They found a routine that worked for them as they walked away from the 12th Street station. Luz guided her new friend closer to the buildings on the sidewalk, on the slower edge of foot traffic, and made sure to ask only yes or no questions to catch a quick thumbs-up or thumbs-down. If she needed a more detailed answer, she would move them out of the flowing stream of pedestrians—under an awning, or beside a tree—pulling her close to her side to shield her from the rushing, clumsy passersby. She would put an arm across the shorter girl's shoulders and ask her question quietly, softly, studying what little she could see of her new friend's face as she thought and wrote her response.
Azura mostly held her head down to keep the brim of her hat low and would play with the bunched-up scarf at her chin, pushing it up towards her mouth as they walked. Luz had learned compassion from her mamí, but she'd learned how to read people from her stepmom. She knew the silent girl was hiding something, but the brown-haired girl had decided to play it by ear.
"You're gonna love this place Azura, it's got the whole retro ice-cream parlor vibe going, y'know, with the fountain drink tower and the black and white checkerboard floors—ooh!—and the red leather seats?" Thumbs-up.
"You're not allergic to any foods, are you?" Thumbs-down.
"What about garlic? You allergic to garlic?" Azura raised her eyebrow, then thumbs-down.
"I knew a kid in school, he was allergic to garlic. What a boring, flavorless life he must lead!" Azura huffed a laugh.
"What about bees?" Thumbs-down.
"Wasps?" Thumbs-down.
"Oh right, they're probably the same thing. Shellfish?" Thumbs-down.
"That's good, I had to use an EpiPen on this guy one time and he cried afterward and accused me of being too excited to stab him," Luz made air quotes with her free hand, and Azura snorted. "It's not my fault he was boring. Almost put me off guys completely, and really! He should have paid more attention to the menu! Anyway, I mean, that's fine if you were allergic to something, I just thought I should check. I'm—uh—I'm lactose intolerant, actually, so I'll get something off their dairy-free menu," Luz smiled at Azura when the other girl squeezed her hand.
They moved around a small crowd at a bus stop and came to a stop walking signal at the nearby intersection. Luz bounced on her toes as they waited for the lights to change. She squeezed the quiet girl's hand, "We need to figure out what your flavor is, mi compañera!" Azura shot her a look just as the signals turned green, and the girls followed the other pedestrians crossing the street.
"Vanilla?" Thumbs-up.
"Alright, elegant and deliciosa, I get it. Chocolate?" Thumbs-up.
"Interesting," Luz held her left hand to her forehead, mimicking an infomercial fortune teller, "I sense you ~haff~ an adventurous spirit, oooOOooh~" she trailed off with a grin and Azura giggled behind her notebook. Goosebumps rippled up her arms at the delightful sound and she smiled wide at her companion.
"Cookies 'n' Cream?" Thumbs-up.
"Who doesn't like Oreos, am-i-right? What about Cookie Dough?" A pause, then thumbs-up.
"Not your favorite, that's cool. Chunky-Monkey?" Thumbs-down.
"Probably the name, entiendo. Rocky Road?" Thumbs-up.
"Classic, can't go wrong. Moose Tracks?" Azura shrugged. "You've not had Moose Tracks?" Thumbs-down. "Azura, my sweet summer child, mi preciosa, you have to try it sometime!"
ČTEŠ
The Siren at the Museum (The Girl Who Sang #1)
FanfikceA chance meeting on the subway is the best thing that's happened to Luz in practically forever. She has so many questions about her new friend 'Azura', like "who were those men chasing you?" and "why can't you say anything?" The reviews are in: ...
