Title- The Return of Jess

Chapter Title- All in a Day's Work

Disclaimer- I do not own The Outsiders

I woke up around 9 o'clock. I took a shower and got dressed. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and sighed. Work sucks; it really does, especially on a Saturday. I wanted to sleep. I stayed home until 10:45 and then left. I walked into The Dingo and sighed. I looked at the Saturday staff. I noticed a guy who later introduced himself as Chris and a girl named Lisa. I didn't like either, but each person for different reasons.

I walked in and noticed Chris staring at me. I walked over to him.

"Is there something on my face?" I asked him.

"No, my name's Chris, who are you?"

"I'm Jessica," I told him and looked for my order pad, which was not where I left it.

"So, um, Jessica, would you be interested in seeing a movie after work?" Was this guy trying to ask me on a date? I looked at him. He was tall and thin, not really muscular. He had hair that was the color of American cheese and small brown eyes. His face was completely broken out and he had a nasally voice. I'd rather go on a date with Ponyboy.

"No, I have a boyfriend," I told him and continued my search for my order pad. I tapped Lisa on the shoulder.

"Whatta ya want?" she snapped at me. She was chewing her gum hard. She had fake blonde hair; I only know this because her black roots were showing.

"You have my order pad," I told her. She huffed and threw it at me. I could see my Saturdays would be wonderful.

Later, I was arguing with Lisa about tables. She wanted to waitress the tables that I was in charge of. I almost had to smack her. She only wanted my tables because nobody was sitting at them. My day got better when Steve and Soda came in around noon. It was probably their lunch hour. They sat at one of Lisa's old tables.

"I want my old tables back," Lisa said suddenly. I knew why, she wanted to talk to Soda. It wasn't hard to tell, she was staring right at him.

"Fuck off," I hissed, "Soda's mine." I walked over to the table and started talking to them. Lisa got angry at and came over to me.

"What you just said to me, it wasn't very appropriate. Anyway, this is my table," she told me and smirked at Soda. "Your tables are over there," she said and pointed to the empty tables. I wanted to hit her, but I wasn't going to make a scene. Last time I made a scene was at DX, I was fired shortly after that. I just walked over to the tables I was supposed to be working at and sat on one of them. I swung my legs and exhaled.

Soon, Steve and Soda came over to me and Steve sat at the table I was on. I gave Lisa the most hateful glare possible. Soda stood next to me and put his arm around my waist. Lisa stared at me with her mouth open, her jaw was practically touching the floor. I wanted to stick my tongue out at Lisa.

"So why'd you come over here?"

"Ya looked lonely," Steve said.

"Yeah, and that waitress started talkin' 'bout you, and I didn't like it," Soda said. I blushed and smiled.

"Could ya take our order? We don't have all day," Steve said and I jumped off the table. I took their order and quickly got it to them. They left, but not before Soda kissed me on the cheek, and I went into the back.

"How could he like you?" Lisa asked me. I shrugged and went to get the drinks for another table. I was walking back with them when Lisa stuck out her foot and I fell to the floor. The drinks fell and splattered everywhere. I got up and got more drinks. I calmly ignored Lisa; she just wanted to get me annoyed. I cleaned up the mess and stuck it out for the rest of the day.

I came home and slammed the door shut. I was really, really mad at Lisa and I found out I would have Sundays work with her. She only worked weekends, and I worked all the time. I decided I hated weekends. She was jealous because I had Sodapop, and she didn't. She was 16, and the meanest girl I had ever met. Chris also worked with us, but he was easy to ignore. I think he didn't like Soda, he was the chef and he spit in the burger Soda had ordered. I told Soda, and he didn't eat that part of the burger.

I sat on the couch and wanted to cry. I just stared at the floor while sitting on the couch until Steve came home.

"Hey Jess, you okay?" He asked me and shook me a little bit. I nodded. No, I wasn't okay, but I wasn't gonna let him know that a girl like Lisa could get to me. I got up and went into Steve's room. I tore it apart looking for something.

"What are ya lookin' for?"

"Where's your switchblade?"

"What?"

"Where the hell is the goddamned switchblade?" He reached into his back pocket and handed it to me. I grabbed it.

"Why?"

"I'm takin' it to work tomorrow." He looked at me and then at the switchblade. He reached for it, because he probably thought I was going to hurt Lisa. I put it into my pocket; I wasn't going to hurt her. I could threaten her, especially if she made anymore rude remarks about me. Part of me knew the instant I flicked out the switchblade, I'd be fired, the other part, didn't care.