Her life! GxG! Intersex! (Book 1)

92

The bell above the sliding glass doors chimed softly as Emma and Abigail stepped into the brightly lit office supply store. The scent of fresh paper, ink, and new beginnings filled the air. Abigail's eyes widened as she took it all in—rows of journals, planners, pastel sticky notes, fancy pens that cost way too much, and enough desk organizers to build a tiny fortress.

"This place is dangerous," Emma whispered with a playful nudge. "We're gonna walk out with an entire home office instead of a few notebooks."

"I'm not even mad about it," Abigail said, reaching for a rose gold pen set like it was calling her name.

"Hey, look who finally showed up!" Megan's voice rang out from a couple aisles over.

They turned to see Megan and Ashley already with a small cart half-filled with items—cute highlighters, a new laptop sleeve, and a pack of color-coded dividers.

"Okay, y'all don't play," Abigail laughed as she walked over. "You started without us!"

Ashley winked. "You snooze, you lose. But don't worry, I saved you a lavender planner because I knew you'd want that aesthetic."

Emma clutched her chest dramatically. "Ashley, you get me."

They all fell into a natural rhythm—Emma and Abigail browsing shelves together while Megan offered tips on which notebooks were best for classes with tons of reading and which professors gave extra points for color-coded notes. Abigail was halfway between overwhelmed and thrilled, clutching an armful of supplies that included a gel pen pack, a few inspirational notebooks, and the cutest mini corkboard for her future study space.

Then Emma spotted the whiteboards.

"Oooh," she gasped. "We need this. Like, the big one. For scheduling. Vision boards. Study sessions. Random love notes I'm gonna leave you when you're stressed."

Abigail grinned. "Add it to the cart."

Emma happily picked the largest one available—magnetic, with gold trim and a soft linen corner pocket to tuck markers in.

But it didn't stop there.

As they rounded another aisle, Abigail paused in front of the section filled with student desks and home office furniture. Her fingers brushed over a sleek, matte black writing desk with gold accents and a pull-out drawer. She tilted her head, picturing it in the corner of the penthouse, maybe next to the window.

Emma watched her with a knowing smile. "That's the one, huh?"

"Definitely," Abigail said. "It's giving 'scholar in the city' vibes."

Megan chuckled. "Now you just need a chair and a monitor stand, and you're set."

Abigail didn't stop there. She made her way to the electronics section and picked out a new laptop—lightweight, powerful, and perfect for handling everything from research papers to music production software. She added a wireless mouse, a pair of noise-canceling headphones, and even a second monitor for when she really wanted to focus in.

Emma disappeared briefly and came back carrying a few things of her own—some string lights, a little "You Got This" neon sign, and two prints of jazz-inspired abstract art for the wall.

"These'll go perfect above the desk," she said. "Plus, we gotta honor the vibe—you're gonna be studying music at Columbia. Might as well make your space sing."

Abigail lit up. "Oh! I should grab a guitar wall mount too. And maybe a keyboard stand. I want to be able to play whenever inspiration hits."

They detoured into a nearby music supply store tucked between the main shops and found a wall hook for her guitar, a sleek collapsible stand for her keyboard, and even a small amp for when she wanted to plug in and play loud.