Summary: Two friends go to the mall regularly to have fun and to make money, what they don't know is that they will soon have the funniest experience of their teenage years.
Ryuma x Nikki
Chev x Jen
Take this Job and squeeze it
Chapter 1
Currently we saw two teenagers of sixteen driving on the highway towards the mall. The one driving the car was of Hispanic descent with black slicked back black hair that gave him that sophisticated look with green eyes with a scruffy mustache. He was wearing a black shirt with words that said 'stay humble' and blue ripped jeans and black adidas high tops; he was also sporting a black and silver watch and a small golden Christ cross around his neck.
In the passenger seat of the car sat an Asian teen with spiky brown hair. He was wearing a red shirt with a dragon decal on it, a pair of blue jeans to go with his red and blue Nike shoes and had a silver dragon necklace around his neck. He kept a pair of fingerless gloves on hand for when he ever drove, did heavy lifting for moving purposes, or to make himself look cool. The most distinguishing feature about this teen were his eyes, his left eye was green as his right eye was red.
"Dude turn that music down, what is this crap?!" Ryuma exclaimed while in the passenger seat as the guy was bumping to the music.
"Aye fuck you bro, you wouldn't know good music if it hit ya in the face." A gruff voice replied with a chuckle. This person was driving a 2006 BMW m3 which was jet black with other expensive modifications added to it.
"I do know good music you dumbass, let me show you!" Ryuma then plays some rock music.
"Ya call this good music?! Give me my music back." The driver said with a horrified face plastered on his as he was attempting to change the station while the vehicle was slowed down to prevent an accident.
"Chev stop that, I can't go another minute with your crappy band!" Ryuma said while swatting his hand away.
"Oi this is my car remember? Your car is in the shop cause of your stupid drag racing." Chev said holding back his laughs at remembering Ryuma horrified look as he saw his car totaled.
"I was drag racing you, yah moron! And you made me crash!" Ryuma countered as he remembered looking at the world upside down in his 2001 Mazda Protégé, his parents were sooooo pissed when they found out about it.
"Excuses, excuses. Maybe if you weren't trying to impress that chick at our last school, you wouldn't be in this situation now would you?" Chev said with an undertone of humor in his gruff voice.
"It would've worked, but she went with you in the end." Ryuma slouched as he remembered seeing that chick walk away with Chev.
"Meh she wasn't worth it bro, more of a gold digger if you asked me." Chev said rolling his green eyes. He was about to continue when he saw that they were pulling up to the mall; which was packed making him curse like a sailor.
"Damn this mall is huge, how many stores do they have here again?" Ryuma asked as he looked at the size of the place.
"Two hundred and some stores if I remember correctly." Chev said finally finding a parking spot before he could pull in another car sped into the spot.
"Fucking asshole, that was our spot!" Chev cursed out in Spanish, fortunately or unfortunately Ryuma was able to understand it.
Ryuma was able to stop him from yelling at the driver more as they saw it was two girls who stole their spot as one was a brunette with long hair and the other was a girl with short blonde hair. "Dude, they're just popular chicks, they don't care." Ryuma explained to him.
"Whatever doesn't give 'em a right to act like that." Chev grunted finally finding a park, though it was at the very back and out in the sun unlike most of the other cars who had shade.
As they finally made it to the entrance of the mall, and having to walk in the sun to get inside, they felt a rush of cool air hit them both in the face. Walking further into the store, they saw the same girls conversing before departing each other with a farewell, Ryuma attempted to walk ahead to look around but Chev held him back making him raise his eyebrow.
"Look down." Chev said simply.
Ryuma looked up and saw from the railing three kids no older than thirteen laughing and giggling, he then looked down to see a big X with a bunch of spit stains on the floor making him connect two and two. "Whoa, thanks for the save man." Ryuma said as he moved around the 'X' on the ground.
"You thirsty?" Chev asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, especially after walking in the hot sun to get in here." Ryuma stated as he was parched.
"Well I saw this cool lemonade stand around the corner with this hot babe." Chev said with a chuckle getting an eye roll from Ryuma at his usual antics.
"Chev, you think any girl is hot. Is there any kind that you don't find attractive?" Ryuma asked as he has seen Chev hit on almost all kinds of women before from goth, popular to even muscular women which kind of questions his best friend on that stuff.
