"Welcome to The Green Mermaid, what can I get for you today?"
"Yeah can I get a grande americano, quadshot, blonde roast?"
"Absolutely sir, anything else?"
"Do you want something?"
"I don't know what half this shit even is, how do I know what to order I don't, I'm totally lost."
"Calm down, you like juice right? How 'bout strawberry and coconut milk, that's yummy."
"Sure, fine, whatever." Dave sighed and tried to will away the mortified flush from his face. His Bro ruffled his hair, making it worse, and finished his transaction with the cashier. Her smile was patient under her stupid green hat.
Dave practically ran off the second he could, the receipt still printing, but Bro didn't say anything. He stood near the trashcans, where jugs marked "Half 'n Half" and "2%" were on their sides, laying on puddles of honey and crushed sugar packets. It made him feel sticky just looking at it, and Dave turned so he could lean against the wall, a safe distance from Kind of Sticky Hell.
The barista making the drinks was really sweaty, his jaw clenched as he shakily tapped on the big coffee machine. Dave squinted behind his shades, it was just coffee, what was he so nervous about? Bro sidled up to the pick up area and waited, and once his ameri-whatever was called out, he picked it up and took a sip, staring right at the obviously nervous worker.
"Good." Bro took another sip. "Thanks, man."
"N-no problem." The barista rasped, and Bro's mouth twitched in a smirk as he pointed to the other cup on the counter.
"That for me?"
"Yeah." A frantic nod. "Small strawberry coco drink, for Dirk."
"That's me. Thanks again." He grabbed it and turned to Dave, handing him his weird juice drink.
"Thanks, Bro. Didja have to be so weird to the guy, though?" Dave grumbled as they walked out, sipping on the sweet yet tart beverage.
"The hell do you mean, I was perfectly nice." Bro drawled, shaking his coffee cup in one hand and unlocking the jeep with the other.
"He was nervous as hell, c'mon. Dude was sweating like crazy, and then you like. I dunno. Made it worse." Adults were so weird, Dirk obviously did something, otherwise why the hell was the barista so shifty?
"Your bro has that effect on people sometimes, li'l man." Dirk grinned, well, more of a wide smirk with some teeth showing but, a Strider-y grin all the same. "He did his job right though, despite all that. Right?"
"Sure. I guess." Dave made a face.
Adults were so friggin' weird.











