Princesses Don't Cry

Chapter Three: Lies and Scones

The Silverback Cafe was my favorite coffee shop in L.A. It had great coffee, sure, but it was also a lot quieter there than the rest of the thriving city. And don't get me wrong, I love the noise and the ambiance of southern California, but... only to so much of an extent.

"When you said we were close," someone said from behind me, yanking me away from my thoughts, "I thought you meant a block or two away. We've been walking for an hour." Lillian, shaking her mane of black hair out of her face, jogged to catch up with me. "Not my idea of close."

I scratched the back of my neck. "Well... I may have misjudged how far away it was."

"Are you saying we're lost, Princess?" Lillian snickered. 

"Uh..." I wasn't prepared to lie to her, but in reality, I was completely lost. Luckily, when we rounded a corner, a small hole-in-the-wall building with cramped letters spelling out "Silverback Cafe" gleamed from across the street. "Nope."

"I suppose I stand corrected," she chuckled. 

When the walking sign flashed on the traffic light ahead of us, we started across the street. I turned my head just as a car, seemingly ignoring all of the blaring honks from the other cars' horns, barreled through the red light. Lillian put an arm in front of my chest and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the wheels. 

"Jesus Christ! That idiot could've killed you!" Lillian swore colorfully at the car for a few moments before we got to the other side of the road.

My heart was pounding like a drum. Lillian was right. Without her, I would probably dead; I was in its path, and if she hadn't pulled me back...

"You saved my life," I stammered, looking at Lillian. "Thanks." She turned around, and only for a brief moment, she looked surprised.

"Uh... well, instincts, I guess." With a shrug, she opened the door and stepped inside the cafe, and I followed close behind.

The door chimed cheerfully as soon as we walked inside the colorful cafe. Much unlike the exterior, inside, it was much more peaceful and cool and filled with a dazzling array of hues. All of the chairs and tables were a different color, but somehow it managed to look bright and happy, not horrendous. The light fixtures were all little globes hanging down from the ceiling in neat arrays, and the walls were made of worn bricks with flowering vines of ivy poking through from in between them. It was a pleasant little place.

"Huh... oh, scones!" Lillian made a beeline for the counter, where she pressed her face up against the glass casing containing cookies, breakfast sandwiches, bread, and yes, scones. 

She looked like a happy child as she stared at the collection. Vanilla scones, blueberry scones, raspberry scones...

A barista approached, and Lillian wasted no time getting her attention. "Yes, I'll have three vanilla scones, two raspberry scones, and a blueberry scone. Oh, and a medium cup of house coffee." 

Lillian started to hand over her card, but I gave my own to the barista first. She smiled as she recognized me. "And I'll just have my usual." With a nod, she slid the card in before handing it back to me.

"Why'd you pay for me?" Lillian whisper-yelled as we walked away after we got our scones and drinks. "I can handle myself!"

I frowned as I looked at her. She looked mad, but why? "I know that," I chuckled. "But it's what you get for saving my life. It's the least I could do to buy you six scones and a cup of coffee."

"Don't do it again," she hissed coldly. "Ever."

I didn't know why, but something in her voice made my heart feel like it had been run over by that car. Was there no way to please her?