SOTF Archive/SOTF Classic

Adelaide's mouth tightened into a faint line of distaste as the tall... girl? Yes, it was a girl, with dreadlocks walked towards their table. She was tall, and this was coming from Adelaide. Even from a distance. She remembered seeing the head of hair in the corner of her eye a couple of times before in the halls, but this was her first time getting to see it and it's face to face. At least, somewhat face to face, since the blonde girl obviously set her sights on Lily. Comparing the two of them made it impossible for her to imagine that Lily and the girl were friends, and the terrified expression Lily was wearing made it even more obvious.

Was the other girl a bully? If so, it was pathetic to pick on someone outside of school. The worse there that could happen was suspension or expulsion. In town, it was harassment. Adelaide turned her head to see if Alvaro was still there, but the boy had escaped. Wonderful. She could not rely on the wheel-chair bound uncle either probably to keep the dreadlocked girl in check.

Adelaide gathered hers and Lily's empty plates, deciding on the next best option.

"Glad you're here. We're finished, so could you take these, please? Thank you." Adelaide butted in with a tightly lipped smile.

Oh Lily. So cool. So aloof. So mysterious. She always liked that about her, sort of, except when it pissed her off. It pissed her off a lot, come to think of it, but that didn't matter. Right now, it was cute again, and that was all that was important. Alvaro had bailed once she showed up, so he was out of Lily's clutches and she was into Caedyn's. It was show time.

Or so she thought, until Little Miss What's Her Problem got all uppity and tense about...plates, or whatever. Like it was her problem that they were done? This fab uniform doesn't come with a ball and chain, girl.

She was about to lay into whoever this chick was when she had a rare, beautiful, stupendous moment of clarity. Rudegirl was eating with Lily, and watching Lily, and all uppity because she talked to Lily. Did she know about...them? And if she did, did that mean they were...?

Oh. My. God. So edible. This is the best day.

That had to be it. They were...y'know, like that. Totally like that. It was so obvious now that she stopped and thought about it. It explained why Lily was so uncomfortable, and Bitchyface was so bitchyface. She'd caught her exie with her new main squeeze! God, she could just scream with how perfect this was working out for her. Sometimes, it was amazing how brilliant she was.

It hadn't occurred to her that she had been standing there with a giant smile on her face, glancing back and forth between Lily and Lily's Cutesy CuddleMuffin for more than a few seconds while she thought things through, and it still hadn't occurred to her to unfreeze yet. She was too lost in the serendipity of the moment.

Alvaro seemed to have headed to the back, so he hopefully had whatever was making him shake handled. But that left Caedyn.

Caedyn had gone quiet, and had not moved to take the plates. She was also wearing an expression like Christmas had come early.

Oh, wait. She knew that expression. That was Caedyn's shipping expression. Jesus Christ. Not that Lily cared much—whatever Caedyn wanted to think was her own business, and even if she chose to chatter about it... well, the people who took Caedyn seriously could probably be counted on one hand. Didn't mean it wouldn't be awkward, though.

Lily tried to think of something to say that would fix everything. That would make Caedyn leave, and make the note-taking go well, and just... fix things.

"Hrrugh," she grunted.

Well done.

Her eyebrows scrunched together for a moment in frustration before she followed it up with, "I'm going to... go and pay for the thing. The cake. Yes. I'll be back."

At which point she briefly abandoned Adelaide to the mercy of the devil in dreadlocks by sliding out of her seat and slipping past Caedyn—a maneuver perfected by years of avoiding her big brother at opportune times, and hurrying over to the desk where Alvaro's uncle worked.

Sorry, Adelaide.

Oh. Jasper forgot that she worked here. She was wearing the uniform, after all, though he didn't notice at first. It was pretty hard to notice the things Caedyn was wearing, since her dreadlocks were the first thing your eyes were drawn to. It was one of Caedyn's defining features, and he grew accustomed to it.

He waved at Alvaro as he left before looking over at the other table. Adelaide was trying to give her their plates, though Caedyn seemed to be lost in thought. He couldn't see her face from here, but he had an inkling that she was considering the possibility of those two being together. Jasper chucked to himself as Caedyn jumped to such conclusions. It might be true, but Jasper was way too oblivious to notice that sort of thing. Caedyn was infamous for jumping to these conclusions, so this didn't surprise Jasper in the slightest.

Neither girl seemed comfortable around her, and Lily excused herself to go pay for her food. Jasper smiled and nodded as she passed, popping a carmael slice into his mouth as he whipped out his phone again.

---

Jay Jay ‏@fisda916  now
Out of the heat and in a nice cafe rn! dang these are some good caramel slices (UwU)
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Adelaide's attempt at a smile was slowly being placed with an irritated frown. Was this girl deaf or had she not heard her? And the expression the dreadlocked server had was getting creepier by the millisecond.

The situation got worse when Lily deserted her to go pay for her own dessert. What the hell was that about? It had been Lily's fault the weirdo walked to their table in the first place, and now was the time she decided to be a good-for-nothing coward.

