Jeezums when the hell did you ask this???? Oops. Here it is, probably very very late!
"Are you serious right now?"
Gracie was in a bit of a bad mood today. Normally, she enjoyed her friends' sillyness, but right now Xia's excitement was really getting on her nerves. All Gracie wanted to do was go lay down in the dark and let the void comsume her, but no. She was stuck in the noisy Great Hall, having been cornered by the Ravenclaw who was talking far too loudly. About a secret handshake.
"Of course I'm serious! All good friends have secret handshakes," Xia said firmly.
"Alright," Gracie said, forcing herself to not look murderous. "What did you have in mind?"
Xia easily started teaching Gracie the handshake - she had apparently already come up with the whole thing. As Gracie focused on the hand movements, her stress started fading. Her hands kept moving, the moves slowly becoming muscle memory, and the ache in her skull slowly ceased to exist. Huh.
"One more time!" Xia exclaimed. "I think you've got it!"
Up, down, left, right, smack, bump, jazz fingers, twist, swoop, clap, pat, clap, left, right, twist, down, bump, explode.
"Yes!" Xia pumped her fist in the air.
Gracie found herself grinning. "I still don't think this was necessary."
"Made you smile though, didn't it?"
"Was that your intention?"
Xia has the decency to look sheepish. "You didn't seem very happy. But secret handshakes are very important to a friendship."
"Whatever you say, Xia," Gracie said, rolling her eyes. "Just promise me you won't make me wear a friendship bracelet."
Xia didn't respond, a mischevous glint in her eyes.
