Episode 78: We Don't Like Your Kind 'Round Here
CHAPTER 1: A NEW PLACE TO EAT, DEFINITELY; A NICE PLACE TO EAT, NOT SO MUCH
5 and Quentin were out on a date. They have grown closer since getting together and Quentin had become 5's backbone and vice versa. Plus, Broderick finally was respecting them and not teasing them for being gay anymore, as promised after Ox had confronted him about putting potatoes in his locker when he hated them. Plus, all of their friends have been supportive of the two. They were in a great place.
This particular night, they had just left the movie theater, and wanted to get a bite to eat before calling it a night. But they didn't want to go to the usual places that the gang went to like Joe's Café, Ace's Ice Cream Shop, or even Java Jive (though it was mostly Linus going to Java Jive than the rest). They wanted to try something else out.
"How about the pizza place in the mall?" suggested Quentin. "Charlie Brown told me he and Frieda went there and it's a good place to eat."
"Yeah, but I'm really not in the mood for pizza, baby," said 5. Then 5 spotted a lonely diner on the side of the street. It was called J.J.'s Diner. It looked quite rustic and dripping in Americana.
"How about that place?" suggested 5.
"Sure, we can try it out," said Quentin. "We don't do enough greasy spoons." And they went inside the diner. When they got in, almost immediately, folks were looking at the couple strangely. Not too much the customers, though some did look at them funny, but mostly, the staff. One of the waitresses came up to them.
"Are you sure you're in the right place?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah," said Quentin. "We wanted to try out your nice establishment." The waitress sighed.
"Right this way," she droned. 5 and Quentin looked at each other and shrugged and followed the waitress. "I'll be back to take your order." And then she left and went in the back.
"Okay that was strange," said 5.
"Very!" agreed Quentin.
Meanwhile in the back, the waitress went over to J.J., the owner, who also served as the main cook. She said, "A couple of faggots just sashayed into here, J.J.!"
"Sweet Jesus!" groaned J.J. "Just what I needed. A couple of fairies trying to sweeten up my diner! The customers must be freaked out by them. I know I would be!"
"Whaddaya want me to do, J.J.?"
"Give 'em their drinks, take their order, an' leave the rest to me!"
"Take their orders?"
"Yeah. I didn't say you was gonna give them their orders!"
The waitress laughed. "I gotcha, J.J., I gotcha!" she snickered. And she went back out and gave them glasses of water to "start out with."
"You know what you want?" she said, still acting uninterested.
"Yeah, I'll have the chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and country gravy," said Quentin. "And a root beer to drink."
"You sure you don't want a fruity drink like a strawberry Italian soda?" droned the waitress. "We also have salads if you want to watch your figure, dearie." Quentin looked at the waitress. It was obvious that she held them in disdain, but didn't let his anger come out. He kept his cool, at least for now.
"The steak and root beer will be fine, miss," said Quentin through gritted teeth. She just shrugged.
"And how about you, dear?" she asked 5.
"I'll have the fried chicken dinner with a lemon lime soda to drink," said 5.
"Now that sounds like a drink your kind would drink, albeit usually a diet one," sneered the waitress. Quentin's patience with this second-rate server was wearing thin. They handed her their menus, and she went in the back.
"Queer number one wants the chicken-fried steak, and number 2 wants the fried chicken dinner," she chuckled.
"Nice!" laughed J.J. "Now the real fun begins. These queerbos are gonna learn that not all places want their kind around!"
After a half hour, and after folks AFTER them got their food, Quentin's patience was out. "This is crazy!" he fumed. "Where the hell is our food?!"
"I know," agreed 5. "At least Joe's would've had our food hot and ready when we ordered it. THIS place, where do I even begin?!" When the waitress came walking by, Quentin stopped her.
"Miss?" he began. "We've been waiting here for over a half an hour. And folks who were in here after us got their food already. Where's ours?!"
"Well, you see, sweetheart," sneered the waitress, "I should have told you when you first entered our fine establishment, we don't cater to FAGGOTS!" 5 and Quentin was shocked at the audacity of this woman.
"WHERE THE HELL'S THE OWNER?!" fumed Quentin.
"Right here, Mary!" sneered J.J., smirking. "I'm the J.J. in 'J.J.'s Diner,' and like the nice woman just told ya, we ain't servin' no queers in my fine establishment. But you probably didn't realize that. So, let's just say the drinks are on the house and call it even. Now get the # $% out of my diner before I kick both of yous lily asses!" The two boys glared at the crass owner, but complied and left.
"We're not going back to that place, Quentin!" fumed an angry 5.
"Actually, we are, 5," said Quentin.
"WHAT?!"
"We'll tell the gang what happened here tonight, and we can spread the word about this place and how it discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community."
"I get what you're saying, baby! Stick it to the grunt and banshee in there!"
"Exactly! Let's really get a bite to eat. Looks like we're going to Joe's after all." And they went to Joe's Café to meet up with the gang and tell them about their awful experience.
NEXT CHAPTER: HOW TO BEAT A BIGOT