Main Street U.S.A.

Chapter 25

"Hi Lottie!" Tiana shouted, waving her hand in greeting. She hadn't seen her best friend since the night of the party, a week or so ago.

Lottie beamed when she saw Tiana and turned towards Tiana. The blonde didn't take a second glance at where she was window-shopping. Instead, Lottie turned away from the trinkets and beamed at her best friend.

Lottie's hips swayed side to side as she marched down the street to great her friend, "Why, Tiana, I'm so glad you came! I thought you wouldn't come."

Tiana frowned, before being clambered into a hug. After they separated, they started to walk together, their steps matching, "Why would you think that?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes, "You'd work even if the Lord Jesus himself walked up to you and told you to stop."

"Don't roll your eyes at me," Tiana laughed, "That's obviously not true. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Miracles do happen. I suppose," Charlotte sniffed, "Now what would you like to get for lunch? I –" she stopped midsentence, "Now wait, if you're with me, who's running the restaurant?"

"Naveen," Tiana said simply, not wishing to pursue the matter. If she thought about him too long, she'd… well, she'd erupt.

"He's the tall, dark, and handsome one isn't he?" Lottie cooed, "Aw, ain't he just the tom cat's kitten. Such a charming man."

Tiana tried to smile, but it turned into a wince. Lottie didn't notice.

"He's almost as handsome as that Hercules fellow, too bad Meg ruined Hercules," Lottie sighed.

"Ruined him? How?" Tiana asked her interest piqued. She hadn't seen Meg or Hercules or that whole group at all since Lottie's party.

Lottie's voice lowered conspiratorially, "I heard," she whispered, "that Hercules confessed his feelings for Meg. You know how they had that little flirting thing going and all, but she just left him high and dry. I know she's had bad luck with men, but I think she's creating her own bad luck by not hooking up with him. He's sweeter than a glass of pink lemonade."

"How do you know all this?" Tiana asked, feeling a little dizzy from the information. She hadn't noticed Meg and Hercules flirting – she knew that they were friends but not much else. Tiana didn't have time for gossip.

Until now, she supposed, leaning in to hear Lottie.

Lottie played with her hair and released a giggle, "Well, John Smith told me a few things."

Now that was a name Tiana did know, "John Smith? Really?"

"Yup, him and Herc are pretty friendly, and when I was on my date with him the other night –"

Tiana stopped in her tracks, "Wait, hold up, you went on a date with John Smith?"

Lottie giggled again, "Oh, don't worry Tiana, nothing happened. I don't even think we're going to keep dating. We're not really compatible that way. But it was fun. I've never gone hiking before."

"You went out on a date with John Smith," Tiana said, enunciating every word clearly, "and you went hiking on it."

"Yes, now stop gaping or else your face will be stuck that way," Lottie scolded. Tiana accommodated her best friend's wish and closed her jaw.

John Smith and Lottie? That was possibly the weirdest couple… ever.

"Would you stop making that face? I can practically see your internal dialogue," Lottie sulked, "I told you that we didn't hit it off romantically and if you don't stop it I'll inquire into your romantic life!"

"Please don't," Tiana begged.

Lottie beamed, "I hope this means you have one!"

Tiana cringed.

Lottie shrieked so loudly that a black convertible slammed on its brakes. Tiana buried her head into her hands and groaned.

"Hey stop screaming, lady, or you'll break my glass," Hades sneered from his car. He knew who Lottie was, and who Tiana was, for that matter, Tiana suspected Hades knew who everyone was, but apparently calling Lottie 'lady' was supposed to make them think he didn't know or care who they were.

Men.

Lottie smiled that poisonous smile only Southern women have, "Well, you better be careful driving if a little scream from little, old me bothered you."

Tiana watched as Hades rolled his eyes. He sped away without another peep, but Tiana suspected he'd remember this altercation.

But still she was impressed, "Wow, I have never seen anyone shut up Hades so fast."

"It wasn't even that hard," Lottie drawled, "I need a real challenge."

