Emojis and Food

Chapter 4: Shakes

Shaun &

Katy 💖

heyyyy

Hello

Hi!

so where did you guys want to go to for dinner

I'm not sure 🧐

Well there's that gyro truck Katy likes

We can get some food and eat it in the park

We had gyros the other day. 😋

Okay how ab this taco place by our job

already had that too

Where HAVENT u guys gone

DUDE

Yes

What's up?

WOODYS

Woody's?

Holy shit ur a genius

i know

•••

'Woody's' was apparently short for 'Woody Bear's Burgers,' a burger place in San Francisco that served wood smoked burgers and sandwiches. The place, Xialing would admit, was fairly cozy. The aesthetic was a cross between 'tavern in the woods' and '5o's diner.' Black wooden floorboards met carob brown wood along the walls. Vintage photos of woodland animals, the forest, and even pictures of the restaurant's history hung along the wall. From opening day to a yearly photo of the mascot, who was a bear in a fry cook outfit.

"Here," her brother handed Xialing a menu. "Check out what you want." She thanked him and looked down at the laminated red paper.

"What do you guys usually get?" she asked.

"Well, honestly, the burgers aren't that great..." Katy said.

"Yeah," Shaun agreed. "I'm pretty sure the food here is all frozen, but the shakes!" He grinned at his sister. "The shakes are fantastic!"

"Oh yeah-" Katy began. "Once we came and I g0t the cotton candy one- the toppings were bigger than my head!"

"You're kidding-" Xialing tried to talk, but was interrupted.

"And remember that princess or queen one?" Katy continued. "It had an actual crown!"

"Yes." Shaun deadpanned. "You forced me to wear it and posted it online..."

"I wouldn't call it forcing you!" she said with a grin. "I just... encouraged you..."

"Well, I encourage you to do that again." Xialing commented with a forced smile, hoping that's not how it seemed.

"Yes!"

"No." Katy and Shaun said at the same time. They all laughed and the two best friends looked at Xialing.

"Seeing anything you like?" Katy asked. Yes. The other girl replied internally. She has long hair, a cute butt and is you.

"I know I want the chicken sandwich... but shake-wise I have no idea..."

"Want me to pick for you?" Katy asked. "We've had every shake this place has ever had."

"Sure!" Xialing said, relived to have a full conversation with Katy. For the entire drive here, Xialing felt as if she was third-wheeling. Katy and Shaun were best friends, of course they had an unbreakable bond, but she could help but wonder if their friendship was beginning to blossom into something else. She felt a pang in her chest everytime they looked at each other. It was jealousy, it had to be. What else could make her wish she commanded that dragon to bit her stupid brother's stupid head off?

Okay, she thought. That's definitely too much. Calm down Xialing. It's just jealousy. But seeing their interactions made her want to curl up and hide under a blanket.

"This place seems to be filling up, I'll go save us a seat outside."

"Okay!" Katy said.

"Thanks!" Shaun said. Xialing sat on a sepia picnic bench and tucked an ankle under her knee. She picked at a loose string in her heeled chelsea boot and looked through the blue window. They were laughing. Probably at one of the thousands of inside jokes they have with each other. I wonder if we'll ever get to that point..? Xialing thought to herself. She thought of her little time with Katy and wondered, why was she this jealous? She's had crushes on other people. She's even had full on relationships. Some short but wonderful. Some long and awful. But that was due to her. She wasn't the best person to date and she knew it. Expecting the best but almost never giving her all. She was trying to change- long before she met Katy.

But if she couldn't... could she live with herself if Katy was hurt because of her? The tapping of red trays falling onto the table stopped her thoughts.

"One chicken sandwich," Katy said as she slid next to her. Xialing silently cheered, as if this small act was the equivalent to surviving a skydive. "And..." Katy plopped down a large clear glass with what seemed to be a vanilla milkshake with a red sauce poured on the inside of the glass. At the top of the glass, a mountain of whipped cream with the same red sauce along with red, yellow and orange crumbs were drizzled atop it. On top of the whipped cream, a small dragon toy with a cherry in its open mouth sat perched on the edge of the glass with shiny yellow orbs surrounding it. "The Fire-Breathing shake!"

"This is so cute!" Xialing said as she plucked the dragon off the shake, revealing that it was a straw topper. She picked the cherry out of its mouth before popping it into her own. "What flavor is it?"

"It's vanilla with cherry swirls, cake batter I think?" Katy said as she looked up trying to remember the description. "Oh! And super-duper small chocolate eggs!" Xialing took a sip and her eyes widened with delight.

"Oh my gosh-" she took another sip. "It's so good! Do you wanna try?" She asked Katy. The girl sat down next to Xialing and sipped from the straw and exhaled as her lips parted.

"Holy shit-" she whispered. "This is amazing." she finished in a matter of fact tone. She looked at Xialing while Shaun went to get the rest of the food and drinks. Xialing felt as if she had gulped down a hot drink, her chest warming at the sight of the smiling girl next to her. Now her pale cheeks were glowing pink- she had chosen to sit next to Xialing instead of her pea-brained brother. It was a small victory- hell, it was rich to even call that a victory- but it felt like one to her.