It's my first time writing Bad Guys after watching the movie. I hope you enjoy it
Chapter 1
"Thank you and enjoy your ice cream!" Rani thanked the couple that wanted to share a double-scooped butterscotch flavoured ice cream in a homemade waffle cone. It was another day at Polar Corner, a cozy cafe that specialised in homemade ice cream, various beverages and its ambience resembling a library.
Most of the costumers come here to relax since the city has
Rani was checking on the twenty flavoured ice creams to top up when the door of the cafe swung open. The light chatter of the customers came to a halt, making Rani crane her neck to see what was the commotion. It was unlikely for people to come into the cafe in complete silence since they would either read, talking with their friends or even watching YouTube videos on their devices.
It was hard to see since the door was far away from the counter, which was facing the bookshelves.
"Rani, you will have to serve him," her co-worker, Evelyn whispered. She raised a brow at Evelyn's tone, which sounded scared.
"Um, okay," Rani answered, still confused at her co-workers reaction. It's just a customer, right?
'What's so scary about this customer?' Rani thought to herself. Her stomach clenched, a sign that she has to be on guard. Her mind was thinking of the worst scenarios: some creepy hobo who wanted free food, a robbery or...
"Hey, so what do you recommend?" a voice snapped Rani back from her thoughts. She blinked, trying to process the customer in front of her. She had read and watched the news about this. She couldn't believe it!
In front of her was none other than the infamous member of the Bad Guys, Mr. Snake.
From what she recalled, Mr. Snake was known as the Chicken Swallower...Or was it guinea pig? She couldn't remember the details but here he is in Polar Corner, waiting for her to say something.
"Well," Rani breathed out, praying she doesn't sound nervous. Not because Mr. Snake was terrifying. Oh no, she was caught off-guard at meeting the reptile up close. His scales were very intricate to look at. Mr. Snake arched an eye ridge, clearly baffled.
"I mean- I was saying that our recommendations are the chocolate-peanut butter flavoured ice cream or if you like something light, we have our special dragonfruit sorbet," Rani explained with a smile on her face.
She hoped it wasn't patronising since her co-workers and manager commented on how her smiles felt forced.
"Well, you twisted my arm...If I have any," Mr. Snake rolled his eyes. "Dragonfruit sorbet to-go. In a cone while you're at it."
"Do you want anything to drink?"
Rani could feel her co-worker mouthing out 'What the hell are you doing?!' at her direction. She figured everyone wanted the serpent to leave but it is her job to serve all customers, right? Might as well show-off that she can provide excellent customer service than those that refused to serve him.
"Just black coffee," Mr. Snake replied. Rani gave him a nod before preparing his order to go. While she was making his coffee, she caught him staring at her direction. To be honest, the scariest part of her job was when customers stared at her while she worked on their orders.
They assumed that staring at the barista would make them work faster. That was not how orders work!
Nonetheless, Rani finished his order and checked-in the amount he had to pay at the counter. If he was going to pay...
"Hope you enjoy your order," Rani told him sincerely. When she passed him his order, her hand briefly touched his tail. It was smooth for a scaley reptile. She figured this guy must be some kind of python or boa constrictor.
Mr. Snake arched an eye ridge at her and then paid the exact amount much to her surprise. She didn't want to jump into conclusion that he might have some stolen cash before he was arrested with the other Bad Guys.
"Thanks. See you around."
She watched as Mr. Snake slithered out of the store, customers were frozen with fear until the serpent was far away from the cafe. Once he was out of sight, most of the customers sighed with relief, some resuming back to their activities while others requested their orders to-go.
"Ran, what were you thinking?!" Evelyn cried, causing some of the customers to stare at them. She hated this feeling of being ordered or talked down while customers were at the cafe. Also who gave Evelyn the right to give her a nickname without asking?
"Just doing my job," Rani shrugged, twirling her long black hair involuntarily. "You told me to serve him and I did."
"But that's THE Mr. Snake from the Bad Guys! He could be distracting you so that he will let his buddies steal our money and everything," Evelyn rambled on, her glasses were slipping from the bridge of her nose. Rani wished she could bury herself in the sand.
"Well, he hasn't tried anything yet," Rani pointed out calmly. "If anything, I think our CCTV cameras would've told us so, Evie."
"Don't call me Evie," Evelyn spat at her. It was a turntable moment since Evelyn was a teenager while Rani herself is in her mid-twenties. Then again, strange things have happened at Polar Corner. "Get back to work and stop arguing with me."
She turned around, her ponytail almost whipping Rani in the face
Rani wished Mr. Snake HAD robbed the store the moment he came in. However, she knew from the news that the Bad Guys have served their time in prison and now have a chance to redeem themselves.
'I hope he comes back,' Rani thought to herself woefully.
...
Meanwhile Mr. Snake was finishing his dragonfruit sorbet. He will admit that it was the best thing he had ever tasted besides his favourite popsicle. What was interesting was the woman who served him.
During his heist days with the gang, most people at the counter would runaway or screamed at the sight of him. But this woman went out of her way to serve him and treated him like...
'Like anyone else,' he thought to himself before sipping his coffee. It was her job after all! But it felt different when her warm hand touched his tail.
Not to mention his tail was tingling involuntarily!