"Well... hello there."
Lana looked up from her cage, startled and angry to see the person standing in front of her.
"What do you want, Lina? You already got what you wanted and kept me in this basement forever, for players to come and stare at and pity. Happy?"
Lina crouched down to Lana's cage and stared intensely at her.
"You're right, I did get the job. I'm happy about that. I'm... not so sure I'm happy about you being here."
Lana laughed slowly as her laughter turns to tears.
"Are you messing with me? You told the whole world about how much you wanted me gone and kidnapped me!!"
"Lana, I really don't think I mean that anymore!! I thought I did at first, but looking at you locked in the cage isn't giving me that satisfaction I was looking for.."
At that moment, Lana looked up at Lina with her bloodshot eyes from all the sobbing.
"Then what, Lina? What are you looking for? If you're here to complain about the nail tech job, too bad, cause I can't come back with nobody appreciating what I did for 5 years."
Lina smiled a little. "You can come back. Yes, I love this job but it feels incomplete for everyone in the salon without you, I'm not going to lie. Some people even refuse to get their nails done anymore because I replaced you."
Lana wiped her tears away and really studied Lina for the first time. She never realized how silky her black hair looked falling down over her face, or how she adjusted her glasses every two seconds.
"What do you mean come back?? Aren't I just destined to be in this cage for eternity?"
"We could run the salon together. I think if anything that me replacing you has taught everyone, it's that you're iconic and nobody could ever forget you. The players need you. I.. need you."
Lana let out a long sigh and hesitated for a bit before;
"Fine. I'll come back, but it has to be different than before."
Lina smiled so widely that her face muscles were starting to ache. "Yes!!! It will, I promise. You won't regret this. I actually think you'd love working with me."
"Okay, let's not get too cocky yet." Lana said, but she too felt a smile creeping up her face. Lina took out the key and unlocked the cage.
Lana slowly stepped out, getting the taste of freedom. She found herself standing face to face with Lina now, both of them just staring at each other in awkward silence.
Lina decided to break the silence. "Lana, you don't know how glad I am that there isn't any tension between us anymore." She then decided to do something extremely bold and hugged Lana. Lana was shocked but let herself melt into the hug, taking in how expensive Lina's perfume smelled.
"Yeah.. I'm glad too."
(A/N: Hi everyone! soo most chapters will most likely be this short 😭 but I will definitely try to update every 2 days!!)
