Yes. At Natalies nearby student flat.

The key clunked awkwardly into the lock. It took Natalie a few tries at managing to wiggle the thing properly to unlock the door.

- Still haven't gotten this fixed? Have you not contacted your landlord?

Natalie looked down meekly. Her landlord was nice, but not very approachable. At least not for her.

- You know I can't do everything for you? You have to learn to be able to stand up for yourself at some point.

She usually hated life lessons. But deep down she knew Mia was right, and that her friend always wanted what was best for her. Natalie nodded. Letting out a slight sigh as a final loud clunk allows her to finally turn the key and open her apartment door.

- I know. Maybe we can do it tomorrow. And you can be...moral support?

She's bargaining like usual when she has to do something she finds to be out of her comfort zone. Mia is well aware of this process.

- You always procrastinate. But fine. Considering how your morning was, I won't force you to keep dealing with people. If all you want to do in life is take care of animals who am I to stop you?

As the two step into the apartment they are immediately met with the noise of one of Natalies hampsters running on its wheel and the mixed smell of hay and dirt which Natalie uses as bedding for their cage. Both Mia and Natalie where used to the smell at this point as the two head into the kitchen to cook without saying a word. After having prepared some cheap student style cup noodles the silence is broken by Natalie.

- She...she wanted me to model naked.

Mia, in the middle of slurping up a big load of noodles with the aid of a pair of chopsticks suddenly coughs, almost choking on her food as she is forced to spit out the mouthful back into her cup.

- Excuse me? She did what?

Natalie looks down awkardly at her cup. Twirling the noodles with her chopsticks without eating any, watching as the pieces of rehydrated vegetables dance around in the otherwise colourless goop.

- Yeah...at her local arts club or something...

Mia looks directly at Natalie. Waiting a few seconds. Clearly thinking. This pretty much confirms Mia's lesbian theory about Fyre. That hippie chick probably even has the hots for Nat. Why else would she be chatting with the most socially awkward girl at uni?

- Well...I can't say that you getting out more wouldn't be healthy for you. But that certainly sounds like a lot of steps were skipped. I assume you said no?

Natalie rubs the side of her neck, slurping up a couple noodles and slowly chewing. Letting the silence be her answer. Mia nods, getting it.

- That is fine. You don't have any obligation to go.

Natalie swallows. Shes thinking about sharing something she has never shared with anyone before. Mia was the only person she could really trust with this information. Still it took a lot of courage to get the words out as she self soothed by rubbing herself more intensly.

- I uhhh...I've never been naked in front of anyone before.

Mia nodded matter of factly.

- You're a virgin. I already knew that.
- No I mean...After hitting puberty and growing up. Nobody has ever seen me naked. Not even my own family.
- Okay? Nothing wrong with that Nat.
- Okay...I just wanted you to know...
- Why?
- Why what?
- Why do you want me to know?
- I thought that...you wanted to know. Because of the whole...nude model thing.
- I'm not quite sure what you're getting at Nat.
- Forget it...I just...I think i'm going to skip my afternoon classes.

She's swapping subjects, and trying to skip out on her responsibilites. Clearly she's not feeling too well. Better not press it any further, Mia thinks.

- Alright. Do what feels best. I can come round after I finish mine if you want?

Natalie nods, having now fit her feet up on the edge of her chair, hugging her own knees. She mumbles lzaily into her legs.
- And maybe we could practice...
- What was that?

Mia was not quite sure she heard right, with the mumbling and all. Had Natalie just suggested they practice nude modeling? Or was she jumping to conclusions? Natalie looks up right at Mia, her cheeks flush as her chin rests on her knees, her long auburn hair falling to the sides of her face.

- Maybe we could practice. So when I go to the arts club I won't die from shame.

She sounded surprisingly determined, which caught Mia completely off guard.

- Wha-...who...o-okay? S-sure.

She wasn't planning on seeing her best friend since childhood naked for the first time today, but at this point, she had done worse things when it comes to building up Natalies confidence.

- Just promise me you're doing this because you want to and not because that weird hippy girl is making you?

Natalie nodded, returning to her cup noodles in silence.