Lola+Gee

Maybe They Make These Stores Dark For A Reason

"Hey, can I help you find something?" The salesgirl with fluorescent pink hair and aggressive piercings stepped out from behind a display of Pop! action figures.

"Wh- Oh. No. Just looking around." Kaya smiled politely, set down the tube of red hair dye in her hand, and wandered towards the back of the store. The salesgirl was used to this response by now. She turned- sighing- to interrogate the next person. "Hey, welcome to Hot Topic. Can I help you with something?" she asked the girl with short hair and a black lip ring. The girl shook their head.

"I just need a shirt. I got it under control." Turning away, they hiked their bag farther up on their shoulder and walked slowly to the looming patchwork quilt of shirts on the store's back wall. Some heavy song poured out of the speakers. Of Mice and Men? Kaya wasn't sure, but the girl with the lip ring- Lola- sang along softly.

"But I can see it has to be you, love, the one I've been dreaming of." Dim lighting danced along the merch-plastered walls. Lola stopped to look at a cardboard box of posters, and Kaya stopped to examine a corkboard of pins.

[*casually buys merch for a band that no longer exists,*] Kaya thought, looking at a column of My Chemical Romance shirts. [oh well.] Her eyes flicked over the black parade of tees on the wire shelves. [damn, I have most of these already,] she realized. [ooh] A Panic! At The Disco tank top stole her attention momentarily, and while her head was turned, Lola positioned themselves a few feet away. {maybe some Black Veil Brides. Or Twenty One Pilots?} they thought briefly.

"And if we climb this high, I swear we'll never die..." the song went on in the background.

And at the exact second that Austin Carlile sang the word swear, Kaya and Lola both turned around, back towards the My Chemical Romance tees, and ran straight into each other.

"Oow!" Lola yelped as the two collided, more out of surprise than pain. {ugh.} she thought. {this girl's gonna think I'm a freak.} In fact, this wasn't what Kaya was thinking at all. All she could think was [whoa, her eyeliner's perfect.]

Kaya's face turned red. [ugh.] she thought. [this girl's gonna think I'm clumsy.] In fact, this wasn't what Lola was thinking at all. All they could think was {hey, her face is almost the same color as her hair.} And running through both their minds was this- (oh my god, they're fucking adorable.)

"Uh, sorry," Kaya murmured. [am I blushing? do they see me blushing? help help help] "I just... I'm sorry."

Lola smiled. "That's cool. You're all good." {i have no idea what to say to her. do I ask her name? help help help} They turned awkwardly back to the shirts. Kaya stayed still. {she's still here. is she gonna leave? should I leave?} "Uh-" Lola stuck out their hand awkwardly. "I'm Lola."

"Kaya." She slowly took their hand and shook. [is this what they talk about in books, where you feel electricity in someone's hands?] Lola looked up at her.

Neither of them knew what to say for a second. Their hands stayed interlocked, and they didn't want to pull away just yet. {sparks} was all Lola could think.

Eventually, after a silence that didn't feel uncomfortable for some reason, Kaya hesitantly drew her hand away. [i feel so awkward] "Um, you like MCR?" she asked.

Lola glanced at the shirts and smiled. "Yeah." {what else should I say?} They reached for a small tee with the Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge album cover art and held it up in front of them, glancing at Kaya. "Does it look okay?"

[adorable] was what she thought, but what she said was: "Nice. I was thinking of getting that one, too." [why are they making me feel so inarticulate?]

Lola laughed easily. "You should. Then we'll match." {whoa, dude, why did I say that? i don't even know this girl. why would she wanna match with me?} Their cheeks got a little pink. {maybe it's dark enough she won't see.}

But she did. [they're blushing, too. thank god it's not just me. wait, they're blushing. are they nervous? i'm hella nervous, but-] Kaya smiled back. "Maybe I will." She grabbed a shirt and they both looked at each other for a second, each with a wonder-filled smile on their face.

{i need to say something. things are better if i stay. should I-} Lola's words were quicker than their thought. "What's your number?" It just poured out of their mouth, but it turned the air between them into a thick haze.

[they want my number. they want to keep talking to me. oh god oh god] Kaya hesitated. "Uh- Oh." She laughed nervously. [don't laugh. not now.] Lola pulled out their phone. "Um, it's 564-2941."

Lola smiled jauntily. "Great. I'll text you. Bye, Kaya the Psychic."

They walked off, leaving a shell-shocked girl with a band tee in the dark corner of the store.

{fuckin nailed it}

[kaya the psychic? oh my god, that's amazing]

{i gotta text her}

[i wonder if she'll text me]

(they're incredible.)