Hailey had a rare midweek afternoon off, but Athena hadn't, and she'd not wanted to hang around the flat all day, so she'd decided to venture out to Victory Road for some window shopping. She didn't intend to buy anything--that was the rule, wasn't it? No buying things for yourself when your birthday was right around the corner!--but it was always fun to look. It would also give her ideas in case anyone asked her what she might want for said birthday.
She heard a familiar voice call out loudly, and even though Penny hadn't said her name, Hailey just knew she was talking to her. "Ahh!" she screeched, dancing in place for a moment before taking a couple steps to meet her old friend and dormmate and sometimes lover. "Hey babe!" she greeted Penny with a quick peck on the lips, not self-conscious in the least. She knew things with Penny would never be serious or regular, and she'd decided to be okay with that. She wanted to find true love, and that meant accepting when it wasn't.
"Cuckoo clock? Why?" she asked, wrinkling her nose as she laughed.