"Can I have a refill?"
"Can I buy tickets here?"
"We get free popcorn, right?"
"Can you hurry up? The movie is about to start and I don't want to miss the opening crawl!"
As hundreds of people crowded around the small concessions counter, Weiss was entertaining two notions; walk out the door and never look back… or stab her coworker with a straw.
Sadly, the fact that she worked at this abysmal place meant neither option was something she could do – no matter how fulfilling it might be to carry out either urge. Rather, Weiss steeled herself with a sigh before once more adopting a cheery, albeit forced, smile and dealt with the next person in front of her. One at the time. For six more hours.
In hindsight, Weiss should have known better. The hours in the building skyrocketed for this week, but I didn't think there would be This. Many. People. I should have known that being assigned out here was a red flag from the beginning!
The theater that Weiss worked at had several different roles for their employees, from concessionists who sell drinks and food, to people manning the ticket booths, or the ushers who cleaned the theaters and ripped tickets.
The spot that the schedule dictated Weiss' position for the Thursday of Star Wars: Episode VII opening was in the ULTRA concessions. Someone, and by someone, Weiss was entirely sure the general manager, had decided to create a separate concession stand near the building's ULTRA screen so movie-goers wouldn't have to trek all the way back to center of the building from the furthest wing.
In theory, it made sense. In fact, the only time Weiss had worked in ULTRA before the shift had been… boring, to say the least. With a grand total of five sales over the course of seven hours. That was what she'd hoped this shift would have been like.
Weiss was proven wrong.
'This was too busy. This was too busy to only have two people working.
Several HUNDRED people were lined up, waiting to grab last minute snacks or refills as the previews had started to play, with only two, TWO people to serve them all.
What have I done to deserve this hell? Where did I go wrong? Was it because I thought about cheating on a test once? Was that it?! WHY?!
Glancing quickly down at her watch, Weiss let out a small sigh of relief, the movie has almost started, and then people won't be badgering me for more popcorn or slushies. I'm almost through it! What made this thought horrifying was the fact that this wasn't even the midnight show yet. It turns out that most theaters nowadays have the first show for new movies around six or seven in the evening. I just need to get through two more showings, and then I can go home and sleep this all off like a bad dream.
Perhaps what made this even worse was how badly Weiss wanted to see the movie that everyone before her was minutes away from viewing. In the short time she worked for the theater, she had never cared about new movies, never had the want to actually go see what was being shown… until today.
For once, Weiss actually had a reason to use her employee passes – except for the fact that Disney banned their use for the first twenty-one days. Or the fact she was forced to work it.
The white haired teen was pulled from her musings as another customer stepped in front of her.
"Hello! How can I help you?"
Instead of someone rattling off a long order, or just asking for the standard large combo, the person in front of Weiss started to giggle softly. It was the stifled giggling that made Weiss realize who was in front of her.
"I'm sorry, it's just a little amusing to see you working here." Pyrrha's hand was firmly planted over her mouth to stifle the giggling as Weiss' forced smile disappeared into an unhappy frown faster than conventional physics should allow for – one that caused the redhead's own mirthful smile to dip down into a frown. "I wasn't trying to make fun of you-"
Seeing the never ending sea of customers still present behind the redhead, Weiss turned to her friend. "Please, just stand, look at the menu, talk, just don't go, don't make me deal with more people." Weiss didn't want to beg, but she needed a break. Her pride could go fuck itself.
"O-okay." Emerald eyes blinked for a moment in surprise before Pyrrha nodded in understanding. "How's the whole shift going, having fun?" The question, while good natured, had the opposite effect.
Weiss gave Pyrrha a thousand-yard stare with icy blue eyes that twitched as flashbacks from hundreds of customers she'd dealt with in the preceding hours raced through her head. "Quite."
"Uh…" Pyrrha backed away slightly from the counter. "I'm… sorry?"
"It's… it's nothing." Weiss muttered after a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose, "This was not what I imagined when I agreed to a part time job."
"Well, just hang in there, it'll be over eventually, right?" Pyrrha said encouragingly.
