Romance on the Day Shift

"Hey, Jen. Why are you here so early?" Caitlyn asked.

"New girl, totally disturbing. Her name is Raven and she totally fit's the part. Black everything, even purple eyes. Ugh, she makes me feel so depressed!" Jen whispered, putting her head on the table.

"What's this about a new girl?" Jonesy asked.

"Raven is a Goth at the Pit Stop. She's depressing Jen," Caitlyn replied.

"Well, maybe I can see what I can do with her," Jonesy smirked.

"Who's he going after now, but make it quick?" Wyatt asked.

"Raven," Jen whispered. "She's so…depressing! Ugh, here she comes."

"May I sit here?" Raven asked. Her dark hair with purple streaks fell to her waist and her lips were painted with the same shade. Her eyes were purple with black eye shadow and she seemed out of place with her uniform.

"Sure," Jonesy smiled. "You can have my place."

"Thank you. So, this is where you hang out, Jennifer?" Raven asked in her airy voice.

"It's Jen, and yeah," she whispered.

"Whoa, dude, who's the new girl?" Jude asked.

"I'm Raven," she whispered, offering her hand after wiping them on her napkin. "Jen, are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"I'm Jen, that's Caitlyn, Jonesy is the flirter, that's Jude, and here comes Nikki. Wyatt just left," Jen replied without enthusiasm.

"Thank you," Raven whispered.

"Hey, who's that?" Nikki asked.

"Raven," Caitlyn replied. "Jen, I have that picture for you. Come here and I'll show you."

"Whatever," Jen whispered. She walked over to Caitlyn, who pulled her behind the lemon.

"Okay, what is she doing here?" Caitlyn asked.

"I don't know, okay! But she's been driving me crazy!" Jen replied, reading a text. "Ugh, Jonesy! Come here!" she screamed. Jonesy appeared immediately.

"I have to get with her!" Jonesy begged. "Please-please-please-please-please?!?"

"Ugh, no!" Jen exclaimed. "I'm going back to work!"

"What's with her?" Jonesy asked, watching her walk away. Caitlyn shrugged and they walked back around. Nikki and Raven were talking, and Jude could be seen on his skateboard across the mall. After a few minutes, Raven followed Jen back to work. The group said nothing more of her, except for Jonesy. He texted Jen and asked her to meet him in the food court. She did, and he asked her the one question she didn't want to here: "Please help set me up with Raven!"

"Why does she mean so much to you? She's just a depressing Goth chick."

"Who is absolutely gorgeous! Jen, PLEASE! If you do, I can pay you."

"I've got plenty of money."

"Then how about in the golden exchange of secrets? I'll tell you a secret if you set me up with her."

"When do I get to hear this secret? On my deathbed?" Jen asked coldly. "Jonesy, I don't trust you. We're friends, so I feel that I know all your secrets, but…fine, I'll trust you, since you won't get up and people are starting to look."

"Thank you-thank you-thank you!" Jonesy screamed. Jen groaned and walked slowly back. She passed Caitlyn on her way to break, but they said nothing. Back at the store, Jen asked Raven how she liked her friends.

"You have very interesting friends, a fairly assorted group. Rare to find today, yet I have found it here," she replied. Jen suppressed an annoyed grunt.

"How'd you like Jonesy? Did his flirting bother you?"

"Not at all, Jen. I rather enjoyed the attention. I would like to talk with him again."

"Well, I can organize a group thing and you can sit by him. What kind of movies do you like?"

"Anything," she replied. The boss then came back from his break, so the girls went back to work. Jen texted the group, and Jonesy immediately replied 'thank you' written a hundred times. Jen just replied 'y w' and got back to work.

**

That night, the group met at the movies. Raven was wearing a Gothic dress, sending her appearance to the next level. Jonesy was pleased and asked Jen to call him that night. She said she would after buying popcorn for her and Caitlyn.

"So, everyone agreed to see the latest action film? Who bought our tickets secretly?" Wyatt asked.

"No one. Jen thought it would be a good idea, but she and I might leave. I hear that new guy Charles is having a party, and we want to stop by and see if it's any good," Caitlyn replied.

"So, you're leaving Nikki and me here with that peep show?" Wyatt asked. Raven and Jonesy were already making out and the lights were still up.

"You know what, let's just go to the party," Jen groaned.

"But I spent good money on this!" Wyatt exclaimed.

"Then stay here," Caitlyn replied. "Maybe Jude will come by later. He was busy at the mall and couldn't come."

"No, he refused to be here with her," Nikki called. "I don't know what his problem is with her, but he won't stay around for more than a minute, which is what I'm doing. Wyatt, care to hit the geek deck with me?"

"Race you there!" he called, fleeing from the scene. Caitlyn and Jen shrugged then left the theatre for the party. Jonesy and Raven made out throughout the entire movie, through explosions and everything, then returned home in a quick fashion. As soon as Jonesy walked through the door, Jen called him.

"Hey, Jen. Thanks for doing that for me. She's a great girl. We're meeting tomorrow night for dinner and the planetarium."

"The planetarium?" Jen asked. She then sighed. "What is your secret that you owe me? It's safe right here, and I won't tell a soul."

"Nikki dumped me," Jonesy whispered. "She made it look like I dumped her, and I went with it, just to keep my macho up, but…that's the truth."

"Oh my god," Jen whispered. "And you've hid this for how long?"

"Since we broke up the last time. It was going good, but…she found her next boyfriend and left me for dead, so I kept going. She made it up like I dumped her since I rebounded with Angela Fisher the next day, but…it was her."

"I can't believe that," Jen whispered. "Listen, I hate having to go, but I do. Bye."

