Best Timing

Noah gave her a knowing glance as an elderly couple turned the corner and joined them on the same sidewalk. The reasons for wealth can be ambiguous for some people at the academy.

But no one could say for sure. Maybe that silence was the reason why people were able to become so powerful. Still, at the end of the day, it was all speculation unless proven otherwise.

There was a lot of news floating in the air, but they had to just leave it be. Alice glanced over at Noah who immediately quieted down with his lips into a line. They weren't talking that loud, so it wasn't likely that the couple by them heard their conversation.

Alice let her lips fall into a serene expression as she dipped her head at the couple kindly with Noah doing the same respectfully towards the couple as they passed each other. 

Noah and Alice rounded the corner, getting onto the longer and busier main streets that had openings for the trains that ran below along with the copious amount of cars and taxis bustling around. The streets that she didn't normally go through, but now it seems to be a different story with Noah with her always.

"The first store," Alice said as she pointed to the stationary shop, "is this one. Let's look through here first."

They walked into the store which was quite small, but it had a nice selection. Alice made her way to the tall wall that was organized with various sheets of paper.

Noah returned to her side after meandering through the store for the rest of their list. He came back with some items in the shopping basket they picked up near the door. 

She propped her hand underneath her chin as she stared into the organizers wondering what color and print would be the best one to choose. Noah carefully slid one tray out to grab a pack of pale sage green color with small daisies as the print that ran subtly as a pattern in a slightly darker green color to make the paper cohesive.

"That one is pretty," Alice said as she took the packet of paper that was in her favorite color. "I think all pastels would look nice as decoration on the tables."

"Everything will go with the theme here, so choose freely," Noah said.

"I agree," she smiled. 

Noah was helpful when shopping since she tended to go back and forth. It wasn't that she was indecisive. Instead, it was the fact that she was a bit too decisive at times. She went more along the lines of being too logical wanting to bring home something that she actually wanted or needed.

Alice went through the papers and chose all that she liked in the tiny drawers. In the end, she only had to sift through a few to get to the final selection of what she wanted to buy. She lifted the baby blue color from the bag to face off with the dreamy lavender and faced Noah with one in each hand.

"Which one?" she asked.

"They're all fine."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Come on."

"Get both," he said without question. 

When she was about to argue, he shook his head. Alice sighed as her lips closed into a flat line of surrender. She ran a hand through her hair, letting the waves fall around her shoulders delicately, knowing that Noah had won once again.

It was funny because she wasn't unhappy about it. She was unhappy that she wasn't feeling anything too strongly about it.

"Okay, let's go check out," Alice said begrudgingly in a light tone. 

"I'm sure you like them all anyway."

"You're right."