You don't have to go home

[greenthumbchick]

Who: Dot, Becky, Ethan, Kyle, Ming, Michael, Katie, Tina, Nica
Where: the Sunset
When: Tuesday night

Becky was in the Sunset, writing something in a spiral bound book.


Ethan was in the Sunset, paging through a UC Sunnydale course catalog.

Katie was in the Sunset, frowning.

"What's wrong?" asked Tina, who sat by Katie.

Dot was in the Sunset, fidgeting. "Katydid, you know you make wearing this thing look easy, right?"

"Parents." Katie smiled a bit at Dot. "At least I'm not the only one who doesn't like the little black dress thing. I thought it was just me."

Dot laughed, a little nervously. " I don't dress up! The last time was for the anti-Homecoming! It was nice, but sheesh!"

"You look nice." Tina said "And... what about parents?"

"Well, I guess you could wear something more gothy and less dressy, but..." Katie shook her head. "Anyhow, I think my mom is in love."

"Is that good or bad?" asked Tina

Dot nodded, tugging at the hemline a little. "Aw, love."

"Oooh ... you can take bowling for credit?" Ethan said.

"You can?" asked Becky "Are you?"

"It seems like a copout," Ethan said. "I'd be paying for two credit hours of school ... to go bowling twice a week."

"Oh, okay." Becky said "So, what are you going to take?"

"Strategy and Tactics," Ethan smirked. "The ROTC classes are open to everybody, it seems. That's five ... and then Precalculus, another five, and History 102. Three. Not too strenuous for a first semester back."

"That's ... I dunno." Katie shrugged. "She's been going to LA a lot lately to see this architect guy. It's weird."

"I don't know what to tell you." Tina said "Have you met the guy?"

Dot frowned. "LA is a bigger place, at least. I can't imagine there's lots of professional mixers here."

"No, and that worries me, 'cause... well, 'cause," Katie said.

"That worries me too." Tina frowned "I wonder what we can do to find up more about him? What do you know?"

"That sounds good." Becky smiled "Ethan's going to be a college grad."

"Well, for starters, why doesn't someone look up the company he works for? That should be simple enough, right?" Dot tugged on the hemline again.

"Longer black dresses are goth, right?" asked Tina, off subject for a moment

"Even if they trail on the ground,' Nica said, settling nearby.

Dot wrinkled her nose. "I wouldn't want to clean the bathrooms in a dress that touched the ground. How would you even move in something like that?"

"What about something a couple of inches longer?" Tina asked "So you wouldn't have to tug so much"

Nica nodded. "Yeah, I mean, the Goth look is all about accesorizing, anyway. The right belt, jewelry and hair and anthing that isn't pastel can be Goth."

Dot laughed. "I think I'm just tugging to make myself feel better. This 'uniform' is going to take some getting used to."

"Well, I don't know anything about looking people up," Katie said, "and I'm not sure how to ask."

"You could wear a skin-tight catsuit," Nica suggsted.

"Oh! You need to find someone? Where?" Nica asked Katie.

"Why would she want to look like a --- oh... my mom's falling in love with an architect," Katie explained.

"His name is Bernie Macabilly, and I don't know anything about him because he lives in Los Angeles."

Dot nearly fell over laughing. "People don't want to look at someone like me in skin-tight anything. If I filled it out a little better, maybe.."

Ming headed out from the back and settled at the red table.
Michael nodded to Ming. "Hey, babe."

Ming smiled, and hugged Michael. "Finally done my homework," she said. "What sort of sick teachers give that much homework on the first couple of days back?"

Nica looked at Dot. "Well, everything would stand out a little more, anyway. Los Angeles ... Macabilly ... " Nica wrote this down. "Vito knows this guy. I might be able to find out something. Sounds like a pretty rare name ... which is good, those are easier to locate."

Becky leaned happily against Ethan "So, when my Dad gets better, you think he'll let me be a model?"

Dot looked thoughtful. "Okay, I'll grant you that," she said to Nica. "Still..."

"The ones that you pray get eaten by demons, of course," Michael said, smiling.

"If it's any consolation, I don't think I'd look good in anything skintight, either," Katie said.

"If we find out who he is, maybe we'll find out he's not bad- and Katie, I think you'd look great in something skintight..." Tina smiled at Katie.

Ethan looked at Becky. "I think he'd be thrilled if you wore nothing but overalls and sweatshirts for the rest of your life, but I think if it's what you really wanted to do, he'd back you up."

Katie pondered. "I dunno, I think I need bigger breasts for that. Plus there's the whole 'eep' factor."

"Well, I have to do something." Becky said.

Dot nodded, understanding. "Exactly, Katydid. Exactly that. Still, hopefully this will be less ..hectic overall."

"I think he was hoping for something a little more academic and a little less ... not." Ethan shrugged.

"Like what?" asked BEcky "I'm tall enough, and skinny enough."

