I walk along the sidewalk in Pride ring, passing by many buildings and stores around over the hell. Noticed the dark red colors from all streets and all the sinners walking without even taking a look at me. A little imp who passed one more morning for another day of job. Who am I? I'm Moxxie, a little imp of 10 years old who has passed most of my days enjoying what I like most. Making lemonade and selling it at my stand. I'm wearing my usual glasses, my long white t-shirt with a black blazer and a red bow tie as I'm ready for another day of work. And this time I have something special in my hands.
As other demons say, we imps are just at the bottom of the hierarchy over the hell, as even the sinners couldn't even spare to look at me, but I'm already used to it. Even other imps who passed around are just doing what they enjoy, stealing pockets or even robbing cars from poor stupid sinners around.
Me, I prefer something more honest, making lemonade wasn't that interesting to me, but I just discovered my favorite artist developed a guitar with his style, and I've always wanted to play music, and I think that would be a great investment in my life.
After walking over the streets, I gave no mind to any sinner or imp around me, my focus was turning around the street and going direct to an abandoned area where there was a simple and humble lemonade stand, made by me with all the wood I could find over the park a few streets away. I worked so much my blood and sweat for this little stand to be enough for me to use my developed recipe for lemonade.
Looking at my prideful board written with red ink. M&M Lemonades. The M's stand for Moxxie and Moxxie, and having myself as a co-owner of my lemon stand it makes it easy for me to be my own boss, and the initials are what make the others interested in the name of my lemon stand, an idea developed my own father. And I have to confess that the name is indeed catching.
Walking over the wood balcony I worked on, I took a piece of fabric with me and already placed some hygiene products just to clean the balcony for my clients. I took something from my pocket, and it was something I wanted to do since last month… I took a toy recorder that I had inside the home and I wanted to make sure they record one of my days of work. Having all my clients enjoying their time by drinking my lemonade, all of whose pay for all the effort to make sure that all the demons who drink at my stand be happy, that's one of the steps of my day… That and ignoring the lazy imp who was sleeping with his head at the corner of my lemon stand.
"S" I called by patting his head, his cowboy hat covering most part of his face. His usual clothing from Wrath-Ring is a dusty tan T-shirt, gray pants, black boots, and a red tissue over his neck. "Wake up."
"Uh, oh." With the hissing sound of being awake, the demonic imp looked at me with a dizzy look until he recognized me. "Oh hey Mox boss, nothing happened last night. The lemonade stand is still in peace and shining like always."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you always say that." I ruffed as I took a few lemons from a box I brought with me, S was always a funny imp, he said he will always act like security and bodyguard of this stand, that until he pass the entire morning drinking my lemonade until he had been drunken or in scientific term Sugar-Crashed. There is no way I would add that terrible taste of alcohol to my lemonade, it takes off its purity and sweetness of it. "I'm already doing the lemonade."
"Double shot for me boss. I need a refill after last night's vigil." S sat at one of my seats I rolled my eyes at him.
I look under the balcony which had 4 boxes under it, each of them having the ingredients for my lemonade.
I checked all my stock, and surprisingly they seemed more than half like I expected from yesterday, strange, I always have made a check on how much lemonade I do every day. And yet it's the 10th time happening to me. Well, it's still better than nothing.
I took some polystyrene cups which I placed over my balcony, and I already sliced a few lemons just to start my preparation.
"Alright S, it's coming to the double lemonade." I moved my glasses ready to prepare my special drinks. Having a big jar always helped me to make a good lemonade for the entire day. 6 spoons of sugar, 3 spoons of sugar cane broth to add more flavor, now 3 whole lemons, and fulfill everything with water. A simple recipe to make, and yet something I liked to play around with. "Here is the first cup."
"FINALLY," S shouted as he took the cup with gusto and drank it like it doesn't have tomorrow. "Fill again boss. Today I want to get a sugar rush."
I rolled my eyes, as I fulfilled the same cup for him. The imp seemed to always be drunk into something like that, I just don't know why I still have him around this stand since I never saw him after I leave here. But well, it's best just to ignore and give him his lemonade and leave my mind in peace than dealing with problems.
S took a glance at the toy over the balcony, which made a glance at me.
