Rom-Com

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Footsteps descend the stairs.

"Knock, knock!" calls Juliet.

Charlie sighs, tucks her book away, leans across the couch armrest, and swings open the door.

"Howdy, [neighbour]!" Juliet chirps. She kicks the door closed and flops on the couch.

Charlie pulls her feet closer. "Why are you here?"

"A friend can't drop by for a visit and ask about your day?"

Charlie raises an eyebrow.

"Remember how you're supposed to be learning to do the whole 'speaking out loud' thing while you live here?"

Charlie huffs and rolls her eyes.

Juliet face-palms, falls back on the couch. "I swear you were raised by dingos."

"Crocodiles."

Juliet lifts her head. "You were raised by crocodiles."

"Or crows."

Juliet squints. "You're not being serious."

"Mostly."

"Mostly." Juliet huffs, drops her head. "That's a nice [jumper]."

"Thanks."

Juliet sidles up. "You go shopping today?"

"Nope."

"Then where'd you get the /**new** jumper?"

"How'd you know?"

Juliet grins. "I know every piece of clothing in your wardrobe. And you just told me."

"You memorize my clothes."

"I memorize all my friends'. It's a blessing and a curse. Soooo," Juliet leans against Charlie's shoulder, "if you didn't just buy it, where'd it come from?"

"Some guy."

"Some guy randomly gave you a shirt."

"Dumped a drink on me."

Juliet sighs. "What did you do to him?"

Charlie scowls.

"Don't give me that. You've got all the social graces of a surly alley cat."

"I didn't do anything," sniffs Charlie.

"A guy dumped his drink on you and you didn't do anything."

"It was my drink, him walking into me, and me telling him to shut up."

"And he gave—"

"Lent."

"And he /**lent** you a jumper?" Juliet's voice rises with her eyebrows.

Charlie shrugs. "Wrecked my shirt."

"He lent you the jumper off his back?"

"He was wearing two."

"Two /**jumpers**?"

"That's what I said."

"Is he human?"

"As opposed to what?"

"Dead? Cold-blooded? A puddle of overheated human on the sidewalk?"

"He didn't smell funny."

"'He didn't smell funny,'" Juliet scoffs. Side-eyes. "Which you would know from wearing his jumper [all] day."

"Mhmm."

"Which he lent you."

"Mhmm."

"After being blinded onto a collision course by your beauty and spilling your cocoa."

"Clearly."

"What a /**gentleman**!" Juliet swoons. "Seriously, if he was even halfway good looking, this would be the /**perfect** start to a rom-com." Drapes herself against the back of the couch, juuuust inside Charlie's personal space—

Charlie tucks her feet even closer.

—"/**Was** he good looking?"

Charlie rolls her eyes.

"You didn't notice, did you?" Lowers her brows and further encroaches. "You didn't even get his name."

Sighs. "It was Jake or John or ... something with a J."

"You're hopeless."

"Because I'm focused on school?"

Juliet snorts. "Because you should be having wacky misadventures and casual sex while you're young!"

"I'm doing both just fine."

"Your categorization disqualifies both."

"Why?!"

"Your wacky misadventures to the middle of nowhere are too well-planned for 'wacky' /**or** 'misadventure,' and you've seen what's-their-name, like, twice."

Charlie grumbles.

Juliet sighs dramatically, flops into Charlie's lap. "A possibly good looking guy with enough fashion sense to buy /**the** [colour] this season—which looks great with your eyes, by the way—gives you clothing and you can't even remember his name."

"Yep." Charlie picks up her book.

Juliet frowns.

Charlie pointedly ignores her.

"You said 'lent,' ay?"

"Yep."

"Which implies another meeting."

"Mmhmm."

"So ...?"

"I'm giving it back."

"When?"

"Next week."

Juliet snaps up. "Reaaallly?"

"Same time, same place."

A Cheshire Cat smile creeps across Juliet's face.

"What?"

"You've got a /**date**~!"

"It's not a date!"

"'Same place' is where?"

"At the coffee shop by campus."

"Date. Totally a date."

Charlie rolls her eyes. "It's /**not** a date."

"**/Date.**"