"Guilty." Chev said with a harmless shrug, he clapped the back of Ryuma back before pushing along with him with a shit-eating grin on his face.
As they approached the Lemon-shaped lemonade stand, Ryuma and Chev held back a chuckle from seeing the ridiculous lemon hat the cute girl had to wear behind the register. Walking over Chev leaned on the counter with a smirk while the girl wasn't paying attention as she was talking with her friends.
"Well hello beautiful, names Chev. Think you could get me and my buddy here your largest drinks?" Chev said making the women realize she had customers.
"Oh sorry, I got distracted for a bit. Sure thing, coming right up." The brunette said as she squeezed a few lemons into the blender and prepared their drinks for them.
"Hey Chev that blonde chick from before is right behind us." Ryuma whispered nudging Chev on the arm.
"Oh she totally is, what a coincidence." Chev with a chuckle.
"There you two are, two large lemonades. That'll be seven fifty." The brunette told him as she handed Chev the drinks. Ryuma paid for it as Chev did drive him to the mall.
"Thanks I really appreciate you, may of I know the name of this beautiful flower?" Chev flirted drawing a pink tint on the brunette's face. Ryuma rolled his eyes at Chev's latest attempt to flirt with another girl.
"My name's Jen Masterson, and you two are my first customers on my last day here." Jen stated as she gave Ryuma his change.
"Mmm well I'm glad I was able to see you off sweetie." Chev said with a wiggle of his eyebrows making Jen look away with red starting to come to her face.
"Okay Romeo, dial it back before things get weird again, like what happened at that burger place." Ryuma said as he drank his lemonade fast, though he unintentionally got a laugh from the black haired fellow and a giggle from the purple haired who sat only a few feet away. Ryuma blushed a little when he saw the purple haired girl in her tank top and cargo pants, thinking she looked very cute even with the piercings.
Chev saw his friend's reaction to the purple haired girl, as he gave Ryuma a sly grin. "Oooh someone's got a crush already." Chev said elbowing his best friend in the side getting a glare for his troubles.
"Shut up man." Ryuma replied as he was embarrassed, before either one could continue their banter they heard a cough behind them before they realized they were still in the line.
"I don't mean to rude but can you two please move so I can order." The blonde asked with annoyance on her face.
"Sorry blondie." Ryuma said as he and Chev moved out of the way.
"Hey why don't you two sit with us? You seem pretty cool." The tanned male asked with a grin gesturing to two extra empty seats around the table.
"Sure why not enjoy ourselves before finding a job." Chev said as he and Ryuma sat down at the table across from the tanned male and the purple haired girl, right next to the other guy enjoying some coffee who gave a wave in greeting.
"One lychee fruit smoothie with an energy blast and no pulp, please." The blonde girl ordered as everyone gave her an odd look.
"What the hell?" Chev said confused.
"Doesn't she realize this is a lemonade stand?" Ryuma said with a deadpan.
"We only serve what's on the menu miss." Jen deadpanned as she pointed behind her back to the menu. The blonde for her part just looked embarrassed.
"Oh, then I guess I'll have… a lemonade then. Do you take credit cards?" The blonde girl said with a straight face.
"Why?" Chev almost cried, it was a dollar ninety for Christ sakes.
"It's a dollar ninety, I don't think that will be necessary." Jen said calmly as the blonde chick pulled out a fifty instead.
"Ah that's what a fifty look like." Jonesy said surprised.
"Is that really the first fifty you ever saw buddy?" Ryuma asked as he never heard someone say that out loud.
"Yup, especially outside of board games. Name's Nikki by the way, Mr. grumpy over there is Wyatt and that's Jonesy." Nikki introduced herself and her two friends to the two, as Ryuma made sure to remember that name.
"Yo names Chev and weird eyes over here is my buddy Ryuma." Chev introduced them.
"You know I hate that nickname you call me!" Ryuma said to his friend.
"That's why I use it." Chev grinned.
"Well I think they're super wicked." Nikki said looking at his red eye with intrigue.
"R-really? Because they've been like this since the day I was born." Ryuma said as he held a hand close to his red eye. Not many people compliment him for his heterochromia eyes before and Nikki thought they looked wicked.
"Now, now Nikki, don't go inflating his ego. It's already big enough as it is." Chev chuckled. Ryuma responded to that with an elbow jab to the side.
