Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into a month. Trixie had put in a lot of effort to diminish her community service hours but… it was just so much! Over the past month, she had put in 150 hours of community service, bringing her total to nearly 200 hours.
Not even halfway done yet…
Trixie only allowed herself a small moment of disappointment, before she brightened herself up with an idea.
You know, I’ve been working hard this past month. Surely I can spare a week or so to visit Ponyville again. I could meet up with Rainbow!
But first she had to finish her day at New Elysium this was her first day being upfront all day. She wasn’t waiting tables yet, but today she was going to be a busfilly! She happily trotted into the café, having decided to get a little something for her coworkers, and, if she was being honest, make it easier for her to request being a properly paid worker… And also make it easier to ask for a week off.
Throughout the day, Trixie grew to appreciate how good of a waitress Caramel was. She moved through the café with a grace that made her seem like she was incorporeal. Trixie meanwhile, struggled to walk from one side of the café to the other without accidentally kicking a chair, tripping over a random limb or two or bumping into patrons. She also handled customers incredibly well, no matter how annoying, mean or rude they were. And her tips showed it, Trixie stared in awe as the small jar that Caramel emptied out every day slowly filled, before nearly overflowing. Once that point was reached, the bits were stacked neatly in groups of ten alongside the jar.
I hope I can learn to be that good some day…
“Trixie!”
Came the pleasant voice of Caramel.
“Would you mind doing a coffee round for me?”
“Sure thing, Caramel!”
Trixie called back.
That was one thing Trixie knew she could do. Coffee rounds were easy, levitate the pot of coffee and refill all the patrons’ cups. Trixie remembered being surprised at the sheer amount of duties a busfilly had.
She had to clear tables, stack dishes, bring dishes back to the kitchen, do refill rounds occasionally if Caramel was busy, wipe down tables, and on rare occasions, take drink orders. At the same time, she had to fall into a rhythm so she wouldn’t get in the way of Caramel, and her own routine. The two had worked awkwardly at first, almost bumping into each other at times, but as they got busy, the two had fallen into a groove. They seamlessly were able to help each other. Trixie still needed prompting, or reminders sometimes, but she was sure that they’d eventually learn how to communicate and work in a closer harmony.
Before Trixie knew it, the grill was shut down, and they were just waiting on the last of the customers to leave. Trixie sat down at a table, surprised at how tired she felt.
Must be more of a mental exhaustion than anything. I really didn’t do much physically.
“Alright Trixie, take a few minutes for yourself, then we have closing work to do.”
Oh. Right. Closing duties…
Trixie stifled a sigh, and looked up to meet Caramel’s olive-green eyes. They were sympathetic.
“I know what it’s like, believe me. I remember my first day… I was such a klutz!”
Trixie stared at her, before cocking her head disbelievingly.
“Rrrrrrreally?”
Trixie asked, disbelievingly. She just couldn’t picture the elegant unicorn in front of her being klutzy.
“Mhm!”
Caramel chirped.
“I also couldn’t stop overthinking things. ‘What if I mess this up? What if I misheard the order? What if I don’t look like I know what I’m doing?’”
Caramel chuckled.
“The first week was the roughest for me, but after that, I learned that overthinking things was actually the reason I was messing up. You see, there’s a certain…”
“Flow?”
Trixie interrupted. Caramel looked delighted, and Trixie felt herself glow a bit.
“Yes! That! I’m impressed! Most ponies haven’t the foggiest idea of what it’s like in a café! But yes, that ‘flow’ is what determines how good a day is. You eventually just kind of fall into it. It starts getting easier and easier to identify the flow, and as a result, the days start to go smoother and smoother. So don’t worry! You’ll get the hang of it!”
Caramel’s smile matched her cheerful voice.
“How do you do that?”
Trixie asked.
“Hmm?”
Caramel didn’t seem to be following, so Trixie expounded on her question.
“How are you so cheerful all the time? The amount of customers you deal with… is it not overwhelming?”
