//------------------------------//
// 5: Hay Burger [Slice of Life Comedy] 
// Story: The Day of Endless Writing 
// by Bootsy Slickmane 
//------------------------------//

	"Welcome to Hay Burger, home of the Hay Burger. Can I take your order?" Scootaloo asked in a bored tone.

"Yeah, uh, I'd like, uhhhh...." the stallion at the counter trailed off.

Scootaloo wanted to bang her head on the counter. Again. But, she held back. After all, the customers didn't like it when she expressed her frustration at their stupidity and/or indecisiveness. More importantly, though, her manager would yell at her for it. Instead, she simply ground her teeth and tried not to think about how goofy she looked in the stupid hat she had to wear.

"Oh! I know!" the customer finally said. "I'll take a Hay Burger, please."

"No kidding," Scootaloo mumbled, punching the order into the register. "You want fries with that?" The customer shook his head, and Scootaloo punched in more numbers. "That'll be eight bits."

The customer paid, and Scootaloo gave him a number. "Next," she said. As the stallion stepped aside, however, Scootaloo found herself wishing that he'd stayed there forever. Two familiar fillies stepped up to the counter, and Scootaloo sighed. "Wel—"

"Aw, you don't have to bother with that, Scoots," Apple Bloom said.

"Yeah, we're not really here for food, anyway," Sweetie Belle added. "We came here to see you."

Scootaloo sighed. "How'd you find out?"

"Your parents told us when we asked where to find you," was Sweetie's reply.

"Of course they did."

"I dunno why you wouldn't tell us where you worked," Apple Bloom commented.

"Seriously? You can't figure it out?" Scootaloo held her forelegs wide. "Look at this place! I'm working at Hay Burger!"

"Aw, it can't be that bad, right?"

At that exact moment, the top of the milkshake machine burst open, and a yellow colt stuck his head out. Scootaloo gasped in horror. "Snails, what the hay are you doing?!"

"I'm trying to find that horseshoe you said you lost." Snails hooked his hooves over the edge of the machine. "It's not in the milkshake machine."

"Snails, get outta there!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," Snails replied. "It's really cold in here."

Apple Bloom put a hoof to her chin. "Huh, I guess maybe it is that bad."

Somepony behind the two fillies cleared her throat, and they all turned to see who it was. If Scootaloo was capable, should would have died right on the spot.

"If you're not going to order, get out of the line," Diamond Tiara said with a glare.

"Yeah, like, seriously," Silver added.

Sweetie and Apple Bloom stepped aside, and the diabolical duo stepped forward to the counter. "Hey, Scootaloo," Diamond said, dragging out her name in a sing-song fashion.

Scoots grit her teeth. "Welcome to Hay Burger, home of the Hay Burger. Can I take your order?"

Diamond smiled. "Why yes, you can. I'll take a double hay burger with cheese and extra onions."

Silver hummed to herself, looking over the menu above their heads. "I'll just have a small salad with a side of hay fries."

Scootaloo punched in their orders. "Anything to drink?"

"A diet cola," Diamond responded.

"Same here," Silver said.

Scootaloo noted their orders and gave them a number. She was about to call up the next pony in line to get rid of the terrible twosome, but she quickly realized that there was nopony else in line. She waited, but Diamond and Silver weren't going anywhere. "Uh, aren't you gonna sit down to wait for your food?"

"No thanks," Diamond chirped. "Why bother just having to get back up again in a few minutes?"

Scootaloo grumbled internally, bracing herself for whatever comments the two would surely throw at her to insult her lame job. Alas, even as their food was delivered into their hooves, they said nothing derisive or mean. Scoots was about to ask why, but then decided not to push her luck.

"Aren't you gonna make fun of her or something?" Dang it, Sweetie Belle.

Diamond gasped, holding a hoof to her mouth. "Never! Why, Scootaloo here is an important part of Equestrian society. Without her, there'd be nopony to serve us important ponies our burgers and fries."

"And sodas," Silver added, slurping her drink for effect. "You're, like, totally important and stuff. Without the low-level ponies working demeaning jobs, us higher-ups would have to do them, and there's no way in Tartarus that's gonna happen."

"Huh...." Scootaloo pondered that, unsure of whether to be insulted or not, when a scream broke her concentration.

"Your shoe's not in the fryers!" Snails shrieked, his voice quivering. "I think I'm gonna check the freezers next, okay?"

Scootaloo's face met her hoof. "I hate this place."