2 - Story Book Smells

"Hi."

It wasn't the best greeting that Serena could have come up with. To be fair though, it was the heat of the moment and honestly she was looking at the equivalent of a college student as a small senior in high school,, and this was a very good looking college student.

Kanade only smiled all the more, as if completely unaffected by Serena's inability to form a sentence. "So this is the legendary Serena. Your sister's talked about you a lot."

Reality hit like a dose of ice to her back and Serena turned on her sister, embarrassment and irritation overwhelming her sense for a moment. "Oh, did she?" She gave her sister a scowl. Maria this time had the credit to look sheepish.

"All good things," Kanade said like she hadn't noticed a thing was wrong. "You know, baby pictures, high grades, something about you being on break, ya know. Normal stuff."

"Embarrassing stuff," Serena muttered before relenting. "Are you her neighbors?" Who else would live in this neighborhood, close to the Lydian Private Music Academy where you heard all sorts of sound from at any given time of the day?

Tsubasa nodded quickly, nervously jerky if she looked again. "She's my coworker."

Serena didn't even hesitate. "I am so, so sorry."

"Serena!"

"Nee-san!" she countered back in the same, scandalized tone. "They have to know how you are by now."

Kanade and Tsubasa were both laughing, Tsubasa a little more hesitantly. "We do, we do!" Kanade placed an arm on Tsubasa's shoulder, who flushed with embarrassment.

Oh that certainly wasn't awkward. "Anyway, are you here to make sure Nee-san leaves on time?"

Tsubasa nodded quickly. "We're working together on this concert so…"

"You two are," Kanade corrected. "I'm staying here and banging out exams and papers. So we'll be neighbors for a few days!"

Oh wonderful. She was going to die in a week's time from seeing that on a regular basis. She should write out her will.

"And if you ever want food you should come over."

For a moment, Maria hesitated, torn between irritation at this person (which Serena needed the backstory and details of because anything that annoyed her was really good blackmail) and the relief at a lack of her sister burning herself on the stove. It was one time, really, one time.

"I'll have to take you up on that," she replied politely, deciding it for her. Her sister deserved it, she really did. And also it would spare her some cooking. "If I can do so in return." There we go, even better.

Kanade's permanent smile widened a tad. "Sounds great."

If her voice was a little choked, Serena didn't notice. She was too busy internally panicking because that smile knocked about seventeen of her nerves into overdrive at the same time.

She was almost too relieved to send her sister and Tsubasa off, settling inside and sighing into the blissful peaceful silence of no one here. She was on break from her own world of experimentation and song based reading. There was nothing to do except get ready for the night. Which meant thinking of red hair and a warm voice and contemplating smothering herself in one of her sister's pillows.

Great. Sounded like highschool all over again.