"What about this toy recorder?" S asked as I smiled at my idea.
"It's a little project I'm thinking of doing, I'm going to record this day to show to my future self all the work I've been putting on here. To show that all the time I worked on here will pay off in the future." I smiled proud of myself. Knowing that in the future I can say the guitar and how awesome I will be playing in the future.
"Well, if you say so, you're the boss. Cheers." S raised his lemonade and drank another cup which made me smile and go back to cleaning.
"Oh yes, finally you came Moxxie." Suddenly another voice came, which made me look in the direction of the right which made me take off my glasses and started cleaning before greeting one customer of mine.
His smiling face appeared, even if jagged teeth, he never showed any sign of anger, just optimism over the mornings, even working so much at the circus with his best friend, but being the star as always, this clown of an imp who always wears an aquamarine clown clothing with red balls as buttons, and decoration as his two pointed black and white straps horns.
"Morning Fizz." I used a piece of fabric to clean my glasses and with a better view of a customer of mine, the clown imp went to another seat and watched S drinking another cup of lemonade, with 2 sparing cups already out of the balcony.
"Hell, isn't too early for your security to drink this much?" Fizz felt kinda uncomfortable but narrowed his eyes when the response from the imp on his side was a simple middle finger while drinking. "You may have a problem S."
"Screw you teethy, I worked too much. And I deserve my reward. Now drink your lame oh juice. Or at least drink the lemonade like a man, and don't be a pussy." S snarled as he was chugging the 4th cup with gusto and was already feeling his heart racing and feeling the adrenaline a glycose over his blood.
"I already said it, it's a medical condition. I cannot drink too much sugar or it will make it a lot worse." Fizz huffed as it turned away, And this entire scene happened in front of my eyes.
"Okay, guys it's enough. It's already the first hour of the opening of this stand and you two were already going to jump into each and other?" I had to make them stop to escalate this or they would prejudice my clientele today. Taking a sugar cane and crushing it to create the broth over the cup, I took a slice of lemon and pressed over the broth which made flavor over it, placing 1 quarter of water and a sugar cane straw. Nothing like natural sugar to the boy who needs a good lemonade without much lemon. "There is the special sugarlemoncane."
"Thanks, Mox." Fizzy showed his tongue to S who seemed to be so much into a sugar rush than actually care for a simple childish gesture. And placing a soul note over the balcony. "See yah next time. I'm going to meet Ozzie and I will bring him here later. See yah."
"Another customer is satisfied," I said as I took the soul note and placed it in my pocket. With the cup still over my balcony, I moved to the trash can by my side. S seems to be on his 5th polystyrene cup so he will be done soon since his body was trembling with sugar and was feeling the sugar rush over his body… "And 3…2…1…"
Blam
I looked at imp with a cowboy hat face slamming at my balcony after drinking too much and having an overload of a sugar rush, until all the sugar was out, and in the end, what is left was the sugar crash.
Sigh.
"5 cups in 25 minutes S, you are developing quite a resistance." I grinned as I heard the sound of his groaning in reply. "I've always told you to stop drinking too fast, your body can't take this much of sugar."
"Nop. Ugh." S replied to me not long after his body got shut down and he got out from the sit and sat at the side of the stand. "Zzzzz."
And once again the guardian of the lemonade stand got knocked out from cups of lemonades.
"Well, it seems another day." I looked over the sky and noticed the scorching weather was kinda working in my favor since most of my clients like not just to drink my lemonade, but all of them have something to tell me… I think that's because they have no one better than me to talk to. Maybe I should charge one soul for long talks.
"Why, why this is always happening to me? sob " My ears got the sound of one familiar client of mine, one of my favorites, who has been paying for all the drinks he has over these days, but there was one single problem which kinda annoys me most of my day. "Why can't I have him as a friend?"
The demon who sat in front of my balcony and had tears in his 4 eyes, a demon in owl form, wearing his royal lavender blouse with golden ornaments, and his tiny golden crown, a prince who always tried to find solutions to one problem…
"Did that imp do something to you, your highness?" I said after taking my empty jar of lemonade and cleaned with water before I made another jar of my lemonade for the clients over the day. That gluttonous S drank the whole jar while I wasn't aware.
