Chapter 1

"Happy Birthday, Lori!" shouted the Loud family.

Lori took a deep breath and blew out the eighteen purple and blue candles that decorated the two-tiered cake. One by one, the Loud siblings took a slice from the beaming birthday girl and sat on the couch to enjoy their sister's celebratory dessert. Lori cut a slightly larger piece for herself and made her way to the living room, a smile widening from ear to ear.

"Uh, Lori dear?"

The birthday girl turned around to find her mother with a warm grin and a palm-sized box wrapped in sparkling blue wrapping paper.

Lori's eyes widened. "No way," she whispered.

Lori snatched the gift from her mother's hand and tore off the carefully wrapped paper. She held up the gift to her eyes and confirmed that what she held was indeed the latest model smartphone on the market, personalized with her favorite case. A meek squeal escaped from her mouth before she threw herself on her mother's neck and belted a hearty laugh.

"Oh my god, this is, like, literally what I always wanted, Mom! Thank you!"

Rita chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you like it."

Lori blasted towards the living room like an Olympic runner, eager to show her siblings the new smartphone, but was reeled back in by the fish hook-like grip of her mother.

"Now Lori, there is something I have to tell you about your new phone."

Lori sighed. "I knew this was too good to be true." Shoulders slumped, she lifted the phone back to her mother but was rejected by a raised hand.

"No honey, the phone is yours to keep. However, because your father and I had to sign not just you but the whole family for the unlimited plan to get such a good deal, our monthly rate skyrocketed. We're gonna need some help paying for the bill, and since you just turned eighteen, your father and I.."

"..want me to get a job?" Lori sighed as she stuffed the phone in her back pocket.

Rita put a soft hand on her daughter's should and kissed her cheek. "Just imagine all of the other things you can buy with your own money, Lori. Besides, it's about time you learned how to carry your own weight around. You're becoming a beautiful, young woman. We only want what's best for you."

"Everything okay in there?" shouted Lori's dad from the living room. "Lori's favorite movie is about to start!"

"Everything's good, Dad," Lori shouted back. She put a hand on her back pocket where her phone rested and looked up at her mother with a grin. "I understand mom," she said softly.

Rita took the fork from Lori's plate and fed her chuckling daughter a piece of cake. "So, did it come out as good as always?"

Lori wiped her nose and gave her mother a big hug. "Like always, mommy."

"No way, it's even got a thumbprint scanner!"

Bobby ogled his girlfriend's new smartphone as they walked past the bustling crowds at the mall, hand in hand. They stopped in front of the food court and took in the sight. Hundreds of shoppers, bags in hand, ordered from their food stop of choice while others sat at the plastic tables going over their findings.

Lori shot a glance at her favorite sandwich shop and tugged her boyfriend's shirt. "Bobby, let's try over there."

The young man of Lori's dreams looked up from her smartphone. "Yeah, okay," he answered, uninterested.

Lori rolled her eyes and dragged her lover across the dining area, bumping unsuspecting shoppers in the process. "Come on Boo Boo Bear, you're helping me find a new job, not finding every single feature on my new phone."

Bobby laughed as they arrived the front counter of the sandwich shop. "Sorry babe. I got carried away with this amazing piece of technology. Here you go." He handed Lori her phone and gave her a one sided smirk.

Lori giggled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I forgive you, Snuggle Bug. You know I can't resist that face!"

"Can I help you?" interrupted a disheveled looking employee.

Lori smiled. "Hello! I would like to speak with your manager about getting a job here, please."

"He ain't here," he said. His eyes went down from Lori's face down her shirt.

Lori covered her chest and furrowed her brow. "Well then, when will he get here?" she asked in a brisk tone.

The employee crossed his arms and sucked his teeth. "How should I know? He's never around when I need him! Why don't you come back later? He might be around by then!" He gave a hearty laugh that resulted in a fit of phlegmy coughs.

Lori stuck her tongue out and gagged. "Uh, no thanks. Weirdo." She grabbed Bobby by the sleeve and dragged him to the nearest empty table. She took her seat and rubbed her palms all over her face, groaning into them.

Bobby knelt beside her and pried one of her hands from her face. "Hey babe, no sweat, we'll find a place that'll hire you for sure!"

The blonde girl made a fist with her free hand and rested her cheek upon it. "I'm not so sure anymore, Bobby. So far, all the places we've looked are either not hiring, their managers are gone, or are filled with a bunch of creeps!"

Bobby looked across the food court and spotted the perverted employee that checked out his girlfriend. "Yeah, I noticed," he said, pursing his lips.

"What am I gonna do Bobby? Mom and Dad expect me to become responsible for myself, but how can I do that without a job?"

Bobby smiled and brushed off a few blonde hairs from his girlfriend's face with a gentle finger. "Don't worry, mi amor. You're such a good worker and a smart girl. Someone is bound to sweep you up in no time!"

Lori sighed. "Or who knows, maybe because almost every guy in this mall has been eyeing me like a prized pig I should just get a job at a place like…"

Before she could finish her thoughts, she spotted a Now Hiring sign from across the street outside of the mall. She bolted from her seat and pushed through the glass doors. She tore across the mostly empty parking lot until she came to a complete halt in front of the establishment she spotted.

A few seconds later, Bobby caught up to her, resting his hands on his knees and panting like a dog. He looked up after a moment and noticed the iconic orange lettering and logo.

"Hooter's?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hooter's," whispered Lori.