Writing assignments: dialogue

The final assignment involved the characters previously created. The task was simple: to write a dialogue between the two.

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Saturdays were slow around midday, and it was usually then that Samuel would stroll into the cafe and order iced tea or hot chocolate, depending on the weather. The garage where he worked wasn’t officially open during the weekend, but he came in to tinker nonetheless. Around noon he liked to take a walk to the cafe where Lance worked. That day he was in an unusually bad mood due to a bar scuffle gone sour the previous night.

“Good day,” greeted him the lean barista.

“Hi. I’ll have iced blackberry tea, large, thanks.”

“You’re a ray of sunshine today,” remarked Lance. “That’ll be £3.”

“Don’t try my patience,” grumbled Sam in response and placed five pounds on the counter. “Here’s a tip to shut you up.”

“Oh, dear, if I knew earlier that you’re generous when angry I would’ve served you all the wrong beverages more often,” replied Lance with a smirk.

“It’s enough for you to talk to set me off, save your ingredients.”

Lance grinned. For a while they fell into an oddly companionable silence.

“Don’t add too much ice.”

“Why, afraid of brain freeze? I thought you didn’t have a brain to worry about.”

“Watch it, ice queen,” warned Sam, amused despite the slight annoyance at being insulted. “Your charming personality more than makes up for the lack of ice cubes in my drink.”

“You hurt my feelings,” gasped Lance theatrically and topped the drink off with leaves of mint. “Here, enjoy your sugar rush.”

“We both know there’s more feeling in my cars than there is in you,” said Sam, grinning at the barista, “and thanks. At least I don’t risk diabetes with all the sourness you spread around.”

“It’s my specialty. I put some extra in, just for you.”

Sam smiled, saluted Lance with the straw he’d been holding, and sat at one of the tables by the window. He sipped his tea in a better mood than he’d come in with.