Booker suddenly had a new person in his space. This was going to be interesting. While it would have been good if he had thought more carefully about this, in the end there was no argument that would make sense. The space was available, Celeste was a friend, and he wasn’t going to let her live on the streets. That was an absolutely absurd thought! They would figure this out. He did say that Celeste could stay here until she got on her feet and, really, he didn’t think it would take that long. She was young, smart, and on her way to school, she’ll be able to make things work and, in the meantime, he wasn’t going to pressure her.

So this was it. The Bookmans would be having a house guest for a little bit and he was perfectly fine with that. Also, the more he thought about it, the more he convince himself that Nessa would be okay with it too. After all, the two of them had similar stories and Nessa, as much as she valued her privacy, wouldn’t be one to turn the young woman away.

This would work.

With the initial tour over, Booker caught the small glint in Celeste’s eye at the treasure trove of nerdom that was situated all around them. She truly looked like she was enjoying her surroundings, which was good because if she hated all this stuff, well, that would be a problem. But there was no need to dwell on that and, instead, he simply tried to decide the next course of action: food.

Last night, Booker had made himself some homemade carne asada, the smell of which he knew probably tortured his vegetarian sister, but she was used to his cooking by now. So he offered that so that Celeste could at least get a meal in her stomach.
>>"Yeah, that would actually be amazing."

He clapped his hands together. ”Excellent! Come along,” he said as he gestured her to follow him to the kitchen. The kitchen was smaller but it was orderly, obvious due to Booker’s need to have things neat and tidy. As he pulled down a plate, Booker then turned to the fridge. ”Okay so this is the fridge. Feel free to help yourself while you are here. But if you see anything with ‘Nessa’s’ name on it, avoid. She’s a vegetarian and doesn’t like her stuff being touched. But if you must have some of her fruit or veggies, just ask her first. She’s not that much a misery, she just likes to know.”

He pulled out the plate wrapped in tin foil to show the carne asada, as well as a pack of store bought tortillas, and a small container of dirty rice. There was definitely plenty of food and certainly matched up with Booker’s culinary skill. No one left the Bookman home starving and that was the way that the man liked it. With everything set on the counter for her, he turned his attention back to Celeste.

”Okay! So, help yourself. The microwave is right here. We have water, soda, juice, pour yourself whatever you like.” He beamed. ”I’m going to use the restroom and then head out. I’ll message Nessa on my way out about you staying so she doesn’t drop kick you or anything. Cool?”

Celestina was determined to make her stay as short as possible - she really didn't want to be an inconvience to Booker or his sister. She ultimately hated that she had to stay with them - not that she woudn't mind living with Booker, but because of the situations that she found herself in. She should have had a back up plan, anyways. She was aware how old Norma was, after all. It just didn't seem like it would happen, at leaset not this soon. Celeste knew she had to accept it, accept the help that Booker had provided, and just do her best to get back on her feet. She quickly added, "I won't be a burden or anything, I mean, I'm really busy so I won't even be here too much. Mainly to sleep and shower and stuff." 

>> ”...I’m going to use the restroom and then head out. I’ll message Nessa on my way out about you staying so she doesn’t drop kick you or anything. Cool?”

She nodded, "Cool. Okie dokie... Hopefully she'll check her messages. Thanks so much, for everything," she sighed, she forgot about Booker's sister intermittently. Maybe they would get along really well? It wasn't the best way for them to meet, but who knew. Was she an adapted too? She began to fill a plate full of the carne asada, a tortilla, and a big scoop of dirty rice. She slid it into the microwave for 45 seconds. Once she took it out, she quickly began to munch away on it as Booker went to do his own thing. She took some grape juice and poured a glass and took a sip. It was really good. Probably the best warmed up carne asada she'd ever had, honestly. 

Once Booker was out the door, Celeste finished up her meal. Once done, she washed her dishes, dried them off, and put them back where she saw Booker take them from. With that completed, she went and sat down on the couch with a deep sigh. Maybe she could just go to sleep and all of this, her life, would just be one bad nightmare. With that in mind, she took her shoes off and curled up in fetal position on the couch, staring out a nearby window. She realized her eyes were drooping pretty quickly, and with another deep breath, she was what seemed like an immediate deep slumber. 

And so the Bookmans had a house guest. Nessa would be thrilled. Okay, maybe not thrilled but she would understand; Booker was sure of that much. Given how much the poor girl was going through, the librarian had had thought in his mind that she would be absolutely fine with this. And, if not, well, that was a bridge that the two of them would cross when they came to it. In the meantime he would go about his day, text his sister, and allow her time to get used to this fact before either of them returned home to the blonde now living on their couch.

