So does this mean is the start of a sentence that should cause her dread maybe, or bring around another fresh wave of nervousness but all Abby feels right now is calm, even a little relieved. She's been wondering this herself, what it all means, and once they've got that figured out they can finally relax, stop dancing around each other. Figure out exactly what this is together.

And Clarisse says that word right as she's thinking it, too.

"Um," Abby says, and grins suddenly, wide and pleased. Clarisse's hand on her wrist feels so nice, her fingers brushing gently against the tender skin on the underside of it. "Yeah. I guess we are."

Kinda funny to think that people have said that about them before, that they're always together. Rooming together, working together — being together together seems so adjacent to all of that. She's still smiling at Clarisse and unwilling to take her arm back even though she wants to drink her coffee, right up until she says, "Cool," and flusters, turning her head in the direction of the food. Her face is hot.