Chapter 57

"So lemme get this straight, you want us to go on a Monday night, without homework, and volunteer to work at the concession stand for the volleyball game tonight?" Falco was confused at Fox's newfound idea.

"Yeah, I mean don't you think that'd be something new? Something that we don't really tread that often?" The bird rolled his eyes. "You probably just wanna go so you can check out the volleyball girls" Falco laughed as his friend's face shot a little red. "T-That's not the point." He tried to regain his composure. "Do you wanna give it a shot or what?"

Falco rolled his eyes once more, "Why not? Don't really have anything going on tonight anyways." "Great, I'll go ask Slippy. Mrs. Toms told me that they only need three for tonight." Fox left Falco and headed for the other end of the school, hoping to find the frog before he left. He quickly walked down the hall, then another. He tried the science classrooms but couldn't find him. 'Where's that dang frog at?' He pulled out his phone and called him.

As he walked down the hall towards the exit he heard a familiar song echoing in the bathroom. He ended the call and just waited outside. As he predicted, the frog walked out of the restroom shortly after. "That's definitely the last place I was going to look for you." The vulpine said as he laughed with his friend.

"So I managed to talk Falco into working the concession stand tonight, you in to join us? They need one more." The frog nodded without any hesitation. "Great, I wish Falco was this easy to persuade." He smiled at his friend and walked towards the teacher's room to let her know that the spots had been filled for tonight's game. Fox headed home to relay his plans to his parents.

"Never done something like this before, so I figured why not pass up the chance?" James looked over his sunglasses at his son, "You're probably just going to look at the volleyball girls." Slightly irritated, and red, Fox tried not to laugh at the statement that mimicked his friend's from earlier in the day. "Falco said that too." James just shook his head, trying to hold back a laugh himself.

Later that night, a little before 6, Fox was almost ready to go. 'Got my wallet, keys, phone…' His thoughts trailed as he looked around his room to make sure he had everything. 'Right, and my jacket wouldn't hurt.' He grabbed his jacket and walked to the living room. "You guys want anything? We're allowed to grab something to eat if we get hungry. They have slushies, some candy, hamburgers and hotdogs. Maybe they got something new since last I went to something." Both of his parents shook their heads and Fox turned towards the door. Fox arrived just a few minutes before 6, the game was scheduled to start a little bit past 6.

He waved at Mrs. Toms when he walked into the school and she waved back. "I'm glad you're here, not a moment too soon." Fox had a little confusion on his face, "Falco and Slippy aren't here yet and we need someone to set up this sign." She walked over towards the concession window and in front of it was a large menu, meant to be right above the window.

"So you just want me to put this menu up above the window?" The older vixen nodded to him as she directed him to where a ladder was. 'Should be a piece of cake' Fox grabbed the ladder and walked over towards the concession window.

'Wonder where those two are, they're cutting it awful close.' Fox grabbed the sign and ascended the ladder.

'Dang, this sign is a little heavier than it looks, and it sure seems like it got bigger now.' He saw the hooks on the back of it that were designed to hook onto the ride of the wall. He tried leaning over to hang the sign up, but it was putting too much strain on his straightened legs and it was poor for his balance. 'Geez, this is harder than I thought.'

Instead, Fox decided to sit on the ladder's top and try hanging it that way. 'No good, I can't reach far enough to the right still.' His final idea was to straddle the ladder and move the sign onto the wall that way. He had to reach a little bit but eventually got the right end hung on the wall. He wiped his forehead a little and beheld his handiwork.

He smiled then jumped off his ladder, to the discovery that the windows to the concession stand had been opened. He folded up the ladder and returned it to where he was directed. Fox walked into the concession stand to find that his friends had arrived. "When did you guys get here?" The bird and frog turned around quickly at their friend's voice, "Hey Fox! We got here just a few minutes ago."

