Kate had heard from a little birdie that her best friend had returned from his trek to find his, or her, mother. She had sadly not gone to see him being overly absorbed in gaining control of her powers that were still getting worse with every passing day. No matter how many hours she seemed to log in the danger room she still couldn’t get a handle on them. This was all very odd and Kate need a distraction at this point. As long as she kept herself together she would be fine and all would be well.

She approached Mirror’s door with every intention of spending the rest of the day with the shifter she called her best and closest friend, well at least had before she had gone away for so long. It was true that the two hadn’t really had a lot of time to reconnect since she had returned but today that was going to change. Mirror was going to get to know the new Kate if the British royal had to beat it down her throat. She knocked only twice before choosing to wait in hopes that the mirror walker would be on the other side of the large wood door to his bedroom.

Someone knocked. Maya looked up from her book curiously; who could that be?... Maybe it was Ami. But she would have known if Ami was coming over. or maybe not. You can never know with girlfriends.
Walking over to the door, she opened it. A wide grin settled on her face.

"Princess!" she laughed, hugging the girl who was her best friend "How are ya? Haven't seen you for ages..."

Once the hug was over, she pulled back.

"Well... that's probably my fault. But anyway..."

>>Princess!

Kate was pleasantly surprised when the door flung open and she was pulled into an embrace. It was short but nice. Kate had been so wrapped up in her own life that the warm welcome was nice.

>>How are ya? Haven't seen you for ages… Well... that's probably my fault. But anyway...

Kate smiled back at the taller girl as she pulled away, “Pretty busy. Between working on gaining control of my mutation and school I barely have time for anything fun anymore. So trust me not your fault. Why would you think it was your fault anyway? I mean you went off to find your mom but other than that have you really been that busy outside of the mansion and stuff?”

Kate moved around Maya and into the room without needing to be invited. If that hug wasn’t an indication that the girl was happy to see her nothing was.

>>“Pretty busy. Between working on gaining control of my mutation and school I barely have time for anything fun anymore. So trust me not your fault. Why would you think it was your fault anyway? I mean you went off to find your mom but other than that have you really been that busy outside of the mansion and stuff?”

"Well. No, not really" Maya smirked, closing the door and plopping down to sit on the floor in the middle of the mess that was her room "But after I came back from Seattle... I didn't really want to talk to anyone."

That was hard to admit, but it was true. It was a nice long spell of depression. Of not calling anyone.

"But, it's all better now." she nodded "And I've got a girlfriend who keeps me occupied, so I don't sulk."

Ami was good at that.

"So, how are you doing?"

>>Well. No, not really. But after I came back from Seattle... I didn't really want to talk to anyone.

Kate looked around the messy room and sighed before plopping down on the messy bed, “How did that go by the way? I assume from your reaction you didn’t find what you were looking for?”

>>But, it's all better now. And I've got a girlfriend who keeps me occupied, so I don't sulk.

Kate froze and looked over at Maya with a combination of confusion and shock. That was fast. Twyla hadn’t even been gone that long and now she had a new girlfriend.

>>So, how are you doing?

“Wait what?! When did you get a new girlfriend and why am I only hearing about her now?!”

>>“How did that go by the way? I assume from your reaction you didn’t find what you were looking for?”

Maya shrugged the question off.

"Kinda. I'll tell you later."

Just because she was dealing with the whole thing that didn't mean she wanted to talk about it. It would roun the mood of meeting a good friend again. Duh.
Fortunately, something she said captured Kate's attention.

>>“Wait what?! When did you get a new girlfriend and why am I only hearing about her now?!”

"Um... because we haven't met since then?" she chuckled, looking at her "Yeah, I have a girlfriend. Her name is Ami. It just... kind of happened. She kicked me in the head with a soccer ball."

>>Kinda. I'll tell you later.

Kate could tell by Maya’s reaction and tone that she should drop the subject, but had also decided she wasn’t going to let it go completely. She knew better than anyone the damage that could be done by bottling things up. Maya or Gawain was going to talk to her about this if she had to ask them every day for a year.

>>Um... because we haven't met since then? Yeah, I have a girlfriend. Her name is Ami. It just... kind of happened. She kicked me in the head with a soccer ball.

Kate laughed at the last comment; it seemed oddly poetic that he would find a girl in such a way. “Yes but you could have made an effort to tell me. I am down the hall.” She smiled brightly at Maya, “And you’re right. I’ve been so wrapped up in school I haven’t made an effort to move down the hall either. How about we change that. Me and you can go out and pain the town red tonight. What do you think?”

>>“Yes but you could have made an effort to tell me. I am down the hall. And you’re right. I’ve been so wrapped up in school I haven’t made an effort to move down the hall either. How about we change that. Me and you can go out and pain the town red tonight. What do you think?”

