“So...what’s in a plain bean burrito again?” The young blonde teen gave a serious gaze in my direction, those dark blue eyes full of vast nothingness and ignorance.
I stood behind the counter of Belle’s Tacos in the dreaded blue uniform, a dark navy shirt and beige jeans with sleek black shoes. It was given to new employees in the chain of fast food, a starter outfit that many could work their way up from.
Starting in Blue and then graduating to Yellow, after many days of hard work a employee could then reach Green before lastly reaching the top of Taco Mountain and claiming the fabled Orange uniform.
I myself have been stuck in Blue for two years now, no matter how much I give to the chain I always seem to never move forward and always backwards. Sighing aloud in slight defeat I rolled brown eyes, my matching brunette hair in a frazzled mess at the moment.
“It has beans in it, just like the name suggests.” I spoke up with a bit of a narrowed gaze to this fellow.
“Mmmhmm. Does it come with like lettuce or anything else?”
“No just beans, it’s a plain burrito. If you’d like stuff in it, then I’d guess you’d order the maxed out burrito.”
“Nah. What’s in the plain beef burrito?” He spoke up in a even more serious fashion, those skater clothes he was wearing doing nothing to distract from this situation.
“Seriously dude?”
The sudden shrill voice of my superior called out to me from behind, I simply turned to face her with a deep sigh while ignoring the stoner before me asking what was in a plain nacho order. Helen was an older woman dressed in Green and with fiery red hair in wild curls, her dark green eyes locked onto me like a vulture seeking prey.
“Seth!, Are you busy tonight?” Helen walked over holding a clipboard in her right hand, eyes locked on the various instructions across six papers.
“Well to be honest yes ma’am. I have a screening party planned with a few friends.” I gave a soft spoken reply as eyes gazed down to the floor slightly.
“Well I need you to work the midnight shift tonight.” She looked up from the clipboard to me with a raised brow.
“Couldn’t Sarah take the shift?”
“She has a date tonight.”
“What about you?”
“I too have a date…” She replied in a stern and serious gaze, I was unsure if she were telling the truth or not.
“This might sound cliche, but my thing is a date as well.”
“Mmhmm. It’s a screening right?”
“Ma’am.”
“Then just DVR it…” Helen snapped her teeth before me sternly.
“I can’t DVR my friends…” I replied under my breath.
“Seth?”
“I guess I could.” I held my tongue, fist clutching at my side firmly.
“What would you do without me?” Helen gave a loud bark before smirking, walking off towards the back office complete with A.C. and a office chair.
“I’d be home having fun...you cow…” I growled under my breath, turning back to my side coming face to face with my stoner friend.
“Do you sell burgers here?”
“...”
“You are going to miss the MLP Mare-a-thon!?” My friend Chuck spoke across the phone in complete shock.
“Yeah I have to take the late shift here…” I slumped over across the front counter of the empty restaurant, a old beaten cell in my hand as I kept an eye on the vast abyss before me.
“That sucks! Do you know how hard it was to plan this event?” Chuck gave a loud growl across the phone, the sound of sodas being dumped in a cooler echoing into the air.
“Like you planned anything! This was my event and I’m not even there!”
“Is Seth bringing the tacos?” Julie yelled out from the background.
“No! He forgot his spine and is working late…” Chuck yelled back in reply.
“...” I gave a deep sigh and gritted my teeth in growing annoyance.
“Darn! Well Pizza Palace it is…” Julie gave a loud giggle.
“Dude just take it easy and remember this Seth...WHOA A BRAND NEW PINKIE EPISODE IS NEXT!?” Chuck almost screamed aloud in excitement, quickly hanging up the cell yet not before a loud ringing noise almost shattered my ear drums.
“I love my friends…” I gave a frown, quickly hanging up the cell in my hand.
The dim light of the restaurant flicking on and off high above, every seat in the place empty while the sweeping still needed to be done. The pale blue moon outside shined brightly in the sky, not a star was in sight just a blank canvas of umbra complimenting the moon on this silent crisp night.
I was quick to bust a move across my workplace while sweeping the dull white floors, if I was going to be stuck in this place I’d at least have fun. Using the broom as a makeshift microphone I danced in circles over the aisles, making sure to pick up a few left behind cups or stray wrappers left on the floor.
I prefered the cups in all honesty, I always had a chance to score a huge amount of points with the trash ball association. With a decent stack of three cups I lifted number one high into the air, with one arm I tossed it over my head in a arc before missing spectacularly.
I wasn’t down yet though, even if I were blocked from having a social life by Helen I would do a quick three-sixty spin in place and toss number two. The cup flying like a majestic hawk through the air, only to come crashing down to the floor like a comet.
With one cup left I knew it was do or die, I ran across the newly swept floors my focus clear now. Locked on the trash bin near the door, I was a swift blur of blue quickly jumping over the cup on the floor, doing a light spin past a fallen wrapper.