"Um excuse me can you all tell me where I can get cinnamon buns?" The blonde girl asked while sipping her lemonade.
"Oh, just down that way. And ask for the ones with the hole in them." Nikki tells her as she saw Jonesy poking the holes in them earlier as she walked with him about five minutes before Chev and Ryuma arrived.
"Thanks." The blonde stated as she went in that direction as Nikki and Jonesy chuckled at her naive nature.
"God she's so spoiled." Jen asked with a sigh as she couldn't believe someone would try to use a credit card on lemonade.
"Seriously, before we got here, her and her friend stole our parking spot just as we were about to park there." Ryuma stated as he was about done with his lemonade.
"Wow that's like super lame," Wyatt said while drinking more of his large mug of coffee.
"Totally, but she is the kind of girl who will never have to work for a living." Jen said as she was jealous of the blonde girl for that one reason.
"Doesn't she also go to our school?" Nikki asked curiously.
"She started going to our school in grade ten." Jen stated as she remembered that perfectly.
"So what do you all plan on doing today at the mall?" Ryuma asked as a way to change the subject to a better topic.
"Try to get our jobs, I put my resume in last week, did you all do it to?" Jen asked her friends and two acquaintances.
"Really, I'm starting to look for a job today after making one last night." Ryuma said as he didn't want to explain why he needed a job. He needed to find a good one or he might not pay off the damages to his car.
"Yup I put mine in a couple days ago, supposed to be working at some electronic place on the third floor, gives good pay so I ain't complaining." Chev said as he was more prepared than Ryuma was at the moment.
"Heads up though, we know the guy who is the manager there as he's a classmate of ours. He is obsessed with Star Wars. We call him Darth." Nikki said to Chev as an early warning.
While they were talking a skater hippie came riding in on a skateboard before jumping off it and kicking it into the air.
"What's happening?" Jude said with a chill aura around as if he had no worries.
"Haven't I seen you before man?" Ryuma asked Jude as he looked familiar.
"Oh yeah, I saw you in that wicked drag race, gnarly crash man. Good to see you still with us dude." Jude said as Ryuma slumped in his seat in embarrassment.
"Whoa you drag race," everyone except Chev and Jude exclaimed in surprise. Nikki was impressed by this and thought Ryuma was even more wicked now than before.
"Yeah… I used to. Until this guy next to me made me crash into some bushes and made me flip by accident. Now I got to get a job to pay for the damages to the car." Ryuma explained as he glared at Chev.
"Yup, so now I got to drive him around because he blames me for the crash." Chev said with a heartily chuckle.
"Besides that, I think I have a good chance at finding a job. I mean there has to be like five hundred stores in this mall." Ryuma said as he felt confident in finding one at the moment.
"Actually there's 936 stores." Jude states making everyone look at him funny. "What, I got really bored one day dudes."
"He's right though," Jen said to the group. "There are many stores here and the competition is tough for the really cool stores. I plan on working at the Penalty Box sports store for sure." She says as her phone rings as she picks it up.
"Masterson at 2:30."
"Perfect, I'll be there sir." Jen stated as she hung up and got ready for her interview. "My interview got bumped closer, anyone want to practice questions for your own interviews?" Jen received a unanimous no from her friends as she closed up shop to head to her interview.
"Well wish me luck everyone, where are you all applying to anyway?" Jen asked as she was curious to where her friends might want to work.
"Travel Agency." Nikki responded.
"The Gigantoplex, free movies baby." Jonesy replied.
"North Shore Surf and Skate, definitely." Jude answered.
"You guys already know where I'm applying." Chev mentioned as he did tell them earlier.
"Not sure for me, but I am going to try a few places. Maybe go for a retail store or something to go with my strengths." Ryuma responded as he had no clue where to work.
"Grind me." Wyatt told her.
"Excuse me?" Jen asked out loud.
"Damn Wyatt, aren't you jumping the gun asking a girl to do that man?" Chev asked as he wasn't sure if this was a normal thing to happen in this group.
"No you got it wrong Chev, Grind Me is the name of a coffee shop I frequent from time to time." Wyatt explained to him, as Chev relaxed a bit from hearing that. "I like the clientele, they're just so civilized." Wyatt shouted as he looked in the direction of a couple sucking face as they separated for air before going back in for more.