Sobbing in front of me, he nodded at me which made me already know the drill on how to deal with a situation like that.
"Okay, let me make a lemonade for you, one special is coming." I used my best to remain sympathetic as I heard the poor prince sob and cry from another disaster on his day. A simple lemonade could make him open up a bit. "Here you go."
I didn't even register the time, but the prince turned the cup in one gulp which made my eyes open wide in surprise for a second.
"Another, ale." The owl prince ordered after placing a few soul notes over the balcony, making me understand what he meant. I placed another cup of lemonade on him, which he turned in one go again, and using his index finger made me fulfill another cup which he drank it like a drunk man who found his love at the end of a bottle. "Another."
At the fifth, I could see his own body receiving the sugar rush and he was getting more talkative, but by drinking too fast, his body was rejecting it by doing hiccups.
"Okay. Tell me what happened." I fulfilled another polystyrene cup and gave it to the prince who seemed saddened by the events of the morning.
"*Hiccup*. Well ale, everything happened when I meet that imp again, Blitzo, so I really did my best to impress him, I bought popsicles for both of us, and while he wasn't interested too much, he took them which made me have hope." The prince was telling after cleaning up a few tears from his eyes and drinking the cup slowly this time, which made me understand that his body was almost at the limit. If he becomes stubborn he would have dizziness and have a sugar crash like S on the corner. "So I got so excited that I wanted to impress him, I said I could eat the whole popsicle in one go, and when I tried… I got brain freeze and I blacked out."
I facepalmed after such revelation, but receiving a glance at him, I shook my head and I knew he would ask for another cup since the cup in his hands was already empty.
So giving him another cup was going to be the seventh, and his last of the day.
"I dunno what I'm doing wrong. I serenaded him and he threw me a "chancla" on my royal face. Do you know flip-flop in Spanish is "chancla"? I know because he threw me a Spanish dictionary too." The prince sobbed as I got my fabric while I raised my eyebrow at him, taking one of the polystyrene cups I cleaned up. "I even ate ice cream for him and it was useless! He doesn't wanna be my friend. I will be alone forever."
The prince sobbed until he glanced at the cup in his hands, and then with a resolve gulped into one go again.
"Another." He ordered as he smashed one of my cups with his hands.
"I think you have been enough lemonade, your majesty." I had already given him my mind and I wanted him to not overload himself like the last boy who drank until knocked out at my lemonade stand. But it seems that the prince has other plans on his hands.
"I'm ur prince, *Hiccup* and I'll tell u when I had enough lemonade! Now give me a whole lemon please." The young prince ranted like he an overloaded with sugar and bitter juice, he seemed to still taste the whole lemon to prove his point.
"…" I rolled my eyes and I groaned internally, but I complied as I took one lemon from my stand and gave it to the hands of the majesty in front of me.
"Thank u so much." He thanked me as he gave a feral bite on half of the lemon, and one second later the bitter taste attacked his entire face. "Mhhhhhh."
The groaning sound of his internal suffering was enough to say that he might regret the decisions he did today. Until his face meets the wood balcony making him knocked down hard from such a bitter taste.
"Pff. Wimp." I scoffed as I continued to clean up the polystyrene cups he drank for my possible clientele of the day. By using my fabric to clean the cups over the balcony, I think it was for the best to prepare more in case.
Noticing that I was almost out of sugarcane, I took a minute to grab the wooden box at the corner, after a few canes later when I got stood up from there, I noticed a flank on the balcony which made me raise my eyebrow, a pink polka dot dress, which had a little girl sitting on MY BALCONY.
"Ugh, Vee how many times have I told you, to not sit on my balcony? It's not safe for demons to sit over there." I groaned as I could see the smiling face of the pink-white-haired succubus who had always the audacity to break the rules I created for my stand.
"Please Moxxie, you know that I'm too light to cause a such disaster in this place and be glad that I'm finally here. The future popstar Verosika Mayday is here." Vee as I called her since the first day she appeared here always enjoyed making an entrance.
"Okay, you are late. You will only have 4 cups today." I have to be just, Striker while being a lazy lad, he is always punctual, even if he sleeps literally at the side of my stand, still he is punctual.