Tiana was grateful that Hades came along just in time for a subject change as she opened her mouth to dish out some gossip pertaining to him but Lottie eyed her with a smile.

"What?" Tiana asked self-consciously.

"You're a real challenge," Lottie's eyes glimmered playfully and her smile turned sharp.

"No, Lottie, we're not going to talk about my non-existent love life."

"Ti-A-NAAAAAAA I KNOW IT EXISTS!"

"No, no you don't!" Tiana stated, refusing to budge as she walked away putting her hands over her ears and humming loudly.

Since they had been friends since they were small, they often brought out the most childish side in each other.

They continued to bicker on the street until Tiana realized why they had been on the subject of her love life in the first place.

"Wait," she said, lifting her hands off her ears, "What were you telling me about Hercules and Meg?"

"Oh yeah!" Lottie said, her eyes widening, "We'll get to you later, this is more juicy than your lackluster love life."

Tiana bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming.

Lottie noticed this but ignored her, "Hercules hasn't left the gym really since she broke his heart, you know. Well, obviously he leaves for eating and sleep, but he's in there most of the day with his coach."

"Phil's his coach right?" Tiana asked, remembering a short, angry man who was always two words short of cursing.

Lottie nodded emphatically, her head bobbing up and down, "Yes, he hasn't said anything to Hercules other than one or two snide 'I told you sos' but other than that Meg hasn't been brought up. He was never a big fan of hers, although he's becoming very worried about the way Hercules is acting."

"Ah," Tiana said, "Do you know how Meg's doing?"

"Nope. Haven't seen her around recently, although I think she's doing a job for Hades right now," Lottie's eyes darkened and she turned back to the street as if checking to see if he was still around, "I think it's big… whatever she's working on. Because usually she'll come by some of our council meetings to get some kind of scoop on someone or something, and she didn't bother to do it this week."

"I hope she's all right," Tiana said. Meg was like the lobsters Tiana cooked at her restaurant. She encased herself in a hard shell to protect herself, making it near impossible to break it open until she was thrown into a pot of boiling water. And then her soft insides would be revealed to everyone after some more hammering. She'd be exposed for who she really was…

Tiana hoped that Meg wasn't being thrown into a pot of boiling with her new project. The poor girl didn't deserve that.

The people who mattered already knew what was behind the shell, they didn't need for her to go through hell to see it for themselves. They knew. She wasn't even friends with Meg really and she knew this.

"I think she'll be ok. Hades has always liked her, after all, why would he give her something dangerous?" Lottie asked lightly with a smile. But Tiana could tell that the blonde's smile was uneasy, as if she didn't believe it herself.

The topic darkened their thoughts until they reached the House of Mouse, "I suppose we can just eat here," Lottie said glumly, looking disappointed about where their feet led them.

"I suppose," Tiana agreed. She wasn't a huge fan of the place, it was one of her main competitors after all, but it would be nice to get a break from her restaurant. Even if her food WAS better than what she was about to eat.

But the two women waited patiently to be seated. While the dinner here was supposed to be fantastic (Tiana had never been so she wasn't sure, it was much too expensive to eat here at dinner), lunch didn't have as great of a reputation.

They were seated with little fanfare and they waited for their waiter. Tiana surveyed the restaurant with a critical eye. The stage was large and every table had a good view of it, so she could see the appeal. She'd have to come by at dinner sometime to see if it really was worth the money.

Perhaps Naveen would take her.

She shook that thought right out of her mind. No, Naveen couldn't take her. He was a distraction. He was just a boy and there wasn't time for boys right now.

There just wasn't, not with how much work there still was to do with the restaurant, not with trying to get more employees (but who'd work for her while Frollo tried to get rid of her restaurant using every trick in the book?). God, what would her father do if he was getting distracted from his dream?

"Tiana, are you all right?"

Tiana looked up into her friend's worried eyes, "Yes, I'm all right. I suppose."

"Good because the waiter's here, do you know what you want?"