"How long have they been making out?" Ryuma asked as he has seen couples kiss before, but that was on a whole new level.
"No one really knows man." Jude answered as they never saw that couple separated from the other or out of the other's arm length for more than five seconds. "Man, I'm so nervous. What if I choke dudes?"
"Jude, it'll be fine." Jen told him to help reassure himself. "Just be honest and polite, employers love seeing that."
"Solid advice Jen, polite and honest. I can totally do that bra." Jude stated with more confidence in himself.
"Alright then, let's get some jobs guys." Jonesy proclaimed as morale was up.
"And we may have just met you guys, but yeah let's get some jobs." Chev shouted as he stood up as well.
*Ryuma's interview*
Ryuma sat slightly nervous as he waited for the employer to ask him the questions they ask all potential employees. "Okay Mr. Alister, why do you want to work with us?" The interviewer asked.
"Well, I've always been interested in this line of business for a long time and I wanted to do something like this since I was a child." Ryuma replied as the interviewer wrote down some notes.
"So then, where do you see yourself in five years?" The interviewer asked Ryuma as to know what direction he sees himself going in.
"In five years, I would say continuing to work here and helping the customers make their visit here a pleasant experience." Ryuma responded once more as he tried to remain calm.
"Alright now then, what kind of tree do you see yourself as?" It was an odd question but one that helped out employers of the mall weed out potential slackers.
"Wow, okay I wasn't expecting this kind of question. But I would have to say… Japanese Red Maple tree as they remain strong and resilient until the very end when the time has come for the leaves to fall." Ryuma told the interviewer.
"Interesting and unique choice, now what is your biggest accomplishment?" Ryuma was prepared for this type of question, but had to pick the right one for his impression on the interviewer.
"My biggest accomplishment… That would have to be completing a race under the track record." Ryuma vaguely stated as he didn't mention the drag racing as the type of race.
"Okay then, what would you say is your greatest weakness?"
Ryuma had to think hard on this one as he gave his response. "Does being so focused on your job that you don't notice some things around you count as a weakness?"
The interviewer wrote some more notes down with a smirk on his face as Ryuma was anxious to know if he got the job or not. "Well Mr. Alister, I only have one thing left to say to you… Welcome to the workforce, you start tomorrow." The interviewer stood up and shook Ryuma's hand as he gave him a work belt with some tools and a walkie-talkie for quick contacting means.
*Chev's interview*
Chev sat in his chair pretty confidently as he wasn't nervous whatsoever, he knew what the employer would ask him as his parents pretty much drilled it into him what they were and what to expect. "Ok Mr. Merandez what do you want to work with us?" The employer asked seriously.
"Well I want to work here because I find electronics a fascinating sight that really changes the playing field in the world. I'd like to be part of that special group who helps change the world by giving people new means of technology." Chev said with his confident smile making the employer nod in approval and right information on his clipboard.
"So where do you see yourself in five years?" The employer said looking back up at Chev.
"Well I see myself working diligently for the success of this store, while also graduating high school and go into a major of technology and better represent this place." Chev said making the employer nod again once more.
"What kind of tree do you see yourself as?" The employer said, Chev thought that was a very odd question but answered nevertheless.
"I would have to say an Apple tree because it inspires love, beauty and generosity which I like to consider myself as." Chev said with a smile making his employer hum and write some more stuff down.
"Now what is your biggest accomplishment?"
"My greatest accomplishment would be...stopping bullies from hurting innocent people." Chev said having to think back during his early high school years.
"Ok what is your greatest weakness?" The employer asked.
"Working myself too hard even when it's unnecessary." Chev said making the employer chuckle and write more stuff down.
"That's all of the interview Mr. Merandez and I'm proud to say you got the job here, you'll start tomorrow." The employer said shaking hands with Chev who grinned and shook hands back before walking out; that was a relief.
*Back with the group*
After all the interviews were done, Nikki, Jonesy, Wyatt and Jude sat at their table moping because their interviews didn't go as planned. "Well that sucked." Jonesy stated as he saw Jen walking towards them with a referee type shirt on.
"Guess who's the new assistant customer coach at the Penalty Box!" Jen said with excitement.
"Congrats Jen, at least one of us got employed today." Nikki said as she slammed her head on the table.
"Wait… you guys bombed on your interviews? What about Chev and Ryuma?" Jen asked as she saw Ryuma and Chev walking towards the group.