"WHAT?" Vee shouted outraged. "Come on Moxxie, you know I need at least 7 cups or 8, my beauty needs the sweetness hydration and it's so scorching in Pride, I need to drink much more than 4 cups."
"Well, you wouldn't have needed that if you were in time. Look over here. We already have 2 clients. If you want more cups, you need to give your best." While I hate to be this kind of harsh on others. I must settle an example on Vee, she must know how to be professional, or she would know how the consequences would come to her.
"Oh come on Moxxie…" This time Vee looked deep into my eyes, and with a gentle voice. "Couldn't you just give me an exception to me just this once? I gave you the first kiss."
"Against my will Vee. And you know how it ended it." I replied coldly, as I remembered that Vee didn't have a soul to pay up for her 10 cups of lemonade, and instead of just offering to help to clean up the mess, she forced her head to kiss me on the lips, making me surprised at the whole thing and made one of my troublesome clients freak out and create a ruckus and create competition at the same moment.
Verosika cringed after noticing my cold glaze, making her sheepishly turn her head to the other way.
"I said I was sorry." The girl moved her hair away while showing a bit of blush on her face. I could have let it go if wasn't for the fact that day was really a disaster.
"I am doing this because this is the only way to you take this seriously, you offered yourself to work here while I pay you with lemonade, but you need to give yourself a bit more if you want to compensate for the fact you got late." I have to teach her and compromise on the work that she herself offered, it was the only way that she would make this lemonade stand keep going.
"Uhhhh, but I don't want tooooooo." Vee whined but looking at my unamused face, she sighed in defeat. "Okay Moxxie, I will give it myself, but please make it extra delicious to me."
Seeing the little succubus getting down from the balcony made me rise a smile and already prepare a cup for her. With her tiny wings flapping excitedly she already coughed and prepared.
Until another familiar voice came.
"Why aren't you singing yet?" The angry comment coming from the other side of the lemon stand was enough for me to sigh.
"Oh crumbs, here she comes," I mumbled as I looked at the royal swan, wearing a tiny dress of feathers with pink over the top, and wearing two bows over her hair, like two pigtails made of feathers, and over her bows has 2 tiny crows over it just to show her stigma as royalty. "Morning to you too Stella."
"I passed the entire morning to make myself presentable to drink the lemonade today, and when I came here there are these 2 stupid boys too dizzy to even wake up and an amateur girl who didn't sing yet?" Stella said as she walked over the sat in front of me.
I rolled my eyes, as I began to prepare the lemonade the way she always liked to drink.
"Amateur?" Vee who heard the remark turned her head and angrily frowned upon the royalty who wasn't even bothered to see the succubus preparing herself to call the clients.
"Of course, you are an amateur, you should have continued singing without my interruption, you lack a lot of things chubby face," Stella said as she puffed her chest like she was in command.
"Chubby face?" Vee's eyes twitched as she snarled not a second later. "At least I'm not miserly like you."
Oh oh…
"Miserly?" Stella's eyes became red like blood as she got up from her sit, and walked in front of Vee. "I'M NOT MISERLY, I'M THE WIFE OF THE OWNER OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT, I HAVE ALL THE RIGHT TO DRINK FREE."
And it begins.
"You are just saying that because you signed a false marriage contract and just gave it to him to sign, do you even know what a husband and wife do?" Vee said unconfirmed as the way she was treated by the swan royalty who seemed to scoff about the pretentious accusation of the succubus.
"Of course I know, by signing this makes me have half of his property, half of his money, half or all the time of his life with me." The way she said it was enough to make Verosika look at her in disbelief, and before they were going to even make the argument worse I decided to step in.
"AND... Half of my responsibilities." I said aloud which made the duo look at me. "I still think the whole marriage contract is fake Stella, and I don't care of what you say, but if really are telling me that you are my wife and wanted to create a ruckus once again at the moment of work? You have to work up with your attitude or you will not have lemonade over here."
Stella looked at me shocked and almost snarling angrily.
