their way to the school gate. Their goal was to reach the town and search for a car or any means to return to Bonesborough, where they could finally reunite with their friends and families.

The two girls strolled around, searching for a parking lot or a junkyard where they might find unattended cars. However, their attention was diverted when Willow spotted a nearby ice cream parlor. She mentioned that she had been wanting to check it out, and since they had some time to spare, they decided to take a break and explore the parlor before resuming their search for a car. They approached the ice cream parlor, and Boscha kindly held the door open for Willow. Willow couldn't help but laugh at the sight, finding it amusing that Boscha, whom she had never considered to be the chivalrous type, was being a gentleman. 

Boscha glanced around and felt queasy at the sight of the decor, which was overly bright and vibrant for her taste. However, she noticed a seat in the corner near a window, offering a view of the town, and thought it would be a nice spot to rest. Boscha led them to the table and once again courteously let Willow choose her seat first. This gesture made Willow laugh, as she was still getting used to this unfamiliar side of Boscha that she had never seen before.

"I'll go order. How about sharing a grand banana split?" Boscha asked Willow, who lit up at the mention of the dessert. Willow nodded, and Boscha swiftly made her way to the cash register. Boscha appeared to be cautious and somewhat paranoid, looking around and nervously fidgeting with her fingers as she waited in line. Willow sighed but couldn't help but smile. Even at Hexside, Boscha always seemed unsettled when she was alone. While it was rare to find Boscha by herself at Hexside, there were occasions when Willow caught her in solitude, constantly fidgeting with her hands and searching for objects to tinker with as a way tp occupy or distract herself from the fact she was alone.

"Wait...does she even have cash?" Willow thought to herself wondering if the reason Boscha seemed nervous was because she didn't have any cash on her. But upon closer inspection Willow noticed a few snails in Boscha's pocket, more than enough for the dessert. 

After a few minutes, Boscha returned to the table, carefully placing the delectable-looking banana split before them. She handed Willow a spoon and sat down across from her. Willow eagerly took a bite of the split and couldn't help but smile, exclaiming, "This is so good! Is this even real?!"

Boscha smiled, about to respond when a waiter approached their table with a notepad. "Hello there! Just wanted to let you lovebirds know that we have a special discount for couples on many items from our menu, such as—" The waiter's voice started fading into the background as Boscha realized what the waiter was implying. She looked around and noticed that they did indeed appear like a couple. They were seated in the typical spot couples would choose in an ice cream parlor, sharing the banana split, and engaged in conversation and laughter, their eyes locked on each other. The realization that the waiter assumed they were a couple made Boscha feel flustered. And to make matters worse, she noticed that Willow wasn't making any attempt to correct the waiter. Instead, Willow was looking at Boscha, seemingly waiting for her response.

"Oh, um... We're not—" Boscha let out an awkward laugh, a visible sweat mark forming on her forehead. "She's ain't my girlfriend... We're not together," Boscha stammered, trying to appear nonchalant, but both the waiter and Willow could sense her embarrassment. 

"Oh, my apologies. You two just look so adorable together!" The waiter said with a hint of embarrassment for mistakenly assuming they were a couple. Boscha let out a mumbled response, clearing her throat and emitting an awkward laugh. "I'm not the adorable one here," Boscha playfully quipped, causing Willow to blush, which in turn brought a smile to Boscha's face. The waiter chuckled before departing, leaving the girls to themselves once again.

Willow averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact with Boscha, attempting to conceal her flustered expression. "So... what have you been up to?" Boscha impulsively blurted out, breaking the silence. "Boscha, we've been together the entire day," Willow replied. "Oh, right. My bad," Boscha sheepishly responded, her ears perking up slightly as she awkwardly smiled. The girls continued to enjoy their banana split, mostly in silence. They occasionally engaged in conversation, but both were still adjusting to the newfound friendship. After years of being unkind to each other, Boscha's transformation was something they were both trying to adapt to. 

Leaving the ice cream parlor behind, Boscha and Willow resumed their exploration of the town.

[END - Short Chapter - 859]