Leaning with her elbows on the counter at the Dot, Holly J paused and sighed as she looked across the restaurant. She found herself caught in one of those fleeting moments of dissonance; the moment where you glance at your life and realize you don't recognize it. Her nails were dirty, her fingers slightly sticky from the grime of carrying plates and pouring coffee drinks all day. Her feet were tired and she could feel the film of sweat beneath her black Dot t-shirt. She was not the Holly J she'd once been.

In the corner of the restaurant, she watched as Anya, Mia, and another member of the power squad giggled together and slurped the last of their milkshakes. Anya's laughter was louder than Holly J remembered. Before, Anya rarely laughed out loud. But now, she bellowed gleefully without hesitation, a bold and glowing smile on her face. There was nothing (or no one) now to hold back Anya's laugh. Holly J felt her belly sting with a strange hurt.

In the next moments, the girls began to scatter, breaking Holly J from her pensive daze. She watched them push in their chairs and head towards the door, leaving their dishes behind for her to clean up.

"Rachel and I will go pick up the whipped cream," Mia called to Anya as she and the other girl left.

Anya grinned. "Great. See you guys later." She lingered after they had left, gathering her bag from the back of her chair. When she turned towards the door, she found herself meeting eyes directly with Holly J. The two girls blushed awkwardly.

"Sounds like a wild night," said Holly J.

Anya's smile subsided, and she suddenly seemed small again. "Yeah, power squad sleepover. I'd invite you…" she lied lamely. "But… well, you know."

Holly J nodded. "Yeah. I know. Guess I'll just have to miss out on all the whipped cream and goodie bags. Darn."

Anya took a breath, opening her mouth as if she had more to say. Instead, she simply nodded towards Holly J in an awkward goodbye and walked out the door. Holly J watched her walk down the street for a moment before snapping back to reality, and going to bus the table.

"Holly J, your shift's over," Spinner called from the counter, watching her with amusement. "Why are you still here?"

Holly J was startled by Spinner's voice and blushed. "Oh, you know," she said with sarcasm, shoving plates into the bus pan. "Just a love of the craft." There was no way she could say out loud that in fact the reason she had stayed on the clock was that she didn't have anywhere better to be.

Spinner laughed and shook his head. "Well when you're done with that table, roll some silverware and get the hell out of here. I'll close up."

"Aye aye, cap'n."

Spinner hovered over the register, entering in credit card tips. The bell on the door rang and moments later Jay's recognizable figure came into view. "What's up, dude?" Spinner asked without having to look up.

"I came to greet you with your slippers and smoking jacket as soon as you got off," Jay joked. "I've got big things planned for us tonight."

"Big things, eh? Like what?"

"Can't tell. It's a surprise."

"Ah. Well, sorry to break it to you, but I'm hanging out with Jane tonight. Scary movie night."

Jay sighed in dismay. "Alright, fine, change of plans. I can live with that. I'll go pick up some whiskey and we'll do that instead. I dig scary movies."

Spinner stopped what he was doing and looked up at Jay. "Um, dude… I'm hanging out with Jane tonight. Scary movie night. Me, Jane, couch, darkness, cuddles, popcorn?"

Jay contemplated. "So you're saying… you don't want any whiskey?"

"I'm saying I don't want any you, dude. I'm trying to chill with my girlfriend alone."

Jay pulled up a seat at the bar and grumbled in frustration. "So what am I supposed to do with this awesome surprise, then? I think I'm starting to have abandonment issues."

"Those aren't your only issues," Holly J chimed in. She sat rolling silverware in napkins a few seats down the bar.

Jay turned to her with a sarcastic grin. "Oh, Holly J. It's so nice that you're always around the Dot to tell me exactly what I need to hear when I'm feeling down."

"Hey, I work here. I have an excuse for always being around. What's yours?"

Jay glanced towards Spinner. "Well I always have the hope my best friend will actually wanna hang out," he said pointedly. Spinner ignored him and continued his work at the register. "…but I guess I'm shit out of luck on yet another Saturday night."

Holly J laughed softly at Jay's misfortune. As she carried her completed stack of silverware and placed it behind it counter, she wondered what she herself would be doing on yet another lonely Saturday night. And then she looked at Jay.

"You know," she said carefully. "I happen to love surprises. Why don't you hang out with me instead?"

"What?" said Jay and Spinner simultaneously, glancing towards her with equal surprise.

Holly J shrugged innocently.

Jay scratched the back of his neck and eyed her cautiously. "I don't know if we can take our friendship outside the Dot, Ho-J," he said slowly. "It might be weird."

"I don't know if the two of you can stand more than fifteen minutes of interaction," Spinner supplied.

Holly J rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm bored, I want to have fun, take me to the surprise," she said decisively. She reached towards the register and ejected a piece of blank paper. She wrote down her address and phone number for Jay. "Pick me up at 9:00, don't be late."

Holly J did not take a moment to consider that there would be any further discussion on the matter; when she decided something, that was the way it would be. She gathered up her bag and bid her goodbyes to Spinner and Jay.

Still a little stunned, Jay turned to Spinner and smirked. "Well how about that, champ," he said. "You've been replaced."

Spinner shook his head, still confused and concerned. "I guess so," he said. His voice was uncertain. "So does this mean you're going to take Holly J to play cards and drink keg beer?"

Jay's eyes widened and he pouted angrily. "Who told you the surprise?"

Spinner shook his head. "Dude, you don't exactly change it up that often. And aren't you the slightest bit worried that this whole thing is, well, a terrible idea?"

Jay shrugged. "She wanted to come. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Personally, I think the little firecracker can hold her own with the boys."

Spinner nodded slightly, though he looked far from convinced. "Sure she can take care of herself… I'm just saying. When you and beer and young girls are all in the same place at the same time, bad things happen."

Jay threw up his hands. "Sheesh, is anyone ever gonna cut me some slack on that one?" Shaking his head, he retrieved a toothpick from the dispenser by the register and began to chew on the end of it. "Although, now that you mention it, it has been awhile since I've gotten any…"

Spinner groaned. "See, this is what I mean."

"I wouldn't try to sleep with the poor girl. But that doesn't mean we couldn't have a little fun…"

"Dude."

Jay laughed. "I'm kidding. Calm down, Dad. It's Holly J for Pete's sake. We're friends. I mean… sort of, I guess. Can't a guy hang out with a friend?"

Spinner eyed Jay skeptically. "Maybe. But can you name for me a single girl that you've ever been just friends with?"

"Of course I can!" Jay thought for a long moment, gnawing on his toothpick. "Alex. Alex is one of my closest friends."

"Alex is gay."

"…you're gay."

Spinner sighed in exasperation.