Every day is great at your Junes

[MrMissMrs Random†]

While Alvaro got the silverware onto the tables, she turned back to Lily. She did well in science, and obviously liked chess enough to read books about it, so now Adelaide was debating if she should ask for her assistance. She was irritated that she hadn't been able to figure this out on her own, but how would it look to colleges if she failed a simple science course at Cochise high.

She had probably stared down at the girl for a little longer than a second before speaking. "Lily, would you be willing to help me with some of the homework problems for science?"

There, short and simple. Quick. They could enjoy their cheesecake while Lily helped her work her way through formulas. Their proximity might even help her learn how to handle being close to another small-statured girl. That way Adelaide would gain even more useful information from their interaction.

What would Lily get out of it though?

Adelaide took out her wallet. "I can buy your cake as payment."

Money or some sense of monetary gain helped in most situations.  

[ViolentMedic]

Alvaro didn't really seem to be replying to much. Most of his words over the last few minutes had been 'just a minute.' He was busy. Maybe Lily was bothering him. He was at work, after all. That wasn't the best place to talk, especially when he was running back and forth with cake and forks and all that.

Maybe she should ask again later. It didn't seem like a good time.

Lily watched him run off to lay forks out before realising that Adelaide was talking to her.

She was stuck on her science homework, then. Lily could help with that. Better science or math than the subjects that relied more on interpretation. Science was either right or wrong, even if there was some debate over particular theories.

Lily waved the wallet away. "Don't be silly, I don't need payment for homework help. Although I appreciate the offer, of course, but... I mean, I'm not refusing to help, I... yes. Homework. I will help. But I'll pay for my own cake. Yes. Thank you."

She fumbled over her words a little, but she would blame that on confusion. Most people just asked for homework notes, they didn't usually try to buy her knowledge with cake.

Lily started fiddling with her bag strap again and added, "Although if there's time afterward I might ask you some questions about other work. I'm behind in a couple of classes. But that's not obligatory."

[Yugikun]

Alvaro kept placing cutlery on the table. Forks and spoons, no knifes. Knives weren't needed yet in the afternoon menu, and if somebody actually needed or wanted them they could just go to the counter and ask for one. Why did they have actual knives anyway? None of the dishes really need them, they didn't serve steaks or anything, and the knives could be used as weapons. Plastic knives were enough. Hmm, maybe he should talk to his dad about replacing the real knives with plastic ones, they wouldn't need to be cleaned and it could improve work safety!

But still, he had to continue his job. He was halfway through putting cutlery on the tables. He reached Adelaide's table, and he noticed the books on them. Science? Not something Alvaro could help with. It was one of the subjects that he found was easy at first, but injected so many new concepts into it to the point where he couldn't recognise it for what it originally was.

He couldn't help her with her science homework, but there was one way that he could potentially help her.

"There's cutlery on your table now, Adelaide!"

He wasn't sure if "helped" was the right word there. Oh well, he knew what he meant.

[MrMissMrs Random†]

Adelaide at first wanted to object, but then Lily offered the alternative. They could help each other in different subjects. A fair trade. "Alright then. It's settled."

Alvaro then decided to come back up. He had finished replenishing the cutlery.

"Thank you, Alvaro." she replied with a small smile. Lily agreeing to help her figure out how to use formulas for the laws of... whatever the hell was in that textbook put her in a much better mood. Maybe she should've asked for help more often, but most of the other students in the class were either just as loss or did not even care. It was hopeless for Adelaide to rely on any of them.

Adelaide turned back to Lily, gesturing to Alvaro. "When you're finished talking, come on over."

The girl then strode back to her seat, looking down with a somewhat wry look at how there were no knives on the table. She did not need one, but most restaurants provided knives anyway, even if they were ones with a dull blade. She was slowly losing faith at how well Alvaro could handle the restaurant business when he forgot minor details. Then again, she might be putting Vacanti's through too much judging. This was Kingman, not some five star gourmet place in Las Vegas.

Pushing her text book closer to the window, Adelaide picked up her fork and dipped it into the cheesecake's smooth surface. She then lifted the fork once and gave it a brief inspection before taking a bite. Not bad at all.

[ViolentMedic]

Lily smiled slightly at Adelaide. "I'll try not to keep you waiting." Once Adelaide was gone, she turned back to Alvaro.

What had she and Alvaro been talking about? She couldn't remember where she'd been at. The books? No. The... chess games? It had been chess-related. But it was best if she saved that for later. For when he wasn't working. Maybe at school or something.

"I, well... I've probably taken up enough of your time? I don't want to distract from your work or anything."

Lily shifted on her feet briefly, peering up at Alvaro.

She didn't want to say it straight out, but she really did want to sit down. If only so she could start eating the cheesecake.

[Yugikun]

Adelaide went back to her table, sitting down to eat her cake. He hoped she enjoyed it. It was a new recipie that they were trying out and if there was positive feedback to it they could easily start selling it as a regular. She smiled at him, which he presumed was good. He didn't really want to think about the possibilities of what it meant, so he decided to try to stay calm about it. Besides, now he was alone with Lily, and he could probably make that a good thing.

