Solangelo Oneshots

Mozzarella Sticks

I look across the loud, bright bar that Piper and Percy dragged me to. They say I need to get out there. I tell them that they're idiots who need to butt out of my dating life. And yet, I still let them drag me to a bar.

"Nico," Piper says. "You see that guy over there?" She points to a man sitting alone at the bar, sipping a drink. I totally haven't been creepily staring at him for the last six minutes. "Go hit on him."
"Ugh." I groan. "I'm just going to mess it up."
"Not if I'm in your ear, telling you the exact right things to say." Piper responds as she hands me a walkie talkie. "What you have to do is ask if you can buy him a drink."
"Then what?" I ask.
"Then he'll start flirting with you. If something goes wrong, buzz me." She holds up her own walkie talkie and pushes me into the fray.

"Hi." I say to the handsome guy in front of me. He turns back to look at me.
"Hi! I'm Will."
"Can I buy you a drink?" I ask. He frowns.
"Sorry, I already have a drink. But I'd love some mozzarella sticks." I turn around away from him and slyly speak into the walkie talkie. "Piper. He already has a drink. Can I buy him mozzarella sticks?"
"Dude." Piper's voice says. "Just sit next to him and flirt. It's not that hard."
"But now I really want mozzarella sticks." I respond. Piper sighs audibly. "Well then, get both of you some mozzarella sticks!"
"But you said to get him a drink."
"You're an idiot." I'm not trying to be an idiot. I've never successfully flirted with someone before.

I turn back around to Will, who's watching amusedly.
"So," I say. "My friend has abandoned me. So I'm probably going to mess this up. But I would love to get mozzarella sticks with you." I sit on the stool next to him and order two bags of mozzarella sticks.
"So," He says, smiling eagerly, "What was that about?" Dangit. I'm not as sly as I thought I was.
"My friend Piper saw me creepily staring at you. She told me to flirt with you, and she said she would tell me what to say. But she's a liar." Will nodded. "I feel you." He stuffs some mozzarella stick into his mouth. "Thanks for the mozzarella sticks."
"You're welcome." I respond. "My name's Nico, by the way."
"Ask him if he wants to go out sometime." Piper's voice rings from my pocket.
"Piper, you aren't being quiet." I respond. "He can hear you." I turn off the walkie talkie and continue talking to Will. Thanks, Piper, but I think I've got this one in the bag.