The McDonald's Chronicles
Chapter Two: The Check that Pays
"All right, almost payday!" Ryouga called cheerfully as he sauntered to his cash register. The new Icee machine behind him had replaced the broken one and today, he wasn't getting any slush on his hands.
Unfortunately, the Icee machine had other plans.
~*~
It had been three weeks since Usagi had started her job as an employee at McDonald's, and she had just barely gotten a hold of what to do and what not to do when Cid moved her to the take-out window. Duo waved a solemn goodbye as the large man steered her away, and she didn't take that as a good sign.
"Welcome to McDonalds, can I take your order?" she asked the microphone. She looked utterly ridiculous, she knew it. And with Asuka Langley-Soryu hovering over her shoulder in obvious anticipation, waiting for her to mess up an order, her nerves were fraying.
"Yes, I'd like two number ones, a Chicken McNugget Happy Meal, and a large fry," the bodiless voice told her from the black speakers, and she hesitantly punched the buttons on her register.
"Nope. Other one. Delete it." Asuka said triumphantly as Usagi misplaced a finger. Usagi gritted her teeth and started over. "Nope. Wrong again." More buttons. "No. The other one." Yet more stupid laminated bumps that beeped insistently at her.
"Dammit!" Usagi cursed.
"What?" asked the person on the other end of the microphone.
"Uh, nothing." Usagi said quickly, punching the order in – entirely right this time. "Please pull up to the window, that will be sixteen dollars and fifty-three cents."
A red convertible pulled up to the window and she leaned out to take Chiba Mamoru's money.
"Mamo-chan?" she squawked.
"Usa-ko?" he asked blankly.
"Chibi-Usa!" Usagi yelled accusingly, and the pink-haired girl in the seat beside Mamoru cringed.
"What do you want, Usagi?" Chibi-Usa asked.
"What are you guys doing here?" Usagi said.
"Buying food, isn't it obvious?" Chibi-Usa said in disdain. Usagi flushed.
"Of course you're buying food… why are you here?" Usagi said carefully.
"Tsukino, what do you think you're doing? You have other people in line!" Asuka's voice snapped Usagi back into reality and she retreated into the window.
"Please pull up to the next window," she said, then nearly fell out of the window as Ryouga came dancing through the doorway and slammed into her.
"Gyaah! Get it off, get it off!" he shrieked, red slush covering his hands. "That machine is possessed!"
"Nyahahaha!" Came an evil cackle, and Usagi sighed.
"Not her again," she murmured, and Asuka looked at her blankly.
"Who's her-" she began.
"I'm Queen Beryl! I have possess your Icee machine, and you will all suffer!" Queen Beryl cackled.
"What the hell is going on?" Ryouga shrieked, trying to shake the slush off. Instead, it began to crawl up his arms toward his neck. "GYAAAAHHHHH!!!!"
Usagi put her head in her hands and sighed.
"What in the damn hell is going on out here?" Cid's voice came thundering through the restaurant, and Queen Beryl paused in her mad cackling.
"Oh, shit." She squeaked, and abruptly fled.
"Well, that's one way to get rid of her," Usagi contemplated, then shrank back and Cid started walking towards her.
"How are you doing?" he asked gruffly, blue eyes staring challengingly into her own.
"Fine." Usagi managed to get out. Behind Cid, she could see Duo making monkey faces at her, and she stifled a giggle. Cid's eyes narrowed.
"Maxwell, get to work!" he barked, and Duo squeaked and disappeared back into his station. Usagi stifled another laugh, and to her great surprise, Cid actually smiled at her. "Keep it up, pigtails." He told her, then stalked back to his office. Usagi stared at him in surprise until Asuka whacked her upside the head.
"Let's get going, Tsukino!" She yelled in her ear. "Still got three hours left on your shift!"
~
A/N: I can't believe I've actually updated this fic. I don't know what I was thinking when I started it, but I actually have people with it on their favorites list, so… *shrug* I can't delete it, I guess. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! I seem to have been struck with writer's block, so if you have any ideas you want to see in here, send 'em to me and I'll stick 'em in. Ciao!