Lemon Lips

• chapter three •

 • chapter three •

COLIN SEES APRIL again two days later, when he walks outside, hand twisted around his skateboard. It's too hot to walk or run, and he was planning on visiting Luke and Anjie at Louie's again. He's counting on Luke having a good day, so he won't get mad when Colin only takes free samples.

     April is set up in the exact same spot, reading a book, and her pitcher is half filled with lemonade. Based on the fact that every so often she pauses to take a sip of a drink from a cup next to her, the half-pitcher of lemonade has gone into her. Maybe a little has evaporated, too, but he doesn't think that much.

    April glances up, and when she sees Colin, that irritating smile blooms on her lips, again. The one that makes her seem to know something he doesn't. If that smile were a person, he'd punch it multiple times. She shades her eyes from the sun with a hand as she squints at him. Sighing, Colin checks the road for cars, then crosses the street.

    "Hey, D'Lacey."

    "Cho."

    "Want any lemonade today?" She speaks all her words in an abrupt, clipped way, yet somehow they seem drawled. Colin rolls his eyes and sighs again.

    "Sure."

    "Wow, okay, don't, like, force yourself."

    She pours it anyway.

    Colin watches her carefully pour out a cup, and the lemonade comes dangerously close to the brim. "Why are you even setting up a lemonade stand? Why not get a normal job?"

    "Because, I dunno, I never got to set one up when I was younger, you know, fourth and fifth grade. The prime time for lemonade stands. And I felt like I was missing out on something, and I have nothing that important to do this summer, anyway, so why not? I always need a project for breaks, y'know? This will be this summer's. Also, I'm thinking of making this into more of an experiment, than just a lemonade stand."

    "That's kind of dumb."

    "Thanks, I appreciate the feedback." She smirks, jutting out the cup. Colin takes it. "So?" she prompts. "Aren't you going to ask me what the experiment is about?"

    "What's the experiment about, April?" Colin asks her monotonously. She grins.

    "Well, D'Lacey, because you asked, I'd be more than happy to tell you. My experiment is, like, were lemonade stands started by toddlers are more of a pity thing than anything else? Do people buy the lemonade because they're little kids, or because they genuinely want lemonade? Does age affect lemonade sales?"

    "Of course it's a pity thing."

    "Excuse me? Are you buying my lemonade out of pity?"

    "Bet your ass I am." She smirks, reclining back in her foldable chair. He waits for the mention of a deal somewhere, but it never comes.

    "You should teach me how to skateboard. I've always wanted to learn."

    "I'm saying sure, like it will happen, but like most other plans, there is a very, very slim chance that it will," Colin says with a shrug.

    "True." Colin finishes the lemonade and sets the cup down on the table. Before turning around completely, he digs in his shorts' pocket and finds a couple spare quarters, twenty five cents more than needed. He flips them onto the table, before setting the skateboard down and kicking off the hot pavement. "Don't pity me!" she hollers behind him, but when he glances back, she's dropping the coins into a small jar under the table labeled "pity!!!! everything was a lie!!!!!" Hesitating, he then turns back around and stops before her again. April glances up, straightening in the seat again, and wordlessly pours out another cup, pushing it across the table for him to take it. Colin drains it. They stare at each other for a few pulsed seconds.