Cheap Talk

"You're breathing like a bear," Koff said coolly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she bowed over her book.

Vella leaned over the counter, taking the pressure off her lower back. She'd worked a shift and a half already and no one had come in for the last hour, meaning this torture wasn't going to end until dawn. At least it was empty. Mostly empty. It was just she and Koff. One on either side of the register like it mattered. Employee and customer. Ha ha.

"It's only 'cus you won't talk to me, Koffy."

"Don't call me that."

"Then don't act so pretentious."

Koff's brown eyes snapped up from the book. It was a tattered thing, like most of Koff's possessions, and obviously well-loved. Vella had watched her read through this copy at least five times over their years of friendship, always when she was on a high horse.

"Pretentious?" Koff asked as though she'd never heard that word levied against her.

"Yeah, you know," Vella said, smirking as she swept a crumb off the counter. "Generally, means you're being a bitch."

"Vella."

"Mm?" Vella hummed, raising her eyebrows. She loved bothering Koff this way. This was their thing. A little tennis game of snark.

"It's one in the morning. You're lucky I'm here at all."

"Oh, I get it," Vella said, laughing lightly despite Koff's face remaining cold and impassive. "You've graced me with your presence and now I've got to appreciate you for-"

"I don't have to spend time on you, Vella Eaves," Koff snapped. "There are plenty of other charity cases I can work. Do you have any idea how many nineteen-year-old college students work the night shift at a fast-food place? Any idea at all? No? Alright. How about the statistics on people coming from where you did with a bad home life?"

Vella stood behind the counter, arms hanging limply at her side.

A charity case?

"Look, I'm helping you, Vella. You know, giving you manners. My mom won't give me my allowance if I don't do something for the less fortunate or whatever. So don't get arrogant and call me pretentious because you don't understand class."

"But...you're here with me. In the grease dump! I mean, you're reading a book that looks like it-"

"It's a first edition. And I don't mind ruining it because I can buy another one." She kicked her satchel. "One grand. Designer. You didn't even notice." Koff tongued her cheek, huffing. "You're not special, you know. You're not even unlucky. You're just poor."

Poor.

Spat like poison from the lips of a friend. Shame burned in her gut as she looked out across the restaurant bathed in the fluorescent glow coming from the ceiling lights. Koff's makeup was off. Smudged in the corner of her left eye and with wings that didn't match. The lipstick was a shade too bright.

It was all just a show. Like the friendship. She wasn't any good at anything at all, not even being a friend. Koff was just putting in her community service hours. Feeding the poor. Vella gritted her teeth and looked up at the clock.

Well, the poor had ways of dealing with people like that.

"I'm sorry," Vella said at last, picking up a damp towel and polishing an already cleaned countertop. "You've been here too long without ordering. So... Get some fries or leave."

"Are you kidding?"

Vella shrugged.

"Plenty of other fast-food places to go to, Koffy."

Koff stared out from behind a prison of dark waves, blinking once before throwing her book into her satchel and storming out. The door banged softly behind her.

She couldn't even do that right.

Vella stared out through the emptied restaurant, eyes glazing over as she took in all the green and pinks of the vaporwave design of burger chain. A quiet buzz filled the room. Humming alongside the lights. Vella blinked once and gazed down at the shimmering tile underfoot.

It really wasn't such a bad place.

In fact, it was sort of nice.