ZERO! the umbrella academy

quatre

THAT WAS FAST

THE DRIVE WAS SURPRISINGLY quiet, probably because I was too scared Five was going to crash the car to further argue with him. However, he drove perfectly, as if he had been driving these streets for years. For all I knew, he had.

I slouched in my seat, arms crossed over my chest and pouting like a toddler. I pressed my cheek against the window of the car, watching the lights of the city rush by. "Can you at least tell me where we're going?"

"We're here," was his only response.

He turned the car into the parking lot of Griddy's Donuts. The second I saw the flashing, neon sign, my eyes lit up. "Of course you would take me here."

"Do you remember when I would teleport us out of the house to this place, and we would eat donuts until we puked?" He parked the car and looked over at me. "Vanilla donuts with sprinkles were your favorite, right?"

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "Don't think you can win me over by getting all sentimental on me."

He chuckled, and it sounded weird in his thirteen year-old voice. "Fair enough."

I climbed out of the car, slamming the door shut firmly behind me. Five and I strolled into the donut shop together and took a seat at the counter. He impatiently rang the bell when someone didn't immediately rush to our aid, and I shot him a dirty look.

An older woman with dyed blonde hair pulled back into a french twist came over to us from the other side of the counter. "Sorry, sink was clogged." She pulled a pencil and a pad of paper out of the apron of her hot pink uniform. "What'll it be?"

I pursed my lips. "Do you have any alcohol?"

She stared at me like I had just asked if she had two heads. "No, we don't."'

I groaned. "Then, I'll just have some coffee, I guess. One sugar, one cream."

She got started on my order when she looked over at Five. "Can I get the kid a glass of milk or something?"

I furrowed my brow. "What?" I looked at Five and then back at the waitress. Suddenly, realization washed over me. "Oh! You think I'm his—"

"The kid wants coffee," he cut me off. "Black."

The waitress slid me a cup of coffee and smiled. "Cute kid," she remarked.

Neither of us said anything. She looked back and forth between us. I stayed silent, and Five flashed her his biggest shit-eating grin.

"Okay," she murmured before rushing off to get his order.

I scoffed once she was out of earshot. "Can you believe she thinks I'm your mom?" I raised the cup of coffee to my lips. "Fucking ridiculous."