"Hey guys, you're looking at the new mechanic/repairman for the stores of the Galleria Mall. I start working tomorrow and let me tell you, the pay is amazing." Ryuma stated as he had a tool belt on him to show his new job status.
"Seriously, you were more unprepared than any of us! How the hell did you do that?" Jonesy asked as he failed his interview with flying colors.
"Well I was a bit nervous but I tried my best to keep true to myself and make a very good first impression of my future boss." Ryuma stated as they could understand that even though they did just meet him that same day.
"Awesome job Ryuma. Chev, how did your interview go?" Jen asked the Hispanic as she had pink in her cheeks when she asked him.
Chev looked to the group and stated with a big smirk on his face, "I got the job at the electronics store."
"Both you all got your jobs?! You must have the Devil's luck or something." Wyatt groaned out at not getting the job he wanted.
"Not really, why how bad were your interviews today?" Ryuma asked as he sat across the table from Nikki and Jonesy.
"Jonesy here was bragging about himself the entire throughout the interview." Nikki pointed towards said Jonesy.
"Hey I thought I had it made when my interviewer was a lady. I thought my skills would help me get the job no sweat." Jonesy stated in his defense, albeit a poor defense.
"Maybe you should have toned it down when applying for a job. But what about you guys?" Chev stated as he wondered how bad it was for them.
"Not so good, Jonesy pantsed me in front of the girls' soccer team once. That was better than my interview." Wyatt commented aloud and gave them too much information there.
"What are my worst qualities? They wouldn't hire me if I told them that." Nikki explained as she hated that part of the interview.
"I told them my weaknesses." Jude stated as he told everyone.
"Really, how many did you tell them?" Jen asked because she knew how Jude would be in a situation like that.
"About 17." Jude told them all.
"Dude" Chev said with a grimace, who tells that many weaknesses?
"Oh man, was I supposed to lie to them on that?" Jude complained as he realized his mistake.
"In your situation, I probably would have lied." Ryuma said as he felt bad for the skater. Ryuma felt bad for him and was about to give him some water to drink when he spotted someone wearing a security uniform watching them and approaching them. "Uh, who's that guy?" he asked as he pointed to the mystery man who was staring them down with hardened eyes.
"What man, we're not doing anything wrong here!" Jonesy shouted as the mystery guy walked away from them, but not after giving them the 'I'm watching you hand gesture'.
"That's Ron the Rent-a-Cop, mall security." Jen explained to them as they had met him before in the past. "He just seems to hate people under the age of thirty."
"Fucking loser, doesn't he have shoplifters to stop or something then staring down teenagers?" Chev growled already not liking this guy.
"Might be a slow day or something." Ryuma guessed as they all started to hear sniffling at the next table over and saw the blonde girl from before crying into her sundae.
"Oh it's that blonde chick again." Chev said seeing her sniffling on the verge of bawling her eyes out.
"What were they out of the ruffled skirts or something?" Nikki asked in a not caring attitude.
"If you must know I got cut off financially because I spent too much money and my daddy wants me to work to pay off the bills I made. And I can't get a single job anywhere." The blonde girl complained more as she hated the situation she was forced into.
"Tough break" Ryuma said trying to sympathize with her but was having a difficult time because his parents weren't overly rich like hers.
"I guess they weren't looking for professional shoppers to hire then?" Nikki teased as she got a few chuckles from her friends.
"We should get going and trying to find a job before all that's left is the Wonder Taco stand." Jonesy said as he, Wyatt and Nikki stood up and went to go look for jobs for themselves.
"You guys need help finding any, me and Chev already got jobs so maybe we can help you in your search?" Ryuma asked as he wanted to help these guys out as they were nice to him and Chev.
"Hey you can take my job; I'll hire you on the spot no interview." Jen shouted as she wanted to find someone to take her old lemonade job before working at the Penalty Box.
"Hahaha no" all her friends laughed as they walked away making her groan in disappointment. Jen was desperate as she then saw the blonde girl still crying because she couldn't find a job and Jen was in need to find someone to take over the Lemonade stand.
"Well beggars can't be choosers. Hey blondie, you want to work here?" Jen asked her as she gained a small look of hope on her face at finding a job.
"Well I guess I can try here, thanks. The name's Caitlin by the way." Caitlin said as she introduced herself.
