"My goodness Serena, it certainly seems that you've bitten off more than you can chew this time," said Miette, giggling.
Serena frowned, working the tall straw pinched between her fingers through the creamy contents of her milkshake, mixing up clumps of ice cream before she finally put the straw between her lips. She sipped silently, ignoring Miette, letting the bright, savory flavors of salted caramel hit her.
On the other side of the table, Shauna looked on, looking between Miette and Serena as their silent exchange went on, smiling awkwardly. With her arms folded and resting against the metal surface of the table, she looked at her own strawberry milkshake, the tall sculpted glass standing tall and frosty, half drained of it's delicious creamy contents. She listened to the gentle, grooving music in the background, letting her leg bounce in time to the music beneath the table.
Miette was enjoying herself too much, quickly working down a cookies and cream through a wide straw, sipping happily. She set the empty glass back on the counter, looking across at Serena, grinning ear to ear.
"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing you again, I think I've given you enough trouble for today."
"Did you really not like my answer?" Serena finally spoke up, breaking her awkward, enforced silence. She looked up at Miette, watching as she got off of her stool.
Miette paused for a moment, seemingly taken aback by the thought. She stopped, finishing slinging her bag over her shoulder, thinking to herself.
"Serena, you listed eight possible teams based on coordinating with your outfit. I happen to know you a little better than you think I do. It just seemed disingenuous. I felt like if you were honest, you would have a much more interesting and succinct answer, not hiding behind walls of... Weird, dubious ideas."
The answer cemented Serena to her stool. She stopped completely, looking up at Miette and meeting eyes with her.
Miette's expression eventually faltered. The annoyed, critical look slowly faded, replaced with a more somber, disappointed one. Eventually she found herself looking past Serena instead of at her, having to look back up at Serena purposely. Her awkward posture, caught between staying and leaving, eventually changed to leave. She adjusted her bag over her shoulder, her feet planting more evenly on the ground as she walked.
"I'll see you around," Miette said quickly, leaving.
Lifting her straw from the soupy remains of her milkshakes, Serena scowled, trying to do anything to distract herself from Miette's footsteps and the eventual closing of the door in the background. The old red stem of her cherry hung on the clumpy end, and Serena picked it out, flicking it across the shop. Her head rested in her hands as she looked at the milkshake in annoyance, stirring quickly with her straw.
"That Miette can be so fickle," she sighed.
"Serena, is something wrong?"
Serena looked up from the table, looking at Shauna. The frown plastered on her faltered, the stirring straw in her hand slowing to a complete stop. She took a breath and sat herself up.
"It's just... Miette can be such a pain," said Serena. "She's so... Demanding. She just loves to torment me, and it's just... Aggravating!"
Shauna gave knowing nod, smiling reassuringly. "I totally get that," she said.
"Shauna, you seem to be 'in' on this, at least a little bit... What's the point? Is Miette just out to humiliate me? Am I just some plaything for her?"
Shauna's smile turned awkward. "Well, if I had to guess, Miette is trying to teach you something, or at least she things she is."
Shaking her head, Serena scooted her milkshake to the side. She tabbed at the ring of moisture on the table with her napkin. "And what a help she's been," she sighed.
The stool creaked as Shauna shifted uncomfortably. Her green eyes looked ahead and bore into the wall with a thoughtful stare. Her lips twisted up into a frown.
"Well... She's kinda right, you know..."
Serena blinked. She looked over at Shauna incredulously, meeting with her blank stare.
"What do you mean...?" asked Serena.
"Well," said Shauna, "Miette seems to think you're not exactly 'ready' for what comes after starting a blog, especially—well, you know—what with the format that you have. Every little thing about you is under your own microscope."
"Well, yeah, but so what?"
"So people are going to poke and prod, like you're their—"
"Like their plaything," Serena finished. It took her a moment to process what she was saying. She swallowed audibly. She was looking down, visibly dejected. The stool she sat on swung gently beneath her without a thought.
Seeing Serena's dejection made Shauna lurch, looking conflicted and visibly searching for an answer or some method of cheering her up.
"And... I mean... That's just one way of looking at it, you know?" said Shauna, searching for some sort of response in Serena's eyes.
"I don't know know Shauna..." said Serena. "Maybe I don't know what I've gotten myself into."
"Serena, I think Miette thinks very highly of you."
"That's not funny."
"I'm serious!" Shauna protested. "I don't think Miette's the kind of person who would even bother to visit if she didn't respect or even care about you."
Serena paused quietly, looking more reflective than unsettled.
"And honestly," said Shauna, a bit more eagerness in her voice as she found a place to start with Serena, "I think Miette challenges you to bring out the best in you—in the both of you! I'm dead serious!"
"I don't think she's exactly showing affection," scowled Serena. She folded her arms beneath her, remaining hunched over and looking away.
"Serena, don't be that way."
"Well, I'm sorry, but Miette hasn't been making a convincing case for herself lately."
Looking around the empty shop as Serena sighed again, Shauna seemed to be mentally debating with herself. Cursing beneath her breath, shuffling again, Shauna found her words. She returned her attention to Serena, a look of resolve appearing.
"Wanna test it?" asked Shauna.
"Huh? What do you mean? How?"
Shauna grinned, coyly. "Well, you can start by answering my question."
Serena looked over. "What question did you—Oh no..." Serena said, visibly wilting. Any semblance of hope she had slowly faded as she slumped forward, her head hanging down.