Weiss had to bite back a bitter laugh. "Just five more hours and I'll be out. Five. More. Hours."
"Ummmmmm, Weiss?" The teen in question felt her sleeve being tugged as her coworker sought out her attention. "When was our last show again?"
"Eleven fifty five." Weiss had the schedule for the day memorized, as well as written down several places, after all, she'd been at work since three…
"I think they added another show." The coworker pressed a few buttons before Weiss turned to her own console and brought up the upcoming show schedule.
Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens – 3:10am
The urge to stab her coworker with a straw returned in far greater force as Weiss took a deep breath and let it out.
I mustn't stab her with a straw, it's not her fault, it's corporate's fault. I'll just have to buy them out and run this theater into the ground when I quit. A sickly, creepy smile stretched across Weiss' lips. Yes, this is a good plan. Ooo, or I could make the people who decided to add another showing work at the concession counter!
"W-Weiss?" The white haired teen's increasingly useless coworker's voice was shaken, most likely from the positively evil smile that was spread across Weiss' face. "I-I-I think I burned the popcorn."
Will this day ever end?
After having to throw ALL of the popcorn out, and go several nerve-wracking minutes without any, the popper was finally filled with popcorn again and thankfully, the movie had started, meaning that besides her coworker and Pyrrha, Weiss was mercifully alone.
Now came the dead period, where the downright disgusting mess that was made by four hundred odd people waiting for a movie in an enclosed space. A mess that Weiss had taken upon herself to clean up personally given her distrust of her coworker from doing a single thing right.
Which was why Weiss was currently mopping up spilled, sticky soda from the refill counter, trying her best to do it quickly, yet failing as Pyrrha hovered nearby.
Hoping to alleviate the soul crushing job she was doing, Weiss turned to Pyrrha. "Aren't you a tad early for your show, it isn't for another four hours?"
"Yes, well, I figured I'd get here early and reserve seats for everyone." Weiss gave an undignified grunt as a response as she continued to wipe down the counter, prompting a concerned frown from her redhead friend. "Has it been this busy the entire day?"
Weiss had to resist the urge to give Pyrrha another thousand yard stare, instead settling on a simple defeated nod. "Without fail."
"Well, it is the latest Star Wars movie, it's been highly anticipated for years now," Pyrrha mentioned, though she could see that this was also a rare case, even among the more highly anticipated movies. "I mean, this is probably the exception, but it's not quite this bad normally… right?"
Wiping the last of the buttery popcorn from the counter, Weiss took a step back to admire her hard work and the slight shine to it before turning towards Pyrrha. "Usually no, but with the semester ending and everyone not having school for winter break soon, plus the numbers that Star Wars typically brings in, I'm going to imagine it'll be this busy for some time." Never before did Weiss wish she hadn't done research on how much a movie was supposed to make.
"I guess hundreds of people look different when watching them then when studying them on paper...you could always leave, you know." Icy blue eyes narrowed at emerald ones asking the unspoken question of why Pyrrha would suggest such a thing. "If it's not working out, there are other jobs out there, especially if this one isn't working out for you."
Weiss quietly stared at the spray bottle before looking back up at Pyrrha. "If I do, that'll be going back on my word." Weiss was not going to break her promise to her father, especially given that he had delivered on his end of the bargain.
"Hmmm… is there anything I can do for you, then?" The urge to ask the kind redhead to help her clean the mess that was the waiting area was immediately squashed by the fact that simply put, this was Weiss' job, not Pyrrha's. However…
"Could… could pick up food for my break?" Weiss had been counting the seconds until she could take her scheduled half an hour break, and felt that she'd more than deserved some hot food rather than the cold sandwiches that were in her locker.
"Sure!" A great, wide grin stretched across Pyrrha's face as she enthusiastically nodded. "Any preference from where?"
Weiss mumbled something softly, earning a small frown from Pyrrha. "Um, what was that?"
"…Five Guys…"
A singular eyebrow arched up incredulously. "You like Five Guys?"