"Caitlin, pretty name" Chev smirked making Ryuma elbowed him to show restraint. It was also evident that Ryuma and Chev were the only ones still at the table.
"Aww thanks" Caitlin said as she blushed at the compliment
"Keep it in your pants man." Ryuma stated as Chev seemed to act like a hound dog at times with pretty girls. "Well I'm going to have a look around the mall to either find a paper copy of the store locations or to get a good feel of the mall." Ryuma stated as he got up and went to explore the huge mall he will be working in.
As Ryuma went on to explore the huge mall, he happened to spot Nikki on a bench looking down in the dumps. "Nikki? What's the matter?" Ryuma asked as he sat down with her.
"This sucks man, I know we just met today but I feel like I can console in you that I only wanted to work in one place here. The travel agency on the second floor." Nikki confessed to him as he didn't know that.
"Man, that does kind of suck. There has to be something else you like that you can get a job in?" Ryuma tried to make Nikki feel better by saying that.
"Not really, I always dreamed of doing some traveling and seeing some of the cool things in this world. But there's only one store that I know would hire me and I dread going there." Nikki stated as she had a hated look on her face.
"Which one is that Nikki?" Ryuma asked as she then gave him a wicked look.
"If you so much as tell anyone I'll make you pay for it." Nikki threatened him as Ryuma nodded quickly to show acknowledgement. "Good, I have to apply to… The Khaki Barn." Nikki said with a shudder of disgust.
"The clothes store where they try to make people dress in awful outfits to make them look alike?" Ryuma asked as he had heard about that store before.
"The same." Nikki confirmed it as she held her face in her hands. Ryuma didn't know what to do so he patted her on the back gently.
"There, there, it'll be fine. Who knows, maybe an opening will present itself at a better place for you to work and you won't have to be there for long. Also I can always visit you, just to keep your mind off of that mind numbing place of business." Ryuma said as a means to console her dread.
"Thanks Ryuma, I needed to hear that today. You sure know what to say to someone who needs cheering up." Nikki stated as she hugged him, catching him off guard.
"I try my best. I hope you survive the ordeal Nikki, a cute girl like you needs to in a place like that." Ryuma told her as he got up to walk around the mall, not noticing Nikki blushing from his compliment.
Back with Chev he was still back at the lemonade stand watching as Jen was trying but failing to teach Caitlin on how to work her new job making him chuckle at the disaster that Caitlin was causing.
"Something funny pretty boy?" Jen asked pausing momentarily to cutely glare at Chev making him raise an eyebrow in amusement.
"Oh so I'm a pretty boy now?" Chev said with a grin making Jen realize what she said.
"T-That's not what I meant idiot!" Jen said with a sputter.
"Your mouth says idiot, but your eyes say dreamboat." Chev returned as he saw the blushing red cheeks on Jen's face.
"S-Shut up!" Jen shouted out with her face red now as she quickly refocused back on Caitlin to avoid further embarrassment.
"This is so much fun." Chev said to himself as he continued to sip his lemonade while he texted Ryuma on his flip-phone.
'So how is it going on your end Chev?' Ryuma texted his friend.
'Great bro, Jen is pudding around my finger.' Chev said smirking as Jen snuck him another look.
'Wow, normally you do this kind of stuff with chicks you really like. She must have struck a heart string or something.' Ryuma stated as he has only seen this done to a few girls Chev attracts.
'What can I say? Jen a one of a kind of gal; that I can tell.' Chev texted back.
'Yeah, I can feel a little the same with Nikki as well. Heck when I was exploring the mall I saw her looking sad and tried to help her feel better emotionally.' Ryuma replied.
'Well let's not rush things and take things one at a time, life gives to those who are patient.' Chev said reciting a wise quote.
'No duh man, we just met them and I feel that they can be really great new friends to us both.' Ryuma responded as he didn't want to think he was going too fast or anything, despite his drag race record. 'Holy shit man you will not believe what I am looking at right now.' Ryuma snapped a photo of the site as he sent it to Chev.
Chev saw he got a picture message and was shocked to see what Ryuma discovered. "No way, there's a fucking amusement park in this mall?" Chev said stunned, how can they fit an amusement park inside a mall; albeit a big mall.
"Oh yeah I heard they added it about a month ago." Caitlin said looking up from her training.
