Hilde has spent the two-point-five days since Thanksgiving in a haze of schoolwork. It isn't how she would have preferred to spend a holiday weekend, but American Thanksgiving, as she's been reminded by several impatient teachers, isn't considered a holiday here, and high school waits for no woman. She's already gotten an extension on this particular science project, anyway, the stipulation being that it has to be in at the start of class on Monday before her grade will get dinged for it. She would rather avoid that if she can. There's been too much upheaval this year already. Bill has been nothing short of amazing, but some voice in the back of her head says that she doesn't want to disappoint him. Her grades tanking seems likely to accomplish only that.
So she's at least making something of an effort, even if she would rather be working on book edits or article research than anything remotely pertaining to science. After Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night, she'd hugged Gwen and said she'd get in touch before the weekend's over. She hasn't actually done so yet, having only recently put her schoolwork away and emerged into the kitchen for a snack and a drink — which is what makes it so surprising when she goes to answer the door after the bell rings and sees Gwenny standing there.
Part of what makes it so surprising, anyway. That she didn't call or text first is also on that list. The way she looks is another. Sometimes Hilde can't stop the analytical part of her brain, and though she smiles instinctively to see her friend, there's a moment where her photographic memory goes into overdrive, cataloging things that seem different. Gwen's hair is the obvious one, but this is something more than a haircut. There's new stiffness in the way she holds her left arm, and a few inches of height that don't seem to be the result of shoes. She can't quite pinpoint it, but she also isn't going to hyper-fixate (at least not yet).
"Hey, I didn't know you were coming by," she says, stepping aside to let her friend in. "I was seriously just about to text you. ...Is everything okay?"
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So she's at least making something of an effort, even if she would rather be working on book edits or article research than anything remotely pertaining to science. After Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night, she'd hugged Gwen and said she'd get in touch before the weekend's over. She hasn't actually done so yet, having only recently put her schoolwork away and emerged into the kitchen for a snack and a drink — which is what makes it so surprising when she goes to answer the door after the bell rings and sees Gwenny standing there.
Part of what makes it so surprising, anyway. That she didn't call or text first is also on that list. The way she looks is another. Sometimes Hilde can't stop the analytical part of her brain, and though she smiles instinctively to see her friend, there's a moment where her photographic memory goes into overdrive, cataloging things that seem different. Gwen's hair is the obvious one, but this is something more than a haircut. There's new stiffness in the way she holds her left arm, and a few inches of height that don't seem to be the result of shoes. She can't quite pinpoint it, but she also isn't going to hyper-fixate (at least not yet).
"Hey, I didn't know you were coming by," she says, stepping aside to let her friend in. "I was seriously just about to text you. ...Is everything okay?"