Warnings: none really, just AU
Ní féidir liom aon rud féin.
"May I take your order?" A blonde wearing the usual attire all employees did at the small cafe looked down at the ebony-haired teen expectantly. She did not, however, expect the boy to stay completely silent and seem to be staring back at her behind his sunglasses with the exact same expectant look.
"Surprise me, anything will do." O...kay... This was new. Nonetheless, a customer was a customer, and this cafe had the cliche "the customer is always right" slogan or whatever. Next to the "keep them pleased" and the hidden "make sure they always come back for more". She sighed before grabbing one of the frappuccinos, it always seemed to please the customers (not to mention they "stole" the recipe from Starbucks, shh, don't tell, they got all their recipes from Starbucks).
"Mocha frappuccino," she stated with a bored voice and spun around on her heel, about to walk away when the teen tore his gaze away from the snowy scene outside and placed a hand on the sleeve of her shirt.
"I'm bored. Entertain me." Well, this one was demanding. Surprise me. Entertain me. She knew that she had to "keep the customers pleased", but she wasn't getting paid anymore for this. "So..." he glanced at the name tag hanging off of her uniform. "Artemis. How old are you?"
Why was she even listening to him? "Sixteen."
"So... a junior?"
This was stupid. "Yeah. How old are you kid? Nine?" Cue the narrowing of eyes (somehow seen behind the glasses) and bottom lip slightly jutting out.
"Haha. Very funny. Fourteen, sophomore. Nice to meet you Arty. I'm Dick." This just causes her to roll her eyes. No need to mention his ridiculous name.
"Whatever." The next few weeks were going to be so fun.
"You again?" Artemis groaned. "Lemme guess... another surprise?"
Dick put on a smirk and nodded. "And this time, no frappuccino. It's too predictable." The waitress returns with a caramel brulee latte. "Better, nice taste." He received a glare in response, but his smirk never faltered.
"You never did tell me; why do you work in this dump?"
"And you never did tell me, why do you come to this dump?" she retorts with a mocking tone.
"Refreshments are the best here; it's the environment that gets to me. Again, why do you work here?"
"For the money. And the free drinks. Take your pick, they're both good."
"Mmm. Take the money. Always can get drinks like these at Starbucks. Pay good?"
"You know you ask too many questions right?" Dick just rolled his shoulders, unfazed.
"Hear that a lot, Arty. Hear that I'm annoying, too."
"You are."
Dick faked a wince. "Ouch, what a bruise to my dwindling ego." Artemis barely suppressed a snort at this.
"Dwindling? Kid, you've got an ego the size of the Grand Canyon."
"...Shut up."
"You free Saturday afternoon?" Artemis spit out her soda on an unsuspecting man in the booth across from theirs. Said man shot a withering look at her and she sheepishly apologized, then turning her attention to the boy in front of her.
"You asking me out?"
"What is it with you answering my questions with questions? Just wondered if you wanted to hang out with me and the gang. Seemed sort of like a loner."
"The... gang?" A shrug.
"Just me, Wally, Kal, Megan, and Connor. Not much, but we deal. C'mon, you won't regret it." She can't hold back the grin that's spreading across her face as she nods. Seemed like only yesterday when she was this grumpy antisocial girl trying to survive. Cheeriness (annoying, but enjoyable) was catching.