"No, no, it's fine! Really, it is."

He was trying not to sound panicked. He was alone with Lily, which was making it hard for him. He tried to go back to the thing they were talking about earlier. It was the... chess books, right? She had chess books for him that he could borrow and it was a gift.

"We were talking about the chess books earlier, right?"

He still hadn't given cutlery to half the cafe yet, but that didn't matter right now. This may be his chance to talk to her more.

[MrMissMrs Random†]

Adelaide decided to forsake her previous eavesdropping to pay attention to the cheesecake she ordered. The texture and flavor was good, and the bottom crust was not soggy from chilling in a fridge. It was not the greatest dessert she ever had, but a good slice of cheesecake.

After her first bite and then another, she lifted her fork to take a closer look at the crust. Was it graham cracker, like most of the ones sold in restaurants? And if so, was it prepackaged, or freshly pulverized? She could not tell, but curiosity itched at her. Attempting to learn what made up the components of an already finished dish was a much more interesting puzzle than her science homework. And what about adding strawberry to the cheesecake? Was it colorful, sugar-filled syrup that has been mixed in, or real strawberries and juices to give a naturally sweet tang infused with the creaminess of cheesecake.

Most restaurants did not give away their recipe. Adelaide was the daughter of a restaurant owner and chef herself, but she doubted despite it's good taste this cheesecake would ever show up on a plate at one of her father's places. It was not elaborate enough to be a feast for the eyes along with the taste buds.

She took her third bite, closing her eyes for a moment to focus her senses to taste. But nothing was truly amiss in the flavor department. She'd have to send her regards to the chef somehow. She forgot if Vacanti's had an email account that you could rate your service to.

[ViolentMedic]

Lily kept shifting from foot to foot while she tried to figure out how to end this conversation politely—or at least move it to the table—without coming off as impatient. Even though she was, because she'd been holding this cheesecake for what felt like hours and it was looking more delicious by the second.

"Ah, right. Chess books. I'll bring them to school next time, I don't want to clutter up your restaurant. We can try and figure out how some of the strategies work."

Stay polite. Make everyone happy. Get this conversation moving in the direction of a table.

"I need to help Adelaide with some schoolwork, and I shouldn't keep her waiting. If you're not busy, you can always sit down with us. Maybe help out with some of the homework struggles, if you wanted to. If she's alright with that." She rocked a little on her feet as she waited for his response.

Nailed it.

[Yugikun]

Lily seemed to be shifting from foot to foot. Alvaro didn't know what it meant. Apparently the chess books weren't actually here. Whoops. At least it meant that he didn't have a distraction when he was supposed to be working. That would be disastrous and it'd likely cause the quality of his work and his quality of reading the book to become worse. Reading them now would have been a bad thing. It's a good thing she didn't bring the books. She invited him to read the books with her at a later time, which was neat. He could spend time with her at a time which wasn't now! So long as he didn't mess that up that was nothing but a good thing for him.

She went back to the table, inviting Alvaro along with her. He wanted to accept, but he couldn't. There was still work he had to do around the cafe. He had to make sure that every customer had their order and food ready, and he had to place their needs above his wants.

... Plus, he hadn't given half the cafe cutlery yet, so that's something he should probably do.

"Sorry, I can't study with you." He flung his arms out to indicate what was around him. "Gotta serve everybody else here. I'll join later if today's an empty day, though." He questioned if they knew what he meant. He had a lot of slang that was simply just him trying to shorten cafe stuff down.

He, forks and spoons in hand, went to the other half of the cafe, and started placing them on tables. Fork, spoon. Fork, spoon.

[MrMissMrs Random†]

Adelaide was almost half done with her cheesecake by the time Lily disengaged herself from her conversation with Alvaro. She was enjoying it, and picked up the decorative strawberry on top and took a bite. Nice and fresh. She wondered if the fruit was made in a greenhouse closer by and shipped from California. Thinking about it reminded her of her grandparents' on her mom's side. Whenever they would visit, they would take Adelaide out on a quick road trip to some farms that would have fresh produce stands. When she was younger she hated eating vegetables, but whatever they got was always fresh and was cooked into some great dish.

How long had it been since she last saw them face to face? It was after she moved to Kingman, but before she joined track... ugh, all of her thoughts went back to track. She should go hit a couple of balls on the side of the house when she was back at home. It was just making her more restless and more frustrated.

Adelaide stopped daydreaming when she saw the other girl start to walk over to the table. She needed to focus. Now that she had assistance, there was no excuse for her to daydream and fail the assignment. Facing Lily, she made room in the seat next to her and took a quick bite into the remaining strawberry, dropping the steam onto the side of her cheesecake plate.

Do you want to go over the worksheet first, or take care of the issues you're having?" she asked. Since Adelaide was the one to ask first, she decided to give Lily the choice where to start.

[ViolentMedic]

"Okay, fair enough. Until later, then."

Lily retreated to the table, where Adelaide made room for her. She dropped into the seat and put the cheesecake on the table in front of her, reaching for a fork.

"Worksheet's fine. What're you having trouble with?"

