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Speedy's
Monday, June 28, 1982
Before Lunch

Tabby had a dentist appointment before work she had totally forgotten about. It wasn't how she wanted to start a Monday, but at least she didn't have any cavities. Tabby didn't want to go to the dentist in her work uniform, but fortunately, there was just enough time to run back to the house and change and get her skates. She always hated going to the dentist due to a bad childhood experience when she was little.

Normally, Tabby rode with Starla and more recently Shelley, but today her mother dropped her off. She was still a few minutes early and neither Starla nor Shelley had arrived yet. As usual, Tabby's mom Debbie had a million questions in the car. Tabby answered with "yeah", "uh huh", "nope" and as many other one word answers as she could manage.

Of course, her mother pressed her to elaborate on anything she asked. Unlike her father, Debbie was just trying to carry on a conversation with her daughter. When her Karl asked those sorts of questions, he was prying for information. Tabby was glad when her mother finally switched to her brother Danny in the back seat. Danny had few friends and spent most of his time at home watching TV and playing video games so he had even less to say than his sister.

On the way to Speedy's, Danny opted to stay home so Tabby got another round of much of the same sorts of things Debbie had asked on the way home from the dentist. Most the questions were about cheerleading and her band. Apparently, the news hadn't gotten out about Sharon, yet. As far as Debbie knew, Tabby had spent the weekend hanging out with Starla and other friends. Debbie just assumed it was the girls from the cheer squad and Tabby wanted to keep it that way.

It was nice to have a break from the chatter from her mom, but she did actually want to talk to Starla and Shelley. She skated back and forth in the lot away from the bays where customers pulled in to place their orders since she wasn't actually on duty yet. Tabby hoped Shelley and Starla would get there early enough they could visit for a bit before their shift started. Although it was only a few minutes later, it seemed like an eternity when Tabby finally spotted the black Trans-Am turning into the parking lot.

Tag
Monday morning came far too fast for Shelley’s taste, as it always did. Maybe she was being a little paranoid after all that had happened that weekend, but when she stepped out of the house to go to work, the first thing she did was look around to make sure there weren’t any suspicious gray cars or orange Volkswagens around. She didn’t see any, so she relaxed a little and headed to her car. She climbed into the Firebird and started it, and was greeted by the sounds of Van Halen coming through the speakers. She’d had The Grand Illusion by Styx in her 8-track tape player earlier this weekend so she and Tabby could listen to “Come Sail Away” while they were on the way to Trevor’s boat outing, but the tape had finished up on the way home from the newspaper the previous day, and she’d swapped it out for Diver Down. Currently “Secrets” was playing, and since there was no one else in the car to hear her, she decided to sing along.

♪ You know how sometimes, you’ve got to run♪
♪ You’re running blind, but you jumped the gun…♪
♪ Question is not does love exist, but when ♪
♪ she leaves, where she goes; ♪
♪ I got the feeling she don’t know either, ♪
♪ wait like the wind, watch where she blows… ♪

The song drifted into some instrumental music, so she stopped singing and started thinking about the events of the weekend. It occurred to her that there could be new developments in the police investigations of the stolen cars and/or Sharon’s kidnapping and robbery. Maybe she should swing by the police station on the way home after work to see if there was any new information about either event.

A few minutes later Shelley arrived at Speedy’s. As she was pulling into the parking lot, the song “Little Guitars” was playing, and coincidentally, the first person Shelley saw was Threat of Invasion’s little guitarist. The familiar redhead was skating around in the parking lot, apparently killing some time before her shift started. Shelley waved at Tabby and pulled into an empty spot near the back of the parking lot. She got out of her car and locked it, and then opened the trunk to get her skates out. As she did so, she saw that Tabby was skating towards her; she seemed happy to see her. “Good morning!” said Shelley, giving Tabby a warm smile.
Tabby was excited to see Shelley's black Trans Am pull into the lot. Tabby was glad to have someone to talk to, finally. It reminded her of waiting outside school in the morning before the doors were opened and everyone could head to their lockers or the cafeteria. It always sucked arriving first and standing around awkwardly. Of course, it was even worse when you had no one waiting for you. That was a place Tabby had been many times in her life, briefly thinking back to all the times she'd moved. She quickly shook the thought from her head as Shelley got out of the car and made her way over to her.

