catching fire

xv.

[The Mill, May, late evening - Beautiful Changes]

KAT: (shocked face, eyes wide when Rania walks in) "Who are you?" (approaches Rania, eyes even wider) "Oh my... Just what have you done to your hair?!" (theatrical) "Your beautiful, beautiful long hair... So short now." (fake sobs)

RANIA: (laughs wholeheartedly, relieved that the reaction isn't worse but keeps her straight face, nonchalant) "Duh. I went to the hairdresser."

KAT: "But... Why?!" (falls down on her knees before Rania) "Your poor, poor hair!"

RANIA: (laughs even more, kneels down next to Kat, pats her on the head as if she truly were a kitten) "You're too much, sometimes."

KAT: (drops her act, sheepishly peeks up at the other) "But honestly, why did you cut it?" (quieter) "And why didn't you ask me to come with?"

RANIA: (catches on) "Oh..." (softly) "It was just something I felt like I had to do for myself, without your help. And I wanted to surprise you. Don't you like it? After all, it's thanks to you."

KAT: "No, I do. I do like it, its just..." (pauses) "Wait, did you say it's thanks to me? Why's that?"

RANIA: (smiles adoringly at the mop of frizzy hair that's now curled into her side as they sit on the floor) "What can I say? You're inspiring. And I felt the need to express my new, wild, and even more nerdy side physically."

KAT: (sleepily) "But then you'd have dyed it and coloured it purple, not just chopped it off."

RANIA: "Maybe I'm just not as courageous as you are."

KAT: "But don't even think about getting rid of your glasses." (reaches up to push them back up on Rania's nose) "They make your beautiful ocean-sky blue eyes sparkle even more."

RANIA: (blushes despite herself) "I... I'm not beautiful, Kat."

KAT: (slides her finger down Rania's face, presses it against her lips to shut her up but can't hide the shudder that trickles her spine at the soft feel of them) "Shhh... You are. Very, very beautiful. And now" (yawns) "shut up and let me sleep."

RANIA: (crimson-faced but grinning broadly against Kat's finger until she takes it away, then says throatily) "You do realise that we're sitting on the floor, though, right?"

KAT: (snuggles in Rania's lap, makes herself comfortable) "I don't care. As long as you're here with me."

RANIA: (can't help the lovey-dovey smile, even when Leo walks by) "Same here."

LEO: (very manly squeak as he spots them, to himself) "I have to find someone who's willing to make a bet with me about how long it's gonna take them to end up together."