stress-baking | theyna

viii.

Thalia appeared at Apollo's the next day. She ordered the same thing, a vanilla bean frappuccino and a chance to talk to Reyna. As Leo handed Thalia her drink, he winked. Thalia didn't know what to think of that.

She sat up at the bar, watching Reyna and Leo work. It was sort of amazing how Reyna didn't tell off some customers, and how Leo didn't purposefully get their orders mixed up. Thalia knew she would've been fired the first day of working there.

Occasionally, Thalia would talk to them, and Reyna would fumble with whatever she was holding. The raven-haired girl chalked it up to being taken out of her concentration. Now, Thalia was never a girl with a North-pointing moral compass, and made it her goal to get Reyna to mix up some orders multiple times. So far, Thalia was at only two times out of talking to the girl six times.

"Hey, Reyna?" Thalia called. Reyna whipped around. "You have a little something," Thalia motioned to her forehead where a bit of matcha powder was smeared. Reyna tried rubbing it off. All that did was smear the green stuff even more and farther across her forehead. Thalia frowned, and motioned for the girl to come closer. She took a napkin, dipped it in her water cup, and cupped Reyna's face with her hands. She wiped at the matcha. "You know that feeling, déjà vu?"

Reyna blushed under Thalia's fingers, obviously remembering how Thalia threw flour at her the first time they met. "There," Thalia smiled, putting the napkin down, "All better."

"Thank you," Reyna leaned her forearms down on the bar, leaning over it towards Thalia. "What are you doing later tonight?" She asked coyly.

A small, pale boy sat down next to Thalia, interrupting the girls, without even ordering beforehand. "You must be Thalia." His voice was full of certainty and his eyes were sobering. Reyna didn't look surprised by his appearance. She just smiled at the boy.

"Uh - yeah. How do you know that?" Thalia shifted in her seat, confused and slightly worried.

The boy smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm a friend of Reyna's. She told me about you." Thalia blushed scarlet. Reyna glared with no menace at the boy. He laughed, and this time it looked genuine. "My name's Nico." He stuck out a hand, which Thalia took.

"Oh! I heard about you. Your little sister - Hazel, I think? - She wouldn't go to bed, so Reyna had to go over there and help you."

His mouth quirked upwards. "Yeah, yeah. That's me."

"How do you know Reyna, anyways?" Thalia gestured towards the girl in front of them, watching the exchange. "You look a little young to be-"

"To be dating her, or something like that?" Nico grinned and Reyna fake-gagged. "I mean, she's cute, but we're both hella gay, so that wouldn't work. No, I'm just a regular here. I always came in during finals week, and once we started talking, we became fast friends. Right, Reyna?" He turned towards the brunette as she said this.

"No," She deadpanned, "I'm following the rhetoric of 'keep your friends close, enemies closer.'" Her easy smile showed how much she cared for Nico. Thalia positively loved Reyna's quick wit.

Nico chuckled. "Can I get a co-"

"Coffee, black." Reyna cut him off. "Like your soul," She mocked, rolling her eyes dramatically and turned to make the drink. "Coming right up."

"How much?"

"The price hasn't changed from the last time you were in here." Reyna set the steaming drink in front of him. "Two-fifty."

Nico pouted. "But for me?"

"...Two-fifty?"

"But I'm your friend!"

"Five dollars."

Nico grumbled and handed Reyna the original amount. "Remind me why we're friends."

"Because I'm the only one who can stand you!" Reyna sing-songed as she put the cash in the register. Nico sighed. He turned to Thalia. "Don't worry, this is how we always talk to each other."

"I'm not worried, I think it's hilarious."

Nico grinned at her, then looked towards Reyna. "Way to go, Gaga. You found someone who can put up with us for at least five minutes."

Thalia gave her a confused look as Reyna glared holes into Nico's forehead. "Gaga?"

Reyna sighed, blushing, leaning once more on the bar. "My full name is Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. The initials for that is RA-RA. As in, Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance.'" She glared menacingly at Nico. "He makes fun of me all the time for it."

Thalia tried holding in her giggles, but it was fruitless. They came spilling out of her, so bad, she had to turn away from the pair to calm herself down. "I'm sorry for laughing so hard, but that's - that's brilliant." Thalia grinned. "I applaud you, Nico."

"I do not." Reyna huffed jokingly.

The very song started playing from the cafe's speakers. Reyna turned to look at the stereo system where Leo was wearing a shit-eating grin. He was holding up his phone, plugged into the aux cord. When Lady Gaga started singing, Leo did a very dramatic lip syncing of the song, serenading Reyna.

"Fuck you," Reyna growled.

"I'm your manager," Leo reminded her, still dancing around in the small work area, "I could fire you for your foul language."

Reyna rolled her eyes, knowing there was no way in hell that would happen. "So fire me."

Leo took back what he had said.

Thalia knew she would be spending a lot of time at the cafe, surrounded by good people like them (and a lot of money on drinks she wouldn't even like).