SERENE, choso kamo

SCENE 04.2

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SCENE 04.2

October 31st. Unlike any of the days before, the wind blew stronger and the days ended faster. More leaves fell off of the trees each day and Halloween decorations were put up more today than ever.

"Order #36!"

Emma, the manager with a broad smile on her face as she approaches Alora with a latte in hand, beginning to hum a short tune that had been stuck in her head all morning.

She places the cup on the table softly, barely making a sound.

Alora was staring at her phone intensely which led up to her not even noticing her friend had brought her order. With a wave in front of Alora's serious face, she was ripped out of my daze and faced back with reality.

She looked up flustered, immediately putting her phone down as she thanked her brunette-haired friend and dragged the cup closer to her.

Emma frowns, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she begins to sign, "What's wrong?" Alora hesitates but reaches for her phone and unlocks it, scrollShe through a few apps before opening one and showing her friend the screen.

Leaning over closer to read, it looked like Alora's friends from college reached out to her and invited her to a get-together with the rest of the people she used to hang out with. To be honest, Alora wasn't that close with them, she just hung out with them a few times but there were times when she felt uncomfortable.

Like the times they'd say things out loud but cover their mouths so she couldn't read their lips, refusing to tell her later on what their conversation was about. But then again, Alora didn't care about much back then, it didn't bother her.

The brunette-haired manager folds her lips into a line, "you don't want to go?" she signs smoothly, Alora once again full of hesitation in her answer.

The black-haired woman shrugged, "I'm not sure. I just don't want to go alone." Alora replies, a frown on her face as she sighs. It was obvious how she was trying to lead this conversation. To her disappointment, Emma quickly refused.

"I can't go with you. My family is forcing me to take my younger nieces and nephews trick or treating." Emma tells her, trying to turn down her invitation as kindly as possible. Alora groans and puts her head down.

Aside from the fact she doesn't feel very comfortable with them, they all have kept in touch with each other until now, leaving Alora with so much to catch up on.

she wasn't confident about how she would be at the gathering, so if someone she knew attended with her, she'd feel all the better.

Emma softly tapped on Alora's shoulders, the black-haired woman looking up.

"Do you not have any other friends?" Emma asks, her hurtful but true question feeling like Alora had just been stabbed in the back with a knife.

the brunette-haired manager begins to ponder. thinking of multiple coworker candidates that could go with Alora to the party.

it was inevitable, but Choso was the first one that popped into her mind. although knowing him and how quiet and socially introverted he was, it could be a disaster.

As she continuously thought of other options, she kept being brought back to Choso.

waving a hand in front of Alora's distraught and dazed face, Emma begins to sign, "How about going with Choso?"

Alora shakes her head as if it were an instinct.

Emma gawks, completely confused about her reaction, "Why not?"