Barbie Dreamhouse

"I mean, what do you think? What's your take on what I said?" Crystal asked, twiddling her thumbs.

Phoebe's eyes were at their widest. A dent formed in her brow as she contemplated. She rolled her shoulders back, releasing all the air stored in her lungs as a long, slow whistle.

"Seems to me like something you two need to discuss," she said, cupping her hands around her plastic cup filled with ice coffee.

Drumming her fingers on the lid, Phoebe tilted her head and hummed to herself. She considered herself a good therapist with years of training under her belt. She had helped patients with critical behavioral problems either by talking it out with them or going into a deep dive of their mind.

While it was a question posed for a licensed therapist, the facts surrounding Crystal's concern made it more than evident that this was a situation needing to be solved by Crystal. Asking for advice was fine, but Phoebe couldn't tell Crystal what to do or say. If she did, then Phoebe would have been guiding Crystal by the hand, navigating the path for her instead of allowing Crystal to decide for herself.

The problem was a miscommunication. The intentions from the other girl were muddled. Phoebe could sympathize with Crystal's plight; she had former partners who failed to tell her what they wanted with her, leading to inevitable break-ups.

"But well, we've been having fun. I mean, as much fun as you can have on only two dates with years of friendship before that," Crystal said, looking at their table in the quiet cafe. She stared at the condensation forming on the tall cup of her matcha latte. Taking a napkin from the dispenser, she wrapped it around the cup and gently squeezed, soaking the napkin.

Phoebe set her hand to her cheek and her elbow on the table. Leaning forward, she asked, "From what you're telling me, these dates are mostly just for fun, right? They're nothing serious."

"They could be," Crystal blurted, her pitch bordering on loud. She cleared her throat when a man at another table glanced at her. Lowering her voice, she added, "We could be something serious." She threaded her fingers through her ponytail, which had stray strands hanging loose around her face. "We've known each other for a long time. When she asked me out, I was so stoked." Her smile appeared for a split second. "I just, you know, keep thinking about…"

"Which leads you to worry about your friendship," Phoebe finished when Crystal sighed. "Have you talked to her about your worries? That's where the miscommunication stems from, right?"

Crystal straightened, her shoulders squaring. "Like I said, we've only been on two dates. Isn't it a little too soon to ask something like that?"

"You two have been friends for a long time. I know she'd understand if you brought it up," Phoebe replied, trailing off with a snicker. "Even if she is a bit dense sometimes, I doubt she'd be against discussing what you want out of a relationship with her. In fact-" She pressed her hands on the table and leaned forward. "-everyone should when they're dating. Setting boundaries, talking about your mutual needs, it's typical stuff, Crystal." She reached over and took Crystal's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Just talk with Franke. She'll understand."

The corner of Crystal's mouth lifted. It wasn't a full smile, but it was serviceable. "Yeah, you're right. Franke is nice, like super nice." She chuckled to herself. "Oh, maybe I wound myself up overthinking everything."

"Nothing wrong with overthinking-"

"Man, we've only been dating for a bit, and I'm already thinking about marriage." Crystal threw her head back and laughed. "God, that's way too much right now!"

Phoebe blinked, letting her mouth fall open. Something Franke had commented to Crystal online years ago popped into her head. Barbie Dreamhouse, she thought, watching Crystal take a generous sip of her latte.

Crystal beamed, her cheeks coloring to a rosy hue. Her smile made the corner of her eyes crinkle. "Thanks so much, Phoebe! You're such a babe and a half!" She laughed again. "Oops, sorry, that's what Franke calls you. I meant to say awesome friend, but you're totally a babe and a half!"

"Well, that's, uh, that's definitely nice to hear," Phoebe replied, a chuckle escaping her. Taking her beverage, Phoebe drank it in two long gulps, the taste of caramel melting into the coffee. She sighed and telekinetically tossed the cup into the nearest trash can. "So, we good?"

"All good on every front," Crystal said, clapping her hands together.