Disclaimer: Not mine, any of it obviously...
Warning: ….Slash...meh but what else do I really write.
Fill Me In
Chapter One: You Want What On Your Taco?
The day started like any other, a ten to fifteen minute drive to the base, fighting the urge to speed just to beat the music that played at five everyday. Hating the fact that he almost always got there exactly at five and had to stop in the middle of the road as The Star Spangled Banner played. The only downfall to working on the military base. He parked his car and hurried out and over to the back door and rang the bell and waited. He peered inside to stare at the line forming at the front counter.
From behind the two glass doors he could see the large blue metal door slowly open, someone peeked through the crack at him, then closed it. He frowned, this was a joke his co-worker loved to do endlessly. He started tapping his foot impatiently, then the door opened and his co-worker opened the door.
"Hey David, your sister finally hired the new Shift Manager!"
"Please tell me he's worked at a Taco Bell before?" said David exasperatedly as they walked into the break room so he could put his things away.
"No luck, he use to drive delivery trucks, never was even a real manager."
"Dear god, Ryan so help me, I might kill my sister," said David putting his hairnet on and his hat over it.
"Oooh, I'd love to see that, so no," he smiled then glanced behind the door, "oh oh! Iicksnay on the Arahsay."
"..." David stared at him blandly, "I hate pig Latin."
"Oh good, David, you're here, Ryan they need you out front," she shoved him out the break room.
"This is Jack, you're new manager, Jack this is David, I'm gonna need you to train him on the line," she glanced down at her watch.
"I take it you've been showing him all the office stuff all day?" asked David as he shook Jack's hand before putting on his apron.
"Sure has!" said Jack cheerfully, which caused David to frown internally.
He had this bad habit of judging people quickly at this place, after all it was easy to tell who was gonna make it, and who would not. Unluckily for Jack nightshift was a nightmare David had been working on for almost two years now. Well, maybe Jack had it a bit lucky after all they'd just gotten rid of the last Shift Manager.
"David's been working here for two years now, he's one of our part-timers, and of course my little brother," she elbowed him.
David rolled his eyes, "I'm the only one besides Nick who hasn't been written up."
"Written up wha-"
The bell rung and Sarah walked out to open it, "Jack this is Shawn and Nick, they work in the store next to ours Special T's."
"We call it Specialties!" said Nick smiling brightly as he nodded.
"Shawn, this is the new night manager," she said it sternly to his turned back.
"Yeah whatever," he threw his hand in the air, not even sparing Jack a glance as he pulled his hat on and walked out the door.
"He's always like that," said Nick shaking Jack's hand before heading for their store.
Someone came rushing in, "Sarah, help, please now! We got a huge order for like two thirty piece meals and like we have a line!"
"Okay, I'll be right there," she turned to David, "take him I gotta go, oh and you have like a ten minute wait, bye!"
David glared at her and walked out Jack following, "So I assume Sarah already told you we sometimes help each other out in the other stores."
"Uh, yeah," said Jack staring at all the award pins in David's hat.
"Good, I can help in both Popeye's and Specialties, Blink knows how to make sandwiches and Tony knows how to run Popeye's register, but refuses to make chicken but is capable of it."
"Uh..."
"Yeah, it's confusing, make sure you wash your hands every time you take off your gloves or touch something that isn't food like your hat, apron, shirt whatever," said David sounding very official.
"You should be a manager," said Jack smiling.
Ryan rushed past them holding a tray of opened diced tomato's, "He wishes he could be!"
"Put those away in a container and label it!" said David eyes following his co-worker.
"No time, long wait time!" shouted Ryan just shoving them into the reach-in fridge and rushing back out to the front.
David growled under his breath and Jack just laughed at how exasperated David seemed as he went to the front and put on a pair of gloves. Jack followed suit and grabbed a pair of large gloves and stood next to David watching as he glanced up at a board
Order 3421
G-STU BF
no baja sc
add ncho
side pico
Order 3422
3-taco sup
no let
no let
no let
add jal sc
add jal sc
add jal sc
And it went on in that fashion, it was like a whole nother language and Jack had to learn it quick. He blinked and watched as David whipped out orders left and right. A large flour tortilla practically flew out of the heating cabinet and David threw it down on a red paper and was quickly putting ingredients on it and quickly sliding it to his left where Ryan was just stuffing it. Jack felt confused and completely out of place.
