Meghan panicked. She had just blown her entire five-hundred-pound savings—compensating for the wasted time and paying for the bike repairs before Mr. Gilbert could see the damage. A chill ran through her, unrelated to the breeze. The brief satisfaction of teaching that boy a lesson was curdled by fear. Eco Land was a place of the elite. What if she had hit the son of some major politician? The thought of being shipped off to the "worst prison in Britain," suffering for eternity without a chance to achieve her goals, made her shiver.
She stuffed her phone into her pocket. "That's not possible," she conceded, starting the repaired bike. "Yeah, that'll do it. Thanks, Jamie." She nodded to the mechanic and drove away.
BACK IN THE CAFE, 5:00 PM
She arrived back at the cafe. The crowd had thinned but still occupied most of the available seating. Tobi's face lit up the moment he saw her, his smile wide and genuine. His cousin, Tanya, however, was a different story.
"Where the hell have you been, mate?" Tanya asked begrudgingly.
Meghan simply held up the empty delivery bag, ignoring the nonsensical rant. "Delivery doesn't take that long," Tanya argued, but Tobi gently pushed his cousin aside, stepping in front of Meghan and pulling her into the quiet sanctuary of the staff room.
Tobi looked at her, his honey-brown eyes gleaming with immediate worry and pity. "Are you okay, girl? I know you've got everything bottled up inside and don't want to tell me, but I'm the only shoulder you can cry on."
Meghan managed a strained grin, then a fragile smile. "It's nothing, Tobi. Just a whole lot going on."
"Hmm," he hummed knowingly, making her roll her eyes. "Like Brenda and that stupid Nathan? Man, that guy's a backstabber."
"Yeah, and a two-timer!" Meghan's anger flashed. "I can't even believe we were friends, and he went ahead and dated someone who despises me. What was he thinking? Was it love, or just foolishness?" Her voice cracked, and she burst into tears.
Tobi instantly pulled her into a warm hug. Meghan wrapped her hands tightly around him, leaning into the comfort.
Tobi fought the urge to cry with her. He felt every ache in her tears; they had been friends since fifth grade, and he knew she wasn't the type to cry or ask for help. That's why he'd always been her emotional support—ready with comfort, funny jokes, and the juiciest gossip. He held her until she pulled back, sniffling.
He looked her in the eyes. "Hey, babe, you don't need to shed tears over someone who's not worth it, alright? We're going to be fine. You're going to be fine. You'll make more friends, and boyfriends if you want them."
Meghan gave him a slight side-eye, even through her tears, her red button nose adding to her cuteness.
"You're beautiful and you're loved, alright?" he affirmed. She nodded in agreement. "You don't need anyone to tell you that, and you don't need validation. You're going to do great things."
Meghan sniffed, wiping her tears. "Yeah, Tobi. I believe you." She hugged him again.
Tobi smiled. "Yeah, that's the spirit." He pulled away. "Now, go wipe your face and let your true self shine."
"Yeah."
His face darkened as Tanya walked in, shattering the emotional atmosphere. "Drama queens, are you done already? There are customers waiting outside, so get out of the store room already!"
"Yeah, bitch, I hear you," Tobi snapped, making Tanya frown. "Why don't you just serve them and stop being such a nuke bomb?"
This scene has a strong foundation with clear character voices and established dynamics. The refinement focuses on sharpening dialogue, improving action tags for clarity and pace, and better organizing paragraphs to make the banter flow more naturally and punchy.
Tanya rolled her eyes and slammed the door behind her, leaving both of them in the hallway.
"Don't worry," Tobi reassured Meghan, giving her a gentle pat on the back. "She's just annoyed because she got stuck with the evening shift, not us."
Meghan smiled at his casual confidence. "You're being particularly bitchy today, aren't you?"
He rolled his eyes, batting his lashes in an exaggerated gesture. "Girl, I have seven sisters and three aunties. It's a survival trait. Besides," he whined dramatically, "Amelia's certainly not complaining about it."
Meghan ran a hand over her hair. "Of course she wouldn't mind. She's your girlfriend, and she enjoys taking the lead."
Tobi rolled his eyes playfully, tossing a hand over his shoulder as he walked toward the door. "Whatever." Meghan followed closely, stepping out with him into the noisy evening chatter.
Tobi walked behind the counter, checking his wristwatch. "Oh my god! Look at the time. I'm going to be late for my evening class. Mum is absolutely not going to be happy if I miss a lecture."
"Pfft! You still take instructions from your mother?" Tanya appeared from the back room, her voice thick with contempt. "I mean, my Dad doesn't even tell me what to do."
Meghan and Tobi exchanged a knowing look.
"Yeah, exactly," Tobi shot back, gesturing dismissively at her heavily applied makeup. "And that's why you're the biggest joke of the century."
Tanya fumed with visible rage.
"Bye, babe." Tobi laid his apron on the counter. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow afternoon." He kissed Meghan's cheek before walking away.
"Bye," she waved, a small smile hanging on her lips.