>>"Cool. Okie dokie... Hopefully she'll check her messages. Thanks so much, for everything,

”OH, we’ve had a few miscommunications in the past,” Booker started. ”We’re better checking out messages now. She’ll be fine. So, eat and rest up, okay?” He gave her a soft smile before he nodded to her. ”I know it seems like sh*t right now, but, things’ll pick up. They always do.”

With that Booker turned and went about the last things he said he was going to do. Picking up a few items he needed to bring back to the office, he placed them in his backpack, used the facilities, and then left the room after bidding farewell to his new houseguest. Once Booker was out in the hall, he sighed as he glanced back to the door. He really did hope that things would get better for Celeste, she was too young to deal with all this crap already.

Pulling away from it, he marched down the hall and pulled out his cellphone. Quickly he started to swipe a message. Normally Booker was pretty good about spellchecking his own messages for autocorrect mistakes, but the message was so simply, he doubted that it could be fouled up. Additionally, just as he typed up his message, Booker noted their neighbor, the elderly and widowed Ms. Ackerman struggling to get into her apartment with her newly bought groceries. Being the gentleman that he was, Booker rushed over to assist her, hastily tapping the send button on his phone and shoving it into his back pocket.

What he meant to write was: Nessa. Friend sleeping on the couch. Call me.

What was sent to his lovely sister’s phone, however, was slightly different:

Nessa. Fiend sitting on a corgi. Calmly.

[SEND]

Vanessa had a long day of work. No one ever believed her when she complained about her work days because everyone was aware of her job playing video games for a living. Admittedly, she would never compare herself to someone working in coal mines or retail; she was lucky enough to work her dream job. She was still allowed to have long, exhausting day, and a day of working in animation certainly qualified. There was a reprieve when she left for the last hour of the day to record the week’s podcast, but it did not lessen all the pressure to get artwork finished for a new show set to premier in a week.

It was still nice to end the work day with a light buzz, and the presence of cocktails on the podcast made that dream a reality. Vanessa was ready to go home, make some quick dinner, and play with her Gamestation. On days of heavy gaming in the office, Vanessa would often return home to draw or watch Binge, but after all the drawing of her own day, she wanted to stay far from her sketchpad.

Vanessa was stepping off the metro when she felt a buzz in her pocket. She read Booker’s attempt at a text, but found its original meeting difficult to translate.

Nessa. Fiend sitting on a corgi. Calmly.

Yes, at first glance, Vanessa could guess her brother hit a typo somewhere along the way. The question was: where? Fiend-sitting? One of those words was definitely wrong. She wondered if, perhaps, Booker was dog-sitting for a friend, hence the corgi. Why he was telling her to be calm was a mystery, making her believe that was wrong somehow, as well.

Booker, are we even allowed to have a puppy in the apartment?

Vanessa was already approaching the door to the apartment when she sent her reply, staring cautiously at the door. She wondered if she would be wrangling a tiny pupper making a break for it if she was not careful.

The door opened and no pets tried to escape, so Vanessa walked into the apartment, keeping an eye out for the new presence in the home. ”Booker, if you really brought a puppy, you have to at least try running things by me,” she called out, just in case Booker was somewhere in the apartment.

Rather than her brother or a puppy, Vanessa found another surprise in her living room: a young blonde woman on her couch. ”Okay, you’re not a puppy,” she said definitively, before adding in a louder voice directed toward the hallway, ”And if you’re cheating on Jules with a blonde teenager, I’m gonna kick your a**!” Her and Juliette got off on the wrong foot, but Vanessa actually liked the woman, and her distaste for cheating was well-documented. This was all without pointing out that the girl was likely a decade younger than Booker. Gross.

Vanessa kept her eyes focused on the girl in case she woke up. She was trying not to rely on her telepathy as much anymore, but if she could make eye contact with the girl and get a better idea of what was going on, it seemed like a justifiable time to use that ability.

Celeste was having a pretty good nap. It was surprising, usually her sleeping periods were filled with weird or bad dreams. It was one of the biggest reasons why she barely got any sleep to begin with. Usually, her dreams consisted of death, despair, mixed in with pieces of video games, and painful deaths. This time, it was peaceful - well, she did have one weird dream- an empty funeral room with her giving a talk to the air...