"Ryan slide over so Jack can help stuff," said David grabbing three hard taco shells and quickly placing them in between his fingers and quickly scooping beef into them.
"Uh...you're busy is that a good idea?" asked Jack.
"How else are you going to learn?" asked David. "Tony switch with Ryan, be quick about it."
"On it!" shouted Ryan gladly jumping off the line.
"Thank god," said Tony signing off the register and heading to the sink to wash his hands.
"Ok I'm gonna tell you what goes in it and Tony's gonna help you stuff also, Evan's on wrap and grill so neither of you have to worry about that," said David tossing three taco's and two would-be burritos in his direction.
Jack stared.
"Those are regular lettuce, cheese. Those are two burrito supreme's, you need lettuce, cheese, onion, sour cream, tomato's," said David still tossing more food in his direction.
"Uh...okay," he just started grabbing stuff.
"Two fingers Jack, two! Don't over stuff or Evan won't be able to wrap it."
The next hour whizzed by, hands flying in every direction and food being flung everywhere. Every few minutes Nick would come by with a broom and would sweep their store for them. It seemed like everything also would run out at the same time. Jack was often stuck trying to stuff food while Tony ran off to grab onions, tomatoes, pico, and cheese or beef.
Finally they slowed to a crawl and Jack could not be any happier, "Please tell me every night is not like that?"
David finished up the last order on the board, "Sometimes worse."
"Just imagine how hard it is when someone calls in!" said Ryan who was in Specialties store talking to Nick.
"Get out of their store and start wiping down the front counter and stock the cups," said David handing out the order, "Taco Bell guest number ninety-seven!"
"You're not the manager!" said Ryan smiling.
"..." David stared at him.
Jack looked on then finally caught on, "Oh, uh yeah... maybe you should get back in here."
David laughed then walked off. Jack followed him.
"You need to start sending people on breaks, everyone who works nights gets a fifteen, here," David led him back to the front where a large plastic board was tapped to the back of the soda machine.
"Wow that's a lot of people," said Jack looking at all the strange names on the board.
"Okay, who's been writing on the board again?" asked David looking around.
Tony was switching out pans with bags in them to make clean up easier when they closed, Evan was scrapping the grill clean, and Ryan was in Specialties again.
"Never mind," he turned back to the board, "Tony's usually here first so you can send him. Then Evan, then Ryan and me...oh have you had your break yet?"
Jack shook his head and pointed to the nickname on the board that had not been checked off from day shift.
"Okay, Young Sprinkles?" David laughed, "send...DJ T Too Swift, who came up with these names, on his break."
Shawn walked through their store pushing a cart full of empty containers, "I did, but Young Sprinkles came up with his own name."
"Don't walk through our store, and take your break," said David not giving Jack the chance to really lead yet.
Jack turned to Tony, "You can go on break."
"Sweet," said Tony taking off.
"Tony and Shawn whine if they don't get to take their breaks together, same with Ryan and Nick," said Evan walking past Jack holding the grate that usually sat in the middle of the line.
"What's he doing with that?"
"Oh, uh, we try to pre-close as much as possible, we're not supposed to, but if we don't we usually are the last one's out, and late at that," said David stocking the hot sauces.
"Cool," said Jack watching.
"Sarah hates it, but she also knows it's impossible for us to get done at the same time as everyone else," David lead Jack to the dry storage area and showed him where they kept the boxes of hot sauce packets.
"This place confuses me," said Jack staring at boxes.
"Oh isn't that perfect, she hasn't told you anything about your own store, amazing," David handed Jack the buckets of back up sauce packets and headed for the front.
A customer was standing at the counter, "One moment sir," said David as he walked over to the back of the store, "Ryan register!"
There was a brief pause then finally, "Coming!"
When David walked back over to the front Jack was already drying his hands and putting hand sanitizer on them.
David did the same and quickly put on gloves, "If you know what you'd like to order I can start making it for you?"
Jack took his designated spot at the stuffing position in the center.
"Yeah I'll have the number five, no tomato's, extra sour cream extra cheese and extra beef."
"Hard or soft taco?" asked David already grabbing a big nacho plate and putting chips on it.
"Uh...hard," said the guy.