I would jump high into the air, the flash of yellow and pink lights around me brightly as if a crowd of people were snapping photos. The cup in my hand I flung it far behind my head, tongue sticking out of the side of my mouth while I dunked the cup in for massive points!
My heart was racing inside my chest wildly as I spun around in victory, yet the excitement died down as quick as it came. The place was still empty and dim, the night was darker than ever as dull grey clouds hid away the moon in the sky. My life was back to being nothing special, it would soon return to a rut that I called my own.
The Blue uniform I wore following me throughout my life, never to truly know what other colors the world held in store. I could feel my heart sink deep in my chest before tossing the broom to my side with a clunk, dragging my feet back behind the counter I waited for my next customer.
Nobody.
Minutes would turn to hours swiftly and without much effort, I gave a loud yawn behind the counter as even the late night traffic outside the window died down to a crawl. I flicked on my cell, knowing within about another hour I’d be free to break the chains that bound me.
Scrolling through the many apps on my phone I made sure to click on a few MLP sites as well, posting on my main page that I had gotten stuck on the midnight shift. Did anyone care was the true question, I did get a few emoji replies but as for any kind words of encouragement it was a fool's errand.
I saw my email light up on the side of the screen, three new messages were blinking wildly in a desperate call to be answered. My eyes lifting up to check if a robber might have snuck in to end my life, yet no such luck with that excitement as all I could see was emptiness.
Chuck had sent a photo with the message ‘ Wish U Were Here.’, the photo was him holding up a can of soda in a true story fashion while a new episode starring Pinkie played in the background.
The second email was from Julie asking if I wanted her to save any pizza for me, not being the real pizza type I sent a quick reply stating how I’d just enjoy a taco here.
Yet the last email was odd to say the least, it was a sound file tagged with the message ‘This Is Just A Test.’. I thought it might be some spam, yet it was colored a light magenta color that seemed to pull me in.
The name on the email was from Wondercolt Records, I guessed it might be from one of the many fan sites I visited for Equestria Girls. Though never had I ever signed up for anything dealing with music.
I gave in to my curious nature and clicked the file, all I could hear was a static crackling within my phone. I lifted it ever closer to my ear as a second file seemed to play as well, again nothing but the faint sound of static that almost made my skin crawl.
I was about to hang up and start with the final clean up, when suddenly a soft melody began to play from my phone. It was hypnotic and smooth that caused my phone to glow a light red, my eyes locked on the flickering screen before the soprano tone of a woman sang aloud.
“ Searching for meaning, we all need to know.
What in life we cherish, our actions are what we sow.
No longer am I your servant, you are my audience today.
So be ready it is time….to play.”
As soon as the music had begun all around me went totally black, as if I were hit by a ghost train out of nowhere. The air knocked out of my lungs and the world itself silenced beyond repair, I was flung deep into the abyss with no escape. Swirling around the darkness of space were neon colors of every spectrum, my body numb while my mind raced faster and faster until all was white.
I didn’t know what had happened but I was alone again, nothing could be heard nor could I see anything for miles. Just the vast white world I found myself in, a spark of pink softly tracing the horizon. The music faint among the air, wafting off into the distance before all would go black.
“Music…” I snapped open my eyes in a huge daze, spotting the sun blazing high in the sky above while I was sprawled out on the sidewalk with a torn uniform down the front.
A massive collection of taco wrappers around me in front of the fast food joint I called my job, the blueberry taste of ‘Mountain Splash Loco’ strong on my tongue as I felt like I weighed a ton. Gazing to the empty wrappers I counted at least six maxed out tacos missing, along with what seemed like three large Loco drinks.
“What happened?” I groaned as I could feel my skull pounding like a drum, the sudden shadow of Helen towering over me blotting out the sun.
“I’d like to know the very same.” She spoke in an serious but stern tone of voice, those eyes full of indifference instead of rage.
“Would you believe me if I said...UUUURP!” A loud belch echoed out around the empty parking lot as I groaned aloud in pain.
“My office now Blueberry.” Helen just gave a loud sigh in defeat, I could barely lift up to my feet without crashing down to the ground.
Confused to say the least at the Blueberry remark, yet turning to spot my reflection in the transparent window beside me I gasped in shock. My brunette hair was gone to put it lightly, replaced by what could only be called an arctic light blue color, oddly enough it had darker blue streaks throughout.
Who had destroyed my hair was my huge question, that followed by why of course. I ran a hand through my hair, no longer did it feel greasy and unkept that I was used to. But instead it felt smooth and soft almost as if it were made of fine silk, the color shimmering brightly in the sun felt familiar.
I wanted to just think hard about it, but Helen yelling for me inside was enough to snap me out of my daze. This was crazy I had blacked out and somehow got my hair dyed in what was just a few hours. But where on earth could I get that done during the night hours, not like I knew of any twenty four hour salons.
Groaning I stepped inside the restaurant, my eyes widening in shock at what I saw.
This was going to be a long day.
