Bitter and the Sweetness

Your Favorite Flowers

"Are you ready to head out?" Maya asks, watching as Riley pops the last melting spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

The brunette smiles at her, "Yeah. It was pretty cool of Sheryl to give us this ice cream for free."

The rebel nods in agreement, "Yeah, well, she always has treated people right."

Standing up, Maya walks over to Riley. She smiles kindly and offers her hand. Taking the offered hand, Riley pulls herself up. The two walk to the counter where Sheryl is busy wiping down the surface. Noticing the two, Sheryl looks up and smiles.

"So how was the ice cream? I hope that you both enjoyed it. It's always been Maya's favorite, you know," she says.

Riley smiles politely, "It was amazing, Sheryl. Thank you so much for the treat. We really can pay-"

Waving her hands frantically, Sheryl cuts her off, "No, no! I insist! On the house. You two deserve it."

"Well, thank you so much. Your ice cream is to die for," the perky brunette says.

The older woman laughs, "You're too sweet, honey! Maya, keep this one around! She's a keeper!"

Maya blushes but quietly murmurs, "I know."

Hearing Maya's comment, Riley's cheeks heat up. Maya notices, and a feeling of victory washes over her. Maybe she has a chance. The rebel snaps out of her thoughts and smiles at Sheryl.

"Well, me and Riles are gonna head out. You keep making your ice cream, and I'll visit soon, Sheryl," Maya says, looking over at her friend.

The woman nods, "Okay, you two! You better come back and visit, you hear?"

"Will do," Riley promises.

The two slip out of the ice cream parlor. A small blush appears on Riley's face, and Maya looks over at her with a questioning look. Riley pauses for a couple seconds, looking back at Maya with an unreadable gaze. Then, she snaps her eyes to the road.

"Where to next?" she asks.

Maya hums, "It's a surprise, honey. Just wait until we're there."

Riley nods, and the two girls begin walking, their hands still  intertwined and swinging between them. The blonde looks over at Riley, smiling in her classic Maya style. Deciding to break the silence, the rebellious teen starts a conversation.

"Did I ever tell you about how I got a ferret?" Maya asks, continuing to watch Riley.

Riley's eyes snap away from the sidewalk in front of them to look over at the girl. She smiles, her dimples showing. Maya always has found those dimples to be adorable. The brunette cocks her head to the side, still glancing at Maya.

"No, I don't think you have..." Riley says, her voice peaked with interest.

Maya grins, "So I was five years old and my mom took me to the park because she finally had a day off work. I was playing on the swings when suddenly, I heard this hissing coming from the playground area. Me being me, I hopped off the swings and went over to the main area of the playground.

"And I saw these kids laughing and squealing. They were crouched by the slide. One of the kids had a stick and kept poking it underneath the slide. After he stuck the stick under, I heard the hiss sound, except it sounded more afraid than angry. I got so mad that they were hurting some fuzzy little creature that I stomped over there and punched the kid holding the stick so hard that I think I broke his nose.

"All the other kids screamed and ran away, and the boy cradled his nose before crying and saying he was gonna tell on me. He ran away, and I crouched on the ground. I looked underneath the slide and saw a little baby ferret, terrified out of its mind. I reached out, and the ferret actually pressed itself against me. That's when I deicidas that I had to have it so it wouldn't be hurt anymore."