"No tomato's either right?" asked David as he put three scoops of beef, three pumps of cheese and handed it to Jack who stared at it.
"Yeah no tomato's either."
Ryan ran in and quickly swiped his card to sign into the register.
"It's a number five extra cheese, extra beef, extra sour cream hard taco," said David practically shoving Jack out of the way to get the order out in under two minutes.
Before Ryan even finished ringing up the order it was done and on the counter in a to go bag, "Have a nice evening sir."
"Nice," said Jack following David out the front both tossing their gloves in the trash.
"David are you done with Jack I need to show him some more things in the office," his sister didn't even wait and just walked off taking Jack's arm.
"...Have fun with that," said David rolling his eyes as he walked over to the sink where Evan was washing the dishes.
"You sure look like you're having fun," Evan was quickest on dishes.
"I can't wait till he figures out what the hell he's doing, the first two months always suck the most," said David putting away dry dishes.
"You're sister really seems to like him," said Evan grabbing the blue wrack and placing it on the large dish wrack.
"I'm sure," muttered David.
Nick walked past them, "Careful, careful, sharp objects!"
Both David and Evan stepped out of his way as he carried an arm full of pizza equipment. The two of them went back to their conversations, Nick walked past them again and came back around an minute later pushing a cart full of dishes.
"Call me if we get a customer," said Nick starting his sink to get a head start on his dishes.
"K," said David leaning against the sink, "I knew she was gonna hire a guy."
Evan laughed, "Well, both Taco Bell and Specialties is all guys, except day shift, and Popeye's is pretty much all girls except for Robert. Might as well keep with the trend."
The back door rang and David and Evan watched Nick go to open it. Tony and Shawn walked back in having gone out to smoke, Nick went back to dishes. David checked the clock and rolled his eyes as he walked over to the break room.
"You need to come back already," said David.
"Not according to this clock!" said Shawn pointing and smiling.
Behind them they could hear someone yell, "Specialties customers!"
"Damnit!"
"Language Shawn, or Jack will have to write you up," said David pointing at him.
"Pffft," he walked off.
"I guess I'll take over the dishes," said Tony taking off his jacket.
"Register, Ryan needs his break too," said David walking out.
"Fine..." Tony sighed.
"Hate to ruin conversation at the icebox hour, but we got a grande meal," Ryan quickly rushed off to wash his hands and rushed to the front.
David walked over to peer into the office only to find his sister and Jack leaning against the desks laughing. That really irritated him more then anything, of course his sister would hire someone she'd more than likely would ask out. No point in hiring someone she didn't find attractive. He knocked on the door.
Sarah walked over and opened it, "Yes?"
"We got a small line, are you done?"
"Yeah, make sure he gets his break soon," she and Jack stepped out the office.
"Of course, I'm competent remember?" said David walking off, Jack following.
"Every time I do your evaluation," muttered Sarah as she walked off to her store.
"So..." Jack washed his hands and they were back on the line.
"Ryan and Nick need their breaks," said David.
"Oh okay," Jack turned to Ryan, "Break?"
"Yup yup!" and Ryan ran through Specialties and grabbed Nick by the wrist and they were out the store in five seconds flat.
"So, what kind of music you listen to?" asked Jack, trying to start conversation.
"Whatever's on the radio I guess," David shrugged, "no, less cheese then that, you're wasting food."
"'kay," they worked that way for a while, then Jack looked to David again as they were cleaning up, "so you like working here?"
David shrugged, "I guess, I mean the pay is really good. Minimum wage in town is like six seventy five, and we get like eight at starting here."
"That's all you like?" asked Jack trying to remember where the extra cups were kept.
"Well, I mean, I like most of the guys who work here, I mean, we're like family I guess," said David.
"We really are," said Evan bringing the bin that went under the grate back, now covered in a bag.
"Once you've been here long enough you learn there's pretty much nothing you can say that'll offend anyone," said David.
"Speak for yourself you high-maintenance-anal retentive-freak," said Shawn walking through their store.
"Stop walking through our store!" said David glaring.
"It takes two seconds to walk through your store I'm not killing anyone!"
Tony laughed from his spot in the back leaning against the soda wrack.
"You just need to get to know everyone better," said Tony, "Shawn's having a party at his house tomorrow night you should come."
