The Start of A New Business [Open]

It had taken weeks, weeks of careful preparations to prepare for this. Begging and bartering for woods, for paints, for cups, and all the other supplies. There were a few times that she thought it impossible, but she had faith. She had to keep dreaming... and work for that dream the bestestest that she could!

You see, she had been wanting a puppy for a loooooooooooooooooong time. Santa hadn't been able to bring her one, because apparently his sleigh was too small to fit in an animal who wanted to run around and stuffs. And her mommy had said that it was too expensive to buy one out there in the town they were in...

But that wasn't about to stop her! She'd borrowed one of the daycare's wheelbarrows and hiked it out to Beata's courtyard, where after strenuous difficulties, she managed to set up a little wooden stand, with a warm mug and a few little packeys, and an umbrella to protect her from the snow.

Hanging in the front was a sign that said...


For the finishing touch, she set out her piggy bank, for any costumers.

"That should do it...!" With that, the girl pulled a small bell out of her pocket and started to ring it. "Hot chocolate for saaaaaaaaaaalllleeeee~!"

Louis loved winter. He loved the chilly breeze that nipped at his ears and toes, loved the frost and snow that consumed everything, and especially loved hot cocoa. Sometimes the cafeteria had some, but it was nothing like the homemade drink. He walked through the courtyard in silence his breath making fog when he heard a bell jingle and someone yell hot chocolate. Having gotten the boy's attention, he followed the voice till he came upon a girl and a stand. "Hot chocolate?" He walked up the the stand with a soft smile, getting excited.

A name was stuck in her mind, a name that chilled her bones and made her hot with rage. She had hoped she'd never see it again, never have to deal with it again. She always hated this boy, couldn't stand being around him, and now he had followed her, all the way from Madison, to this god damned school. She told him not to come. Cayden Hawke was on Arbor's brain that day.

She almost passed the stand, but stopped, bag slung over her shoulder. Where she normally wore a vest, she upgraded to a light jacket in the face of the cold, but the coins in her pocket still let out a faint jingle as she halted. Arbor was not much taller than this young girl. Of course, she hated young children, partially because she never got to be one.

"You spelled 'cents' wrong," she said lowly.

Serenity's eyes grew bright and sparkling when she saw her first potential approach. Reel him in, girl, you couldn't blow it. Your future puppy was depending on it! "That's right! One cup for fifty cents!" She grinned up at him, forward innocently on her counter. "That's two quarters... Or five dimes. Or ten nickles." Was totally easy, no big deal, just a some spare change. Her mommy always had change in her purse, so this guy had to have it too, right? "Or if you have a dollar, I could give you twwoooo cups?"

Excitedly, she stood up straight again and began fiddling with her hair. She'd been so focused in trying to make the sale to this funny-haired guy that she'd hardly noticed the other girl approach. She didn't want to be rude or not nice and smiled at the new-comer, although she didn't look like she was in a very good mood. "Spelled it wrong?" Seren repeated, blinking. The girl stepped around to look at her sign again.

"... Oh." She did... Didn't she...?

Embarrassment flushed through her cheeks. There was no way she was going to admit her mistake to this grumpy-looking stranger. "No, I didn't." The girl shrugged, insisting and stepping back around to the back of her stand with a sheepish smile. "Do you want a hot chocolate though? It'll help with the cold, I promise!"

The sound of a bell ringing nearby drew his attention. Gage had been passing through the courtyard, going from his dorm to the forest. It sure was cold and that was evident by the small visible air that he could see every time he exhaled. Walking slowly toward the ringing bell, hands stuffed inside his jacket, the summer finally caught glimpse of who was ringing the bell. It was a small girl standing by a hot chocolate stand. A small smile formed when he read the sign and how the word 'cents' was spelled 'sents.' Whether it was done intentionally or not, it went with the scenario.

The thought of having a nice cup of hot chocolate made him very pleased. Removing his hands from his jacket and padding his right pant's pocket, checking to see if his wallet was there. Once he felt the shape of it, Gage walked up to the small salesgirl. He hadn't really paid any attention to the few other students who were already there. "Can I have one cup of hot chocolate please?" The blonde boy said with a light smile on his face.

Louis stood there, his hands in his pockets jingling the money around waiting for his drink. Soon enough, student started to trickle in wanting some of the delicious cocoa. He knew the girl running the stand must be really nervous by the way she acted gittery.

Wow, what a crazy month it'd been. Pepper shivered as she walked through the courtyard. First the formal, then ice and wings. The girl partially felt cursed, but was glad she spent time with her favorite people at Beata. Besides, the night with Cayden wasn't a curse, but a wonderful blessing. Thinking about it made her a bit happy and she gave a little skip. Soon she voices in the distance and walked towards them. "Louis!" She yelled giving a wave to her brother.

He turned around to see Pepper smiling. She seems awfully happy. He wondered what the reason was then it hit him. She finally caught up to him and he put his arm around her small shoulders like a penguin. "A little birdie told me about your night with Cayden." He whispered, but wished it was a tad quieter.

She nudge her way under his long arms keeping herself warm and perked up when she heard Cayden's name. "That stupid Blue Jay needs to stop spying on people. Haven't you tought him any manners?" She said a bit sarcastically but was still annoyed.

"Well it's my job to keep an eye on you." He replied softly, a bit worried for his sister. He could tell Cayden was trouble and didn't want to see Pepper's heart broken again.

