Pietro's eye twitched. If there'd been a telepath present at the table, they would've heard Pietro projecting thoughts like: "Must take challenge... but challenge is too horrible! Wait... no challenge is too horrible... But, her! She'll sprout fangs and bite my head off! Challenge... Always up for challenge... Damn, Todd knew what to say..."
"Is he gonna be all raht?" Rogue asked as Pietro's eyes moved in a way that, had he been normal, would have been a sign of convulsions as he went back and forth between decisions.
"He does this occasionally," Lance explained. "He'll be alright in a minute or so."
"C'mon, buddy," Todd taunted. "The clock is ticking..."
"Evil!Evillittletoadboy!Evil!" The others laughed. "Fine,I'lldoit,butifshekillsormaimsmeinanywaythenitwillbeonyourhead!!!"
Todd shrugged it off. "Whatever, yo." He motioned in the direction of the kitchen, to where Courtney and Lilith were once again headed in the direction of their table. "Here's your chance." He snickered.
The waitresses came wielding huge plates in each of their hands. Courtney lowered one plate in front of Fred, while, coincidentally enough, Lilith placed the other two on Pietro's side of the table. Todd coughed trying to conceal a burst of laughter. The white-haired boy opened and closed his mouth several times, nothing coming out.
"Pietro, speechless. I never thought I'd see the day," Lance snickered.
"You look like a fish," Tabitha giggled, pointing. Pietro glared at them both.
Lilith noted their comments and finally looked at Pietro. Yep, fish was a pretty accurate observation. The blonde gets points for that one, she decided. "Oh dear," she said with fake concern. "Is there something wrong?"
Pietro closed his mouth again and looked at Lilith. "I, umm..." Lilith looked at him and waited for his response.
"I do have other tables to wait on, so could we speed this up a bit?"
'Ugh, just get it over with.' "Doyouwannagetsomecoffeeafteryou'reoffwork?"
"Run that by me again?"
"Do.you.want.to.go.out.after.you're.done.with.work?"
Lilith's eyes widened. "What?" She looked at Courtney, who just shrugged, awestruck herself. "Let me get this straight. I just threatened you repeatedly... and you're asking me out?"
"Yes?" He sounded unsure.
A smirk pulled at her lips and she patted him on the cheek patronizingly. "I don't think so."
"What? Like I can't handle a date with you?" His pride was making an appearance.
"Actually, no. I think the whips and chains beneath my bed alone would send you running away, screaming." Pietro paled once again, looking disturbed and more than a little fearful. There was a general gaping around the table. Lilith laughed. "Kidding. I don't really have any whips or chains." There was another crash and the sound of cursing. "Hmm... Better go check on that..." She left.
Pietro followed her with his eyes. "She scares me," he informed Courtney.
"Don't feel bad. She has that effect on most of the male population."
Todd couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing, along with Lance and Fred. "Damn, she shot you down big time!" Remy couldn't help it either and started laughing as well, coughing slightly on the food in his mouth. Rogue smacked his back gently. Food sputtered out of his mouth and landed on Pietro's shirt.
"Gee, thanks."
"Aww..." Courtney pouted. "Poor li'l boy," she patted his head, toying with the white strands. "Is itty bitty baby's ego bruised?"
Pietro scowled and swatted her hand away. "Don't you have other tables to tend to?"
"Actually, no, my boss decided you guys are at least enough work to occupy at the one person all alone so I'm here to tend to your every need." She gave a little curtsy. Pietro didn't look amused. "Fine. I'll be back with refills." She rolled her eyes, thinking 'can't anyone take a joke?' as she walked away.
Pietro glared the still giggling Todd.
"Oh,yeah?!Youthinkit'ssofunny?HowaboutItellLilithyoudaredmetoask'thescarywaitresschick'out?"
Todd stopped laughing. "You wouldn't."
Pietro had the upper hand now. "This is me, Toddy. Of course I would."
Todd's green lips began to tremble. "But... but... I don't wanna die!" he wailed.
Courtney was grinning as she returned with drinks. This table was just too much fun to stay away from for an extended period of time. She did hear Todd's cries though. How could she not at that volume? "Aww, Todd," she gathered him into a hug since she was just that type of girl that hugged strangers.
He shuddered against her while she gained another death glare from Pietro. "Is this because I asked for your number?"
