Let Them Eat Cake, Or Ice Cream, Or Both

Preston sat beside Cassidy and exclaimed, "I just love cake so much. I can't get enough of it."
She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, we know how much you love cake."
Joan giggled, "I love cake, too, Cassidy. I wish you did."
Cassidy squirmed, "Oh come on, you know I like ice cream instead."
The all turned as Luke came into the cafe with Bryce. Luke beamed at them, "Hey, I didn't know you guys were here!"
Joan gestures for them to sit down, "There's still room. Have a seat."
Both of them squeezed around the small round table and the waitress came over asking, "What can I get for you?"
Luke quickly responded, "We both want ice cream."
She smiled, "OK, well, if that's what you want....I guess you can have it." She glanced around the room, "You sure?"
Bryce nodded, "Absolutely positive."
She gave another nervous glance and went to the kitchen area.
They all heard the sound of three chairs behind them scrape across the floor as two men came to stand near their table while a stern looking woman stood farther off, her arms crossed shaking her head over and over.
"So, ya like ice cream?" The tallest of the men growled at them.
Luke shrugged, "Yeah."
Cassidy quietly added, "I like ice cream, too. What's wrong?"
Taller man continued, "It's an abomination to like ice cream, boy."
Bryce tensed, "We can like whatever we want. It has nothing to do with you."
"I believe it does. See, you comin' in here shows you think you can do whatever you want."
"We can." Bryce sat up straighter, "We live in a free country."
"Look old man," Joan stood, "I don't know what your problem is, but you need to back the hell up. We can like whatever we want to like. I happen to like cake, just like you. Got a problem with it?"
The woman behind them gasped, "Charles, let's go. I can't be in this establishment anymore." She turned and left, pausing to glare through the glass of the cafe at their small table.
Preston stood, "Look Charles," he nodded at the shorter man, "sir, none of us want trouble, we came to enjoy ourselves, not be made to feel like we're evil."
"But ya are. All of you." He spit towards Luke's sandals and walked out leaving a stunned cafe behind.
Luke took Bryce's hand, "I'm sorry."
Preston glared at everyone who had sat so quietly through their altercation, wondering who else would have something to say.
Cassidy hugged Luke, "Let's go home you guys. You can come to my place."
They all left the cafe and the waitress apologized as soon as the doors closed. "I'm sorry you all had to witness that."
In the quiet that followed, a small boy asked, "What's wrong with liking ice cream? I like ice cream, too."
His mother snatched him from the chair, "No son, in this family, you will not like ice cream. You like cake. Remember? Mommy has told you that."
His eyes swept the room, lingering on the ice cream, "but, I don't like cake, Mom."

By: Elizabeth Azpurua