She grumbled a little as she heard someone talking and she sighed, her eyes slowly waking up. It was quite for a moment but then another voice. Cheating on Jules? Blonde teenager? Wait, was she referring to her? Oh no, Jules is Juliette's nickname. Her brain was trying to wake up and her body was struggling. She had been sleeping so good. But, she had to get up to explain this to Booker's sister. Maybe she didn't check her messages? So much for them being good at communicating...?

She nearly rolled off the couch, flumsily trying to wake up and get her balance as she stood up, "Oh. Um. Hi. No, he's not cheating on Juliette. I'm not his mistress." That was kinda gross to think about, honestly. It wasn't that Booker wasn't attractive and a good person - but she viewed him more as family than as a piece of meat. Also, she wasn't one to judge, but a decade apart is a bit of a large gap. Plus, she already was seeing someone who was her age.

She had to rub her eyes, her vision was blurry from her nap still. Man, that was such a good nap... "My roommate died and I... I don't have anywhere to go, so.. Um, Booker offered to say. He sent you a text letting you know, I think..." 

She shook her head, "No, no affairs or cheating or anything. I don't think of Booker like that." She waved her hands in an exaggerant motion to try to make her point, but then realized maybe the woman thought that might have been insulting to her brother, "Oh, I mean, he is attractive but he's my volunteer boss dude and my friend and more like family than anything else. Not my type." Oh god, this turned out to be a nightmare already. She was probably going to get kicked out already. Her mind already drifted to where in the world would she even go. Maybe she would have to take up that police officers offer. Ugh... No, actually, she'd rather be homeless. "Um, so uh, he said I could stay here until I figure a place out," she stifled a yawn, "Which, I think I know a place but I have to call and figure it out and I just haven't had the time or energy or emotions to do anything..." She gave up at this point. Whatever happened next, she would just have to accept. She was too emotionally drained and depressed to try to convince her of her innocence. 

It was always jarring to walk into the apartment and see someone unexpected. Juliette was someone Vanessa was getting used to, which was good, because she spent plenty of time at the apartment. Vanessa had no right to complain; Gina was becoming a frequent visitor herself. Both Bookman siblings were in happy relationships, which normalized things around the home. The chances of coming across an unnamed man or woman in a towel were at an all-time low.

And yet, Vanessa watched as a youthful blonde stirred on her couch. Booker was many things, but Vanessa did not want to jump to the conclusion that he would be a cheater. Not with Juliette; those two were riding high on the honeymoon stage of their romance. There was another logical explanation, so Vanessa focused on the girl’s blue eyes for some answers.

The girl confirmed she was not a teenage mistress, and her thoughts backed her up, which was reassuring. She thought her brother was attractive, but did not look at him in a romantic or sexual way. That scored her points, because Vanessa was tired of catching the sexual thoughts people had about her brother.

With concerns of an affair out of the way, the real heartbreak came when the girl explained that her roommate died. Vanessa could see her; a nice old woman who passed quietly. Even with that tragedy still fresh, the girl was trying to defend herself and Booker’s honor in an awkward panic. She was frazzled and she was depressed and Vanessa put her on edge, like she did with so many people.

Vanessa sighed and took long strides toward the girl. She wrapped her arms around her and patted her on the back. ”You’re fine. You’re alright to stay here. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Releasing the girl, Vanessa pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked it again. ”I’m Vanessa. And I think Booker accidentally made it sound like we got a new puppy.” She held her screen out so Celeste could see the message. ”Gotta love autocorrect."

Celestina wasn't sure what to do at this point - she was standing in an apartment room of Booker and Vanessa's, a suitcase off to the side. She had no where else to go and no one else to turn too. So, here she was, hoping that Vanessa would be okay with her staying for just a little while. Maybe a week? She could probably get into the Mansion by then... Maybe? Juliette said they had people come and go all the time. They'd surely be able to get her in fast... Maybe, anyways. Celeste wasn't really sure when Booker would be back to make any formal introductions. But hey, at least she finally met Vanessa - albeit, probably not in the best way. Hopefully, she wouldn't think Celeste was lazy or something for already sleeping like a bum on their couch.

She wouldn't be a bum. She'd cook, clean, do whatever they  needed done around the house - plus, she barely had any free time anyways. She'd probably be out of the apartment 80% of the time, besides sleeping... Like a bum, on their couch. Celeste sighed and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. She had to see how Vanessa would react, which while probably was only a few seconds, felt a lot longer. She knew it was a little extreme for her to think like this - but it was how she had to grow up. She had to figure a way to make people like her, cause no conflicts, and excel at everything.

