AAOOOSC! Wheatie Bits!

E. 2. "Meeting Reid" (3/4)

The warm, sweet aroma of ice cream and all of its candied toppings wafts through the air of Dairy Queen as the three teammates enter its building. The interior is bright and friendly with a countertop on the other side and red booths lining the windows behind them.

Kale and Reid stare up in awe at the restaurant's extensive menu displaying all of its various types of desserts ranging from ice cream cones dipped in chocolate to vanilla ice cream scooped onto brownies to the Blizzards, which are famous for being frothy milkshakes that can be held upside-down.

"I'm gonna go for an M&M's Blizzard!" Reid announces, tapping his fingertips against each other in eagerness. He spins to Kale, who is to his left. "They're sooo good and they can't spill, even if you hold it upside down!"

"I'll get the Reese's Peanut Butter Blizzard," Kale tells him. He then turns to his left, where Nolan is standing with a stern frown at the ice cream machinery lined on the wall below the menu. "How about you, Pat?"

He flicks his steely eyes down at him. "I'll pass."

Reid takes in a long, stretched gasp. "WHAT?" He stares wide-eyed at the forward as if he just told him he in truth dislikes hockey. "HOW CAN YOU PASS ON THE DELICIOUSNESS OF DAIRY QUEEN?!"

He crosses his arms. "I don't have to tell you why."

Kale gives him a concerned look. "But don't you like ice cream?"

"I never said that." He slowly turns his head away from him.

"Granités...," Kale sing-songs temptingly.

He sharply whirls himself to face him. "Granités is one thing. Dairy Queen is a totally different thing."

"They're both ice cream," Reid pipes in with a shrug.

He leans forward to make eye contact with him. "Different types of ice cream. I don't want any, thank you." He straightens up and stares ahead, maintaining his austere composure.

"Are you sure?" Kale knits his eyebrows with worry. "Not even a dipped cone?"

"No."

Reid wags his eyebrows at him in an alluring way. "Okay, you're missing out on all the fun...!" With that, he steps forward toward the cashier to order; Kale follows him.

Nolan silently twirls around and stalks across the room to an empty booth by the door.

Once they have finished ordering, Kale and Reid stand by the pickup area of the countertop on the other end of the room.

"Why doesn't Pat want any milkers?" Reid starts off with perplexity written all over his face. "I've never met anyone who would turn down milkers, or ice cream in general!"

Kale shrugs with his hands in his pants' pockets. "I dunno. He never explained why."

"Have you asked him why he never wants ice cream?"

"Well..." He tilts his head from side-to-side in contemplation. "...I'm thinking it's because they're bad for you. He's really into the healthy stuff." He shrugs. "That's how he knows all these kale-related names for me."

"Yeah, I can tell..." Reid throws his eyes to the other side of the room, spotting Nolan sitting in his loneliness with his smartphone. "Now he's making us feel bad."

"Eh, it's all choice." He spots the two milkshakes placed on the countertop's surface. "We worked hard for this." He takes both milkshakes and hands the colourful one to his friend.

Reid excitedly takes the cup filled with the icy, tasty dessert. "Right!" He then turns it upside-down; his eyes light up at his milkshake holding itself in place. "Yes, it works once again!"