Caramel’s smile faded a bit.
“I’m not cheerful all the time. Sometimes I get overwhelmed, not often, but sometimes, you’ve seen that.”
Trixie nodded, remembering the day Caramel had broken down in the kitchen.
“The thing that I focus on is honestly financial in nature.”
Caramel continued. Trixie watched her, curious.
“The better I interact with customers, the better their experience. And the better their experience, the better tip they usually leave. I aim for twenty percent of the sales every day, rarely do I miss that mark, and occasionally I even get more. It’s all a matter of staying present, and not exploding in front of the customers. Doesn’t mean I don’t explode, my fiance at home has the misfortune of being the one I vent to the most… Poor guy, but he’s always willing to listen. That way, I don’t negatively impact the experience of the customers.”
That… makes so much sense! How did I not think of that…
Trixie grinned slyly.
“Fiancé you say? My my, who’s the lucky stallion?”
Caramel tittered.
“His name is Nimble Skies, and he’s simply the most handsome pegasus I’ve ever met! His coat is a perfect grey, accented beautifully by his short, dark blue mane. He has this single streak of orange down the middle of his mane, and his tail nearly matches his mane color scheme perfectly! And I get lost in his light green eyes so easily…”
She sighed dreamily.
“He’s not the lucky one, I am. He’s a royal guard, a captain if I remember correctly. The two of us already have a lovely house to call our own. We haven’t figured out a wedding date yet, as we’re both so busy but… well, I simply can’t wait!”
Trixie snickered, and Caramel suddenly snapped out of her daze.
“And what exactly are you snickering about over there?”
She asked challengingly. Trixie, never one to back down from a challenge, rose to meet Caramel’s height.
“You were nearly swooning, Trixie found it humorous. You have a problem with it?”
Caramel smiled, but Trixie could see gears moving in her head.
“Besides.”
Trixie continued.
“Trixie knows of a different pegasus who she believes to be much much more attractive.”
Caramel’s eyes suddenly glinted dangerously.
“Oh? Well, please. Enlighten me, I would love to hear about this strapping stallion.”
Trixie had realized her slipup too late.
Of course she’d do that… turnabout is fair play after all…
Still, Trixie felt herself reddening in the face, and she nervously shuffled her hooves.
“Uhm… well, you see… Trixie is actually referring to a her…”
Caramel blinked, surprise quickly overtaken by eagerness in her eyes. She gestured for Trixie to continue.
“She’s one of Trixie’s… well, one of her first real friends. We’ve only known each other for around six months now… but Trixie finds herself quite heads over hooves for her.”
“Soooooo… what’s she look like?”
Caramel asked. Trixie gulped, feeling herself warming up in the face even more.
“She’s… her coat is cyan, and she has these piercing magenta eyes that seem to see everything. Her mane is the color of the rainbow, and--”
“Wait, wait, wait.”
Caramel interjected.
“You’re telling me that you’re in love with, and are friends with, Rainbow Dash?”
Trixie paused, then nodded.
“You know her?”
Trixie mumbled. Caramel smiled again.
“Nearly everypony in Equestria knows her! But I thought she lived in Ponyville? How’d you two meet?”
Trixie gulped.
Well… now’s a good a time as any I suppose.
“Yes, please do tell.”
A stallion’s voice. Trixie and Caramel jumped, before recovering and shooting Cook combined withering glares.
“Celestia, where did you come from?”
Caramel shot at the same time Trixie said
“How the buck did you get there?”
The cook chuckled.
“Been here a while. But that’s not important, how the ell’ do ya know Miss Dash?”
Trixie took a deep breath before she opened her mouth to explain.
“Well… I actually met her in the Canterlot Dungeons…”
***
“...so we promised to meet each other in the real world to compare feats of extraordinary measures with each other.”
Caramel looked confused, but intrigued, while understanding reflected in Cook’s eyes.
“So… yeah. That’s how we met. Now you see why Trixie needed a place to sleep… She’s been working around forty hours of community service a week to take time off of her sentence. Trixie… hopes you two will understand… and she apologizes for not telling you two sooner.”