Ming snuggled up to Michael. "I wouldn't pray for that but still."

"Sure you wouldn't." Michael chuckled.

Ming giggled. "Nooo... I wouldn't. It's too mean."

"You would," Michael replied.

"Well, maybe," Ming said.

"Well, you're good at writing and stuff," Ethan said. "Maybe something with that."

"Maybe." Becky shrugged "I was thinking of giving up writing.

"Why?" Ethan asked.
Becky shrugged.

Dot frowned. "The first day is always stressful, isn't it?"

"Not a good reason," Ethan said. "You'e good at it. Why stop?"

"Why are you stresed?" Tina asked Dot

"I'm just worried about making a good impression on my first day," Dot said.

Ming kissed Michael's ear. "Think we should get someone to bring food over?"

"I'd be more worried if Kit was sitting at the red table." Tina said "But Katie just does her job, and doesn't have a problem."

"Yeah... Kit's the only person to worry about," Katie said, nodding. "He electrocutes people who aren't working fast enough."

Michael nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He leaned over to nibble her neck.

Becky kissed Ethan on the cheek instead of answering him.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Ethan smirked. "We can take classes together, after you graduate."

Dot nodded, trying to fret a little less.

Ming wiggled her fingers in the general direction of Katie and Dot, hoping to get one of them to come over.

Dot hopped off the barstool. "Ooh! I think that's us!" She made her way over to the table.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" asked Becky

"Sure," Ethan said.

Katie wandered after, mostly to make sure Dot didn't get too flustered, like that was likely.

Becky smiled, and wrapped an arm around Ethan.

"Hi... can you get me some spicy chicken and cheesy fries and a coke?" Ming asked.

"Sure! Anything else?" Dot smiled. This was just like Sid's, but serving friends was much more fun.

"A Chinese Orgy and a Bloodlust, please," Michael ordered.

Dot nodded, scrabbling for an order pad before remembering that there wasn't one. "Okay, got it!" She headed off to put the orders in.

Katie nodded, watching.

Ming smiled. "I think she's doing good so far."

Dot made her careful way back with the drinks a few minutes later, and set them down on the table. "There you go! Everything else should be up in just a few minutes, okay?"

"Thanks Dot," Ming said. "How do you like working here so far?"

"I like it! I keep worrying I'm gonna forget the menu, but otherwise, it's okay! You guys are much nicer to work for, and everything has just been great!" Dot was, on the whole, in a much better mood these days. Things were looking up.

"Well, if you do forget you can always just ask Raul in the kitchen," Ming assured her.

Michael nodded.

"And besides, if it's not on the menu, it might still be made anyhow," Michael advised, "so if you don't know if we serve it, tell the customer you'll ask."

"Oh! I talked to him the other day! He's so nice, why doesn't he ever come out and say hi?" Dot had made it a point to find the cook, once she knew she'd be working with him, rather than just buying food.

"Raul's kind of shy," Ming said. "But really nice."

Dot grinned. "I thought he might threaten me with something sharp, once he found out who suggested the eggrolls. I didn't know they'd be so popular! There was this place that made them back home, and i was missing home when I ordered them. Speaking of, let me go check on yours! Be right back!" She hurried away up to the bar.

She came back a few minutes later, bearing lots of food on a tray. "Here's everything! Sorry it took me so long!"

"S'all good," Michael said.

Dot smiled. "Can I get you anything else for now?"

"Not until we're done eating this," Michael answered, cheerfully.

"Thanks - no, it's good," Ming said, and snagged a fry.

"Okay! Well, just whistle if you need me! Say, isn't it getting to that time?" Dot peered around for the clock.

"Oh yes - it is about that time," Ming agreed.

"Yeah, tell Kyle to make the announcement," Michael said.

"Where is that boy? I haven't seen him all night, and I'd have figured he'd love to tease me about my first day," said Dot.

Kyle was, actually, behind the bar. Apparently, he was giving Dot a grace period. Or just being male.

Dot headed off to the bar. "Kyle! Time to shoo people out!"

"Hm?" Kyle looked up. "Oh, okay." He leaned over to snag the intercom. "Attention, goths. You have officially overstayed your welcome. Leave."

Dot clapped. "You enjoyed that, I can tell. Ooh, can I say something too?"

Kyle offered up the intercom. "Sure!"

Dot beamed. "Hi goths! It's like he said, time to go. So, um, you don't have to go home, or to your lairs or whatever, but you can't stay here! But, you're more than welcome to come back tomorrow night!"

Ming smiled. "She makes a good employee."

Michael nodded. "She makes a good perkygoth balancer."

Dot clapped. "Ooh, I think it worked! Look at 'em go!" She waved to a passing group.

Kyle snagged the gothbroom. "Yep. Now we shoo off the stragglers, and clean up the remaining dishes."

Sure enough, Katie was busy gathering up dishes and garbage.

Dot nodded, and hurried off to collect dishes, grinning.