"You order for me, I'm indecisive," Tiana muttered when in reality she hadn't read one item on the menu. She'd have to steal one later so she could examine it better.

She had to beat their menu if she wanted to survive. Capitalism at its finest, or rather its most delicious, Tiana mused as she watched Lottie flirt with the teenage waiter.

Fortunately for Lottie he seemed to be on the older side, although his laugh was rather goofy and forced.

"Thanks Max!" Lottie chimed as the waiter finished jotting down their order. Tiana could tell he was trying not to grimace which is why she wasn't surprised when he darted back to the kitchen.

"Why are all the cute ones too young or taken, Tiana? I need to know," Lottie complained, pulling at a strand of her blonde hair.

"I wouldn't know about that."

Lottie groaned, "Give it up Tiana, I know you've got some man in your life, I've never seen you so doe-eyed before. And you're so defensive. What's the saying again, 'doth protest too much!'"

That wasn't the exact wording but Tiana had to focus. She couldn't focus on Shakespeare, "No, I'm great, Lottie, everything's peachy."

"Fine, don't tell your best friend," Lottie crossed her arms and smiled victoriously. Tiana wondered why Lottie was smiling but was given the answer within moments, "I'll just tell your momma on you," Lottie stated matter-of-factly. But her sly grin revealed her mirth.

Tiana groaned. Her Momma had been on her about having fun and loosening up since Day One. She thought Tiana worked too hard for someone her age, but she didn't understand. Her restaurant was her life! She didn't have time for anything else.

Or energy for that matter.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt too much to tell you," Tiana grimaced.

Lottie jumped up and down, "Oh good! I must hear all about it!"

Tiana named no names in her short explanation, only revealing that she began to get along with a man that she at first detested and that Lottie's party ignited the flame. By the way Lottie smiled, Tiana suspected her best friend knew who she was talking about, but Tiana couldn't bear to say his name. Instead, she thought of Naveen's long eyelashes that batted at her when he wanted her attention. And about his smile when he wanted her attention. And his voice when he wanted her attention. He was almost childlike in his devotion to her.

"He loves me, I think," Tiana revealed after explaining the situation she was stuck in, "But I don't love him. I don't have time to love him."

Lottie looked like she was about to interject, but Tiana rolled past her, "It's not even that, but he's just so… infuriating! And flirtatious and sloppy and he's too laid back. He's not the type of guy I wanted to be with at all. I always liked the ambitious guys who went to law or medical school, you know that!"

Lottie nodded and opened her mouth to once again speak her mind. This time she was uninterrupted, "Tiana! Would you look at yourself for a moment? You obviously do love him, for one. Two, WHO CARES if he's not your type? You're over the moon for this boy, and if it's who I suspect it is, who can blame you? He could charm the pants off a nun."

"Do nuns wear pants?" Tiana said, hoping to distract her friend.

Lottie scrunched up her nose, "Who knows and who cares! Tiana, just go out with him! What can it hurt?"

My job. My time. My life. My heart. Tiana counted them all one by one in her head.

"I just don't understand why you won't give it a try when you're already head over heels for this guy."

It didn't matter that Charlotte didn't know why, because Tiana did.

It could destroy everything.

(A/N) So Tiana's angsting quite a bit right now. I hope I wrote her and Lottie well, I wanted to add more Southern colloquialisms in but I had a feeling I'd make a fool out of myself and the characters if I tried too many 'sweating like a sinner in church' type of lines (just a reminder: that's from 'The Princess and the Frog').

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and fyi i have no idea when the next chapter is coming out.

But I will leave you with a sort of mini-teaser: It's going to be in Cogsworth's POV and I'm immensely excited to write it. I don't think it will be as difficult as these last two chapters to get it written down, most likely because I find Cogsworth hilarious. but yes quick summary: him and lumiere and mrs. potts are going to be in 'stealth' mode spying on belle and 'the beiste' and I'm already envisioning madness so I'm ridiculously eager to write it.