Adelaide looked down at her still open Spanish notebook, then at the girl, taking a look at the nametag on her uniform.

"Listen... Caedyn." Adelaide started, deciding to try and gain back control of the situation instead of also making a break for it. It was ridiculous when she was the customer and this Caedyn girl was the employee to act the way she was acting, even if she had just started working there.

"I'm guessing you're new at this, but when someone asks you, nicely, to take away the plates at their table while you're on the clock, you should do that. And pushing yourself into a conversation you obviously had no part of as well I'm guessing is not part of work protocol. So, are you going to take the plates or not?"

She wondered if Vacanti's had a place to file complaints.

Twitch.

Twitch.

Twitch.

Caedyn's happiness for Lily was quickly shattered as her new beau decided to crank the bitch factor up to 11. Who the fuck talks like that to another human being, anyway?  So rude. Clearly she didn't have any idea who she was dealing with, or she'd back up and take some thought before she opened her stupid mouth. She better not had been talking to Alvaro that way, that was for sure. Maybe it was time somebody put her in her place.

Caedyn shot a look at Jasper before bending down over the table and placing her hands behind the dishes, staring into the other girls eyes with a big, sickly sweet smile. "Listen, bomboclat," she began in a mocking, sing-song voice. "Maybe you're new here, but I'm not your slave girl, 'kay? So if I wanna stop in and say hello to my best friend and my ex, you don't get to say word one unless it's real pretty and polite. You got a problem with that, find someone who cares, jah?" Long fingertips slipped against the stack of plates and slid them across the table in front of the girl. "You need these gone right this second, take them yourself. I'm busy."

Running had not helped. Maybe Lily should have paid for Adelaide's cake while she was over there. No other way to make up for this ridiculousness. Ignoring the situation had made it worse, so Lily quickly paid for her cake and walked back. She could hear the voices carrying.

Goal: separate the two before it broke out into a proper fight.

Lily reached over and grabbed both plates, before trying to stand between the two. Not that she could block their view of each other, given that Caedyn was a literal giant, but she could try.

"I'll take the plates. And Caedyn—" Lily glared up at Caedyn. "I was also busy. I'm sorry, but I have no time to talk."

Translation: Fuck off before I smash this plate over your head.

Caedyn's mocking tone caught Jasper's attention, and he looked up from his phone to see her mouthing off Adelaide.

Oh god, was she starting a fight now?

Jasper stood up, pocketing his phone and glancing over at Lily as she tried to diffuse the situation. Poor girl. He appreciated her bravery, but she didn't understand that Caedyn was more of a force of nature, one not easily stopped. Caedyn was a foot taller than Lily, and would probably just push her out of the way.

All Lily did was get herself in the crossfire.

He kept his distance, inching away from the group. A part of him wanted to try and mediate and say something, but another part of him drove him away. It just didn't seem like a good idea to him.

Adelaide's mouth set in a tight line as the blue eyes of the other girl bored into hers. She was mostly trying her best not to spit on Caedyn's pretty, fake tan-covered face since she obviously also knew nothing about personal space. However,  Adelaide was also processing the words "best friend and ex" that she had said in her immature rant.

Ex... as in friend? Or ex-?

Unfortunately, Lily stepped in between her and Caedyn, breaking Adelaide's concentration and the possible spitting distance. She was finally doing what she should have done in the first place, but better late than never.

"Thank you, Lily." Adelaide added in her kindest tone, but from behind Lily's back, she eyes were flashing with anger.

The Wild Bitchface shows signs of hesitance as the mighty Cassowary towers over it. This is not its natural environment, and it knows it has overstepped its bounds. This hesitance shall prove to be its fatal act, as it should either show decisive aggression or submission, attack or retreat. There is no room within the Cassowary's territory for weakness.

The Bitchface believes itself safe due to the presence of its packmate, the Bookworm. The Bookworm is a frequent denizen of the Cassowary's habitat, and the Bitchface hopes to buy safe passage through its presence. Our studies show this may be a miscalculation, however, as the symbiotic relationship between the Bookworm and the Cassowary turned parasitic many years ago, and now there is little but enmity between the pair. This may be the end for both creatures now, unless an alternative appears. Let's watch.

----

Lily was being a real buzzkill today. First she salted Jasper's game with Alvaro, probably, and now she was trying to defend her new whatever and get Caedyn to back out of her own cafe? Fine. Alvaro was out of her tiny little clutches anyway. Mission successful, in her book.

"Lily," Caedyn began in a chipper voice, "sweetie, whatever made you think I was here to distract you? I was just being polite...something your new girlfriend could use a few lessons in, if you're not too busy." She let out a small giggle and shook her dreads as she sat up and turned towards Jasper. "Jaspie! Don't hide from me, you! Why didn't you tell me you were coming today?"