"Are you telling me that I have…"
"To pay up for 35 souls for all the lemonades you drank over here, or work to have the right to drink free." I finished her suspicion as I stomped my foot on the ground. "I'm tired of things getting escalating, and I'm doing my best to make everyone happy by drinking the lemonade, and If I'm not happy working, then nobody gets happy for not having their lemonades. And that's come to you to Vee, or you both stop this fight, or none of you can have lemonades until another day."
I needed to hold the leash, and show that this place is serious busyness… If I want to have my money to buy a guitar, this will be good enough for me to keep going.
Both demonesses looked at each other and huffed in silence, which was great since none of them are going to continue their fight.
"You know that I could just simply pay you 1000 souls right here at this moment," Stella said as she went behind the balcony on my side. I rolled my eye.
"Well your highness, I don't have change for 1000 souls. And I doubt I would have enough time to make 1000 lemonade cups for you just today." I replied as I felt a nick pick on my nack. "OI, WHAT THE HECK?"
"Well if you are seriously wanting me to take my job seriously, I will provoke you all way possible, even by pushing you, punching you, and even kissing you when you less expected Mox. You are mine, and mine alone." Stella said as she took a notepad under the balcony and a pen to write on it. And looking at the supplies she hummed annoyingly. "We are lacking a bit of cinnamon, isn't that going to be a problem?"
"I can bring more tomorrow, you don't have to worry about it," I said as I ignored her mumblings around and I looked at Vee who was ready to start the day.
"Alright demons and demoness, I Verosika Mayday will start my presentation. Here is a song I created yesterday, it's called the sky is falling down." Vee prepared to help to attract the clientele or even help me to pass the time by selling my drinks faster and distracting myself from being bored.
.
.
.
"Thank you, thank you." Vee thanked the group of tiny demon imps who were around to drink and listen her to sing, while they seemed not amused by her singing, it was better than having nothing to listen to.
"OKAY YOU STUPID EXCUSE OF PRINCE, YOU PASSED MORE THAN 20 MINUTES LAYING DOWN OVER HERE. GET UP AND.." Stella was shaking furiously of what would be one of my customers who didn't even wake up from bitter taste a few minutes ago.
"Oi miss, I would like a breakfast lemon special." One imp appeared at the corner of my balcony, and I saw Stella suddenly pushing the knocked-up body of the owl prince who seemed to be so unconscious to care, and walked over the imp.
"I just don't get how this stupid wuss was knocked out so hard." Stella scoffed as she used her notepad and wrote the order she then looked at the imp. "You want lemon biscuits or an apple."
"Lemon biscuits." The eager imp smiled excitedly.
"You're having an apple." Stella finished the order and ripped to give me to make lemonade.
"Awww." The imp whined in defeat, which made me glance at the swan princess who seemed annoyed about the fact of imps expecting the best from her.
I decided to just follow the order and take one apple from the box next to my lemons, and place it over the balcony with a good cup of lemonade for him.
"More lemonade miss." Another imp who was sitting on the balcony asked after raising his own polystyrene cup to her.
"I don't even know what made him get knocked out so hard like that," Stella said as she raised my jar of lemonade and started serving the imps around and possibly some adult sinners who casually appeared to drink one cup before leaving us alone.
"7 cups of lemonade and a half lemon," I said with all the seriousness I have, which made her look at me in disbelief.
"You cannot be serious." She said that I gave a good look at her, and she facepalmed. "What a wimp, he drank all that lemonade and didn't wake up from his bitter shock?"
"Probably," I said as I took the soul notes over the balcony, the time passing by working it's indeed paying off now.
"Err... excuse miss, is there lemonade on the cinnamon hurricane?" One imp asked Stella who took her note and looked at me.
"Mox, lemonade on the C Hurricane?" Stella asked which I gave a thumbs up and nodded at her. "It has lemonade."
"The lemonade here is good?" The same imp undecided asked again, receiving a narrow from possibly "my wife". Oh boy.
"It's lemonade." She said as the imp nodded to her.
"Oh... well... I..." The undecided imp was trying to think what he was going to order, making Stella roll her eyes.
"I'm not getting any younger over here."
I chuckled at her remarks, as I continued to make lemonade.
