𝐿𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒 - (𝓌𝓁𝓌)

seven

a/n: i love reflecting my life on my characters ♡

* * *

Esther points to the screen on her computer, smiling at Elena. Moe was sitting at her mom's kitchen table as Esther presented their ideas for the fundraiser. "Instead of just doing the usual open mic, we could add other activities such as a raffle. And to reach more of the community, Moe and I were thinking of inviting staff and children from the center, having them speak,"

Esther clicks the spacebar on her computer. "As we know, hearing personal stories usually urges people to donate more. They can see exactly who their money is going to. This strategy has been proven to be effective in many fundraising events, and we believe it will work for us too,"

"It sounds like a great idea," Elena encourages.

A smile on her face as Esther clicks her spacebar again. "I was thinking, if any could attend, we could put together a little gift drive for the kids."

Elena turns her head to look at Moe. "You guys have really thought about this, huh? It's clear that you've put a lot of effort into planning this, and I appreciate that,"

Moe smiles at her mom. "Yeah," She stands from the table to join Esther. "I could make some flyers and stuff and hang them up around campus. We could also help with the social aspect, spreading the word out."

"I...I would have to think about it," Elena says. "We've done the same thing for years, and I'm not sure if branching out like this would be suitable because it's not what everyone is used to."

Esther smiles widely, clicking a few spaces on her keyboard. "I knew you'd think that! As you said, it may not be suitable, but if we branch out to a larger crowd and younger people, the turnout will likely be wider. It might draw more eyes to the fundraiser and your bookstore in general, which will evidently give more people the opportunity to donate. I'm really confident that this new approach can lead to a successful event, Miss Elena."

Taking a deep breath, Elena nods her head. "Email me this, send me the document you made, and I'll make my decision by tomorrow night."

"Ehhhhk!" Esther smiles widely as she shuts her computer. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Moe smiles as well, "Thanks, mom."

*  *  *

"Knock, knock!" Caleb says from outside of Kiana's bedroom door. "You have company!"

From inside the door, Kiana furrows her brows as she checks the time on her phone, reading 6 pm. She sighs and stands up, leaving her textbooks and notebooks open on her bed to answer the door. When she opens the door, she sees Caleb and Chris standing beside each other.

"Hey," Caleb says, a smile on his face. "Your mom let us up. Your parents are on their way out."

Chris holds up a brown paper bag. "We brought takeout."

Kiana smiles at her friends, holding the door open. "Come in."

The friends walk into the room, the smell of the takeout filling the air, and find their normal spots in Kiana's room. Caleb sits at the top of Kiana's bed, leaning against the headboard, while Chris takes his spot at the end of the bed. Kiana joins them, taking her seat next to Caleb, closing her notebooks and textbooks, and setting them on her bedside table.

"So?" Kiana crosses her arms. "What's with the surprise pop-up?"

"What do you mean?" Caleb asks.

Chris unfolds the bag of takeout, passing out the tacos they brought. Kiana smiles at Chris as he hands her the tacos. "Thank you," Kiana turns to look at Caleb. "like...why are you here? I thought you guys had a date tonight."