"Yeah, it sure adds to the extra theatre viewing room in the Gigantoplex, as well as the Ice Rink and Club X-S this mall also holds." Jen stated as Chev had a shocked look on his face.
"Holy crap! This place has everything in one building!" Chev said impressed. "Oi Jen, when do you start your real job?" Chev asked curiously seeing as the brunette was overly excited to start.
"This is my last day, so that's why I'm kind of rushing Caitlin here." Jen said happily to quit this crappy job.
"Well looks like you might be showing her how to handle a rush because here comes one now." Chev stated as he pointed to a crowd of people coming their way.
"Aw crap alright Caitlin watch and learn!" Jen said as she started getting everyone drinks outs while Caitlin was on her phone talking to someone.
"Really?" Chev asked as he saw Jen working hard and Caitlin not paying attention in the slightest.
"What's up dude's and dudette's?" Jude asked as he approached them with a more positive attitude than before along with the others as even Ryuma made it back with a map of the mall in his hands.
"Turns out they do have maps to the mall here, who knew. This will so help me out when I start working tomorrow." Ryuma stated as he made sure to keep the map with him on his belt.
"What's got you so pumped bro?" Chev asked referring to why Jude was so hyped.
"The dude made me the manager at stick it!" Jude said with a grin on his face.
"Wow how did you do that?!" Jen asked in surprise.
"I told him I ran two shops already, and he just gave me the job! Jonesy's advice totally worked." Jude explained as Jonesy told him to lie and embellish the truth a bit to get hired.
"Jude, you never worked at a store anywhere." Nikki reminded him as she got worried about her friend. "You're gonna be responsible for all of that food and sticks!"
"Whoa, I didn't think about that. Oh man, I'm in trouble aren't I bro?" Jude realized as he rested his head on the table.
"Jude, it's bra when addressing to a girl." Nikki pointed out to him.
"Okay so now that we know where Jude's working what about you Jonesy?" Chev asked as Jonesy looked kind of happy to inform them.
"I had a great one at that 50's diner, you know Soda Hop." Jonesy told them as he sighed in the beginning.
"What do you mean by had?" Nikki asked as she looked at him with a critical eye.
"I got fired after only working for ten minutes." Jonesy replied as they all gave him an odd look.
"How? How the hell do you get fired in just ten minutes?" Ryuma asked as he never heard of anyone working for that short amount of time before now.
"I hit on the hostess, who I didn't know was the boss' daughter." Jonesy said as he had a smirk on his face. "She was hot man; I couldn't hold myself back from trying."
"Well, on the bright side, that has to be some kind of record." Caitlin mentioned as she tried to make Jonesy lighten up and in a better mood.
"You know what, your right. I like her." Jonesy said as that felt like a badge of honor.
"Yeah a bundle of joy ain't she?" Chev said bemused.
"Well at least you guys got good jobs, I'm just stuck in charge of the country music section at Spin This music." Wyatt said as he didn't like that fact one bit.
"Oh man, country music. That's gotta suck big time man." Ryuma said to Wyatt. Out of all the genres of music ever made, country is his least favorite.
"Country music is like oil to water with me, it just doesn't mix." Chev said with a shake of head.
"But you hate country music Wyatt." Jude said as he reminded his friend of that fact.
"Yeah I do, but they always stick the new guy in the country section. It's like some sort of hazing pledge." Wyatt said as to redeem that fact.
"That's the shittiest excuse I've ever heard, I bet they knew you hated country music and put you there to spite you." Chev said with a frown as he's dealt with people who said it was part of some 'initiation'.
"Not really, the last new guy before me had to work there and when he heard I just got hired I saw him do flips out of sheer joy for finally getting out of country." Wyatt said as he saw that happen right in front of him.
"Well you better pray some desperate guy looking for a job gets hired there quickly. I'd hate to see my new friend end up in a mental asylum." Chev said with a chuckle as Wyatt and him went back and forth in their conversation while everyone listened in.
"Already doing that now man." Wyatt responded as he was thinking the same thing.
"So Nikki, where are you working now?" Jonesy asked as he gave her that look friends make when they are prepared to tease you with information.
"I'm not telling you just yet. I only told one guy and Ryuma isn't telling anyone." Nikki said as she accidentally put the spotlight on Ryuma.