"I'm so sorry about my rudeness Mox, I should have composed myself better." The prince said after sheepishly taking another cup of lemonade after being an hour knocked out. As the movement slowed down since most of the kids wanted to pass just a few minutes to drink something and screw away after they made the mistake of refusing the "polite warning" as Stella say. Leaving just Vee enjoying her break by drinking her cup of my special. And Stella helped me up by cutting more lemons to prepare for other demons.
"Pff… wimp." Stella scoffed which made me glare at her, who seemed to ignore me. Sometimes her brutality will be a burden to someone, and I feel pity who would have to deal with her at the same house as her.
"Don't worry your highness, your secret is safe with me. Now I hope the lemonade has cheered you up." I was cleaning the balcony since most of the clients over the morning already left not without paying 2 to 10 souls, it was a good sale today. And I think if I work for more than 5 weeks, I will have enough to buy my instrument.
"Well, I just need to accept my loneliness." Stolas who has been all the time depressed of his attempts to make friends with one imp felt once again down but he was recovering by drinking the lemonade in more moderation.
"Yeah, accepting you are a wimp it's a good step to admitting you are useless… Admitting that is the only way you go up." Stella walked by my side and grinned as she said such hard words at the royalty in front of me.
Stolas raised his eyebrow and frowned at her.
"Oh Stella, didn't know you were there, still working to pay off the lemonades you could have paid?" Stolas saying such words made my eyes go wide open in surprise and I bite my tongue to say anything since I could feel the murderous intent from the girl by my side.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN LEMONADES I COULD HAVE PAID? I'M MARRIED TO THE OWNER. YOU KNOW THE ROYAL MARRIAGE CONTRACTS." Aaaaand the shout started again. Thank you so much, your highness.
"Well, I pity whoever demon marries you because it would be an absolute hell to have you as a spouse." Stolas didn't raise his words, but the words alone. I know that Stella is almost ready to jump on him like a crazy monkey.
"Oh YEAH? I'M A GREAT SPOUSE BUT PRAY TO NEVER SEE ME OUTSIDE HERE STOLAS, I SWEAR. I WILL MAKE EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE YOUR LIFE A HELL." Okay, Stella is really angry right now. I must put an end to this top right now.
"Alright, ALRIGHT GUYS, STOP IT." I raised both my hands and made the duo look at me. I don't want them to expend the next hours arguing over this stupid discussion. I don't want to stress out today. "Let's forget about the shouting and focus on the things. You said you wanted to be friends with an imp."
"Of course, he wanted to be friends. Oh, come on… I know what he is doing." Stella sounded so sarcastic and yet unamused by something which made not just the prince look at her curious, but even I had to look at her in question what she meant.
"And what am I doing?" Stolas asked not understanding the signals of Stella seemed annoyed, well… at the moment he felt his blouse was being griped by the princess Stella and her face becoming a full scowl, it seems he was getting a warning.
"YOU WANTED TO COPY MY IDEA AND YOU ARE GOING TO TRY TO MARRY THE IMP YOUR DUMBASS." I have to confess, Vee was doing an excellent job, since Stella was shouting angrily at the prince, Verosika is still singing some little songs she made just to keep her thirst satisfied.
"Wha… what?" And finally, the prince's feathers became red as tomato… "No, I mean… he is a friend… I mean, I want him as a friend."
"Pff, and that's why you are the beta male." Stella released the grip and scoffed at the blushing prince who seemed annoyed and yet sheepish from the news. "Imps is always a low class, to be honest, you would be perfect for someone low class…"
"Stella…your cup is in my hands." I've always had to do some reality check on this girl, I don't mind if she talks bad about the imps, seriously, I don't mind… But if she was going to do it… it was for the best to not do it to my clients, at my lemon stand… with me holding a cup of lemonade in my hands.
"Oh… sorry… honey." Stella looked away and mumbled something which I couldn't hear well.
"What was that?" I asked aloud, and she turned back to me in panic.
"NOTHING, JUST GO BACK TO WORK," Stella shouted, but instead of her annoying angry shout, this time seemed more panicked in her tone…
I shrugged and decided to ignore once again her antics… I have to confess, being used to her antics is more problematic, and I think I will need therapy in the future, but since I have to expend money on something like that, I would have to choose between my sanity or my desire to have my instrument and go to follow my dreams…
Well… my parents already said I was a crazy imp anyway.
