Dear Evan Hansen Oneshots! (A-Z)

L is for Lemonade

A/n: young zolana.  I really really wanted to do this one so sorry if I ignored your request.  It's also fairly short. 

It was a sweltering day.  The sun beat down ruthlessly.  It was one of those that one could cook an egg on the sidewalk.  There was not a cloud in the sight and everything was sweaty and unbearably hot.  Perfect.

Perfect for business.  In Alana's case, a lemonade stand.  She wasn't legally allowed a job at the age of nine, so she had created her lemonade business strategy.  How else was she supposed to start saving for college?

Needless, to say, she got a lot of customers.  She only charged a dollar a glass.  Freshly squeezed, ice cold lemonade.  Two dollars for three glasses.  She also got a lot of penny pinchers trying to get a free glass of lemonade.  Alana turned them all down.  She didn't care that they were fourth graders.  They had to pay up.  She was teaching them an important life lesson. 

One particularly prosperous day, Alana sat in her lawn chair carefully counting her cash and tucking it away in her envelope for safe keeping.  She hadn't been paying much attention to the little girl that had approached her.

"Aren't you hot out here?" The girl piped up.

Alana looked at her, too startled to form words.  The girl wore overalls and a headband that held back her shoulder length golden brown hair.  Her eyes sparkled cheerfully, seeming to shift between blue and green and back again.  She wore a radiant smile and a curious expression.  Alana thought that the girl was the prettiest girl she had ever seen.

"Would you like to buy some lemonade?" Alana managed to squeak.

"Yes, please," the pretty girl smiled.  "I'm Zoe by the way."

"I'm Alana," Alana poured Zoe a glass of lemonade clumsily.

Zoe searched her pockets and pulled out a dime.

Alana eyed the dime and the met Zoe's gorgeous eyes.  Zoe frowned, "I don't have enough money."

"You can have it," Alana blurted.

"But all the kids on my block say you always charge a dollar," Zoe said, confused.

"You're special," Alana admitted.

"That's really nice of you," Zoe smiled again.  "I can't give you a dollar but I can give you a hug."

Before Alana could respond, Zoe was embracing her.  Alana felt Zoe's soft hair against her cheek, and Zoe's gentle arms around her neck.  She smelled like violets.  Alana was blushing by the time that Zoe let go.  Zoe grabbed her cup and waved goodbye before skipping back down the block.

Alana pulled her hair in a ponytail and pushed her glasses up her sweaty nose.  She stared at the dime that Zoe had left on the table, almost in a daze.  She quickly pocketed the coin.  She would keep it.  Zoe was bad for business.  She would give other customers the idea that Alana was picking favorites.

Alana bent down to retrieve the other pitcher of lemonade from beneath the table.  Someone tapped her on shoulder, causing Alana to stand up too quickly and bang her head on the table.

"Sorry," a sweet voice giggled.

Alana tensed up as she recognized the voice.  She stood up carefully and noticed Zoe standing right beside her.

"Can I keep you company?" Zoe asked.  "My brother is throwing a fit and the house is too loud for reading."

Alana nodded quickly and offered her chair to Zoe.

Zoe read her book as Alana calculated averages and counted her money.  Alana realized that Zoe was watching her, and dropped her pencil.

Zoe gaped at her, "You can do long division?  Can you teach me?"

"Sure!" Alana agreed a bit too eagerly.  She began explaining with an example problem, but soon noticed that Zoe wasn't looking at the work.  "Are you paying attention?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"I'm looking at you.  You're really pretty."

Alana blushed furiously.

"Zoe!" Called a woman down the street.

"I've got to go," Zoe stood up.  "Bye, Al! See you tomorrow!"

Alana smiled at the nickname.

Zoe was definitely not good for business.  But that didn't mean that Alana wasn't completely and hopelessly head over heels for the girl.