Speechless(140)

                Dex and Lou are arguing about redecorating again. It’s not                     serious, of course, no matter how many times Lou threatens to walk out. For the                     record, I’m on her side. Yes, the current beige walls are too boring for this                     place, but purple would look atrocious with the red vinyl booths. Unless Dex                     wanted to replace those, too. Really he should pick something striking. Gold, or                     maybe bronze.

                “You should go with blue.”

                Lou and Dex stop their bickering and look over. I swivel on the                     stool, too, to see a cute boy with spiky hair and the cockiest smirk I’ve ever                     seen leaning over the counter. The dark-haired girl next to him rolls her eyes,                     but from the way they’re standing, it’s obvious they’re together. Like, together together, not together just as friends, or in                     the weird friends-with-benefits ambiguity sense Sam and I currently are.

                “I’m sure they really want your input, Jake,” she says                     dryly.

                “What? I’m just saying.” He grins at her, and she bats him on                     the shoulder.

                “Actually…” Dex twirls the whisk in his hand around a few                     times, which is how I know he’s considering the suggestion. He always plays with                     utensils or counts down the till when he’s deep in thought. Once I saw him do                     all these tricks with a spinning egg on a silicone turner while he was talking                     to Andy about replacing the milkshake machine. “That…that could work.”

                “Blue…” Lou folds her arms over her chest, looking thoughtful.                     She nods slowly at Dex. “I like it. Blue would look good.”

                “See?” the guy—Jake—says to the girl. “Some people appreciate my genius.”

                “Oh, yeah,” she says around a grin, “today it’s interior                     design, tomorrow you’ll be tackling world peace.”

                Dex gives them their takeout bag and tells them it’s on the                     house.

                Lou comes over and refills my Coke, careful not to splatter any                     on my open history book. We’re studying the Elizabethan era. As far as                     historical figures go, Queen Elizabeth I is pretty badass—telling the royal                     court to go screw itself and refusing to marry and shaving her head and                     declaring herself a Virgin Queen. Even though Mrs. Griffin, my social studies                     teacher, says the queen still had all of these affairs anyway.