Summer Fair Part Two

"You want me to make you a coffee whilst we got a quiet spell?" Daryl asked Shiv, making himself a coffee whilst they had a minute to do so without having any customers to serve.

They were heading into their last hour of service and to say their feet ached and they were exhausted was an understatement. They were almost sold out of pretty much everything. AJ's Puerto Rican deserts were all sold out and Punk had also run out of several of the deli meats for the sandwiches. It had been way more successful than they could have hoped for.

"Uh… yeah. Ok." Shiv nodded to him.

"What do you want?" Daryl asked.

"Can I have a cinnamon latte with oat milk." Shiv said.

"Of course you want oat milk." Daryl scoffed.

"What's wrong with oat milk?" Shiv folded her arms.

"I'm just saying… what's wrong with regular? These alternative milks got so many unnatural ingredients that our body don't need." Daryl shook his head.

"You're a health expert now?" Shiv asked.

"It's like Linda says… it's all Mumbo Jumbo." Daryl shook his head.

"Yeah, because she's 69." Shiv shook her head, "Oat milk works better for me. It doesn't give me a sore stomach." She shrugged.

"You mean it doesn't give you the trots?" Daryl turned to her as she stared at him, unimpressed, "Coffee gives us all the shits." He shrugged.

"Just give me one shot. I've already had two Red Bulls today." Shiv said, "I'll be bouncing off the walls."

"Yeah, I think everyone has had two or three." Daryl chuckled a little, "Glad I brought the twenty-four pack." He said, turning to her and noticing she was looking over at Finn who was making sandwiches with Lyla, "So you guys aren't a thing anymore?"

"No. We're not." Shiv turned to him.

"Just not into him?" Daryl asked her.

"He's great but… I think we just both weren't feeling it anymore. And I'm going to college in the city soon. Thinking it might be a good idea to show up single. Just in case anyone catches my eye." She shrugged as he nodded slowly.

"Right." Daryl nodded a little awkwardly, turning back to the coffee machine whilst moving his leg back and forth a little.

"Your leg sore?" She asked.

"Yeah, it gets stiff when I've been on my feet for a while." Daryl nodded, "I forget there's like… steel plates holding it together sometimes." He admitted.

"At least they didn't have to amputate it." Shiv reminded him.

"Yeah, that would have sucked." Daryl nodded.

"You still go to rehab?" She asked.

They'd become so disconnected with each other's life. From being so close, spending almost every day with each other, from best friends to more, it had been very strange to suddenly not see each other or know what the other was up to. It was part of the reason why it was so hard to speak to each other now.

"No, I got signed off from it." Daryl said, "I don't think it's ever going to function properly but… like you said, at least they didn't cut it off." He shrugged.

"You must find it difficult, though. Always on your feet at the coffee shop." She said.

"It's tough." Daryl agreed, "But Phil looks out for me. He notices when I'm getting sore and lets me go take a break. He's good that way."

"He made me spill four drinks today." Shiv disagreed, turning over to where Punk was standing with AJ, serving a customer together.

"It's a small space for all of us but… I don't think we did too bad." Daryl shrugged, putting the lid on her coffee and handing it to her.

"Thank you." Shiv nodded.

"You're welcome." Daryl nodded back.

"It does seem like you've turned a corner." Shiv told him, "This job has really grounded you."

"Because I was such a loose cannon before?" Daryl asked.

"Yes." Shiv nodded, "You were a mess. And I was really worried about you… not that you seemed to notice."

"I did notice, Shiv." Daryl assured her quietly, "What? You don't think I noticed that you were at the hospital every single day?"

"It started to feel like you didn't notice me at all. You just… cut me out of your life." Shiv shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Because I didn't want you to babysit me and see how miserable I was." Daryl said.

"That wasn't your decision to make. If I wanted to leave, I would have." Shiv shook her head.

"You should have." Daryl nodded to her, "I wasn't good to be around. Like you said… I was a mess. I needed to deal with it on my own."

"You could have said that to me. Instead, you just started ignoring me. Pretending like I never existed." She said, "That hurt. A lot." She made clear.

"Yeah, and it hurt me too." Daryl said, "So many times I wanted to go over to your house and apologise-"

"You could have." Shiv said, "What was stopping you?"

"I just thought maybe you'd be better without me around. I've not exactly got much going for me any more." Daryl said.

"I think you have a lot going for you right now. It's clear you love this new job. You're sober… from what I can tell." She said as he nodded, "You're too hard on yourself. That's always been your problem. So what you can't play football or go to college? It doesn't mean your life is over."

"That's how it felt to me, Shiv." Daryl said.

"It still feels like that?" She asked.

"Not as much." Daryl said, "But it still depresses me, yeah."

"If you just had let me be there for you, I could have helped you through it." She said, "Things didn't have to get so ugly."

"I know." Daryl nodded, "I'm sorry." He said sincerely as she looked across at him, "It just… it felt like everything I loved was falling apart around me. Not being able to play football or go to college, my friends bailing on me, my dad dying not long before… you were the one good thing left in my life and I didn't want to see it fall apart."

"So you just pushed me away instead?" She asked.

"Yeah." Daryl nodded, "And I'm sorry." He said as she just nodded, feeling the sincerity in his words.

"Shiv, Daryl… two lattes and a peach iced tea!" Punk called over to them.

"On it." Daryl cleared his throat a little, turning back to the coffee machine, "You get the iced tea?" He asked Shiv with his back to her.

