What Best Friends Are For
Ann's getting ready to go to bed when there's a knock at the door. Then another. And another. And a dozen doorbell rings. That's definitely Leslie.
She opens the door, and Leslie walks in with a red box, sporting her crazy eyes. Oh lord, what does she have up her sleeve this time?
"What's up?" Ann tries to ask casually.
"I thought we could make a scrapbook together, or just crafts if you don't feel up to it." She holds up the box, and Ann peers in. It's filled to the brim with paper and scissors, and- good lord is that glitter?
"It's 11pm. I have a shift tomorrow. Also, I'm a bad artist." She goes for a joke, but it falls flat.
"Oh." The hopeful look in her eyes dampens, and Ann starts to think it's about more than scrapbooking.
"Screw it. Let's do this."
As they sit cross-legged on the floor taking out materials, Ann can't stop herself from asking.
"Is something wrong?"
Leslie bites her lip. "No, can't a girl come to her best friend's house late at night to make a scrapbook?" She sputters out quickly.
Ann narrows her eyes at that while picking up a pair of scissors.
"Well, if the girl is Leslie Knope, then yes. But come on." Ann bumps her knee against Leslie's playfully. "What's up?"
Leslie sighs. "I miss Ben."
"Oh, Leslie-
"I know, I know, I shouldn't, I'm running a campaign right now. I think I just need to keep reminding myself why I gave him up." She sighs again. "Is that weird?"
"Not at all. I still kind of miss Chris." She admits shyly, even though Leslie already knew about that.
"I know." She whispers. "I guess we're kind of in the same boat, huh?"
"I guess we are." Ann muses.
The next few minutes fly by in silence; Leslie passionately cutting out paper hearts.
Ann gestures to the design she made on the cardstock. "What do you think?"
"Oh, Ann, you sharp, lovely, little dove, you're too beautiful to be artistic." Leslie says, with a look of awe and pity on her face. It's a facial expression she's become familiar with over the years.
Ann rolls her eyes at the criticism at the same time as feeling slightly weirded out by the compliment.
After they're done, they clean up the floor and play Twister.
This is what best friends are for.