ARIZONA DRIFTERS (sssniperwolf + digitalnex)

Chapter 5- SHRIMP TACOS AND LUBE

"What can I help you with?" 

Chris and Lia studied the man taking their order, standing in line at a trashy taco place nearby. The man appeared impoverished; his saggy face and dark eyes made the two uncomfortable. The man held the buckle of his belt, leaning against the countertop.

Chris pulled out his wallet from his pocket, examining the menu. He looked over at Lia, whose arms were behind her back. She swayed in awkwardness, concealing a laugh that came upon her from how goofy the man looked. Chris breathed out, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

"I'll have a shrimp taco," he told the man, who then slowly turned his gaze towards Lia. The sight made her choke on her own half-surpressed laugh. She used the palm of her hand to her index finger to cover the grin that crept along her face. The three stood in silence as the man stared her down, his eyes hair-raising.

"Make that two, except mine gluten-free," Lia croaked, clearing her throat. Chris sniggered when the man turned his back, shouting inside the kitchen for two damn shrimp tacos, one gluten-free. That was it for Lia. She bent down, her head pinned against the board with her hand over her mouth. She felt the hot tears forming inside her eyes. Chris bent down as well, his figure barely fitting down with her. He put his finger over his mouth, a slight shush escaping it as he wheezed.

"What has dropped?" The man behind the counter asked, a slight accent to his question. Moments later, the two popped up from the floor, tears formed in both of their eyes as they all made unwieldly eye contact. Chris immediately handed the man a ten-dollar-bill, wiping a tear with his thumb as Lia threw her arms behind her back once again. The air vent in the place hushed as the man opened the cash register, mumbling a few phrases in Spanish. He trudged into the kitchen, returning with two wrapped shrimp tacos.

"These are your tacos," the man told the two, two individual orders in his hand. Chris and Lia gently grapped them.

"Really?" Chris examined the taco sarcastically, releasing a chuckle from Lia. The man confirmed that the shrimp tacos belonged to them.

The two thanked the man, scanning the resturaunt for a table to sit at with their shrimp tacos in their hands. The place didn't seem very sanitary. The tables were made of metal that had been rusting for awhile, and quite wobbly. On top of them were crumbled advertisements. The interior was a faded blue, its wallpaper peeling. The floor tiles seemed to have grit in between them, disgusting the two. They made their way across the resturaunt, finally settling on a table hidden from the man. A tarnished wall separated the two from the rest of the resturaunt. The sun poured through the giant window beside them, causing both to break a sweat. A man and his son could be heard quietly inside the place.

"Here she is," Chris breathed out, unwrapping his shrimp taco. "It better be good."

Lia stared at him incoherently, shaking her head. She watched him take a huge bite of his taco. Sauce dripped from the side of his mouth, which he soon wiped with a brown napkin.

"Well?" She asked.

Chris chewed and nodded, waving his hand to indicate that the taco wasn't good nor bad. Lia hummed hesitantly, unwrapping hers with uncertainty. She examined the taco. It didn't look half bad. She cleared her throat, taking a decent-sized bite of her taco. "Well?" Chris mocked her, tapping his fingers onto the metal table. It clanged as he tapped.

"Not bad."

"I figured you'd say that."

The two continued eating. The day so far had been adequate. It had been almost 3 o'clock. The sun was at its peak; the blistering heat spreading throughout the city. The sky was a brilliant aqua shade. Among the horizon, a prism of colors glistened onto Arizona.