Revamped!
[Copyright - Victorious: Tori and Jade's Playdate]
Emily and Britney's Playdate Part One:
7:21 PM
I walk into The Bento Box which is an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant that opened recently. It smells like the ocean, soy sauce, and rice wine. The restaurant has a blue-green ambiance which is comforting. I look around the restaurant for Angela and am about to text her, but get distracted when I see Xavier sitting at the bar and waving me over.
I walk over curiously. "Wrong Rogers twin."
He slides over his small iced glass with a clear liquid in it. I take it in my hands and smell it, knowing that it's not alcohol because we're too young. I realize that it's club soda so I take a sip.
"I see you made it, Stark," Xavier says, smiling brightly. This ominous tone throws me off.
I don't like or trust that face. I bet this club soda is poisonous.
"Your sister isn't here," I state without a rhetorical question because I know that she's not the reason I'm here.
"Okay, look, before you freak out - "
Xavier cuts himself off when he sees something past my shoulder. He starts waving someone else over. The naive part of my mind thinks that it must be Angela but when I turn around, I see her golden blonde hair and bright green eyes popped in shock to see me here. Well, the feeling is now mutual.
"Britney!" Xavier exclaims, waving her over like a dad trying to embarrass his kid.
"Xavier…" Britney mutters annoyedly as she rushes over. "You said we were going on a date. Why is she here?"
"He told me Angela was going to be here," I tell her.
Now, we're both looking at Xavier extremely pissed off. He finishes his club soda in one go and claps his lips. The nerve he has for whatever this is going to be.
"Well, you are going on a date," Xavier tells Britney, "just not with me. Consider this a playdate with Emily Stark."
Britney gags and I'm not the slightest bit offended because I feel the same way. Also, what?
"Excuse me?" I question.
"What she said," Britney supports.
"Let me finish," Xavier says, ordering another club soda.
It comes instantly and he evens some for us. He's the only one who drinks his because Britney and I are too livid for even being this close to her, even more considering the fact that Xavier brought us here and is now expecting us to go on a date. Gross.
"Because I want my girlfriend and my longtime best friend to finally get along. I mean, come on, you've hated each other since middle school and now, you and the other girls have a group chat, we're dating, and Apollo's your cousin."
I hate how he's right just as much as I hate Britney being in our group chat. At least she hasn't changed the name yet.
Britney scoffs. "In that case, I'll just go so that Emily can hang out with your girlfriend because that's certainly not me."
Britney grins as she turns on her heel and is about to leave. I hold back a laugh by biting down on my lips to prevent myself from exploding with laughter at Xavier, especially because he looks so embarrassed. His face has gone red and he clears his throat, drinking my untouched club soda.
"Wait," Xavier says before breaking into a cough. I think he choked on his words and drink. "Britney - "
Britney turns back around and saunters back as Xavier takes a minute to die of embarrassment and because neither of us is willing or wanting to give him the Heimlich manoeuvre. Britney and I just watch him until he comes back to life.
Xavier takes a breath, meeting Britney's eyes. She's smirking and raising an eyebrow at him because she does have a point. Technically, she isn't his girlfriend. They're just flirting with each other and nobody else at this moment. It's exculsive but it's not.
"You know what I mean," Xavier tells her.
"Sure," Britney responds.
"Alright, let's not waste any time. You two will sit here at any table of your wish. Feel free to eat and drink whatever you want while you chat about anything. Your playdate begins now at - " he looks at his watch " - 7:32 PM and will end when the restaurant closes at midnight. I will come by to pick you up and pay the bill. Enjoy."
He claps both of our shoulders and is about to leave me and Britney alone. We both look at each other confused before glancing back at Xavier.
"Forget this," I state, "I'm leaving."
"Me too," Britney says. "Xavier, do not speak to me."
"Same here."
Xavier stops the both of us and we look up at him. Even though Britney and I plan to ostracize him, he has a mischievous grin on his face which is never good to see on a Rogers twin.
"I thought you two would escape," Xavier tells us. "I just thought it would have been when I wasn't here anymore. Well, my boys won't let you."
Xavier points to all the tables closest to the overt exits like the door and the covert ones like the bathroom and the kitchen. Sitting there are members of the football team with their dates, looking like they're having fun. One of them waves to us and we all wave back. God, he even has the place surrounded.
"Have a nice night!" Xavier exclaims before sprinting out of there so we won't kill him.
Britney and I just stand there silently. We glance at each other before narrowing our eyes in hatred. At first, we sat at different tables at opposite ends of the restaurant. However, we both get kicked out after five minutes and forced to share a table due to reservations.
I don't know about Britney, but I lost my appetite.
-o-
7:48 PM
Ten minutes in and Britney and I are sitting in contempt, splitting a bowl of edamame and with our own drinks (we both ordered virgin daiquiris and it wasn't planned. We both said our orders at the same time and just looked at each other with utter disdain when they turned out to be the same).
If there's one thing I hate, aside from being stuck here for another four hours and a bit with Britney Braun, it's silence. At least if there's a conversation going, even if it's with her, time will go faster.
"This seems so formal, right?" I ask her, picking at another piece of edamame. "Actually putting an effort into us being friends."
"This is an effort?" Britney questions.
I shrug. "I mean, yeah. I think putting you in our group chat was a start and this is just a bigger move. You do know that Xavier is sacrificing a night with you and not only paying for our dinner but also for those dates he made come here just so we wouldn't leave. Not to mention that if any of us leaves, we ruin their own date nights."
Britney shakes her head confused. "What's your point?"
"I'm focusing on Xavier. If you ask me, he's putting his priorities in the wrong relationship."
"Then, which relationship should he focus on?"
Oh my god, she's just as oblivious as him. I did not see this coming. I kind of thought she was just teasing him. I have so much work to do.
[2019: I was so excited to do this arc for so many reasons].