"Not at all. I'm a bitch to every guy that deserves it. And lemme tell ya, you deserve it."
"And there we have," Lance began, "the lesson of the day."
"Whose side are you on?" Pietro countered.
"The side that gets hugged." Courtney took the cue and stepped over to give him a hug. She could've sworn she heard him murmur something about smelling like a cat, but she ignored it. She stood after a moment. "So you guys want anything else?"
"A new waitress?"
She slapped Pietro upside the head without looking at him. "Be nice or I'll get Lil."
"Um... I'd like a few more things," Fred spoke up. Those 'few more things' ended up being quite a list.
"Got it." She finished writing down the order, shoved the notepad into her pocket and took a few empty plates on her way out.
Pietro glared at her as she left. "I don't like her."
"Me neither," Rogue agreed. She'd realized the damn waitress, who'd just been staring at Remy with awe, would have hung all over him if Rogue wasn't present.
"Dere's not'in' wrong wit' eit'er o' de waitresses. I rat'er have dem den some borin' slob who doesn' interact wit' de customers."
Tabitha nodded. "Yeah. These two are fun. Go with it, Rogue. She's not hitting on Remy anymore so what's the big deal?" Rogue glared at her.
"Y' still upset ov'r dat?" Remy asked her.
"A li'l bit," she admitted.
"I wish y' wouldn' get so damn jealous all de time. Y' got not'in' t' worry 'bout when it comes t' us."
Lance began making frantic "No!" motions to Remy behind Rogue's back.
"Oh, raht," she scoffed. "All the pretty girls with TOUCHABLE skin are fallin' over themselves ta be with ya an' Ah have nothin' ta worry about? Please. Tell me another one."
Lance slapped his forehead silently.
"Oh, look, Remy. Someone as insecure as you are," Pietro pointed out cheerfully. Rogue turned to him with a deadly look. "Wow.IthinkI'llgosomewhereI'mlesslikelytohavemylifeendedinaprematureandgruesomeway.Bye!"
"Fifteen bucks Lilith has him back within ten minutes," Todd said to Lance after the other boy had sped away.
"You're on!"
Todd slammed the money on the table, as did Lance. "Wait... Where did you get that money?" Lance asked suspiciously.
"I earned it," Todd said, sticking his chest out proudly. He received a cynical glance. "I swear!"
"And how exactly?" Fred intervened.
"I, umm, well, it's like this, yo..."
"How's this: if you didn't steal it from any of us, then it's legit."
"It's cool then. I got it from that guy over there." Todd pointed it to a guy who was getting ready to leave. He reached in his pocket for his wallet, coming up empty handed. Saying he looked slightly peeved would've been a vast understatement.
"WHERE THE HELL IS MY WALLET?!?!"
People started to turn in their seats to see a man wearing a gray suit standing and slowly turning red in the face. They began to whisper to each other with scandalized looks on their faces. A moment later Lilith was striding toward the table. She sent a nearly imperceptible glance toward them before concentrating on the irate man.
"Think she knows?" Todd asked softly.
"Probably, homme," Remy answered, drawn away from his argument with Rogue by the yelling. By now the whole restaurant was watching the scene.
"What seems to be the prob-" Lilith started.
"SOMEONE STOLE MY WALLET!!!"
"Please, lower your voice."
"I WILL NOT!"
Lilith's polite waitress persona was beginning to slip. "I'm sorry but we have a strict policy against those who come in here to eat and don't have the money to pay for their meals."
"I WAS ROBBED YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Her expression closed as she turned and began walking away from him. "AREN'T YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING?!"
"Of course, sir." She didn't bother to stop or turn around to address him.
Rogue laughed softly. "I'm surprised she even knew that word."
The man, somewhat mollified, sat back down. He had the attention of every patron within earshot or eyeline, much to his displeasure. "What are you looking at?!" No one so much as looked away.
Lilith was back in less than a minute with two men in their twenties who appeared to be twins. Both were blond, blue-eyed and good-looking, as well as at least six and a half feet tall and the owners of some very impressive muscles. They were clad all in black and frowning.
"This is Hans and Sven," she introduced with relish, a malicious smile on her lips. The two towered over the girl at her 5'2 height. The man was beginning to look extremely nervous.
"We heard you refused to pay and called Lil an unpleasant name," Sven said ominously, cracking his knuckles.
