Would you like fries with that?

Posted on Thu Jun 30th, 2022 @ 5:27pm by Damien McGinnis & Michael Kensington & Ellie Evans
Edited on on Sat Jul 2nd, 2022 @ 12:33pm

1,526 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Invasion
Location: Juice Bar
Timeline: 1430 Hours, November 13th 2050

Damien and Michael walked into the Juice Bar, making their way over to the bar. The place was relatively quiet, with the remnants of some kind of event strewn about the place. As they reached the bar, Damien leant on it, looking around.

"Anyone here?" He yelled, trying to see through to the kitchen at the back "You are open right?"

There followed a loud clang. Then a clashing of metal on metal. Then a little high-pitched yelp of discomfort. A few seconds later, a flustered young blonde woman poked her head out through the kitchen doorway.

"Hello? Yes?" Ellie inquired, trying to figure out who the newcomers were.

"Hey, can-" Damien started, before being cut off.

"I'm sorry about my mate. He was raised on a farm. Literally. No manners, terrible." Michael said with a grin "Can we get two cheeseburgers and fries and two chocolate milkshakes, plus whatever you're having sweetheart."

Ellie blinked. Oh. This was one of those sorts of guys. She glared at them both and disappeared back behind the counter for a few moments. A minute later she reappeared with a tray and hastily-prepared plates of food. Sliding it onto the bar in front of Michael, she did her best to control herself.

"Two burgers, fries, and chocolate milkshakes..." she explained softly, holding onto her composure.

"Thank you." Michael said with a smile, picking up a fry and dunking it in his milkshake "Sorry, what did you say your name was?"

"I'm sorry, my friend doesn't grasp subtext. Or when someone couldn't be less interested." Damien said with a laugh, slapping Michael round the back of the head "He grew up down under. Try not to hold it against him."

"Uh huh." Ellie looked between them, not quite sure what to make of the two of them. Admittedly they were cute, but apparently they lacked two brain cells to split between them. "This is where you tell me I'm some sort of angel that fell out of heaven or something, right?" she sighed, holding out her hand. "I didn't hit my head when I landed. That'll be ten dollars."

"There you go." Damien said, handing over the money as he smirked to Michael "You helped me out when that punch bag knocked me on my ass, I owe you one."

"Aren't you Mr. chivalrous date." Michael quipped, looking to Ellie "You sure you don't want a drink?"

"No." She looked pointedly at him as she rung them up and deposited the notes. "Unlike you fly boys, I have a kitchen to clean up and food to cook. As if you care about us hard working little people down here..." she added.

"Hey, I resent that." Michael retorted "I may be a fly boy, but he isn't. Don't paint us with the same brush."

"I actually don't know if you're defending me or insulting me right now..." Damien rolled his eyes "Look, the lady clearly wants to get back to work, so how about you let her do just that?"

Michael paused for a minute. Then, after a moment, he smiled.

"You're right. My apologies." He said with a smile "You change your mind, you know where to find me."

"Sure. I'll just follow the testosterone..." Ellie sighed. She offered a glance at Damien, who at least sounded like he was trying not to be a douche. "Thank you," she mouthed very quietly at him.

"You're a real piece of work sometimes, you know that?" Damien said to Michael, slapping him round the back of the head "She might have given you the cold shoulder but, honestly, you deserved it. I mean, I can be direct but damn."

"I'll remember that." Michael said "Let me guess, your country sensibilities are saying I should apologise?"

"No." Damien lied "My manners are. Excuse me, Mike."

Damien stood up, moving towards the door to the kitchen. He knocked lightly on it, pausing before starting talking.

"Sorry about my friend. He's a bit of a tool. Dad's some big shot in GPF Command and it kind of rubbed off I think." He said "I'm also sorry because I just realised I'm not really supposed to be back here. I mean, I can claim I'm with the GPF health inspection branch... That's a thing, right?"

Caught between at least two or three tasks, Ellie blinked at his appearance in the kitchen. "It's definitely not a thing," she replied, pausing before adding, "But I won't tell anyone if you won't. Just so long as you promise to keep your friend out of trouble. The wrong sort of girl might be making him eat that burger through a straw." She shook her head quickly, alarmed by her own expression. "N-not that I was threatening that. Heavens no! I just mean...well, he's..." her face screwed up awkwardly. "He's got a bit of a punchable face, hasn't he?"

"I might have done exactly that first day I met him." Damien nodded with a smirk "In my defence, he had just spilt his root beer over me and the book I was reading. Okay, it might have been a comic book..."

She giggled at that image. "Just when I thought you might be the mature one, you tell me you still read comic books." She raised an eyebrow at him as she stacked the array of pans she'd scattered. "So what, have you got plans to be some sort of superhero, then?"

"No, no nothing like that." Damien laughed slightly awkwardly "I mean, how would I? Not like I'm a billionaire with a robot suit or the last son of a dying world or, I don't know, a power ranger."

"A power ranger?" Ellie snorted, unable to suppress the giggle a second time. "Come on. Your friend there has a better chance of getting a date than you have of convincing me you're a power ranger."

"Exactly. Though for the record I said I'm not a power ranger." Damien laughed "Not sure about him though. I reckon he could be the pink ranger."

Her giggle turned into a laugh. "Okay, now I know you're pulling my leg." Her attention was no longer on her jobs, instead drawn to this weirdly charismatic guy now hanging out in her kitchen. "So not power ranger. Just a dorky guy who likes comic books and fast food. Did I miss anything?"

"Grew up on a farm with Dad reading me the three musketeers as bedtime stories when I was a kid I guess?" He replied with a grin "Oh, and a cadet captain in the GPF. Somehow."

"Oh dear; sword-fighting and space adventures, I suppose that makes you...Flash Gordon?" she suggested. It was one of the few science fiction references she knew. "I guess I can sort-of see it."

"I think with the farm bit, Luke Skywalker would be more appropriate." He smirked, before a look of horror formed on his face "Wait... Does that mean my Dad's an evil space wizard?"

"I don't know," Ellie just laughed again. "A bit forward for you to start talking about meeting your parents though, right? You haven't even asked me out yet."

"I didn't... I mean I wasn't... I mean... Shit." Damien shook his head with a smirk "I wasn't suggesting meeting my parents, though it's just Dad, for the record. Mom left when I was a year old and hasn't been heard from since. I was just flagging that sword fighting space adventurer who grew up on a farm, that was Luke Skywalker. He was the main character in Star Wars, in case you don't know."

She rolled her eyes and started getting pans out again. "And you were doing so well..." she chuckled. "Everyone knows who Luke Skywalker is, dummy. I might not be some super comic-book nerd, but I'm not an idiot. Go on, go join your friend. I've got cooking to do."

"Well I don't know how good your old school pop culture knowledge is. I'm not psychic." He laughed slightly "What I am, however, is definitely pissing off my buddy by being out here this long. He and I can be a bit... Competitive."

Ellie knew what he meant. Even the unspoken aspect of that statement. Were he not a complete nerd about the whole superhero thing he might have done better. "He's probably finishing off your shake right now," she said, agreeing with his statement. "Come on, Eddie'll kill me if he sees me back here with a cute boy while I'm supposed to be working."

"Yeah, I'll see you around." Damien said, raising a hand in an awkward half wave before turning and walking out to where Michael was sat finishing his milkshake "God damn it! She called it..."

"Who called it?" Michael asked as he polished off the last of the milkshake "Come on buddy. Let's get out of here."

Michael got up, leading the way out as Damien slapped him on the shoulder.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Michael asked.

"Never stop being a dick." Damien said with a laugh "Apparently, when you are, I'm cute."

 

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