The Perk | Friday Morning

[knife_bender]

Diego's arm was well on its way to being healed but he still couldn't work out like he usually did. It was supremely annoying to have his routine screwed up like that. He went over to the Perk during his usual gym time hoping that would do something to make him less annoyed.

Spoiler alert: It did not. It just made him caffeinated and annoyed.

[Open! First day all week work hasn't been a nightmare]

Comments

[bookbeltof_love]

"Goooooooooood mooooooooooorniiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Nina announced as she careened into the Perk brightly.

[knife_bender]

"Jesus Christ." That was not appropriate coffee shop behavior. People entered coffee shops not hyped up on caffeine.

[bookbeltof_love]

The sad part was that she didn't drink caffeine!

"Sorry," she called, on her way to the counter and not sounding even vaguely sorry at all. "Headache????????????"

[knife_bender]

"Well now I have one." He didn't, he just didn't want to encourage more shouting.

[bookbeltof_love]

It took a few minutes, then, because she was busy ordering and obtaining an apple cider and chattering with the barista but, then, well.

She wandered over.

"Hungover???????" she wondered, since that was a totally normal thing to ask a grown up she hadn't met before.

[knife_bender]

"No. It's Friday morning." And he wasn't Klaus, he didn't drink on weekdays usually. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

[bookbeltof_love]

"Already was," she chirped brightly, taking a seat.

She was still not sorry, Diego.

[knife_bender]

"Uh, can I help you?" Usually children didn't invite themselves to sit at his table. What was the point of the scars and resting bitchface if it didn't put people off?

[bookbeltof_love]

"I'm just trying to decide who you are," she said easily, pondering him as she took a drink.

[knife_bender]

"Are you going to guess or should I just tell you?" he asked.

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina was already pretty sure who this was (process of elimination on the island was not hard) but, like...

"Would you tell the truth???????" she asked curiously.

[knife_bender]

"I'm not in the habit of lying to children." He left that to other family members.

[bookbeltof_love]

"That's funny," she said, eyes huge and guileless, "most adults do."

[knife_bender]

"I've found it never ends well," he said. "So what's your guess?"

[bookbeltof_love]

"Diego," she said firmly, with a nod. "Annie's boyfriend!!!!!!!!!!!"

[knife_bender]

Oh god the shouting was back.

"Correct," Diego said with a nod. He didn't mind being associated with dating Annie. "Who are you? And before you ask, I have no guesses."

[bookbeltof_love]

She beamed at him.

"I'm Liam's daughter, Nina!!!!!!!!!!" she explained. "And one of Annie's friends!!!!!!!!!!"

Also one of Annie's students but, like, eh. She was pretty sure that was weirder for Annie than it was for her.

[knife_bender]

"I think I've heard Annie mention you before." He did not remember her mentioning the enthusiasm though. "And I've definitely heard Liam mention you before."

Again, nothing about the loudness was mentioned to him.

"Nice to meet you." There, now she couldn't tell Annie that her boyfriend had been rude.