Friendlyish

It was turning into a hot day in Los Angeles by the time Ella reached her apartment. On the walk back, she’d had to brush off the approach of the only guy other than Peter who’d showed any interest in her since she’d arrived at UCLA. Ever since she’d been paired with Zach for a project at the beginning of the semester, and carried much of the weight of the project on her own, he’d teased her for being a know-it-all every time they crossed paths. She’d at first wondered if it was poorly manifested interest, but she and her roommates had pretty easily dismissed that notion months ago when he’d nearly brought her to tears.

Upon entering the apartment, Ella found her roommates cleaning. She’d cleaned the bedroom and bathroom yesterday, hating it the whole time and only spurred into it by her sense of responsibility. Breanna and Carissa were finishing the rest of the apartment. Even after a semester of living together, Ella still considered the word roommates to be more accurate to her relationships with them than friends. Still, over the past few weeks, the three seemed to be developing a stronger bond. They were just a lot more outgoing than Ella, so relating wasn’t the simplest task.

Changing into her favorite outfit- a modest, yellow, v-neck sundress- Ella used her phone to summon an Uber. On her way out, Carissa stopped her.

“Hey you’re headed over to Hollywood Boulevard, right?”

“Yeah…”

“I have a friend who is still a senior in high school back home. She’s visiting this week, but the family gathering at Venice isn’t until tomorrow, and I’ve still got this cleaning and a final exam tonight. She wanted to see the Boulevard too. So maybe if you’re not going with anyone, you could meet up with her!”

“Oh, well, I…”

“Don’t worry, she’s quieter than you are. You’ll probably get along great.”

Ella shrugged. “I suppose.”

“Great! Where should I tell her to meet you?”

“The Chinese Theater.”

“Ok, I’ll tell her what you’re wearing so she can find you.”

Ella walked to the SUV waiting out front, optimistic of meeting this girl she still didn’t know the name of, but also a bit disappointed she wouldn’t get to experience the walk at her own pace.