“Good morning!” said Shelley, giving Tabby a warm smile.

"I suppose," Tabby replied. "I mean it's another exciting and fast-paced day in the world of fast-food! I heard there was going to be lots of skating and delivering milkshakes and burgers today. Rumor has it they may even have us delivering fries and onion rings, too."

That was the best Tabby could could up with for a snappy reply. Tabby scanned the parking lot but still didn't see any sign of Starla. "So how did the whole snoopy reporter thing go last night? Did you go back out there after we called it a day," Tabby asked. She was totally wiped after being in the sun all day on the boat and headed home not long after the group got back to Trevor's. Shelley had given Tabby a ride back to her house. Matt was also tired. He only lived a few doors down from Trevor and had just walked back to his house. Starla and Trevor had been talking about maybe seeing a movie or something after the others left.

Shelley told Tabby she intended to try to go back for more pictures after she dropped her off. She hoped to actually see them pull the cars out of the water and get some additional pictures. It actually sounded kind of exciting to Tabby. The idea of watching the police work an unfolding crime scene was intriguing but Tabby decided to call it day, even though her father was out of town. She wished now that she'd tagged along. Such opportunities didn't present themself often with her dad being gone.

*tag*
Tabby was excited to see Shelley's black Trans Am pull into the lot. Tabby was glad to have someone to talk to, finally. It reminded her of waiting outside school in the morning before the doors were opened and everyone could head to their lockers or the cafeteria. It always sucked arriving first and standing around awkwardly. Of course, it was even worse when you had no one waiting for you. That was a place Tabby had been many times in her life, briefly thinking back to all the times she'd moved. She quickly shook the thought from her head as Shelley got out of the car and made her way over to her.

“Good morning!” said Shelley, giving Tabby a warm smile.

"I suppose," Tabby replied. "I mean it's another exciting and fast-paced day in the world of fast-food! I heard there was going to be lots of skating and delivering milkshakes and burgers today. Rumor has it they may even have us delivering fries and onion rings, too."

“You think so? Wow, I just never know what to expect,” said Shelley with a grin. With her skates in hand, she closed the trunk.

That was the best Tabby could come up with for a snappy reply. Tabby scanned the parking lot but still didn't see any sign of Starla. "So how did the whole snoopy reporter thing go last night? Did you go back out there after we called it a day," Tabby asked. She was totally wiped after being in the sun all day on the boat and headed home not long after the group got back to Trevor's. Shelley had given Tabby a ride back to her house. Matt was also tired. He only lived a few doors down from Trevor and had just walked back to his house. Starla and Trevor had been talking about maybe seeing a movie or something after the others left.

Shelley told Tabby she intended to try to go back for more pictures after she dropped her off. She hoped to actually see them pull the cars out of the water and get some additional pictures. It actually sounded kind of exciting to Tabby. The idea of watching the police work an unfolding crime scene was intriguing but Tabby decided to call it day, even though her father was out of town. She wished now that she'd tagged along. Such opportunities didn't present themself often with her dad being gone.

“Oh, you mean Saturday night? Yeah, me and Gary drove out to the lake to see what was going on. The cops were there working on getting the cars out of the lake. They’d pulled one out, but the others were still in the lake. Apparently, it’s a long, slow process that takes hours. There’s a lot more to it than you might think. I better go put my skates on. Come with me?” Shelley headed toward the building with its little dressing room where she could store her shoes and purse.

*tag*

“Gary stayed in the van, but I got out to get some pictures. The cops saw me, and one of them started walking towards me. I thought he was going to run me off, but instead he agreed to let me get a close-up look at the car they’d pulled out and get some pictures. Those cops we talked to on the boat were there too, still out in the lake on their boat; I think they recognized me and radioed the cop I was talking to to let him know who I was.

Shelley pushed open the door to the building and went inside. Riley was there, getting the grill ready for the lunchtime rush. “Shelley! Love of my life!” he said in greeting.

“Hey Riley, how’s it going?” she replied.

“Just fine. And Tabby too! The other love of my life!”

