SplatDance: Spyke's New Groove

:Chapter 5:

Annie sighed as the two pushed through the wide doorway of a small, yet extremely popular restaurant quite a ways from the towers. The events from earlier still rushed through her head, causing her to shiver a bit. ‘A coach…’ Annie pouted a bit. ‘How can I be a coach for someone who’s far more “confident” than I am? WHY did he think I can coach him through something like… like THIS?’

“Hey.”

Annie shook her head as she looked up to Spyke, who stared down at her with a hint of concern on his face. “Is e’rything okay there, Annie?” He asked, a slight frown forming on his lips. “You’ve been dead silent since we left the work site of Moray Towers, love. Somefin buggin ya?” Annie sighed once more. “It’s nothing Spyke.” She muttered, her free hand gripped the backpack strap that still clung to her shoulder.

Spyke shrugged as he walked up to the counter and sat on one of the stools that lined it, signaling The anemone to come and sit in the vacant stool next to him. Annie reluctantly complied, dropping her longboard and bag on the floor next to the stool he wanted her to sit in, and climbed up the stool; taking a seat on it’s firm wooden surface. Spyke gave her a warm smile before a young Inkling walked up to them from the opposite side of the counter, wearing a tacky outfit that was a bit tainted by sweat and grease.

“G’evnin you two!” The inkling piped up, pulling out a tiny notebook from her apron. “Can I get ya anything?” Spyke smiled, nodding as he placed his order. Annie watched as his eyes lit up, listing off certain entrees off the menu that struck him as something interesting. She smiled. He looked like a child at an Ice Cream parlor, ordering a quadruple scoop Ice cream cone with all of his favorite flavors. It was rather odd to see someone who was rather stoic in his alleyway for all these years act so… chipper and childish. Annie found the scene fairly amusing.

“What about you then, pinky?”

Annie snapped out of her trance, snapping her posture back as she noticed the inkling girl staring back at her. “I-I guess I’ll have a small order of kelp fries.” She said, nodding. “I’m not all too hungry anyways.”

The Inkling smiled. “Okay so that’s one more order of kelp fries adding your total up to…” she took a moment to review the booklet. “39.50!”

Annie nodded reaching down to her bag and pulled out the wad of money that she tucked into her bag earlier that day. Counting up and handing over the appropriate amount of money. “Keep the change.” The inkling kindly accepted the notes, giving them a gracious smile. “Your order will be ready in about a half an hour!”

The pair watched as the girl walked away heading towards the back of the kitchen before Annie turned her head to Spyke, who was a bit too busy taking in the sites of the restaurant around him. “H-How many meals did you order, anyways?” Annie asked, poking Spyke’s tender skin.

“I think I ordered about… 3 meals.” He said, his eyes still scanning his surroundings. “I haven’t eaten in like, a day to be fair. Like I said I could go for pretty much anything right now.”

Annie rolled her eyes, propping her head up with her hand. ‘How the hell am I going to be his coach…’

…

Annie’s footsteps were heavy as she trudged up the stairs of home, dropping all of her things onto the floor once she reached the top, gasping and sighing as she finally removed the sweater that tied around her waist. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to check the time. “11:30 pm.” She muttered as she wiped one of her eyes, softly yawning as the sound of another pair of footsteps trudging up the stairs could be heard. She turned to see Spyke emerge from the archway that surrounded the top of the staircase. “So, I-I should get that guest room setup now huh?”