Shawn walked by them glaring at Tony, "Managers aren't really supposed to be invited."
Jack blinked, "Uh...I don't know, Sarah said I can't hang out with anyone who's um...beneath my position."
Ryan and Nick and came back having left the back door open to get back in, "Ooooh sounds dirty."
Nick smiled and laughed, "Very."
"Just come," said David.
"Still dirty!" said Ryan following Nick to his store.
David rolled his eyes and went back to work.
By the end of the night Jack was still following David around as he told him what he needed to be looking for as Sarah finished up everything in the office.
"Make sure the grill is off and clean and this little metal thing is washed and...it's not, Tony! You forgot the thing on the grill. There pretty much needs to be no food anywhere up front. Except the heating cabinet, that's fine," David was opening and closing various cooler doors and cabinets.
And repeated it in both Specialties and Popeye's.
"Okay, so that's gonna take a while," said Jack smirking.
"That's why I'm here, I'll always be here for you if you need anything," David thought about that for a second, "um...you know, if you have any questions that is, about work that is, um...yeah."
Nick was clocking out in his store but couldn't help want to laugh at David's sudden behavior. Ryan popped up next to him and also clocked out without asking if they were good. Nick leaned over to whisper in Ryan's ear and he laughed.
Jack saw them and David felt very embarrassed for some reason.
"So Um yeah, you're uh, good to go!" David clocked out and all but rushed from the front to the break room.
"Like a Crunchwrap!" yelled Ryan not far behind, Nick in tow.
Jack felt very confused, but shrugged it off and headed for the office and walked in, "You're brothers a really big help."
"Capability runs in the family," she muttered finishing up the night paper work.
"He should really be a manager," said Jack sitting down on the other chair.
"Not eighteen, or graduated yet," said Sarah.
"I like my crew, they're pretty cool, outspoken, but I think I'm gonna like it here," Jack started spinning in his chair.
"No hitting on any of them, they're under age and most have military families," said Sarah a smile on her face.
"Evan's in college," Jack pointed out, but not interested in the slightest, David on the other hand...
"There's about as much electricity going on between you as rubber band and a lightning bolt," she laughed.
He shrugged.
"I saw how you were staring at my brother," she kept writing, no malice intent at all to her voice just amusement.
"Was not, am not, are not!" Jack reached into the trashcan and chucked a balled up paper at him.
She turned and chucked her pen at him and grabbed another one and finished signing her name to the papers before getting up to put them away.
"Think you can give me a ride home? Ain't got no car yet and it's cold out here," asked Jack also standing up.
"You're not really gonna live in your friends garage are you?" she asked as she locked the safe and turned to look at him.
"Free's free," stated Jack, "besides it's just till I save up enough to move into a cheap place."
"He still parks his car in there, don't you think that's messed up?"
A knock came on the door it was David and Evan, waiting.
"We'll finish this," said Sarah opening the door, "you guys clocked out?"
"Yes,"they both said at the same time.
"Then go home Jack and I are done, no one else is here right?"
"All gone," said David staring at Jack and his sister.
"Kay, thanks, bye now David," she shut the door on his and David frowned.
He turned to Evan, "I hate her sometimes."
They walked out the door and headed for David's car.
"Is it just me or did they seem to get along too well?" asked Evan leaning against David's car as they waited for it to heat up.
"Big surprise there, they were probably waiting for us to leave so they could make out or something, did you see how she was treating me?" asked David scrapping frost from his window.
"He seems cool though at least," said Evan.
Jack and Sarah came walking out the back door laughing and apparently trying to remember the lyrics to some song. David rolled his eyes and got into his car Evan following suit.
"I think they were singing West End Girls?"
David laughed, anyone who could make his sister loosen up was, he supposed, fine by him...
XXX
A/N: So this has been on my mind for so long, I've been trying to write for my other stories, but they're on my desktop, which isn't set up yet. (we just moved from an apartment to a house.) This was spawned about two years ago a year after I started working at a taco bell express on base. I would write during my break and keep notes on all the crazy stuff that happened. So yeah, if it seems crazy, just remember I am kind of modeling this story off of actual things that occurred. I really miss working with everyone, we had a lot of fun, I suppose this is like my little homage to all the good times we had together.
So enjoy!