Honesty is the Best Policy! {Café Edition}

Chapter 5: Free Coffee!!

This is a longer chapter than I originally intended. It's actually made of two parts-- one written September 29th and one written October 6th. This might be the last part added to this story in a while. We will just have to see how much time the new story takes to type when I type it.

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Today was national coffee day, so that meant that Rouge's Cafe was giving away free coffee to anybody that walked through the doors. And by anybody, I meant anybody.

As soon as the sign out front switched to 'OPEN', Scourge, Fleetway, and Fiona walked into the cafe. Akane disappeared into the kitchen as soon as she saw them as if she were scared, leaving Honest to confront them alone.

"What can I get you?" Honest asked, already knowing the answer.

"Coffee," Fiona told her. "Three, please."

At least she said please. "Okay! Feel free to sit anywhere you want," Honest replied, heading to the kitchen to inform Key that she would need to start up one of the two coffee makers they had sitting on the counter.

The smell of fresh coffee started filling the air as two others walked into the cafe. They were Espio and Charmy. The two detectives were looking for the same thing-- two free coffees. The coffee makers finished making the first pitcher, and Honest took three cups to Scourge, Fiona, and Fleetway. Fiona yet again said thank you, and Honest attempted to smile back, but it came out more as a disapproving frown because she... disapproved. While Honest took care of their first set of customers, Akane delivered coffee to Charmy and Espio. Espio bowed silently and Charmy gave her a loud, "Thank you!"

"Y-You're welcome!" Akane said timidly and steered herself back to the kitchen once more.

Then came a quiet period, where no one came or left the cafe. Until a regular visitor came through the front doors with a trail of fire lighting itself behind him. Akane dashed over and dumped the water and soap out of the mop bucket and onto the flames.

The visitor than zipped over the front counter where Honey was standing, a hostile frown on the designer's face. "One free cup of coffee!"

"Take a seat. We'll bring it to you," she said flatly.

"You know, you and everybody else that works here really needs to learn to be more professional," Sonic said, resting against the counter and preparing for a long speech.

"Here's your coffee, Faker." Shadow walked up and handed the coffee to Sonic. When Sonic went to grab the handle, his hand grasped open air. Shadow released his grip on it, only to have the cup fall onto the ground, spilling hot coffee on Shadow's white stockings. He yelped and jumped backwards, hitting Honest who was about to give Sonic a stern talking to, and making Honest fall backwards, grasping Shadow's collar so that he fell down as well. Sonic just stared on, his mouth agape.

"Honest! Let go!" he said a moment later. Honest did what he asked and released her grip on his collar, allowing him to stand back up. Akane came racing in a second later to come sweep up the broken pieces of porcelain when the cup broke on impact with the floor, and Honest disappeared into the back room to find some towels for Shadow. Key had watched the situation from the doorway to the kitchen. She went to work making another pot of coffee right away.

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After school on October 6, 2016, Honest and Shadow managed to slip away and travel to the cafe alone without any blue pineapples following them. When they had reached their destination, the two found that the cafe was quiet. Too quiet. Neither Rouge nor Honey were there already, which set Honest and Shadow on edge. It wasn't like they hadn't arrived early in the past. Heck, even their first day on the job they got there a good half hour earlier than usual. Honest and Shadow saw lights, and they turned to watch as a blue-violet car pulled up into the cafe parking lot. Rouge got out. She walked inside.

"You're here," Shadow said, stating the obvious. Rouge walked past him and went to turn on the lights.

"How come you never lock the doors?" Honest asked her. She could imagine Scourge walking in here after school and stealing himself a cake or pie out of one of the freezers while they were gone.

Rouge didn't answer. She flipped some switches on the wall behind the front counters. The building came to life, the bulbs overhead lighting up the room and the display shelves near the windows beginning to spin slowly, advertising little cookies and baked bread in small, glass boxes.

Shadow grabbed Honest's sleeve and pulled her into the back room to get ready for customers to start arriving.

Key appeared in the room a moment later. Honest never remembered her being early in the past. She was wearing what she had worn to school that day: her old green shirt with a star on it, her old black leggings, and her old, tan boots. What was it, Key's Throwback Thursday? Whatever it was, her outfit was about to change. She went to the closet and pulled out her uniform. Honest put a hand over Shadow's eyes.

"What are you doing that for?" Shadow asked her, grabbing her wrist and attempting to pull her hand away.

"You're a guy, Shadow! Don't forget that even though you're wearing a dress!" Shadow quit struggling, for he knew what she was trying to get across to him. Key looked red as she quickly changed into her uniform. Honest uncovered Shadow's eyes, and the four sat in chairs and waited for customers to show up.

After some time, the cafe's newest employee, Rosy the Rascal, flew in through the door. She was a strange one, but no one doubted she was good at her job. Most of the time, she stood at the front counter, answering customers' questions and explaining the menu. Sometimes you could find her in the kitchen, cleaning up spills and tidying up when food was left out on the countertops. Rosy was better described as a helper. Honest enjoyed returning to the kitchen to get someone's order and seeing her there.

Today, however, Scourge entered the building and walked up to the counter. Rosy was there. Her eyes filled with hearts. Scourge instantly saw her and spun around, bolting for the exit. "Scourgey! Come back here!!" Rosy charged after him, pulling her hammer out of thin air. They disappeared outside. For the rest of the day, Rosy was nowhere to be found. Honey had a calculator with her the whole time, subtracting pay every hour she was missing. Eventually Rosy returned with her victim bound to a chair. She set him in the corner of the room and served coffee to him, which he would be paying for himself later.

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Thanks for reading my story, and remember to check out my other story, Honesty is the Best Policy! {w/Sonic}! Also, keep an eye out for two more stories being released soon.