She saw Vanessa come towards her but instead of kicking her out, she wrapped her arm around her and patted her back. The relief was probably felt all over the room, even. She let out a deep breath of air. Thank God, she wasn't homeless. At least, not yet. She gave Vanessa a smile, "Thank you... It means a lot. I'm sorry your first impression of me is, well, this. I'm trying to not be here too long, but in the meantime, I can cook pretty good, clean, and I'm really busy so I probably won't even be here too much... Plus, if you need me out, just say it and I'll go." Messy, sleepy, eyes fairly red from sleeping and weeping all day. Ugh. 

Once released, she sat back down. She left plenty of room for Vanessa to sit down beside her. She was honestly still tired and with her usual lack of sleep, plus the emotional stress, she just didn't have that much energy left for the day. "Celestina, but you can call me Celeste. It's a bit easier." She took a look at the text message and she couldn't help but laugh, "I mean, I can make a mean puppy eye face if I try hard enough." After chuckling for another second, "Definitely not as cute as corgi, either."

Hugging Celeste gave her the sense of relief she needed to know she was not going to be tossed out on the streets. Vanessa released her from the hug, surveying the younger blonde girl. She did not look great. Rather, she looked pretty but entirely out of sorts. Her eyes were red, (which thankfully did not affect the readability of her thoughts,) her hair was unkempt thanks to her couch nap, and she just did not seem all there.

Her apology was so sincere, in spite of everything she went through, and Celeste immediately wanted to make sure she was not going to be a burden or a leech. Leave it to Booker to bring home a stray with a heart of gold.

Since a spot on the couch was offered, Vanessa accepted and sat beside Celeste. It was nice to see the girl laugh when she read Booker’s attempted text. When everything was going wrong, you had to cling to the little things like autocorrect and corgi jokes. ”I mean, you’re pretty darn cute. But I agree, a corgi just barely edges you out there.” What person could really compete with the cuteness of a tiny ball of floof?

With both women sitting, Vanessa sighed and returned to the seriousness of Celeste’s reason for being at the apartment. ”Celeste, you’re fine. We don’t need you focusing on trying to earn your keep. You’re our guest; please focus on feeling better and figuring out your next move.”

Vanessa considered how most people might deal with the challenge of finding themselves suddenly homeless. It was a scary thought, particularly for someone so young. When Vanessa left the house after her final fight with her parents, she would have been lost if not for the friends she was able to rely on while she pieced her life together. ”I’m guessing with your accent you’re not exactly from New York, but do you maybe have friends who need another roommate? Or maybe there’s family you can talk to?” It was not the plan Vanessa would go with, but not everyone had the same parental animosity that she did.

Vanessa didn't want her on the street and actually maybe even liked her a little? It would be nice to have another friend in this big ole' city, even if their circumstances of meeting was... Kinda depressing, really. She wasn't really sure what all her next step should be or could be. She just had to figure out how to get back up again. She was good at that. 

She laughed and even blushed a little at being called cute but a corgi definitely edged her out, "I mean, there's no arguments that a corgi is cuter. They are the adorable little fluff balls." 

She nodded as she listened to Vanessa and she nodded. It made her feel better, for sure. She wasn't going about to get thrown out of the apartment. She may be a couch bum but at least she wasn't on the streets. That was some serious positives. Her eyes even stung a little... Again. Celeste really wasn't sure how she even had this much water in her eyes to have so many tears at this point. She managed a small, "Thank you." 

She shook her head. She didn't really have that many friends and the ones that she could count on lived in dorms, coops, or in other situations that they really couldn't help. "I only have a few friends besides Booker," that was pretty embarrassing to admit up front - she was not very popular. Her closest friends were Marisol, Jude, and Booker. Everyone else seemed like acquaintances, like they just hadn't had enough time to become friends yet. It may have just been in her head, honestly. She wasn't one to easily create close friends.

"I'm originally from Regina, in Canada. I don't have any family I can turn too." Her parents, huge anti-mutant bigots, had made that clear ever since her powers manifested. She sighed as she thought about how they treated her. "I think I can get a dorm in Xavier's school, though." She didn't see why not but she had to contact them about it. She, of course, had outed herself as a mutant to Vanessa already. Hopefully, she was like her brother. 