Trixie suddenly found herself enveloped in a hug. She stiffened at the unexpected action, and Caramel pulled away.
“Trixie… you’ve been working nearly sixteen hours a day for the past month. That’s… it’s…”
“Incredible, s’what it is.”
Cook finished for her. Caramel nodded enthusiastically. Trixie didn’t know how to respond.
“You’re… you’re both not mad a Trixie for keeping this information to herself?”
“Mad?”
Cook asked, then laughed. It was a booming laugh.
“Bloody impressed s’what I am.”
Caramel continued for him.
“We both understand entirely why you didn’t tell us earlier. If you had, we’d have likely not accepted your offer for help. But now, having worked with you for the better part of a month…”
“We’re nothing but happy that you were able to do your job and do it well, in spite of your blooming stress!”
Caramel’s voice was one of awe.
“We’re lucky you chose to work with us! Any business would be lucky to have a worker like you!”
It was… too much. The two ponies Trixie had come to respect and even consider friends… and how they didn’t care that Trixie had made mistakes, didn’t judge her… It overwhelmed her. She broke down crying. She felt herself being hugged again. She didn’t resist, but just rose her own hooves to hug back. Then she felt another presence. Cook had joined the hug, and her two friends just stood there with her, and let her sob herself dry.
How did I get so lucky?
***
“Trixie has a… question.”
The three of them were finishing up the closing work, and getting ready to head home.
“Shoot.”
Cook called. Trixie took a deep breath, and let it out.
“Trixie would… like to request a week off in the not-too distant future. She would like to visit Ponyville… She has some amends to make.”
“It certainly helps that a certain rainbow-maned pegasus lives there too, hmmm?”
Caramel called out, near the door. Trixie blushed.
“Y-yes… that’s also another motive of Trixie’s.”
Cook was just grinning at her.
“Kid, you’re alright in m’book. Take this upcoming week if y’want.”
Trixie stared, dumbfounded.
“You… you sure? This is so short-notice… Trixie was expecting to leave in two weeks at the earliest.”
The cook waved her off.
“S’not like we haven’t done it before, right Caramel?”
Trixie turned her attention to the door that Caramel was getting ready to walk through, she turned for a second first.
“Oh absolutely, before you came along, Cook and I ran this place pretty much by ourselves. Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine. Go ahead and visit your little filly crush.”
She smiled an evil smile before exiting.
Oh for the love of Celestia… I get enough of this from Cadence!
“Thank you so much Cook! There was actually one other thing though.”
The cook grunted in acknowledgment.
“Trixie would like to ask to be hired on full time. She would like to earn more bits.”
Her eyes widened.
“N-not that the bits the two of you got me aren’t appreciated! It’s just…”
“S’not enough to live off of, en’ it?”
Trixie nodded.
“Well, no need for an application. Was plannin’ on asking you m’self in a few more days. Caramel and I believe that we shouldn’t be takin’ advantage of your desperate needs of a place to sleep. You’ll still be welcome to rest here overnight until you can afford yourself a house or apartment.”
Trixie felt her smile grow and nearly envelope her face.
“Thank you so much sir… this means a lot to Trixie.”
The cook rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.
“Yeah well… you’re alright, kid. Would love t’keep ya working for us. Now git! Y’have a friend to visit! Trixie nodded eagerly, already looking forward to seeing Rainbow Dash again. She nearly danced through the door, she felt so light on her feet.
Cook shook his head, smiling. Trixie was an alright kid. He wished her the best, and knew she would accomplish great things in life. He then turned back to his receipt. He still had some work to do after all.
Trixie knew it would be trivial to take a train to Ponyville, but she felt like walking. It was only a day’s travel after all, and she hadn’t been outdoors for any reason besides work in…well, not since she was outside of Ponyville with the alicorn amulet.
That feels like so long ago… so much has happened since then! I wonder what the future holds for me?