SCENE IX INT. SPLIT BEAN COFFEE - MORNING
A busy and loud scene breaks out in a small cafe, it’s very modern with wooden tables and chairs, open painted light bulb chandeliers hang from the ceiling, a girl sits on a makeshift stage in the corner, softly playing a guitar. We follow a busser picking up dishes and turning around a corner into swinging double doors, which reveals Maggie and a younger Grace sitting on a stainless steel table top in the kitchen, wearing matching black uniforms with ‘Split Bean Coffee’ in red cursive over their left breast pocket.
MAGGIE
-And after the cliff jumping we went to Electric and just talked.
GRACE
(Sarcastically)
Just talked?
Maggie elbows Grace’s side.
MAGGIE
Yes, just talked. I dunno, it was for a long time though. I learned a lot about him. He’s lived a couple different places before South Dakota. He was born in Massachusetts actually. And he has three siblings. He’s leaving for Florida tomorrow morning.
GRACE
You do know he has to make it past Liam’s judgement.
MAGGIE
Liam can go suck-
A plate slides over the counter top parallel to them, a dripping grilled cheese piled on the plate.
FRANK
Margaret! Table 4!
MAGGIE
Got it, Frank.
Maggie snatches the plate off the table, sending a wink back to Grace as she turns through the double doors. She swiftly maneuvers the controlled chaos, making her way to the table she was told. Maggie freezes in her steps when she sees who is slouching in the chair, Lyle, feet up on the chair facing him while flipping through a book. She groans before approaching the table.
MAGGIE
Sir. May I ask that you put your feet on the floor, where they belong?
He sets the book down and lifts his feet from the chair, then making eye contact with Maggie. It takes him a moment before he says anything.
LYLE
Mags! Oh goodie! But you don’t look like my waiter?
MAGGIE
Yeah, that’s cause she’s in the bathroom trying to get a toilet unclogged. I’m just running this out for Frank.
LYLE
Ah. How kind of you. I knew you always had a soft spot for me.
MAGGIE
Is there anything else I can get you?
LYLE
I think I’m set… Actually! There is one thing, but it’s a delicate matter. Just check your phone.
MAGGIE
Okay, Lyle. I’m going to finish cleaning up my tables, sign out, and be sure to ignore any message you send me.
LYLE
Sure thing, sweetheart.
Maggie rolls her eyes as she walks away from the smirking boy, he puts his feet back up on the chair, snarfing down his sandwich in one hand, book propped up in the other. Maggie picks up scraps left behind by a few tables then goes back to the kitchen dumping the empty plates and silverware in the sinks.
We see Maggie’s phone light up on the countertop, showing that she had a message from Lyle. Maggie grabs her phone and a jacket hanging from a post off the wall. She pulls her hair out of her ponytail as she leaves the cafe. As the back door closes she feels the buzz of her phone.
She sighs and she gives in and checks the message.
LYLE
(In text)
So, I heard that you don’t wanna be so innocent anymore.
Maggie pauses before typing back to him.
MAGGIE
(In text)
Where did you hear that?
LYLE
Oh! So you admit to it!
MAGGIE
No.
LYLE
Haha. Ok, well. I can tell.
MAGGIE
Sure, Lyle. What can you tell?
LYLE
You’re a virgin. And you want to lose it.
MAGGIE
Not true.
LYLE
That you’re a virgin?
MAGGIE
No, I don’t want to lose it.
LYLE
Well, I would have said I know someone who is also a virgin, and is very willing to. Experiment.
MAGGIE
Yeah? Who.
LYLE
So. You’re interested?
MAGGIE
… Maybe.
LYLE
You two can meet tomorrow at 8pm, dog park on Nelson Ave.
MAGGIE
Wait. I want to know what this thing is that you’re setting up.
LYLE
Really? It’s a F.W.B. deal. Come on.
Maggie exits the messaging app, moving to a search engine to type in ‘fwb meaning’. A whole list of things come up. She had her suspicions, but she’s shocked at Lyle’s suggestion. But her thoughts wander back to the last day of school, Lyle called her innocent and naive. She groans.
MAGGIE
(Under her breath)
This is so stupid.
MAGGIE
(Typing)
I can do 7:30 is that OK?
He responds within seconds.
LYLE
Perfect.
YOU ARE READING
Strawberry Milkshakes
Teen FictionA high school girl named Margaret Peters wants to lose her well known innocence by attending parties and experimenting in her junior year summer but in the process winds up with a bad crowd and a boyfriend that may not be exactly the man of her drea...