*tag*

Once she was in the dressing room, Shelley stowed her purse and began taking off the running shoes she’d bought at the consignment store Saturday. It was nice to finally have some shoes other than the high-heeled sandals to wear, even if they were pretty beat-up. She stowed them next to her purse and began putting on the skates.

“So the car they’d pulled out was some blue Mustang, not Marie’s car. I’ll bet if Marie had been there, she’d have thrown a fit about that, and demanded they get her car out first. Though I’m not sure what the point would be; it’s not like she’d be able to drive it if they had. Those cars had been stripped down. I got some pictures, though I don’t have them with me. I’ll show them to you sometime.” Shelley decided not to mention the embarrassing fall she’d taken while getting her close-up look at the car.

*tag*

“Oh yeah, Starla and Trevor showed up at the scene too. They were on their way to see some movie, and stopped by to see if there was anything going on at the crime scene,” said Shelley.

The Thing,” said Starla, who had just appeared in the door of the dressing room with her skates hanging on one shoulder by the laces. “Oh my God, how creepy. Remind me to never go to Antarctica.”

*tag*
“Oh, you mean Saturday night? Yeah, me and Gary drove out to the lake to see what was going on. The cops were there working on getting the cars out of the lake. They’d pulled one out, but the others were still in the lake. Apparently, it’s a long, slow process that takes hours. There’s a lot more to it than you might think. I better go put my skates on. Come with me?” Shelley headed toward the building with its little dressing room where she could store her shoes and purse.

Tabby nodded and skated after Shelley as they headed towards the side of the building where the door was to pick up the orders. This sounded exciting and Tabby wanted to hear all the details.

“Gary stayed in the van, but I got out to get some pictures. The cops saw me, and one of them started walking towards me. I thought he was going to run me off, but instead he agreed to let me get a close-up look at the car they’d pulled out and get some pictures. Those cops we talked to on the boat were there too, still out in the lake on their boat; I think they recognized me and radioed the cop I was talking to to let him know who I was.

"So it wasn't Marie's? What did it look like," Tabby pressed. "Was it stripped down? Did it still have the radio and steering wheel and interior stuff in it? Did you get to see what the engine looked like? Better yet, did they pop the trunk? I hope there wasn't a body in there or anything..."

Shelley pushed open the door to the building and went inside. Riley was there, getting the grill ready for the lunchtime rush. “Shelley! Love of my life!” he said in greeting.

Just off the kitchen was a tiny break room where they punched in. It doubled as a dressing room. Tabby wanted to hear more, but before Shelley could continue, they were greeted by Riley.

“Hey Riley, how’s it going?” she replied.

“Just fine. And Tabby too! The other love of my life!”

"You say that to everyone," Tabby replied rolling her eyes and making sure he saw it. "Let me guess, Starla is love #3? Oh wait, she's going steady with somebody. Her boyfriend is a big mean mechanic, you know. You don't want to piss him off." She was teasing of course and Riley actually knew Trevor. Every so often, Trevor and Matt would come by Speedy's on their day off or on their lunch break to get food.

*Tag Riley*

Once she was in the dressing room, Shelley stowed her purse and began taking off the running shoes she’d bought at the consignment store Saturday. It was nice to finally have some shoes other than the high-heeled sandals to wear, even if they were pretty beat-up. She stowed them next to her purse and began putting on the skates.

"Okay, so before I tell you Riley likes you and you should totally flirt with him so he'll ask you on a date, tell me the rest of what happened," Tabby demanded. She was obviously fighting hard to contain her curiosity about what Shelley had witnessed at the crime scene. She skated back and forth anxiously as Shelley laced up her rollerskates.

“So the car they’d pulled out was some blue Mustang, not Marie’s car. I’ll bet if Marie had been there, she’d have thrown a fit about that, and demanded they get her car out first. Though I’m not sure what the point would be; it’s not like she’d be able to drive it if they had. Those cars had been stripped down. I got some pictures, though I don’t have them with me. I’ll show them to you sometime.” Shelley decided not to mention the embarrassing fall she’d taken while getting her close-up look at the car.

"Marie bitches about everything! Can you imagine the tempertantrum she threw in front of her parents when she got home that day," Tabby asked. "I so totally wanna see those pictures! Did anything else happen?"

