02 | strawberry milkshakes — pulp fiction

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              PIPER LOVES ANYTHING THATS FROM ANOTHER GENERATION. From music to movies, Piper has always gravitated towards the past. She truly believed she was supposed to be born in a different decade. She hopes it would have been the 80s with the bright apparel and poofy perms. Life just seemed like such a rush back then. So you can imagine her joy when she walked into Mike's diner with Dancing Queen by ABBA blaring through the jukebox.

"Hope, I love this song!" Piper squealed, grabbing onto her best friend's arm. She began to sway the two of them to the beat of the music as they walked towards the counter. Hope pushed Piper off jokingly, making the two laugh like maniacs.

"Isn't it just my two favorite trouble makers," Lucy announced, as she shined off the pearly white counters of the diner.

"Slow night, huh?" Piper sarcastically responded, her eyes scanning around the room. It was absolutely packed almost every booth filled mostly by kids from school. There were a few older people swaying to the music on the dance floor and a couple of kids playing the arcade games.

"I've had about three milkshakes spilled on me tonight and a dozen plates were broken. I really wish it was a slow night." Lucy huffed, looking down at her filthy red and white striped apron.

The two girls couldn't help but laugh at the older girl's distraught. Lucy was about four years older than them but they all got along just well dealing with each other's social lives.

"Ugh, great two more teenagers. I swear we need another plague there's just too many of you." Lucy complained. The three girls snapped their heads towards the door to see Peter and Ned walk in. The clock struck exactly six-o-clock.

"And that's my queue. I'll go get us all a booth." Hope sighed, walking towards the boys. Piper couldn't help but laugh watching Peter awkwardly respond to Hope's big personality.

"Woah—woah—woah am I missing out on something? Or is this a double date?" Lucy suspiciously rose her eyebrows at her foster sister.

Piper shook her head, a smile playing on her lips, "No, Hope just didn't do her homework so now she has to repay the favor of Peter letting her copy with dinner."

"Peters the awkward one in the right wearing the blue sweatshirt?" Lucy asked, eyeing the three from afar. Piper hummed in agreeance, "Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"Just had this feeling. It's like I have the six sense or something." Lucy smirked, causing a giggle from her sister, "That's not what the six sense is but okay."

"You're just jealous that I have secret superhero powers and you don't. Who knows maybe I'm the next avenger." Lucy teased with a smug look. Piper shook her head and smiled down at the counter. If only you knew.

"You should go with your friends. I have more milkshakes to make. Who knows maybe you'll finally score yourself a boyfriend tonight." Lucy smirked, grabbing an empty glass.

"Yeah, whatever. Try not to spill any on yourself this time." Piper retorted, turning away in her red converse, "Oh, also four strawberry milkshakes please!"

Piper noticed that Hope and Ned had gone to the arcade, leaving Peter by himself at the table. She contemplated going over to the table or going to the arcade with the other two. She didn't do well with socializing with anyone but Hope. Luckily for her, the room became silent as Killer Queen by Queen came to an end so she decided to take on the jukebox herself.

She placed her quarter in the box and began flipping through the different tracks one by one trying to find the perfect song. There was just too many classics to choose from. Suddenly, she felt another body next to her own. She looked beside her to see the boy who was just at the table a second ago.

"What song are you gonna choose?" Peter asked, making direct eye contact with the shorter girl.

Piper was quick to cut that off and focused her attention back on flipping through the music, "I'm not sure. There are just too many good ones to choose from." After minutes of flipping through she finally found the one.

"Dreams by Fleetwood Mac?" Peter asked as the soothing beat filled the diner. "I didn't picture you as a classic rock kind of girl."

"What can I say? I'm full of surprises." Piper responded, this time imitating the eye contact. She had never really seen him this up close before.

"Piper, right?" Peter asked still unfamiliar with the girl. Piper nodded with a slight grin, tucking her hair slighting behind her ears. "Just between you and me but the reason I agreed to this is that Ned has a little crush on Hope."

Piper's eyes widened, focusing her attention onto Hope and Ned playing foosball. You could tell Hope was clearly winning by her obnoxious battle cries every time her ball went into his goal. "Oh, that poor boy." Piper laughed.

