Sept. 2nd: Books Are Safe, Right?

[Maya Mills]

"No, but I'd like you to agree with me," Maya says, smiling at Barbara.

[Barbara Kirby]

"...well, I guess we'll have to wait and see," Barbara said, finally, nodding.

[Maya Mills]

"See, you're already up to 'cautious optimism'," Maya teases.

[Barbara Kirby]

"Learning optimism for the pantophobe. May wonders never cease."

[Maya Mills]

"If I wasn't an optimist, I'd probably never leave the house," Maya points out.

[Barbara Kirby]

"That seems to be the most pessimistic depiction of optimism I've ever heard."

[Maya Mills]

"I work with what I have," Maya says.

[Barbara Kirby]

"Work it, sister."

[Maya Mills]

"And now I'm terrified that I'm wearing something too revealing," Maya says, wearing jeans, a scarf, and a sweater baggy enough to get lost in.

[Barbara Kirby]

"...revealing WHAT. You barely have any skin showing."

[Maya Mills]

"I was kidding."

Sort of. Maya glanced around to make sure no one was looking at her.

[Barbara Kirby]

"Sure you were..." she said, looking at her oddly.

[Maya Mills]

Maya nervously adjusts her sweater. She felt like everyone was staring.

[Barbara Kirby]

"You're fine. What's wrong?"

[Maya Mills]

"It's nothing," Maya says. She forces a smile. "Come on."

Keeping her head down, she leads Barbara to the coffee shop.

[Barbara Kirby]

"Alright..." Barbara said, keeping an eye on her as they went along.

[Maya Mills]

Maya led Barbara to the coffee shop, fighting down a voice telling her to take off her shirt the entire way. Dealing with the impulse was leaving her edgy and more than a bit jumpy, to the point where she had her arms tightly wrapped around herself as they sat down at the cafe and waited for someone to take their orders.

[Barbara Kirby]

"Hey,are you OK? Do you need to get out of here."

[Maya Mills]

"I'm fine," Maya assures Barbara. "I'm just being stupid. You shouldn't worry about it."

[Barbara Kirby]

"If you say so...you just seem, like, super-uncomfortable."

[Maya Mills]

"That's pretty normal for me," Maya says.

[Barbara Kirby]

"That's not good," she frowned.

[Maya Mills]

"No, but hey, it could be worse!" Maya says. "It used to be that I couldn't even leave the house. Now I'm in a London cafe'."

[Barbara Kirby]

"Well, Maldon, but your point stands."

[Maya Mills]

"Well, yeah. Still. Progress," Maya says.

[Barbara Kirby]

"Would you like to try London some time?"

[Maya Mills]

"Maybe sometime," Maya says. "I mean, I've never been there before, so it would be pretty cool to see."

[Barbara Kirby]

"We'll go, then."

[Maya Mills]

"Really? I mean, you won't mind dealing with all of my weird, crazy weirdness?" Maya asks.

[Barbara Kirby]

"I can't promise about things in the future, but so far you've been alright," she smiled.

[Maya Mills]

"Cool," Maya says, smiling happily.

[Barbara Kirby]

"Maybe we'll arrange a trip with some of the other people at school."