“Oh yeah, Starla and Trevor showed up at the scene too. They were on their way to see some movie, and stopped by to see if there was anything going on at the crime scene,” said Shelley.

“The Thing,” said Starla, who had just appeared in the door of the dressing room with her skates hanging on one shoulder by the laces. “Oh my God, how creepy. Remind me to never go to Antarctica.”

"Really? Why the hell did you see that of all the things playing," Tabby asked. "Let me guess. Trevor picked it."

*Tag Starla*

"So... back to the car. I don't suppose they can dust it for prints since it was under water," Tabby mused. "I know Jerry had something to do with this! He may not have put it in the lake himself, but he at least knows who did. I so want to find some evidence linking him to what happened."

*Tag Shelley*

Tabby waited for Shelley to finish up and for Starla to get her skates on, too. It was about time for them to start as they filed out of the kitchen. As they skated into the parking lot, a familiar blue and white Ford van pulled into one of the stalls.

*Tag*
Shelley pushed open the door to the building and went inside. Riley was there, getting the grill ready for the lunchtime rush. “Shelley! Love of my life!” he said in greeting.

“Hey Riley, how’s it going?” she replied.

“Just fine. And Tabby too! The other love of my life!”

"You say that to everyone," Tabby replied rolling her eyes and making sure he saw it. "Let me guess, Starla is love #3? Oh wait, she's going steady with somebody. Her boyfriend is a big mean mechanic, you know. You don't want to piss him off." She was teasing of course and Riley actually knew Trevor. Every so often, Trevor and Matt would come by Speedy's on their day off or on their lunch break to get food.

Riley grinned at Tabby. “What, you mean Trevor? I’m not afraid of him. He likes my hamburgers too much to hurt me!” With a skillful flick of his wrist, Riley flipped his spatula into the air. It spun around a couple of times in midair before descending, and Riley easily caught it by the handle.

“Show-off!” said Shelley with a grin.

Once she was in the dressing room, Shelley stowed her purse and began taking off the running shoes she’d bought at the consignment store Saturday. It was nice to finally have some shoes other than the high-heeled sandals to wear, even if they were pretty beat-up. She stowed them next to her purse and began putting on the skates.

"Okay, so before I tell you Riley likes you and you should totally flirt with him so he'll ask you on a date, tell me the rest of what happened," Tabby demanded. She was obviously fighting hard to contain her curiosity about what Shelley had witnessed at the crime scene. She skated back and forth anxiously as Shelley laced up her rollerskates.

Shelley raised an eyebrow when Tabby told her that Riley liked her. Was she right? Though he acted flirty sometimes, Shelley had been under the impression that Riley already had a girlfriend. If he did, Shelley had never met her. Shelley wasn’t sure what to think about the idea that Riley was attracted to her. Perhaps Shelley should pay closer attention to Riley and her interactions with him, though she wasn’t sure it would be appropriate to have a relationship with a coworker. She’d have to think about this some more; for the moment, though, she didn’t comment on Tabby’s remark. She knew Tabby was eager for more information about the cars in the lake, so she gave it to her.

“So the car they’d pulled out was some blue Mustang, not Marie’s car. I’ll bet if Marie had been there, she’d have thrown a fit about that, and demanded they get her car out first. Though I’m not sure what the point would be; it’s not like she’d be able to drive it if they had. Those cars had been stripped down. I got some pictures, though I don’t have them with me. I’ll show them to you sometime.” Shelley decided not to mention the embarrassing fall she’d taken while getting her close-up look at the car.

"Marie bitches about everything! Can you imagine the temper tantrum she threw in front of her parents when she got home that day," Tabby asked. "I so totally wanna see those pictures! Did anything else happen?"

“Oh yeah, Starla and Trevor showed up at the scene too. They were on their way to see some movie, and stopped by to see if there was anything going on at the crime scene,” said Shelley.

The Thing,” said Starla, who had just appeared in the door of the dressing room with her skates hanging on one shoulder by the laces. “Oh my God, how creepy. Remind me to never go to Antarctica.”

"Really? Why the hell did you see that of all the things playing," Tabby asked. "Let me guess. Trevor picked it."