"You know, she's like a little sister to us," Hans added, tapping his fist against his open palm. "We don't like people being rude to her."
The man was sweating and white as a sheet. "I-I-I-uh-well-my-er-"
TBC...
"Is he gonna be all raht?" Rogue asked as Pietro's eyes moved in a way that, had he been normal, would have been a sign of convulsions as he went back and forth between decisions.
"He does this occasionally," Lance explained. "He'll be alright in a minute or so."
"C'mon, buddy," Todd taunted. "The clock is ticking..."
"Evil!Evillittletoadboy!Evil!" The others laughed. "Fine,I'lldoit,butifshekillsormaimsmeinanywaythenitwillbeonyourhead!!!"
Todd shrugged it off. "Whatever, yo." He motioned in the direction of the kitchen, to where Courtney and Lilith were once again headed in the direction of their table. "Here's your chance." He snickered.
The waitresses came wielding huge plates in each of their hands. Courtney lowered one plate in front of Fred, while, coincidentally enough, Lilith placed the other two on Pietro's side of the table. Todd coughed trying to conceal a burst of laughter. The white-haired boy opened and closed his mouth several times, nothing coming out.
"Pietro, speechless. I never thought I'd see the day," Lance snickered.
"You look like a fish," Tabitha giggled, pointing. Pietro glared at them both.
Lilith noted their comments and finally looked at Pietro. Yep, fish was a pretty accurate observation. The blonde gets points for that one, she decided. "Oh dear," she said with fake concern. "Is there something wrong?"
Pietro closed his mouth again and looked at Lilith. "I, umm..." Lilith looked at him and waited for his response.
"I do have other tables to wait on, so could we speed this up a bit?"
'Ugh, just get it over with.' "Doyouwannagetsomecoffeeafteryou'reoffwork?"
"Run that by me again?"
"Do.you.want.to.go.out.after.you're.done.with.work?"
Lilith's eyes widened. "What?" She looked at Courtney, who just shrugged, awestruck herself. "Let me get this straight. I just threatened you repeatedly... and you're asking me out?"
"Yes?" He sounded unsure.
A smirk pulled at her lips and she patted him on the cheek patronizingly. "I don't think so."
"What? Like I can't handle a date with you?" His pride was making an appearance.
"Actually, no. I think the whips and chains beneath my bed alone would send you running away, screaming." Pietro paled once again, looking disturbed and more than a little fearful. There was a general gaping around the table. Lilith laughed. "Kidding. I don't really have any whips or chains." There was another crash and the sound of cursing. "Hmm... Better go check on that..." She left.
Pietro followed her with his eyes. "She scares me," he informed Courtney.
"Don't feel bad. She has that effect on most of the male population."
Todd couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing, along with Lance and Fred. "Damn, she shot you down big time!" Remy couldn't help it either and started laughing as well, coughing slightly on the food in his mouth. Rogue smacked his back gently. Food sputtered out of his mouth and landed on Pietro's shirt.
"Gee, thanks."
"Aww..." Courtney pouted. "Poor li'l boy," she patted his head, toying with the white strands. "Is itty bitty baby's ego bruised?"
Pietro scowled and swatted her hand away. "Don't you have other tables to tend to?"
"Actually, no, my boss decided you guys are at least enough work to occupy at the one person all alone so I'm here to tend to your every need." She gave a little curtsy. Pietro didn't look amused. "Fine. I'll be back with refills." She rolled her eyes, thinking 'can't anyone take a joke?' as she walked away.
Pietro glared the still giggling Todd.
"Oh,yeah?!Youthinkit'ssofunny?HowaboutItellLilithyoudaredmetoask'thescarywaitresschick'out?"
Todd stopped laughing. "You wouldn't."
Pietro had the upper hand now. "This is me, Toddy. Of course I would."
Todd's green lips began to tremble. "But... but... I don't wanna die!" he wailed.
Courtney was grinning as she returned with drinks. This table was just too much fun to stay away from for an extended period of time. She did hear Todd's cries though. How could she not at that volume? "Aww, Todd," she gathered him into a hug since she was just that type of girl that hugged strangers.
He shuddered against her while she gained another death glare from Pietro. "Is this because I asked for your number?"
"Not at all. I'm a bitch to every guy that deserves it. And lemme tell ya, you deserve it."
"And there we have," Lance began, "the lesson of the day."
"Whose side are you on?" Pietro countered.