Weiss didn't verbally respond, only nodding shyly, embarrassed about her guilty-pleasure food. "Alright, do you mind if I buy one of your Star Wars cups before I go?"
"Not at all!"
That's, of course, when more issues started to arise.
It's not as if Weiss WASN'T being paid to sell her friend a promotional cup, plus she knew how much Pyrrha enjoyed the series. The only complication came when the credit card system for her register stopped working.
As Weiss resisted the subtle, but ever consuming urge the grab the cash register and slam it onto the ground after having manually entered Pyrrha's credit card for the fifth time in a row, another misfortune occurred.
A movie-goer had left the theater for a refill on his large popcorn, and was putting seasoning on it at the counter that Weiss had spent the better part of ten minutes meticulously cleaning. He was shaking the seasoning into the bucket, stray popcorn flying all over the previously shining counter, eliciting a barely audible whimper from Weiss.
The whimper, however, turned into a snarl as the moviegoer gave a small shrug before upending the large tub all over the counter and walking over to the seething teen.
"Can I have a refill?"
Just think happy thoughts, Weiss, just think happy thoughts. Just don't stab him and you can get through this, just happy thoughts… Why am I thinking of Pyrrha?
For some reason, in Weiss' stress addled brain, her immediate thought to keep her from shanking a bitch was the memory of the tall redhead holding her in strong, muscled arms, protecting from the evil, vile, inky, creeping darkness …
…Right as said person accidently spilled her drink over the man in front of the counter – though the mischievous twinkle in her emerald eyes made it clear it was anything but an 'accident'.
If there is a higher power… please have mercy on me and end it now.
I just need to turn in the closing list and I can leave.
In some cruel act from a higher power, Weiss had gotten through the shift with her sanity intact, not from a lack of trying, mind you.
Everything that could go wrong, had gone wrong. From the shift going on for another three hours, to her one coworker being a minor and being sent home at midnight leaving Weiss to clean the ULTRA concession stand by herself, to the unending lines of people.
Perhaps the only bright spot of the shift was when the rest of her friends had shown up an hour before the midnight showing started – it was comforting to see some friendly faces in the sea of strangers. Or when they had stopped by to see how she was doing after their showing got out. Better yet, plans had been made to see the movie again, this time with Weiss.
At least I have something to look forward to now after this shift. I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow morn… morning… Weiss stopped in her tracks. Today is Thrusday, er, Friday morning. I have classes in… five hours…
"Fuck."
"Ah, Miss Schnee, there you are!"
Weiss' eyes widened in horror before realizing that the supervisor hadn't heard her mutter the obscenity as she jogged over. "Oh, uh, hello, Amber, I have the closing list for you right here." The white-haired teen shakily offered up a piece of paper.
"Thank you…" However, instead of walking away, the dark skinned woman motioned up the stairs towards the office, "We still need to check you out before you can leave."
Weiss' eyes narrowed as she dutifully followed Amber up the steps and into the locked office. I've already picked up my pay stub, what else is there to… do… Icy blue eyes locked onto the words printed across the packet that Amber was holding out to her.
DISCIPLINARY ACTION – WRITE UP – INVENTORY WAS OFF
"Now, since this is your first time, and I know today was a little hectic, which is why your inventory is off by nearly thirty items, I'm going to give you this as a warning and not a write-up, so don't let it get you down, okay?"
Weiss found herself numbly nodding as the words sunk in. "Alright, you are free to go, get some rest!" While the tone of the supervisor was kind, Weiss felt like she was being treated as some kind of failure.
In a robotic process, Weiss walked out of the doors and into the parking lot, headed for the bus stop to catch a ride home. "Wait, the buses stop running at two AM."
Snapping herself out of the stupor, Weiss reached into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. I'll just call someone for a ride. As she looked at the screen, it brightly displayed that there was no cell reception. No matter, I'll just use the theater's phone, then. Both her and her plan were stopped in their tracks when Weiss remembered that the doors had locked over an hour ago.