"Yeah." She said quietly.

"And we are officially… done." AJ smiled, turning around to all of them after the clock stroke 4pm.

"Who's ready for bed now?" Becca groaned, "I can't feel my feet."

"I can't feel my heart." Lyla placed her hand on her chest, "I think the Red Bull has stopped it."

"We did incredible." AJ smiled happily, also exhausted but adrenaline running through her veins due to how successful the stall had been.

"Yeah, you guys did amazing." Punk agreed, "Sandwiches were ace." He nodded to Lyla and Finn, "And the drinks… I don't know how you guys made them as quick as you did." He turned to Daryl and Shiv who just smiled.

"And you… my little angel." AJ smiled, wrapping her arms around Becca who had whipped up a quick batch of chocolate chip cookies in the middle of the chaos when they realised they were running out of things so quickly.

"And the chocolate fountain?" Daryl waited with folded arms.

"Perfection." Punk nodded to him, "We just gotta get this shit packed away and then we can go enjoy the night. I think we deserve it."

"Hell yeah!" Becca cheered, "One hour until wine time. Let's fucking go." She clapped with enthusiasm as they just laughed at her.

"How many times did I snap at you during all of that?" AJ asked Punk with a guilty smile.

"I lost count." He admitted.

"I'm sorry." She frowned, leaning her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist, "It was really hot, and we were really busy."

"I know. It's alright." Punk chuckled, "I'll find a way for you to make it up to me."

"Oh, I'm sure you will." AJ nodded, "We made a pretty good team. Bickering aside." She looked up at him.

"Yeah, we did." Punk smiled, "And look." He said quietly, nodding over to Daryl and Shiv who were beginning to clean down the coffee machine together whilst occasionally laughing with one another, "I told you."

"Ok ok." AJ said, "They all worked well together, actually." She said, looking over to Lyla who was starting to pack away the sandwich counter with Finn's help.

"By the way, Cole was checking Lyla out." Punk told her.

"When?" AJ shook her head, "Gosh, he must have thought I was so rude." She shook her head, remembering Cole showing up and how she barely paid any attention to him, far too consumed in the running of the stall.

"It's alright, he knew we were busy. I said we'd catch up with him later." Punk nodded, "He was checking her out when she came out the back for a smoke break." He said.

"Is she his type?" AJ asked curiously.

"He doesn't really have a type." Punk said.

"Should I give her a heads up?" AJ wondered.

"If you want to. Might be more fun to watch it play out." He said.

"Phil Brooks, this place has turned you into a drama lover." AJ nodded.

"I understand why people in this town love to gossip and cause drama… there's nothing else to do." Punk scoffed as AJ chuckled, "How does it feel knowing everyone was enjoying your Puerto Rican breads and pastries?" He smiled.

"Really good." AJ smiled, "I watched a little girl eat one of the quesitos. She had the cream all over her face. I think she liked it." She nodded proudly, "And Linda's baking sold out." She noticed.

"No surprise there. Her stuff is great." Punk nodded, "I saw her giving you some compliments earlier."

"Yeah, she looked reluctant to give me them, though." AJ rolled her eyes.

"Baby steps." Punk smiled, leaning down and kissing her head.

"Alright, let's tidy this place up so you can go and win me the big teddy bear you promised." She smiled excitedly as he chuckled.

Punk headed over to help Daryl and Shiv start to clear things away whilst AJ headed over to find Lyla who was in the middle of emptying the fridge.

"We did so good." Lyla smiled happily.

"I know. And you were so great on the sandwiches." AJ nudged her playfully, "Phil better not try and recruit you."

"I'd tell him no." Lyla scoffed, "Although it was quite fun to do something different for the day." She admitted.

"You wanna hear something fun?" AJ smiled, not being able to help report back to her friend.

"What?" Lyla laughed a little.

"Phil's friend is here. Cole." AJ explained, "And apparently he was totally checking you out." She smiled deviously.

"Was that the guy Phil was out the back talking to earlier?" Lyla asked.

"Yeah, it must have been." AJ said.

"Not really my type." Lyla shook her head.

"You say that about every guy." AJ scoffed, "I mean… wouldn't it be fun if we could double date?" She asked, getting a little carried away with herself.

"I'm not interested in dating anyone." Lyla made clear as AJ looked at her, realising she was being oddly serious.

"Ok." AJ said, feeling like she was being ridiculed for her excitement, "Sorry, I just… well, you've not dated anyone seriously in a while. It's just hook ups." AJ shrugged.

"And you're the dating expert now?" Lyla asked.

"What?" AJ shook her head, feeling a little uneasy about the tone this conversation was now taking.

"I'm not interested in dating anyone." Lyla made clear.

"Ok. Jesus." AJ shook her head, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I just don't need you playing matchmaker." Lyla smiled a little, "I'm not interested in seeing anyone right now."

"Ok." AJ understood, "I was just… getting carried away, I guess." She shrugged, feeling a little deflated.

"I don't think I'm gonna stick around for the rest of the Fair anyway. It's been a long day. I'm pretty gassed." Lyla nodded.

"You don't want to stay for the cookout and the bands?" AJ asked, "It's the best part."

"No, I'm exhausted. You can tell me all about it tomorrow." Lyla smiled, stacking a few trays from the fridge on top of each other, "I'm going to take these to Phil's car." She said.

"Ok." AJ nodded, watching her best friend leave the stall, not being able to shake the feeling that she'd said something wrong, although she knew she hadn't.