a typical day at the juicenet consists of taking orders, blending drinks, and wiping counters. there's no time to contemplate when you're serving a soda, right?
OR
emma comes to terms that she's crushing on rikki
thank you synth for the title idea! song title by olivia rodrigo
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emma gilbert was a perfect fit for the juicenet cafe. ambitious, detail-oriented, and creative, wilfred just *had* to hire her! why did she apply to be a waitress there? it was to make her own money, and certainly not a distraction from a fiery blonde.
she opened the shop often, as she wanted to make sure everything in the freezer was in the right spot. one too many times was the dairy where the fruit went and the fruit where the dairy went. luckily, cryokinesis came in handy for these situations.
opening shifts had its downsides. it was too quiet; the soft hum of the freezer room wasn't enough to quell emma's thoughts. nervous, embarrassed thoughts. complicated thoughts that made her hands clammy and heart race.
but emma didn't have time for those...emotions. she had smoothies to make. a few other employees filtered in, ready to start the work day. now her head would be preoccupied with things she fully understood.
that was until rikki chadwick strode in. "hey em," rikki leaned up against the front counter, "i'll have a soda." she pulled up a stool and sat down as emma stepped into the freezer room. why was her face so hot? emma pressed a milk carton to her forehead.
emma came out with rikki's drink, but almost dropped the glass. rikki's back was to her as emma watched her cheer on zane as he lost a round of pool. jealousy (jealousy?) bubbled up inside her like carbonation.
emma cleared her throat awkwardly "your drink." she slid the glass over to rikki.
"thanks ems." rikki turned around to take a sip and pay, then turned back to her boyfriend. boyfriend. emma hated that word more than she'd like to admit. but sometimes, when she lay awake at night, she wished she was zane's place.
but that would be weird. rikki was her friend. friends don't want to kiss each other. emma didn't start talking to byron just to feel included in the group. just to stop thinking about rikki the way she did.
"earth to emma! anyone in there?" rikki quipped. emma blinked a few times, jostled from her thoughts. the pool balls had frozen to the table. how was she going to explain this?
"sorry everyone, the...uhm...the freezer must be acting up again. they'll melt soon." the group dispersed, a few annoyed grumbles amongst them.
"what was that about?" rikki's brows knit together.
"i was just lost in thought, i guess. i didn't sleep well last night." emma feigned a confused expression.
"sheesh, imagine what you can do *focused*. make sure to get enough sleep tonight, em." rikki lightly pushed her arm.
"i will, i will." emma playfully rolled her eyes. so maybe she wanted to be rikki's zane. rikki's girlfriend. but rikki didn't have to know. nobody had to. she'd clock in again tomorrow, and life would go on just how it always had; with her head on straight.