I'm ten miles away from campus, I have classes in five hours, I have no cell reception, I'm covered in filth and reek of popcorn and candy, I just spent the last THIRTEEN HOURS IN A MINIMUM WAGE JOB THE WEEK BEFORE FINALS!?
Something deep within Weiss snapped. Hard.
I got a write up today, I failed at having a minimum wage job, how am I ever going to take over the family business?!
It's not worth it! NONE OF THIS IS WORTH IT! It's not even minimum wage; they are paying me a 'training wage' for the first ninety days! I DIDN'T EVEN MAKE A HUNDRED DOLLARS TODAY! And now I'm stuck in the dark... alone.
The words sunk into her as the self-depreciative panic attack melded into pure, unadulterated fear. I'm alone, in a huge, empty parking lot… in the dark. Weiss' thin arms wrapped around herself as she hugged her torso in some unconscious response to make the feeling of helplessness go away.
"I-I-I just wa-a-anna g-go home." Weiss' vision blurred as tears streaked down her cheeks. It was only moments later that the fears had fully sunk their dagger-like claws into her thoughts as she sat on a curb, knees hugged against her chin.
The fear that somewhere out there were people that could take her away without her being able to even see them returned in full force, causing the shaking girl to bury her head in her crossed arms. J-Just think h-happy thoughts, just think happy t-thoughts.
"Weiss~? Is that you?" An energetic voice that Weiss could name any day of the week called out faintly. Great, now I'm hallucinating that I'm hearing Ruby. The soft pitter-patter of footsteps only made the terrified teen curl up more. "Weiss, are you sleeping?" This time it was louder as the footsteps grew in volume.
"Hey Pyrrha, I don't think Weiss is okay!" Footsteps quickened into a run, finally forcing Weiss to look up. Indeed, Ruby was running towards her, with Pyrrha tailing behind.
"R-Ruby? Pyrrha?" Icy eyes stared up at her two red-themed friends, still not quite believing that they were real. "W-why are y-you here?"
Ruby reached her first, crouching down beside her, a worried frown creasing her lips. "Um, we figured that you might need a ride since the buses stopped running a while ago, and Pyrrha has a car, sooo here we are. Uhh, are you, um, okay?"
Concerned emerald and silver eyes anxiously focused on her, eliciting a small, almost tiny twitch at the corners of Weiss' lips, forcing them up in the beginnings of a smile. "I w-wanna go home."
Weiss' saviours looked at each other and nodded before lightly grabbing her on each side. "Let's get you to the car."
The moment they had pulled her up, Weiss latched onto the one saviour who couldn't drive, Ruby, in an effort to make sure she wasn't hallucinating from the hellish shift she'd just endured. "Eep!" Ruby jolted at the sudden contact. "You gotta let go, Weiss, else we aren't getting into the car!"
Long white hair swayed as Weiss timidly shook her head. "We can sit in the back seat." Ruby could only shrug her shoulders helplessly as they made their way towards Pyrrha's car – with some stifled giggling from the redhead.
The moment Weiss buckled in the back with Ruby, the fight to stay awake was lost immediately, a singular happy thought fluttering through her head before unconsciousness overtook her.
Now I have two happy places to think of.
AN: Noble: Wow, completely broken Weiss...goddammit Jefardi, this is going to make things much more complicated for her.
Jef: Or much simpler… depending on your point of view!
Noble: You could say that. Anyway, you finally get to work on one of the chapters.
Jef: Or I could have made it far more complicated, /shrug/ Who knows? Yup! Finally working on this, quite fun too!
Noble: Yeah, and you immediately begin with breaking Weiss. Well done Jef...well done.
Jef: The sad thing is, I have a bullet point list of things to go wrong on a shift at a movie theater. A list that was made in ten minutes, i.e. one in which I overlooked a lot. I didn't even get through half of them… maybe next time?
Noble: Yeah, anyway, thanks for tuning in this week! Don't worry, we'll be returning to the theater at some point, so we'll see more from Weiss on the job. Reviews are appreciated but not required, and we'll catch you next week!
(Tumbleweed)