"Telling secrets to each other now? I see what you're doing their buddy." Chev said with a chuckle while Ryuma looked embarrassed now that everyone was looking at him expectantly.
"I will never reveal where she works, not even if you torture me." Ryuma said as he gave Chev the stink eye. He was determined to keep this a secret until Nikki told them, or they found out on their own.
"Aw thanks Ryuma." Nikki said with a smile that made him blush a bit.
"This is perfect, now we can all hang out at the mall together." Jen said with glee to her friends.
"Including us?" Ryuma asked as he wanted to hear it from them.
"Yes, even you guys. You seem cool enough to hang out with us." Jonesy said as he was growing to like these guys.
"Good now you all get to see my stunning face every day." Chev joked with a chuckle. His happiness didn't last long as he saw the brunette that was with Caitlin earlier walk right up to their group.
"Hey Trisha, over here!" Caitlin shouted out in happiness at seeing her bff. Trisha looked at Caitlin with surprise before walking over to her with reluctance that everyone but Caitlin noticed.
"Hey, Caitlin. Isn't it a little early to be dressed up for Halloween?" Trisha said as she looked at Caitlin's uniform.
Caitlin was oblivious to the snide tone Trisha used in that comment as she was happy to see her friend. "No silly, I got a new job." Caitlin stated.
"Ew, why would you do that?" Trisha said with disgust as she heard her friend say that.
"I'm gonna prove to daddy that I can make my own money after he cut me off. Look I know how to make juice now see." Caitlin said as she accidentally spilled lemonade all over Trisha's pants to make it look like she wet herself making Chev silently chuckle.
"Cait, I don't think we should hang out anymore." Trisha stated out loud for her now former friend to hear that.
"What, why?" Caitlin asked as she sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
"Nothing personal, it's just you're wearing a lemon hat, polyester, and ugh working." Trisha walked away from them as she went about her business.
"Harsh" Jude said with a rare frown.
"Wow that's messed up" Wyatt said with a shake of his head.
"Hey!" Chev said standing up with a growl making Trisha turn around with a scoff.
"What do you want loser?" Trisha said with a condescending smirk.
"How could you treat your best friend like that just because she's trying to be responsible once in her life instead of acting like a stuck up spoiled brat like you. Maybe if you worked for anything in your life you realize that world ain't rainbows and ponies!" Chev said with an angry sneer as he sat back down.
"Why do you care you Neanderthal, we were only friends because we came from money. She has no money now so that's just it." Trisha said with an angry remark as she insulted him.
Ryuma tried to push his friend back into his chair but Chev would have none of it.
"I hate people like you, people who only use others for their own gain. I hope you realize you will wither away alone once you realize no one gives a fuck about you anymore, not even looks or money will save you in the end, only friends and family.
"Whatever loser, have fun being on the bottom of the social chain." Trisha said as she felt a can of paint fall onto her as they all heard chuckling as everyone looked up to see the same three pre-teens from before laughing out loud. She huffed in frustration as she stormed away from them.
"Karmas a bitch." Jonesy said with a smirk speaking after Chev rant.
"Have fun walking home." Ryuma said as the final word getting a scream of anger in the distance. He smiled as he heard her reaction.
"Thanks guys...all of you" Caitlin said with a smile even though she still had sadness in her eyes.
"Of course girl, you one of us now; at least in my eyes." Chev with a massive grin.
"Same here, no one deserves that harsh treatment from a supposed friend." Ryuma said to help her out of being sad.
"I'm getting hungry, anyone up for tacos?" Jude asked as he stood up to head to the Wonder Taco stand.
"I'm down." Jonesy and Chev said, especially Chev as that rant made him ravaged.
"Nah, I'm good. I got a slice of pizza earlier. But you guys enjoy your tacos." Ryuma said as he saw Jude, Jonesy, and Chev leave for Wonder Taco.
"Nice save man, the girl that works there has this habit of spitting in the tacos of those she hates." Nikki explained to him as he realized the bullet he dodged.
"Hopefully Chev will notice; he's quick to point stuff like that out, considering he used to do it back in middle school." Ryuma said with a chuckle
"As long as he doesn't tease the taco girl, then I think he'll be fine." Nikki said as they continued to see Jen try to teach Caitlin the ropes of the lemon stand.
All in all Ryuma and Chev realized that it was gonna be fun hanging with their new friends.
~Chapter end~