Glitter in the air

“Ugh. Typical Lena.” I mumbled in frustration, trying to get into the damned coffee shop faster. The robots’ gazes were burning through my skull.

“Oh, sorry. Deliveries through the back!” The guy behind the counter yelled and everyone in the shop turned to look at me in shock and curiosity. I felt my face burning. And it wasn’t just from the cold.

Son of a-

“Actually, I’m a customer.” I said calmly, taking a seat and looking over the menu.

Damn, the prices are insane! Who would give 50 bucks on bad espresso? Stuck up robots.

“My bad!” The guy yelled again, this time more charmingly, as to win me over. I raised my eyebrows and looked awkwardly back to the menu aware of his lingering eyes.

“Good day.” Lena said, putting her hand on my shoulder and I jumped up in surprise. I looked at her and gave her a small smile, not really meaning it. She smiled her professional smile and sat down in front of me.

“Hot day, huh?” I asked her, noticing she didn’t bring her Armani coat to work today. She briefly nodded her head and called on the waiter.

“What would it be?” The waiter asked in a distinguished voice and I chuckled, cut short by Lena’s burning gaze. I coughed and shut up.

“Uh-“ She started, looking at me threateningly “One black coffee. Rich. And..”

“Plain water.” I said, looking up at him and the waiter nodded his head and left to bring us our orders.I did not want to hear what was about to come. So, in an attempt to distract her, I leaned back on my chair and started playing with my nails. She hated it. Told you about the whole hand-is-your-card thing.

She, in response, leaned back too, careful to put her perfect designer bag on the table, and close to her. Of course, nobody stole here. It was far too fancy and too boring. Lena pretended to look around, as if she was taking it all in. Her baby blue eyes measured everything in the room, smiling almost to herself. To what she could afford. I, in turn, frowned. I couldn’t afford anything. She looked at me once, then averted her attention to a painting. Then back at me again.

“Say it, Lena. I’m waiting.” I puffed. She grinned guiltily and I fought the need to roll my eyes. That was her oldest trick. Not working.

“Oh, come on, Ollie. Don’t be like that.” She said, thanking the waiter that had just arrived. He set all the things on the table and threw me a strange look. I pretended to look into my water, as amazingly interesting that sounds.

“Ollie?” I whispered questioningly. She threw me the same grin again and I grimaced. This was her getting ready for a battle. No reason for her to be so gentle.

“Olive, look, it’s not that I don't love you or anything..” Lena started and I gripped the water tighter, to give me control. I then blew my nose.

“Well?” I looked up at her expectantly.

“Oh! I can go on? Okay!” She said and I rolled my eyes. For someone with such a hard job she certainly knew how to make herself look like a fool from time to time. Purely for amusement though.

“You can’t come to the party.” She finished coldly and I drew my head back. I opened my mouth to speak, but I closed it. I repeated the move for a few times until I actually could utter my question.

“Why?” I whispered stunned and her cold face morphed into a tense smile. I sighed, knowing her thoughts. “It’s about my job, isn’t it? Listen. I don’t steal, I’m not a whore and I don’t sell drugs. That makes my job okay. I don’t understand all this fuss about something as unimportant and temporary as this.” I vented.

“It’s not about that, Olive. You know that.” She tried. That reminded me why she almost failed drama.

“Then what is it about, Lena? Huh? My cheap clothes? That’s too bad. There has to be the ugly, stupid sister. There wouldn’t have been balance if I hadn’t existed.” I said, and I took a gulp of water. I was getting hotter.

“Oh, Olive. Not this, again..” She rolled her eyes and my good mood went out the window.

“What ‘this’, Lena? What ‘this’? It’s just a simple fact. If you can’t handle it then-“

“Okay fine!” She cut me off. “This is about your job! Samantha McFerran told everyone I knew. I can’t have you coming there. For your own sake. And mine.” She admitted hurriedly, gesticulating as much as she could. Good thing I wasn’t a client of hers.

“Fine. I won’t.” I said coldly. The atmosphere was tense. I was mad and disappointed in her and she knew that she had made a mistake. I waited for a few more minutes. Minutes spent in awkward agony for her.

“I gotta bolt. Later.” I said and made a peace sign with my fingers.

That will show her what a peasant I really am.