Cayden's name stuck out like a sore thumb. It alerted her as it lingered in her mind, the names intersecting in both her thoughts and the whispers behind her, and before she answered the little girl before her, she turned, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "How do you know him?" She asked this in a steady-toned voice, without even an 'excuse me' to insert herself into the conversation. She stepped forward again. "Where is Cayden Hawke?" Of course, he wasn't entirely sure if this was the right Cayden she was referring to, but it certainly sounded like him. He was promiscuous and crude. He'd been like that far before she met him. A sharp wind hit the group, and Arbor didn't flinch, her bangs whipping across her forehead, the rest of her hair hooded.

The little girl stared the funny hair boy down for a moment longer. She was about to ask if he wanted something or not (the time was money after all!), but instead him, his girlfriend, and the grouchy last got into a chat about someone named Okaydin? She shrugged it off and looked instead to the newest person to approach.

"Yes, you can, Mister!" The girl exclaimed, beaming. Flipping her hair back in extravagant preperation, she grabbed a full cup and oh-so carefully poured in just enough steaming hot water. The girl then opened up a little packet of chocolate and began to stir in, adding a bit of marshmallows and whipped cream to make it perfect~.

Proudly, she held out the cup to Gage. "Fifty cents, please!" The girl said, gesturing towards the piggy bank. "Let me know if you want more. I'm trying to save up for a puppy!"

The summer smiled and waited patiently for the little girl to make his hot chocolate. He hadn't paid full attention to what the other students had been saying, but he was able to make out that they were talking about someone named Caiden. He had never heard of this Caiden before so he didn't even bother ask.

Once the girl returned with the cup of hot chocolate, he reached out and gently accepted the warm drink. The heat instantly warmed his hands as he held the cup in his left hand. Using his free hand to dig into his pocket and pull out a leather wallet. After fiddling with it in one hand, he managed to pull out a few dollars. "Oh, it's for a puppy? In that case... He looked over the money in his hand, it was $3. He reached his hand over the piggy and slid the money into the pig's back. Afterward, he smiled toward the girl before taking a sip of the hot chocolate. He felt the hot liquid as it slid down his throat, instantly warming him up from the inside. Despite it being a hot chocolate from a package, it was pretty delicious.

"It's really good. Thank you."

Pepper turned her head from looking at the ground to the girl who demanded Cayden's name. "We're close friends." A bit too close. She wanted to say but bit her lip. "Why do you need to know where he is?" The girl raised a brow. She wasn't going to tell someone who sounded like they wanted to murder him unless she had a good reason to.

Demanding much? The blonde thought to himself. Guess I'll let Pepper handle this. Louis looked up from Pepper and the girl realizing he lost his place in line. Dang it. he thought sadly grabbing loose change from his pocket. When the boy took his drink and got out of line Louis stepped up money in his hands. "Sorry about that. Two drink please. Might as well get one for my sister." He smiled placing the money on her make shift table. "I heard something about a puppy?" he smiled at the thought of a puppy. Though it would take more than a mere cocoa stand to get a puppy, he admired her determination.

"I've known him since I was 8." The viscosity of her tone did not waver, and neither did the piercing glare she gave the stranger. Her usual prioritization of starting fights was not as present, however. She just wanted a place, a dorm number or whatnot. She would only kill him. He'd rue the day he followed her there, she told him not to. She repeated herself, placing a hand in her pocket, the change jingling: "Where is Cayden Hawke? I know you know him."

Her eyes suddenly grew as wide as dinner plates as Gabe pulled that three whole dollars out of his wallet, stuffing it into her piggy bank. Serenity glanced up at him, then the piggy, then back up at the student again. She let out a sudden gasp and then grinned, squealing a little as she ran around the little stand, throwing her arm's around Gabe... The best to the little girl's ability anyways, apparently forgetting he still had a very hot drink in his hands. "Thank you, thank you!" She called, beaming. That was like... six hot chocolates sold for one! That was some serious profit! "What's your name, Mister? Mine is Serenity - oh -"

She heard Mr. Weird Hair behind her again, asking about the puppy and holding out a dollar. "Yeah, I really want one... But my mom said they were too expensive to get here. So I'm trying to get the money by myself!" Proudly, she pointed to the piggy bank and stepped back around, whipping up a batch of two fresh hot cocoas and holding them up to Louis. She hardly paid mind to the grouchy girls.

Before he could take another sip of the hot chocolate, the girl had wrapped her arms around him. Looking over toward his left hand where the chocolate swished back and forth in the cup. His eyes widened a bit as some of the chocolate had went overboard and splashed on his hand. The hot drink stung to say the least. His fingers had tensed up around the cup instinctively. Holding his breathe before speaking toward Serenity, trying to play it off by letting out a forced smile. "You're welcome..My name is Gage, It's nice to meet you." He said before taking another sip of the chocolate. The burning sting now felt like a tingle.

He watched in silence as the other male student had ordered two cups, one for him and the other for his sister. listening to Serenity talk about her reason for selling hot chocolate before speaking again. "Well, I hope you reach your goal and get that puppy." He said with an upbeat tone.

Pepper stood there wondering whether to tell the girl or not. Well, she honestly didn't know where he was at the moment so it wouldn't hurt. "I don't know." She said calmly with a slight shrug. At least it wasn't a lie.

Before Louis took the cups of hot cocoa he grabbed a ten dollar bill and set it on the table. "Good luck." He said with a smile. The tall blonde walked back over to Pepper and tye girl noticing some tension. "Is there a problem?" He asked in a serious tone.