She was right. She could have made an effort. Maya blushed a bit, ashamed of herself; apparently when someone was sulking she did not really think about the consequences. Of sulking. And not talking to people.

The idea, however, was a great one.

"Sounds like fun" she grinned "Girls' night out? I'm totally game. It looks like we have a lot to catch up on..."

She wanted to hear more about Kate too. She seemed to have changed...

>>Sounds like fun. Girls' night out? I'm totally game. It looks like we have a lot to catch up on...

Kate smiled at the idea of catching up. Maya was right about that, they really did have a lot to talk about. They had only briefly gotten into the state of things the last time they had spoke and spending a night out would not only be a great way for both of them to unwind and let go, it would help with letting things come out as they settled back into old patters of the way their friendship used to be. “That sounds perfect. But I think if we are going to go out you are going to need a change of wardrobe.” Kate smirked and raised an eyebrow looking at the baggy clothes that she knew belonged to Gawain. Maya was a girl and she should embrace such. She didn’t have to always dress like a boy just because she was also one of those.

>>“That sounds perfect. But I think if we are going to go out you are going to need a change of wardrobe.”

Maya rolled her eyes for a show, but she grinned anyway. Sure, Kate would want to start the party with the dresses. It only made sense. She was a full-time girl, after all, which was half the time more than Maya could claim.

"Suuuuure" she chuckled "You just wanna go shopping don't you..."

She totally understood if she did. She missed Kate because of that, among other things. Every once in a while Maya needed someone to drag her out of her room and make her be a girl.

>>Suuuuure. You just wanna go shopping don't you...

“Maybe just a little.” Kate smiled shrugging her right shoulder and laughing at the fact that it had been so easy for Maya to see right through her. It had been so long since someone had been able to do that. Sure she had been close with Hanna and Albert but neither of them could read her that well when she wasn’t being obvious. “But that does not mean that you don’t’ need it. There is nothing like some good shopping therapy to make a girl feel better. I know you are not always a girl but right now you are and that is what counts.” She grabbed her friend by the hands and started pulling her towards the door, “That and I missed New York shopping. It just isn’t the same in Rome."

>>“Maybe just a little. But that does not mean that you don’t’ need it. There is nothing like some good shopping therapy to make a girl feel better. I know you are not always a girl but right now you are and that is what counts. That and I missed New York shopping. It just isn’t the same in Rome."

Maya rolled her eyes and snickered at Kate.

"For that one sentence alone, you would deserve to be grounded for the week. Geez, Princess." she grinned.

Kate was so much out of this world. Out of any guy's league, if you ask Mirror on any day, and definitely out of the world of struggling mutants and ordinary teens. She was a person out of a Disney movie. But that was what Kate was, and Maya liked Kate.

"All right. What are we waitin' for, huh? I hope ya don' want me turning into a guy before I tried on all the stuff you find for me..."

>>For that one sentence alone, you would deserve to be grounded for the week. Geez, Princess.

She looked at Mirror trying not to laugh and making a mock shocked face, “Come on. You’re telling me that you don’t think that New York is the best city in the world too?” Kate giggled and smiled brightly. She had missed this. With Maya it was always so easy. Easy and fun. No work. No drama. Just fun.

>>All right. What are we waitin' for, huh? I hope ya don' want me turning into a guy before I tried on all the stuff you find for me...

“I may or may not have an idea of what I am going to put you in already.” She smirked evilly as she grabbed Maya’s hand and pulled her out to wait for David. Who she has already texted just in case.

>>“Come on. You’re telling me that you don’t think that New York is the best city in the world too?”

"Pst." Maya rolled her eyes "Take me shopping in Rome and I'll get back to you on that one."

It was meant as a joke, even though Maya was fully aware that Kate could make it come true. She had the money, and definitely had the enthusiasm. Not like Mirror would have refused a shopping trip to Rome. As long as she was not paying. For anything. Her last trip to Europe was a lot of work and not much fun...

>>“I may or may not have an idea of what I am going to put you in already.”

"Oh boy, I'm doomed" she smirked as she was being dragged out of the room. She only had time to pick up her jacket and her backpack, and off they went...

>>Pst. Take me shopping in Rome and I'll get back to you on that one.

“Well then maybe I just will. How about that?” She tired her best to give a kind of finger waving attitude and failed miserably. She was both too white and… well… British.

>>Oh boy, I'm doomed

“Ready?” Kate looked over at Maya with a smile as she opened both of the front doors to reveal a waiting David and her 1960’s Mercedes Limo. They had only stopped long enough for Kate to get her purse and her coat. It had been unusually warm for October this year and thank god Kate would have no problem going out in a simple jacket for once.

Kate walked down the steps and took David’s hand as he helped her through the open door and into the car.