"Mox, I'm back." And once again the voice of my first client of the day could be heard as the sound of his steps followed by another demon behind him, another demonic owl who seemed smaller than the imp himself, wearing nothing more than red shorts, a dark ocean shirt and a black and red top hat, the shy demon followed him as the duo walked at the seat over my balcony.
"Fizz, Ozzie, I'm glad you two just came." I just cleaned two cups and I already started preparing the lemonade for the white blue feather demon, and the sugar cane lemon broth for the imp clown. "I was wondering when the duo would appear again."
"Sorry for the delay, I was brushing my feathers." Ozzie sat beside the royalty who gave his mild glance to him. And both owls gave a quick glance into each other and huffed away from each other.
"Well with all your fluffiness it must have taken a whole hour to do it." Stella gave me the cut lemons and I still glared at her, but I shook my head, that girl's mouth is a lost cause.
Before the owl would even protest, Fizz decided to raise both his arms.
"Woah, woah, ladies, you're both pretty." Fizzarolly's comment was not just enough to make Stella stop her remarks, but it was good enough to make the owl on his side start blushing timidly. "Can't we just appreciate the good day we are having over here?"
"I couldn't agree more with that." I was glad to have at least one ally when it comes to not wanting a fight around here, but I think it was too much to ask.
"Hiiiiiiiii, Asmodeus." Vee approached the owl blue demon who seemed surprised by her.
"Oh, hi vee." Ozzie flinched after taking a look at the little succubus being on his side.
"Is that a new top hat? Because it's looking really cute on you." Verosika approached him and without his notice, she took his hate and placed it on herself. "What do you think, with the hat or without the hat?"
"Vee, please give me back." Ozzie noticed that the girl touched him, he felt shy and started to blush.
"Okay Vee, stop playing around, you have more 10 minutes of break, let's enjoy our time and peacefulness at least for 10 minutes?" I gave a look to all the group who seemed to look at each other and decided to give a silent nod to me. "Thank you."
"Ughhhhh." Then a groaning came from someone I thought he would have awakened or should have been an hour ago. Seeing S getting up and stretching himself, I and the group gave him a glance, as he looked at the group around. "Oh, nice to see this place full."
"Wow, S, I heard about drinking until you get wasted from my parents, but actually seeing you managing to have a sugar crash, and still be fine after an hour…" I offered my peace of fabric which he used to clean up his face.
"Thanks, boss." S gave a quick nod and used it, ignoring the staring from the others. "But you know what I am going to say."
"Double crash or nothing?" I asked as he grinned at me.
"Double crash or nothing." He affirmed by getting between Verosika and Ozzy, ignoring the stares of disbelief of someone stupid enough from having a sugar crash, to have another one at that moment.
"Okay, you crazy imp. But this time share a few cups with the others." I said after taking my jar and filling another cup for him. And I looked at the group still in silence. "Guys, I know you wanted to talk, but please let's make the fight a minimum, okay? Stolas okay, I didn't even give you a piece of advice on what you should do at this moment… So let me think."
"Oh, what's the problem with the prince?" Fizz got curious and asked the pompous girl who was still taking a few sugar canes from behind of the balcony.
"Oh, his just wiping around about he never got a friend of an imp, and looking at that, that's kinda path…"
"Stella, your cup." I decided to interrupt her by giving her one cup of lemonade, which she glanced at me, and noticing my unamused and yet glaring eyes behind my glasses.
"Thank you, Mox." Stella stopped herself and decided to have her first lemonade of the day, which a few gulps later she gave the best moaning sound of satisfaction. "FINALLY. I was waiting for this for almost the entire morning."
Well, if this was good to shut her up, and make her behave herself, I think it was for the best.
"Why don't you take a break and relax with us? Let me deal with the work."
"Alone? Not chance, as your wife I have the responsibility of commanding around." Even if she was tempted to do it like in the morning, at the moment she was by my side working for a few hours, she changed her mind… I just don't understand her, one hour she wanted to avoid working, but now she wanted to keep working. This girl is crazy.