Fox raised an eyebrow at them, "And neither of you thought to help me with that sign I was putting it up. The bird just shrugged his shoulders, "Sure looked to me like you had it under control" Fox's face held a look of reluctant agreeance, "Yeah, well…. Thanks."

The bird waved Fox over. "Mrs. Toms gave us the lowdown while you were putting that thing up. We have our own menu here to know what all the prices are. Popcorn machine is easy to load up, and the popcorn buckets only take one scoop. Here's the drink machine and cups." Fox nodded along as his friend showed him what was left. "Okay, I think I've got it all. So who wants to work the windows with me?"

The bird and frog looked at each other and nodded. They each took a step back and swung their arms at each other with quick movement. "Ha! Paper beats rock!" The frog laughed when he witnessed his victory." Falco could only mumble and look at his fist that formed rock, looking at it with great disappointment. "I'll stay back and cook the stuff, anyone hungry before all the people start rolling in?" The fox and bird both shook their heads as they all walked towards the back to prep some of the food.

They could hear the doors opening and the people talking as the large numbers rolled through the doors. "Looks like it's time to lock and load." Falco said as he poked his head out the window. "So me and Fox will take the windows, Slip-up how about you just replace these popcorn buckets and drinks when we pick them up, put together some nachos while we're at it?" The frog nodded as he went to work.

"Wha- When did so many people line up?" Fox had just turned around, but there was a sizable line in front of his and Falco's window.

"Hey there, what can I get you?" Falco asked the first man at his window. "Oh well I guess I'll get four large Dr. Rockets, a popcorn bucket, two nacho trays, and a hotdog." Falco's face was blank. "Uh yeah you got it. But if I may ask, how are you gonna carry all that?" The man had a surprised look on his face, "Oh, right! My kids are coming over here now." "Oh, yeah, now that makes a lot more sense." Falco laughed as he filled up the cups and got the rest of his order.

"Hey Slippy! I need two nacho trays and two grape slushies!" They had so few orders for slushies, since it was still January, that they hadn't made any in advance. "Just one minute, we're whipping them up now" Fox smiled at the middle aged couple trying his best to keep them happy while they unexpectedly waited.

"Hey Slippy! Grab a hotdog and a nacho tray while you're back there!" Falco yelled back at the frog once more. "Geez, you guys are making me wish I hadn't won that rock paper scissors game now!" Slippy yelled back while they all laughed. As the lines thinned, they felt like they could actually breathe.

"Hi, could I get a hotdog and some nachos?" A young rabbit walked and asked shyly. "Course you can." Fox walked back to their table and grabbed what the young girl asked for. He quickly spun around to face the rabbit, shortly wishing he hadn't.

He slipped on a split drink and quickly plummeted onto the ground, only seeing the lights above him as well as the tray of nachos headed for his face.

SPLAT.

Chips and cheese littered his face as Falco started laughing his feathered rear off. When Slippy ran around to see what happened, he followed suit. Witnessing all of it, the young girl even started laughing along with the boys.

Sitting up and brushing all of the chips off his face, Fox couldn't help but join them. "Sorry sweetheart, give me just a minute and I'll have your nachos." The young rabbit just smiled back at him as he turned around to fix her tray.

He handed her a tray, she paid, then smiled and walked off. It made Fox feel all warm inside, making a young child laugh and help her out. "Well boys, looks like we're in the clear." Falco turned his back to the window and looked at his friend. "I'm starved." Slippy put together a nacho tray and scooted some hotdogs towards Fox and Falco in case they wanted one.

"It's only 8? It seems like it'd be later than that." Slippy whipped out his phone looking at the time. "So what's next? You guys wanna go to corner café after this? Don't have a whole ton of time left after all."

Fox's friends liked his idea. There was only half an hour left in the game, Mrs. Toms told them they could leave shortly before the game was over.

"I'm gonna grab some nachos and go watch the game, you guys wanna come?" Falco picked up a tray as his friends shrugged their shoulders and followed suit with him.