"Sup, Penis Parker! Oh, and Peanuts here?" Flash heckled, giving Peter a slap on the back. Peter groaned, shaking him off. Flash just laughed, walking towards the arcade. Hope and Ned quickly noticed the boy and chimed in with the groaning.

Hope let out a sigh of annoyance, "Why is he literally everywhere."

Peter laughed at Piper's comment. He was used to Flash's pestering considering he's dealt with it his whole life,"Peanut, huh?"

"We are not talking about this." Piper huffed, shooting daggers at Flash from across the room. "Maybe we should head back to the booth. The more I look at him the more I want to just slam his face into something."

Peter nodded in agreeance and followed the heated ginger back to the booth. He purposely sat next to her so when Ned and Hope got back they could sit next to each other.

"So you're into retro stuff too?" Peter asked, trying to make small talk.

Piper nodded, raising her voice a little over the blaring music, "Yeah, I have been ever since I was a little. Records and bell bottoms have always been a  calling of mine."

Peter let out a chuckle, "I guess I could say the same. I'm more into movies though than music."

"Really? What's your favorite movie?" Hope curiously asked, "Wait, let me guess—star wars?"

"Haha very funny. Don't get me wrong I love me some Han Solo but Pulp Fiction is my favorite movie." Peter confessed.

"Pulp Fiction? Interesting choice. I didn't picture you as a crime drama kind of guy" Hope hummed, mimicking him from earlier.

"What can I say? I guess I have a niche for fighting bad guys." Peter laughed.

Before Hope could respond, Hope and Ned plopped down into the booth. Hope slumped into the seat with a victorious grin, "I kicked his ass."

"Uh–no! My thing was just broken." Ned retorted, trying to explain his defeat. Hope gave him a look in which he just sighed, "Yeah, she kicked my ass." Peter and Piper gave out a chuckle at Ned's defeated face.

"Three strawberry milkshakes," Lucy announced, standing in front of the teen's booth.

"I asked for four strawberry milkshakes, Lucy." Piper politely told her sister.

"The milkshake machine broke so I just brought you an extra staw." Lucy grinned, as she placed the two in front of Ned and Hope. The one in front of Peter and Piper.

"But—" Piper began but was quickly cut off by an excited Ned.

"It's fine! Hope and I can just share." Ned declared, pushing his milkshake towards Peter.

Hope grabbed the milkshake and gave it back to Ned, "Yeah, not happening. Piper and Peter can share. Right guys?"

The two teens awkwardly stared at each other, "Uh—yeah I guess." Piper spoke, sticking the two straws on opposite sides of the drink.

The rest of the night was a blur. The four of them laughed over the stupidest things and made conversation over the most outrageous topics. It was weird for Piper to actually be out with someone besides Hope. She wasn't the most social but for once she was actually having fun like a normal sixteen-year-old girl.

Piper was far too invested in Hope's and Peter's back fourth banter on which Star Trek movie was the best that she didn't even realize that she had grabbed the milkshake the same time Peter did.

"Agh!" Peter wailed, dropping the milkshake on the table, the glass shattering everywhere. The whole diner looked over for a second before going back to enjoying the music. You could hear Lucy's groan from the other side of the diner, "I'll get the mop!"

"I guess we know who's the clutz in this group." Hope teased, placing napkins on the pink mess in front of them.

Peter grabbed his hand with his other and observed it carefully, "It was like something shocked me. That was so weird."

Piper's eyes widened, her mouth dry, "I—I need to go." Piper spits out, pushing Peter out of the booth.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Hope asked, concern washing over her face. Piper had looked like she had just seen a ghost. Her face was white with her eyes wide.

"Yeah, everything's fine! I just really need to get going. I'll see you tomorrow." Piper lied, throwing her back over her shoulder. Piper rushed away from the booth, leaving the three very confused.

"That was weird," Hope mumbled as Lucy came over with a mop. Peter looked passed the booth watching Piper dash through the door. He looked back down at his hand tracing over the redness with his finger. He quickly clenched his fist before placing it back at his side. That was more than just a shock.

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i really wanna make peter, ned, hope, and piper the next scooby gang. thoughts n comments are much appreciated <33