La la land

"Girl, you're crazy!" 

Ariana let out a soft laugh as she noticed the look of utter disbelief on her friend, Laila's face. Laila stared at her friend like there were horns growing out of her head. She moved closer to the edge of the bed where Andrea sat. "I cannot believe that you are the one actually saying this!"

"Well..I was just thinking that it was high time I made a move, a leap of faith or something like that." Ariana started shyly. Her brown eyes boring into Laila's own, begging for a sign of validation, maybe begging for any sign at all. "You know that I'm not really the flirty type and you know how much the mere thought of a roleplay and cosplay kinda kinks cringes me the fuck out.. I'm honestly very nervous."

"I know..I know!" Laila squealed even more, completely paying zero attention to Ariana's nervousness. Not that she loved Ariana any less or she did not care about her, she was just too engrossed in what Ariana had said earlier. "Tell me everything, what you are going to do and do not dare leave out any details."

Ariana broke her eye contact with Laila and took in a deep breath as she tried to steady her nerves. She couldn't understand why she was suddenly so tense, she could hear the sound of her heartbeat.

"So.." Ariana began slowly, intentionally taking her time as she knew fully well how impatient Laila was. Laila remained calm and was surprisedly patient, though her face said otherwise and revealed how she could hardly contain her excitement. "You know Lawrence has a thing for superheroes right?"

"Yes.. that's why you guys only watch superhero movies whenever you both go to see a movie."

"Exactly! He loves it so much, I don't even don't know why he's obsessed with it." Ariana complained with a slight frown evident on her face. She and Lawrence have never seen a romantic movie together or even just a normal romcom, thriller, action, horror or anything at all besides superhero movies. She recalled one time when she was riding the bus home and she overheard the kids behind her arguing about superheroes, she had to fight her inner demons not to chirp in on their conversation and look like some weird lady who has forgotten that she's too old for such conversation, just because she had seen almost if not all the superhero movies ever made and that was all thanks to Lawrence, her fiance.

"Hey!" Laila snapped her fingers impatiently, drawing Ariana attention back to the matter at hand and reality. "Back to earth little miss cosplay, you still haven't given me the full gist of everything."

"Okay fine fine, here's what I'm thinking," Ariana started again, her voice gaining confidence with each word. "Lawrence has a thing for superheroes, especially Batman. He's so damn crazy for Batman, he literally has every collection or anything at all that relates to Batman. He even calls his room the Bat cave." She paused, shook her head and let out a small laugh before she continued. "So I thought, why not surprise him by dressing up as Catwoman?"

Laila's eyes widened in delight, her hands flew to her mouth as she stared at Ariana. "Who are you and what have you done to my friend?" It felt like she was just meeting the person before her for the very first time.

"Hi I'm a new and improved version of your dear best friend, nice to meet you." Ariana said playfully, stretching out her right hand for a handshake.

"Well hello new and improved version of my best friend, nice to meet you too!" Laila responded with a laugh as she shook hands with Andrea.

"But I'm a little worried that the plan might not work."

"What? Your idea is beautiful, brilliant, magnificent..is there any other word to use to describe it?"

"Perfect?"

"Yes baby, just perfect. Oh my goodness, it's so brilliant!"

"You think so?"

"Do I think so? I don't think so, I know so! He is going to absolutely love it."

"You think he will love it?"

"Trust me, he will." Laila nodded excitedly, personally she knew how much men loved when their women dressed up just for them and not just any type of dress up, they loved it when the ladies dressed up just the way they liked it.

"The truth is," There was a sad and distant look in Ariana's eyes, she let out a long sigh before she continued. "We have become so comfortable with each other that it's now suffocating. Sometimes it feels like we are both just familiar strangers about to get married."

"Oh my God.." Laila murmured and wrapped her hands around Ariana as she pulled her in for a warm embrace.

"It's so hard." She blinked repeatedly, trying to fight the tears stinging her eyes and threatening to fall out. It had started out slowly, one canceled date turned to two and then three and then holiday plans were canceled, too busy with work, too busy to take calls or return them. At first it was hard but they had both gotten too comfortable with the bridge and gap in their relationship that it ended up becoming the usual norm.

"Everything is going to be fine, you just have to be strong. You both used to be such love birds, but you both also had your careers to pursue that doesn't mean that Lawrence no longer loves you. He loves you more than life itself."

"Laila, you do not seem to understand," Ariana freed herself from the hug and locked eye contact with Laila. "The spark is gone."

"Spark? What spark?"

"We no longer do it." Ariana said in an almost whisper, her eyes darting anywhere but Laila's.

"Do what?" Laila asked mischievously, feigning the beautiful art of innocent cluelessness. She knew how shy Ariana could get and she wanted to just taunt her a little to brighten up her already ruined mood.

"Come on Laila," She eyed Laila suspiciously, her eyes scanning Laila's face for a sign of mischief. She noticed the twinkle in her eyes and how she was fighting hard to hold in her smile. 

"I honestly have zero idea of what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I can't remember the last time we did it, even when we actually did it which has been so long, it was really boring. It felt more like a chore, like some kind of responsibility."