"YES, WE KNOW." The entire group and even I said aloud what we thought about her bragging.
"Hmph." Stella pouted glaring, but after taking another lemonade it cheered her up, which made her more docile. Sometimes I question how I did manage to make such a possibility.
"Wait… I think I know who you were trying to be friends with. It was Blitzo right?" FizzaRolli realized who the prince was talking about. And then gave a quick reminder. "You were the one who tried to eat the whole popsicle and got a brain freeze."
The group and including myself couldn't help but snicker at the blush from Stolas who seemed ashamed of the attempt at friendship.
"Please… don't remind me," Stolas whined as the other demons, especially Stella laughed as they drink.
"Well, why not go the easiest route then?" Fizz suddenly asked which made the owl prince curious.
"And that would be?"
"Paying cash for him to pass the time with you?" FizzaRolli gave the idea which made the prince's eyes go wide and ask in mild surprise.
"How that would work?"
"Trust me, I know, Blitzo loves money… give him money and he would be even your best friend. Start with paying to stay with him and later try to go to make him to stay by your side by yourself." Fizz shrugged as I couldn't help but continue doing my lemonade. Still hear the guys talking over the morning until the afternoon. Another day of work. And since I already reached an among of 50 souls… Why not give a treat to the guys?
"Well, it seems one problem solved. So let me give each of you, one free cup all of us." I placed 7 cups over the balcony and the entire group of demons looked surprised. And I gave each of us the lemonade I prepared for each of us. "I propose a toast."
Each of them took their cups and looked at me, a simple imp who is the owner of this lemonade stand, a simple imp who has been working myself hard to follow my dreams.
"For us, who is living our days to give ourselves the best lives we could. To follow our dreams and for the future ahead of us." I raised my cup, followed by the group who followed my example. "Cheers."
"CHEERS." We whole drank our lemonade and had the time of our lives, just until closing time…
It was the end of the afternoon after all of them departed satisfied from taking all the lemonade they could pay or work for. And I who reached at least 70 souls since Ozzie, Stolas, and Fizz were always the ones who paid for my work. I was glad to see everyone doing their best to help me to buy my guitar.
I was cleaning my balcony for the last time of the day, and glancing at S sitting on the side of the lemonade stand.
"Time to close boss," S said as I glanced at the sky, which seemed always red, but the dark tonality of scarlet was almost a sign of being 4 p.m, which would be the best hour for me to go home. Giving the imp one last glance. I noticed at the corner of my balcony, my toy recording.
I forgot that he was over there after the first hour, and my mind wondered how would be the reaction of me in the future, listening to the whole conversation with me and my friends…
I just hope that in the future when we reach as adults we could laugh after such a silly day we had in our childhood.
My eyes got opened as once again my dreams gave me nostalgia for my past to me once again. Looking at my side and seeing the good lump under the sheets of our bed. I smiled after watching Millie sleep peacefully.
By getting up earlier than I should. It was a good way for me to prepare my breakfast and for her when she gets up, but I couldn't help but confess, how simple things were in the past. And how sweet are the memories I had in my mind.
Passing the living room, I couldn't help but check my shelve where usually most parts of my books, trophies, and memories were. And over the shelve, there was the tiny black box in which I have the good pleasure to keep my best memories over there.
Taking the box with me, I walked over the corridors, wondering why such childhood memories must have appeared in my dreams, sometimes I wondered about the past I had and how all the work I did to buy my guitar. And how I had to move away from pride ring with my parents to wrath ring.
I wondered what would have happened to all my friends and customers since I departed from there. Interesting how kids, everything seemed so simple.
Opened the doors of my kitchen, placed the box over my table, and opened it to see the treasure I held from my past. 10 recording tapes, and a painting made by one former client of mine. The drawing looked awful, but I remembered at the time I received a such gift I couldn't help but be happy after receiving it.
I walked over to the fridge to see the ingredients I had for the most part of my breakfast and make something delicious for Millie too. But having a good glance that I still had some lemons at the corner of my fridge, made me smile from the happy memories…
"Yeah… Maybe I will do a jar of lemonade today. Just for the old times' sakes, what the worse could happen?" I gave a look once more at the lemons before I close down the fridge.