"The side that gets hugged." Courtney took the cue and stepped over to give him a hug. She could've sworn she heard him murmur something about smelling like a cat, but she ignored it. She stood after a moment. "So you guys want anything else?"
"A new waitress?"
She slapped Pietro upside the head without looking at him. "Be nice or I'll get Lil."
"Um... I'd like a few more things," Fred spoke up. Those 'few more things' ended up being quite a list.
"Got it." She finished writing down the order, shoved the notepad into her pocket and took a few empty plates on her way out.
Pietro glared at her as she left. "I don't like her."
"Me neither," Rogue agreed. She'd realized the damn waitress, who'd just been staring at Remy with awe, would have hung all over him if Rogue wasn't present.
"Dere's not'in' wrong wit' eit'er o' de waitresses. I rat'er have dem den some borin' slob who doesn' interact wit' de customers."
Tabitha nodded. "Yeah. These two are fun. Go with it, Rogue. She's not hitting on Remy anymore so what's the big deal?" Rogue glared at her.
"Y' still upset ov'r dat?" Remy asked her.
"A li'l bit," she admitted.
"I wish y' wouldn' get so damn jealous all de time. Y' got not'in' t' worry 'bout when it comes t' us."
Lance began making frantic "No!" motions to Remy behind Rogue's back.
"Oh, raht," she scoffed. "All the pretty girls with TOUCHABLE skin are fallin' over themselves ta be with ya an' Ah have nothin' ta worry about? Please. Tell me another one."
Lance slapped his forehead silently.
"Oh, look, Remy. Someone as insecure as you are," Pietro pointed out cheerfully. Rogue turned to him with a deadly look. "Wow.IthinkI'llgosomewhereI'mlesslikelytohavemylifeendedinaprematureandgruesomeway.Bye!"
"Fifteen bucks Lilith has him back within ten minutes," Todd said to Lance after the other boy had sped away.
"You're on!"
Todd slammed the money on the table, as did Lance. "Wait... Where did you get that money?" Lance asked suspiciously.
"I earned it," Todd said, sticking his chest out proudly. He received a cynical glance. "I swear!"
"And how exactly?" Fred intervened.
"I, umm, well, it's like this, yo..."
"How's this: if you didn't steal it from any of us, then it's legit."
"It's cool then. I got it from that guy over there." Todd pointed it to a guy who was getting ready to leave. He reached in his pocket for his wallet, coming up empty handed. Saying he looked slightly peeved would've been a vast understatement.
"WHERE THE HELL IS MY WALLET?!?!"
People started to turn in their seats to see a man wearing a gray suit standing and slowly turning red in the face. They began to whisper to each other with scandalized looks on their faces. A moment later Lilith was striding toward the table. She sent a nearly imperceptible glance toward them before concentrating on the irate man.
"Think she knows?" Todd asked softly.
"Probably, homme," Remy answered, drawn away from his argument with Rogue by the yelling. By now the whole restaurant was watching the scene.
"What seems to be the prob-" Lilith started.
"SOMEONE STOLE MY WALLET!!!"
"Please, lower your voice."
"I WILL NOT!"
Lilith's polite waitress persona was beginning to slip. "I'm sorry but we have a strict policy against those who come in here to eat and don't have the money to pay for their meals."
"I WAS ROBBED YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Her expression closed as she turned and began walking away from him. "AREN'T YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING?!"
"Of course, sir." She didn't bother to stop or turn around to address him.
Rogue laughed softly. "I'm surprised she even knew that word."
The man, somewhat mollified, sat back down. He had the attention of every patron within earshot or eyeline, much to his displeasure. "What are you looking at?!" No one so much as looked away.
Lilith was back in less than a minute with two men in their twenties who appeared to be twins. Both were blond, blue-eyed and good-looking, as well as at least six and a half feet tall and the owners of some very impressive muscles. They were clad all in black and frowning.
"This is Hans and Sven," she introduced with relish, a malicious smile on her lips. The two towered over the girl at her 5'2 height. The man was beginning to look extremely nervous.
"We heard you refused to pay and called Lil an unpleasant name," Sven said ominously, cracking his knuckles.
"You know, she's like a little sister to us," Hans added, tapping his fist against his open palm. "We don't like people being rude to her."
The man was sweating and white as a sheet. "I-I-I-uh-well-my-er-"
TBC...