"It's okay. Bye."

Jen shut her phone and sighed, then went to bed like her father asked.

**

"Caitlyn! Are you okay?" Wyatt asked.

"Shut up! You'll get people to look!" Caitlyn exclaimed. She pulled him into the area in front of the bathrooms. "I have got to go home."

"Why, Caitlyn? Is something wrong?"

"Can you get John to drive me?"

"Sure, but what's wrong?" Wyatt repeated.

"I'll tell you at my house. Can you go?"

"Sure. John!" Wyatt called after stepping from the area. "Can you give me and Caitlyn a ride to her house?"

"Sure, bro, no problem. Just as long as she rides in the back," John replied.

"No problem," Caitlyn said quickly, following them to the parking lot.

At her house, Caitlyn led Wyatt to a gazebo at the edge of her yard. She sat him down and waited for him to answer a call. She then placed her phone on a table between them.

"Whatever I tell you has to stay between us. I'm only telling you because…I'm scared," she whispered. Wyatt put his phone on the table.

"You can trust me, Caitlyn," Wyatt whispered with a smile.

"Well…here it goes," she whispered. "I'm pregnant."

"By who?"

"I don't know!" she cried. "I don't even remember having sex with anyone!"

"Well, you had to've. How do you know you're pregnant?"

"A test, stupid!"

"Hey, you asked for my help!"

"Only because you're nosy!"

"Only because you're scared! Caitlyn, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know!" she sobbed, breaking down and landing in Wyatt's arms.

**

"Have any of you seen Raven? We're due at the planetarium in like a minute," Jonesy asked. Nikki shrugged. "Where's Jude? I want to ask him."

"Food court. Where else?" Nikki asked sarcastically. Jonesy ran over to the food court, but stopped short and sat down with Nikki. "Not there?"

"Oh, he's there alright…with Raven."

"Jude stole your girl! That's only the funniest thing I've ever heard!" Nikki laughed. Jude ran up.

"Dude, it's not what you think, Dude! That chick won't leave me alone!" Jude exclaimed.

"That's not what I saw, Jude!" Jonesy said angrily. "I can't believe you would do something like that! I though we were friends, but you're just a lying cheat like the rest of them!"

"Dude, you've taken chicks from me! You only care about yourself, dude!"

"I do not!"

"You do," Nikki said, not even looking up from her phone.

"You do, dude. Why don't you let her chose? Isn't it going to be her boyfriend?"

"I chose neither," she said from behind him. "Both of you are egotistical underachievers, and both of you smell like dead fish. I'm leaving this mall. No one here has the right vibe…well, except for you, Nikki. You should join my book club, the Dark Readers. We meet every Friday at the planetarium parking lot. And don't bring any of these jokes."

"Those jokes are my friends, but you are right about them being egotistical underachievers. They definitely qualify for that," Nikki replied. Raven scoffed and left the area. Jen then walked over to them.

"Have you seen Caitlyn or Wyatt?" she asked.

"They left with John like an hour ago," Jude replied.

"Why would they leave with John?" Jen asked.

"Well, they were talking in front of the bathroom when they left. Maybe you should call them. I know Wyatt has his phone because he texted me back a few minutes ago," Nikki replied. Jen nodded and pulled out her phone. She called Caitlyn but got no answer. She called Wyatt but got no answer.

"You don't think something's going on between those two do you?" Jen asked.

"Them? Dude, are you on something?" Jude asked. Jonesy nodded to say he agreed.

"Well, they left together, and they both aren't answering my call. What about John? Do you have his number?" Jen asked. They shook their heads after checking their phones. Jen sighed and called Caitlyn's house phone. Her mother answered and said they were out back. When she got close enough, Jen could hear Caitlyn crying.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, Mom!" Caitlyn hissed, walking away.

"Wait, Caitlyn!" Wyatt called, following her.

"Jen, something's going on. Could you come by?"

"I'm on break, so not for a few hours. Call me if you find out anything."

"Sure, dear. Bye," her mother replied. Jen sighed.

"Caitlyn's upset about something. I've got to get back. Oh, Raven quit! Isn't that amazing!"

"Yeah, sure," Jonesy and Jude mumbled together.

"What?"

"Apparently she cheated on Jonesy with Jude, then dumped them both. Lovely fun when you're on break, but you and I should get back. I left the clones near my purse," Nikki smiled to Jen, who nodded and the two went back to work. The boys shrugged and walked away. Jude went skateboarding and Jonesy went girl hunting, like usual.

**

"Should I tell Jen?" Caitlyn cried.

"You need to tell your mom. She needs to know that way she can help you," Wyatt replied.

"She'll flip! I can't do that!"

"I'll help you. I'm right here," Wyatt replied. Caitlyn shuddered and followed him to the house. They went into her mom's office and sat down.

"Are you okay, dear?" her mother asked. Caitlyn shook her head.

"I have to tell you something," she whispered. Her mother nodded. "I'm pregnant," she whispered. Her mom took a sharp inhale, but said nothing. Caitlyn's father then walked into the doorway. Caitlyn's mother stood and shut the door in his face.

"We won't tell him until we have to," she whispered. Caitlyn cried, but nodded. She was ready for the challenge.

Caitlyn lost her baby, but only her mother and Wyatt ever knew. Nikki disguised herself and attended a book club meeting, but it turned out to be a coven, so she ran home and told the boys what a freak she was. She claimed she had pictures, so Jonesy paid her ten bucks for them, so she sent him a picture of her dark closet. He never knew the difference. The boys haven't fought over a girl since, and everything has been good at the mall, but who knows how long that will last?