Many people would call Vanessa a b****. Like, a lot of people. She could be brusque and some things she said came across as insensitive. Despite her first impressions, Vanessa did not consider herself to be a bad person. The last thing she wanted was to send a girl with no place to go out on the streets. Booker was also one of the occupants of the apartment, and he could invite whoever he wanted without her permission (with one notable exception.) Even if Vanessa had some reason to veto, she would not dream of it.

Knowing she had a place to rest her head while she pieced her life together, Celeste offered a soft, genuine thank you. It was enough to break Vanessa’s heart. ”Of course, you’re welcome.”

The girl seemed too sweet to deserve what the world was throwing on her shoulders, and she only had a small group of friends to rely on. Vanessa was proud of her brother for being the kind of friend who came through in the clutch, but she still knew well how it felt to have a small group of friends she really thought were close.

The style of maintaining friendships was not the only thing Vanessa and Celeste shared, as Vanessa could see in the younger woman’s eyes. Once her powers developed, Celeste lost the love and kindness from her parents. Vanessa had yet to come out to her parents as a mutant, but she still understood exactly what it was like to be ostracized from the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally, all for something outside you could not control.

Placing a hand around Celeste’s shoulder, Vanessa let out a long, heavy sigh. ”Trust me, I know all too well what it’s like to have family you can’t trust. Besides Booker, of course. It sucks, but this is when you’ll find the people who want to be there for you to make it okay. Once again, Booker,” she pointed out as an obvious instance. ”The Mansion, too. The staff there is great.” Vanessa resisted the urge to say “most of the staff,” but as bitter as she was, she knew Rebecca’s heart was in the right place as a teacher.

”Plus me,” she finally added. ”I mean, I know I’m more or less a total stranger, but sometimes it’s nice to talk things out with someone like that.” Vanessa did not want to be intrusive, but she did want Celeste to know she was not as alone as she felt.

Celeste liked Vanessa. At least, so far. She was terrified when she first met Booker's sister, mainly because she wasn't sure if she was going to get kicked out almost as quick as she was offered a place to stay. Not to mention, she originally thought she was Booker's mistress. Yikes! It all worked out, though. She believed her and even told her it was okay - she was safe to stay there. It made Celeste feel a little more at home, a little more safe, and a little more like she wasn't entirely screwed. 

Celeste leaned a little towards Vanessa when she put a hand on her shoulder. She fiddled with her thumbs and let out a deep, sad sigh. She just hated everything. She hated that Vanessa had to go through that. Did Booker have to deal with that type of family too? They both seemed like such good people - why would they have to suffer through that kind of stuff? She wiped away a tear that was forming in her eye, "I'm sorry... No one deserves that." Maybe it was arrogant, but she knew she didn't. She did everything she could to make her parents love her - and they would never, ever do that. She moved to New York City when she finally came to terms with that.

She nodded, she still couldn't Believe Booker helped her so fast, no hesitation, nothing expected in return.  Even though both of them wanted her to relax, get her life together, she didn't want to be a leech. She'd do her part, even if she would only be with them for a little while. In either case, it was nice to know that Vanessa knew about the Mansion - she even knew the staff. She was fine with mutants. That was a whole other weight off Celeste's shoulders. Whew...

She gave Vanessa a tired smile and nodded, "Thanks... I'm just still processing how she just died. It seemed like it was fast, painless for her, but just walking in and seeing her..." She started choking up, so she just coughed and wiped her eyes again. Vanessa probably got the point. 

It said a lot about Celeste that she wanted to show Vanessa emotional support when she was the one whose life was falling apart around her. It was justifiably hard to see other people’s problems when one’s own struggles were so all-consuming, but Celeste was selfless. It was the only vibe Vanessa got from her, and the thoughts she had backed that vibe up. Not only was she concerned for Vanessa and Booker, but she was getting kind of emotional about it.

There was a sense of camaraderie Vanessa felt talking to someone who understood her struggle, and Celeste knew the truth and spoke it in no uncertain terms. ”You’re right. No one deserves that. Don’t ever forget that, Celeste.” The kind blonde deserved more than her bigoted parents, but if she really was like Vanessa, it was hard to remember that somedays.

The reminder that she was alone was only one part of Celeste’s pain, though; the other part was the loss and grief of losing a friend. Vanessa moved her arm from Celeste’s shoulder, wrapping it around her to pull her into a side hug. ”I can’t even imagine. At least she got to pass peacefully, and you both got to be in each other’s lives while you could. I think that’s what you have to focus on; how lucky you were to have that time.” It was hard to feel lucky after losing a friend, but if she was grieving, then she must have felt close enough that her roommate mattered.

