Joe
"Yeah, i've been up to the roof at Newtons Cradle as well. I agree, its sort of underwhelming." They laughed.

June thought for a second as they watched Mel light up with excitement. A sign of approval that stretched far past her words. They were both excited to explore, how wonderful June thought. 

They took a sip of their drink and turned over all the ideas in their head. Where would be a good place, and even more so where could they take their new friend. The roof at Newtons Cradle was definitely an option, but it didn't seem impressive enough. Just then, June slammed their drink down and clapped their hands together. Their eyes practically brimming with glitter and sparkles. They had an idea.

"Yknow the Industrial District? Why don't we climb a building out there? Im sure the views are a lot better." June's tone was chipper and pleasant as always, pitching a little in spots when they got particularly excited. They looked at Mel, scanning for the same level of excitement they felt. 

June still had a decent amount of coffee left, but they didn't want to wait. Especially if Mel agreed to their plan. They cupped the drink into their hand, the remainder of the coffee continued to warm into their palm. They raised the brim to their lips and tilted their head back, with a solid swing the entire rest of the drink was finished. June clearly did this often.

"Although," They paused, and raised their finger. "Ive only been to the district once before. So I cant say I know it well." Leaning back down into a shrug, June's expression was playful and lighthearted. Despite not knowing the town very well they still wanted to explore, and with someone as intriguing as Mel, it was bound to be fun.
_ _

They stood up, their chair moving backwards slightly with the movement. Their wrists jingled with the few bracelets they had layered. To June, this was a rather casual outfit, but to anyone else they still looked like a lost birthday clown.

"Does that sound good?" They smiled in Mels direction.
James
Mel laughed and nodded and smiled along to June's ephemeral rhythm. The two bounced off each other perfectly, back and forth, back and forth, prompt and response. Theirs was a quick dance, and though it required a certain finesse, they danced it like they had been training their whole lives to do so.

Mel wasn't tired, she realized. She'd walked into the coffee shop sleepy and undercaffeinated, and before the coffee really even had a chance to hit, she had been accosted by an excitable, extroverted stranger who seemed very much in a different mood to Mel herself. The interaction would be *Exhausting* Under normal circumstances, even if Mel would never show that outwardly, but this time, it wasn't. She was sure she'd be exhausted later, though.

"Ooh, the- Oh, the place with all the huge concrete factories!" Mel had seen a few of them before, spewing smoke from the giant smokestacks and concrete blocks that marked the town's skyline. It was not a particularly welcoming part of town, but if there was ever a building worth climbing, the tallest factories known to Mel would certainly be it, and those were right there. Her eyes brightened with jittery excitement as she crumpled up her cup and sandwich wrapper and stood up.

"Yeah!" She announced, "Sounds great! C'mon, let's *GO!*"

...

The bus driver didn't notice them. Phew. Paying bus fare is for chumps.

...

"That one?" Mel asked. "That one," Mel and June chorused, and their grins widened.

...

"C'mon, June, up here! Get a move on, we're almost there!"

...

The factory roof was above everything. It was above Newton's Cradle. It was above the city. It was above even the other factories, only their smokestacks rising further than the roof Mel and June had made their way to. It made for one hell of a view, sitting there among the HVAC units and years of dirt, taking in the gentle spring breeze. It made for a nice place to relax after having gone through all the trouble of actually getting there.

Mel was smiling from ear to ear, still panting a little from exhaustion. She was tough, but that didn't mean she couldn't need a breath once in a while. Still, she seemed happy. She was having a good day. She *Was* Happy. Wasn't that a rare feeling? Happy? Was Mel usually happy?

...Didn't matter. In that moment, Mel was happy, sitting next to someone who had been a stranger when she woke up that morning, but already now was a friend. Happy. Tired, but happy.

"...This was worth it." She leaned a little closer to June without really thinking about it. For a brief moment, the wind quieted, and much of her hair pointed down directly at the concrete, Mel leaning too much for her torso to get in the way. "This is cool."

Mel paused and looked at June. They were tall, lanky, and somehow elegant. They dressed like a clown and carried it like a king. Did Mel want to be like June? In some ways. In a lot of ways. But June was their own person, who knew who they were, and Mel... Wasn't that, yet. Mel was wearing a thrift store shirt she bought 'cause she thought it was funny, a pair of sweatpants 'cause they're easy to wear, and a pair of normal shoes. She had a style, but it felt superficial in a way. Fake. Like her.

She looked at June again. June was real. The Mel June had seen was... Not real, but not as fake as it could have been. She softened a little bit. Her smile became real again. It was okay.

"You're cool," She continued. "Friends?"
Joe
June felt a rush of excitement and pure bliss shoot through their body as they realized Mel was more than ready to go along with their harebrained plan. June knew there was a moment of solidarity between the two, a budding friendship that fluttered in their chest and warmed it far past their skin. 

While they crumbled up their cup and small pastry wrapper and disposed of them accordingly, June bounced after Mel on the way out of the shop. Now the two were standing the height difference was obvious and a little jarring, but June couldn't care less for such contrasts. They already knew they would like Mel however she was. Pausing their thoughts for a moment, June wondered if such a mindset was brash and irresponsible to think so soon. Their younger sister would've surely told them so, yet they realized they weren't bothered at all. In typical June fashion, hesitation was no where to be found. Might as well jump in feet first and have some fun, right? 

"Great!" June giggled slightly, clearly equally excited as the short blonde that walked along next to them. 

...

"Yes, yes I'm coming!" 

June called after Mel, who had found her way in front of them. Strong arms and muscles carried June over and up things with ease, but Mel definitely had pure speed on them. June couldn't help but smile softly at the sight of Mel calling back at them with a laugh, the pure bliss Mel seemed to carry herself with seeped far past any real words June could use to describe it. All they knew was their growing fondness for the other and the soft hum of happiness that sat steady in their mind. 

...

_ _

Now sitting at the top of an industrial factory, June let the crisp spring air fill their lungs to the brim. They couldn't deny the adrenaline that buzzed in their chest; moments such as these made June feel truly alive. Seeing the town stretch out far past the horizon made them realize how high up the two were. A moment of unmatched euphoria made their stomach sink in the best way possible. 

June realized now as they sat beside Mel, that this was the most connected they had felt to someone in a while. The two had only met today, but the concept of being strangers faded so quickly. Foolish of June to be so hopeful, but they couldn't stop themselves. Mel was just as bright as her hair and sparkling eyes and June could feel it radiating off of her in perfect bursts. The urge to get to know the other more was undeniable, it pestered their brain in an impatience they couldn't act on. June knew developing friendships took time and work, and despite their unfiltered excitement, they were willing to put in such efforts. 

"Definitely was. Its so nice up here." Junes voice was softer than usual, a fond smile pulled on their features. A side of June that was a lot less common, but definitely looked nice on them. Although the excitable side of their personality wasn't a lie, it could be tiring at times to always be loud.

June met Mels eyes, the afternoon sun danced against her features in soft rays, illuminating her golden hair. They titled their head in a smile in response to the sudden eye contact.

"You're *Also* Cool." June laughed, a small giggle that closed their eyes and made dimples tease their cheeks. "Friends." Their laugh fell back down into a resting smile, a content one.