As she asked, she stuck her fork into the cheesecake and took a bite. She chewed for a moment, nose wrinkled thoughtfully. Then her face brightened a little.

"...Good cake."

That bite was so worth the wait.

[Aster]

JASPER BUSTAMANTE: PREGAME START

Jay Jay ‏@fisda916  now
Southwestern heat is killing me rn (;ÓmÒ;)
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---

Jasper shoved his phone back into his pocket as he strolled through the downtown, wiping the sweat off his brow as he walked. Kingman's climate was hot year-round, though Jasper preferred the winter average of seventy degrees to the hundred degree weather of summer. Today's temperature was lower than average, not cool by any stretch but not as hot as it could be. It was one of the reasons Jasper decided to spend the rest of his day out on the town. The other one was just an aversion to being at home. While he was content spending time in his room browsing the web, his father was off on a case and his sister was over at a friend's, leaving him alone with his mother. He didn't dislike her, but he didn't want to deal with her, so Jasper figured that he'd get out of the house while he could.

At the moment he was aimless, walking through downtown with no real destination in mind. He felt like he should be heading indoors soon. It was still hot, after all, and he couldn't stay outside forever. He glanced around at the storefronts, pausing when a familiar name caught his eyes. Vacanti's.

Jasper knew Alvaro from the soccer team, and they got along well. Alvaro was sweet and friendly, and Jasper liked him a whole lot. He didn't frequent Vacanti's enough to be a regular, but he came around a lot to eat and chat. It wouldn't hurt to pop in.

He strolled into the cafe, smiling at Alvaro and waving. "Hello!" He also noticed that other classmates were here too. He talked to Lily sometimes, though not in recent memory. As for Adelaide, he only knew her by name, face, and secondhand information. She seemed like an okay person. He nodded at the two in acknowledgement, flashing a grin.

[Yugikun]

Alvaro kept putting cutlery on the table, and his mind started to make him do it in a rhythm. Fork, spoon. Fork, spoon. Fork, spoon. He probably should actually finish the job now. People were going to start coming in any moment now. Wait, didn't he think that before? Did he? Eh, it didn't matter too much to him. In fact, it was probably for the best that he was thinking of this over and over again. It meant that he could stick it to mind. Make it important for him. Well, it was important for him. If his family lost business because he was too busy talking to somebody, that wouldn't be a good thing. He could lose his job here!

He finished putting the cutlery on the table, just as another student came in.

Jasper was a friend of his, as someone on the soccer team and as someone who went to the café a lot. Other than that, though, they didn't have much in common. He was someone who spent most of their time on the internet, and Alvaro knew that he had a vlog (whatever that was, anyway). The internet wasn't something Alvaro was terribly interested in, and he never used it outside of looking at chess videos or for study/homework purposes.

Even as a friend, he was still a customer. Alvaro said the usual.

"Heya Jasper, welcome to Vacanti's! May I take your order?"

[MrMissMrs Random†]

Adelaide regretfully set aside the rest of her cake to pull her worksheet between them. She used her pencil to point at the places she was having trouble.

"And probably the other questions too, honestly. But if I understand the method, I should be able to figure the rest out." Key word being should, but she did not want to take all day with her own homework problems.

"It would be easier if the teachers actually taught us the concepts instead of expecting us to understand everything in the textbook." Adelaide let herself complain, though she doubted Lily would agree with her. She liked science, and chess, too if what she overheard previously was true. She enjoyed formulas and mind games. What Adelaide liked was housed in the other side of the human brain. At least she thought... ugh. There was a pun in there somewhere.

While Lily took a quick lookover Adelaide picked up another mouthful of her cheesecake. Baked goods at least were never this confusing.

She gave a small look up to Jasper, and a nod, before looking back down at the sheet and waiting for Lily's wisdom. Homework was more important than socializing right now.

[ViolentMedic]

"Hmm..." Lily stuck another piece of cake into her mouth and left the fork sticking out as she looked at the worksheet. If it had been covered in class she'd likely missed it, but the work was familiar. ...Yeah, this was covered in one of the textbooks, Lily had gone over it during one of her sick days.

She only glanced up long enough to see Jasper walk in, and she lifted one hand to wave at him briefly, but the worksheet still had most of her attention. Besides, speaking to Jasper would start a conversation she could not easily get out of.

She pulled the fork out of her mouth once she was done waving and stuck it back in the cake, before rummaging with one hand through her bag for her pencil case and chemistry notebook.

"Yeah, I have the formulas written down in my notes somewhere. I'll show you the notes, maybe you'll get it if it's written down more clearly. If not, I can try and walk you through it."

Lily flipped open her book and looked through the pages until she found the notes she'd made a couple of weeks back. Her notes were immaculate, done at home, with three different pen colours so she could find what she needed quickly. She had notes like it for every subject, as well as the bigger, messier notepad that she wrote her initial notes within class in. 5-7 pm was the time allocated for revision and rewriting her notes for easier reference. She pushed the book towards Adelaide.

"If you don't mind me asking, do you often have trouble with chemistry?" She retrieved her fork, with a new bit of cake on the end, and ate as she waited for the answer.