When Celeste choked up and started crying again, Vanessa rubbed her back reassuringly. ”And this is okay, too. Let it out if you want to.” Grief came in waves, particularly when it was alternating with shock, so Vanessa just wanted her new guest to feel okay with wherever she was in the grieving process.

She nodded. Vanessa was right. No one deserves it, including her. She sniffled a little. The world just wasn't fair. Nothing was fair. She had done everything she could to succeed and it felt like everytime she made a step forward, something happened that caused her to go back two steps. Mariah, her roommate dying, the other crap that she's had to put up with. She sighed. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, though. Her life wasn't destined to be an easy life and she knew that from the beginning, so she had to be strong, happy, hopeful. Maybe she could break down for one day, though. 

She went into the hug with no resistance. She needed comfort and she knew she couldn't turn it away right now. Life was hard. Vanessa was a nice person, a good person, and didn't deserve whatever might have happened to her. The same went with Booker, too. The world was one sh*tty place to treat such good people the way it has.

She nodded and with several sniffles in between, she agreed, "You're right, I'm so lucky I got to know her. She didn't even hesitate to let me move in. She had just saw me in the library all day and just started talking to me and then asked me. She became family so fast." She had no idea how many times Norma had seen her in the library, after all. She had spent most of her first days staying in the library, except at night, where she went to that shady motel with sketchy people standing outsides doors. She shivered thinking about it. 

After her next crying outburst, she took a few tissues out of the box and wiped her nose and eyes. She took a deep breath that seemed to 'skid' a couple of times. She hated crying in front of Vanessa, but it was just too hard not to have those moments. The tears just jumped on her when she had no defenses set up. "Thank you," she whispered, "I promise I'm a lot of fun, too, and not just tears and sadness and crap." 

The world really was not fair. Good people died, cruel people held too much power, and through it all, sweet people like Celeste were trampled under the weight of the world. The world had come far over the last twenty-five years, but it was not nearly far enough. When Vanessa heard stories like Celeste’s fall from her family’s graces, it made her feel almost ashamed for hiding her own mutation and not taking part in “the good fight.” She was blessed with the luck of passing as a trans woman and a mutant, and she was using that fortune to hide from those fights. It was a problem she would have to think about, because she had a lot to reflect on.

That was a concern for another time; she was there to offer her support and reflect happily on the good times with Celeste. Her roommate, Norma, basically saved Celeste, giving her a place to stay at her lowest point. Vanessa knew all too well how that felt; if the friends who took her in after she ran away passed, it would crush her. Life was hard, but sometimes, the kindness of strangers ended up being the one thing that turned around an impossibly bad situation.

Vanessa was quiet, offering reassurance as Celeste cried out her issues. It was cute that the young woman was concerned about coming across as sad and mopey when she was dealing with so much to justifiably put her in that position. ”Trust me, if you were a barrel of laughs right now, that’d concern me more,” she joked, before more sincerely continuing, ”but it’s gonna be alright. Once Booker gets back, we’ll all make dinner together and we’ll spend the night doing something fun. Binge, video games, whatever. You’ll get a proper Bookman experience.” If Nessa had anything to say about it, they’d return normalcy to one of the worst nights of Celeste’s life.

Celeste was feeling better. She had cried so much but Booker was there for her, no questions asked. Vanessa was there for her, no questions asked. Despite all the crap the world had thrown at her, she ended up uwith good people. Despite it all, she found herself in good situations even in the worse of times. It warmed her sad heart, to say the least. She was going to be okay, she'd find her way back. Life might knock her down two steps but she always managed to get 3 ahead. Sometimes, anyways. 

She did end up chuckling a little at Vanessa's joke. She did have a point, after all. She nodded. When was Booker coming back, actually? She had slept for a long time. At least, she thought she had. Her eyes widened at video games. She hadn't played video games in so long - she use to only be able to go to friends house to play her favorite games. She had saved up for a small, weak laptop one time but her sister ended up spilling milk on it on accident nearly a year later. It was heart breaking, but Celeste had to deal with it. Video games sounded like a really awesome thing to do, especially after all of today. 

After several more tissues, blowed noses, and cleared eyes, Celeste finally seemed like she wasn't about to cry. "Making dinner together would be a lot of fun.. Plus, video games does sound super awesome."