Cheri choking on her nuggets, Jil begins to pat her back.
"I see you can't handle your meat."
Cheri stops choking and looks at Jil. "What do you mean by that?!"
"Oh, nothing." Jil smiles and takes a bite of her fries. After chewing enough she repeats the question. "Anyways, who would you pick?"
"Ummm, I-I can't say." Cheri shrinks in her seat.
"There's no one you're interested in, in our friend group?"
Cheri starts sweating a bit, feeling very nervous. "I like..."
Jil starts to get anxious waiting on the response. She leans in on the edge of her seat, focusing hard on Cheri.
"I like you all..." Saying with an uncertain and uncomfortable look, Cheri shrugs her shoulders and smiles nervously.
Jil leans back in her seat and slumps down in disappointment. "That's such a mom response."
Cheri and Jil laugh, and afterward, they chat for a bit longer about random things as they finish their food. Looking down at her phone Jil mentions it's 2:15 PM.
"Alright, we got to head to Toy Land." Jil shows Cheri the time.
"Right." Cheri gets up and puts all of her trash on the tray to throw away. Jil follows suit and after putting up the trash and trays they head out of the fast-food place.
Cheri and Jil make it to Toy Land at their mall. They leisurely walk inside while still singing the song they were listening to on the way there. They walk in the front door and walk towards the back, playing with some toys along the way. Making their way into the break room they head to the bathroom to get changed.
Finishing getting ready, they had taken out their phones and sat down at the long table in the break room until their shifts started. They laughed and chatted until Mason comes walking into the break room with his headphones in. They wave at him and he gives a slight wave back. He sits at the table next to Jil and slides his headphones off of one ear to hear.
"What's up? Night ready for this 8-hour shift?"
Cheri puts her phone down to pay attention. "I guess you could say that."
"Just trying to get this bread and spend it on more food," Jil says proudly with a smug look.
"Fat ass," Mason says point-blank.
They all laugh, with Jil giving Mason a playful slap to the back. "You know I'm playing, got to pay off these student loans."
"Preach!" Cheri raises her hand up in belief.
Mason looks around and then quickly at his phone. "Isn't Omar and Jaxon working tonight, where they at?"
"They should be here any minute, only 10 minutes till we start." Jil checks her phone too and looks for the time.
Cheri looks towards the back of the break room with a tired look. "Carter was supposed to work but he gave his shift to Wayne."
Jil and Mason look in the direction that Cheri is, and see Wayne in the back at the square table eating some carrots.
"Carter never works." Mason rests his chin in his hand in a tired manner while thinking about Carter.
Jil taps Mason's arm in agreeing with him. "Sure doesn't, how does he afford to go out every night?"
"Girls buy drinks for him." As she answers Cheri is looking through Carter's following list that is mostly filled with various girls.
"That explains."
Hearing some footsteps approaching, the door to the break room opens. Omar and Jaxon come walking into the break room.
"Hey! Y'all ready for tonight?" Jaxon claps his hands enthusiastically. Everyone else smiles, with his motivation always so contagious.
"Hey, guys." Omar waves at everyone, and to Wayne sitting in the back.
Cheri puts her phone into her pocket. "We're still going to your place after work right?" She points to Jaxon.
"Yup bought a big bottle that should be enough."
"Bet!" Jil slaps the table in excitement for after work.
Mason looks to his phone, then puts away his headphones into his backpack, setting the backpack into the chair next to him. "Time to work."
Mason, Cheri, and Jil get up from the table and stretch. Omar as per usual holds the door for everyone and they all head out. Omar whistles to Wayne to get his attention away from eating carrots. Wayne gets up and thanks to Omar for reminding him and he walks out too. Omar closes the door behind him and they all head into the store's main area.