----

Dominance asserted, the Cassowary continues to patrol her domain. The Bookworm and the Bitchface will be spared...today. As long as they proceed with caution and do not startle the Cassowary, no harm should come to them. Truly, this tense pact between her children is one of nature's many surprises.

Lily would have corrected Caedyn, but hell if she was going to reopen that conversation the moment that Caedyn had set her gaze on someone else. Besides, defensiveness would only make Caedyn more sure of herself, if that were possible.

Lily rubbed her forehead with her free hand. Wow, was she frazzled. She was going to go home and hide in a corner for weeks after this. And here she'd thought she was recharged, but there was regular social activity and then there was... well, there was Caedyn.

She was still holding the plates. She stared at them for a moment, like she couldn't quite remember how they'd ended up in her hand, before looking back at Adelaide.

"I... I think I'll go, once you're done with the notes? I have a headache."

She may have said that last sentence slightly louder than necessary, although the difference was barely noticeable.

It worked. Jasper was relieved, letting out an internal sigh as Lily succeeded in diffusing the situation. Caedyn backed down and turned to Jasper as the girls chattered. The tension had passed, and now he was just meeting a friend.

"Heya Caedyn! Sorry, I kind of forgot you worked here," He chuckled. "Or I did know, but it slipped my mind. Besides, I came here on the spur of the moment, y'know? Didn't have time to tell ya!" He eased himself back into the chair, taking another caramel slice as he smiled at Caedyn.

"So how are you doing?" He asked, taking a bite and looking expectantly at her. "Anything interesting happen today?"

Girlfriend. All of Adelaide's anger had seeped out of her when Caedyn said the infamous word, and replaced with fear. Part of her wanted to object, to scream and yank the plates from Lily's hands to use as projectiles and smash them against everyone's heads to make them forget that the implication had even passed through the dining. She, however, could say nothing. Adelaide was more afraid somehow that Caedyn would continue to pressure her and Lily being in item, which was not what it was. And even the hint of it being the case could never, ever leave this restaurant.

But now with this new loud, obnoxious server, Adelaide could never come back to Vacanti's. It was too much of a risk, if others overheard, if Adelaide came back with her family and the dreadlocked crazy walked up to take their order with a sugar sweet smile and mouth filled with lies that would lead to actual truths...

Adelaide felt her armpits start to sweat like they would in the middle of an intense practice at the thought. She needed to get out of there, now.

Lily had wanted to leave? Fine by her.

"I'm done taking notes." Adelaide replied, before taking her own notebooks off the table and stuffing them with extra force into her bag, her voice rough. "So don't worry about it."

She got up, staring down at Lily and the plates in her hands. The girl should just drop them, and let them shatter on the ground. All the comfortable atmosphere between the two had disappeared, and Adelaide could not find it in herself to care. If anyone heard or saw, then they would never think the two could be dating, right? Right? Of course right. That was the only thing that was stopping her from fleeing outright from the restaurant. Even if she never returned, she had to keep some part of her dignity in check.

She finished looking at Lily and the accursed plates, flicking her braid back  to get it to lie against the back of her neck instead of the side where it could irritate her skin while walking.

"See you in class." she said in farewell to Lily, passing her, Caedyn, and whoever else had witnessed the scene with her back ramrod straight and her face neutral while she went to pay for her cheesecake. None of them were close enough to see the panic in her eyes, or how she gave too much money to Alvaro's uncle in her rush to get out.

(Adelaide Walker continued elsewhere)

Adelaide left in a hurry, so seemed she shared the opinion that Caedyn had made things far too awkward or headache-inducing to continue this study session.

Lily put the plates down in order to gather her things. She'd only scribbled down a few of the Spanish notes Adelaide had given her, but enough to figure out what she'd missed. She could catch up on her own.

Yeah, being on her own sounded good right now. She'd used up the week's interactivity on this.

She carried the plates over to the desk with a short thank you for the food, then left the cafe in a hurry. She pointedly did not look at Caedyn as she left, although she gave Jasper a brief nod to be polite.

((Lillian "Lily" Caldwell continued in Bad Days, Bad Moods, Bad Burgers.))

A wagging finger came up as she eyed Jasper teasingly. "How could you forget about me? I'm hurt, I really am." She clutched at her chest and let out a sigh. "My poor broken heart will just have to go on." The floor shifted under her feet as she sat back up and looked around the mostly empty cafe. "Not to me, though I guess we got graced with the lovebirds here, huh?"

Caedyn wandered over to the counter for a rag and started cleaning up the tables around Jasper. Maybe it was time for a little information gathering. Adelaide and Lily had both beat right out after her little comment, which was...intriguing, to say the least. If she had to guess, somebody had a secret. Of course, it was her duty to respect that and only share it with a few dozen of her closest friends and followers. Jasper might be able to tell her a little more before she started, though.

"Say, Jasper..." she began, leaning on the table behind him and smiling innocently. "Who was that, anyway? The snippy brunette that Lily was with?"