“Of course Trevor picked it. As far as he was concerned, it was that or Blade Runner, but I think he wants to see Blade Runner with Matt. You know, I think guys like to take girls to horror movies so they’ll get scared and want to cuddle close to them for protection. It was the same thing a couple of weeks ago; Trevor took me to see Poltergeist, and went with Matt to see The Wrath of Khan.”

"So... back to the car. I don't suppose they can dust it for prints since it was under water," Tabby mused. "I know Jerry had something to do with this! He may not have put it in the lake himself, but he at least knows who did. I so want to find some evidence linking him to what happened."

“I doubt it,” Shelley responded. “I don’t think I asked them specifically about fingerprints, but I do remember Officer Montgomery telling me the cars had been in the water a few days and any evidence would likely be contaminated. I’m not sure how to link Jerry to the car thefts, short of doing some kind of stakeout or something. Uh, I don’t guess yinz have seen him since he stormed out yesterday, have you? No orange bugs following you to work or anything like that?”

*tags*

“Oh, by the way, it turns out there have been more of those car thefts than we realized, about a dozen of them, going all the way back to March,” said Shelley. “The police think some professional gang is probably behind it, and they may have moved into the area around that time. But, they don’t really have any leads; apparently us finding those cars is their first break in the case.”

Tabby waited for Shelley to finish up and for Starla to get her skates on, too. It was about time for them to start as they filed out of the kitchen. As they skated into the parking lot, a familiar blue and white Ford van pulled into one of the stalls.

“Hey, isn’t that Gary’s van?” Starla asked, pointing out the new arrival.

Shelley beamed. “I believe it is,” she said and pushed off toward the van. She glided the short distance to the stall and came to a stop at the driver’s window. “Hey stranger!” she said with a smile.

*tags*
Riley grinned at Tabby. “What, you mean Trevor? I’m not afraid of him. He likes my hamburgers too much to hurt me!” With a skillful flick of his wrist, Riley flipped his spatula into the air. It spun around a couple of times in midair before descending, and Riley easily caught it by the handle.

"Hmmm, if that's the case, we should work something out," Tabby said with a mischievous grin.

“Show-off!” said Shelley with a grin.

Once she was in the dressing room, Shelley stowed her purse and began taking off the running shoes she’d bought at the consignment store Saturday. It was nice to finally have some shoes other than the high-heeled sandals to wear, even if they were pretty beat-up. She stowed them next to her purse and began putting on the skates.

"Okay, so before I tell you Riley likes you and you should totally flirt with him so he'll ask you on a date, tell me the rest of what happened," Tabby demanded. She was obviously fighting hard to contain her curiosity about what Shelley had witnessed at the crime scene. She skated back and forth anxiously as Shelley laced up her rollerskates.

“So the car they’d pulled out was some blue Mustang, not Marie’s car. I’ll bet if Marie had been there, she’d have thrown a fit about that, and demanded they get her car out first. Though I’m not sure what the point would be; it’s not like she’d be able to drive it if they had. Those cars had been stripped down. I got some pictures, though I don’t have them with me. I’ll show them to you sometime.” Shelley decided not to mention the embarrassing fall she’d taken while getting her close-up look at the car.

"Marie bitches about everything! Can you imagine the temper tantrum she threw in front of her parents when she got home that day," Tabby asked. "I so totally wanna see those pictures! Did anything else happen?"

“Oh yeah, Starla and Trevor showed up at the scene too. They were on their way to see some movie, and stopped by to see if there was anything going on at the crime scene,” said Shelley.

“The Thing,” said Starla, who had just appeared in the door of the dressing room with her skates hanging on one shoulder by the laces. “Oh my God, how creepy. Remind me to never go to Antarctica.”

"Really? Why the hell did you see that of all the things playing," Tabby asked. "Let me guess. Trevor picked it."

“Of course Trevor picked it. As far as he was concerned, it was that or Blade Runner, but I think he wants to see Blade Runner with Matt. You know, I think guys like to take girls to horror movies so they’ll get scared and want to cuddle close to them for protection. It was the same thing a couple of weeks ago; Trevor took me to see Poltergeist, and went with Matt to see The Wrath of Khan.”

"So... back to the car. I don't suppose they can dust it for prints since it was underwater," Tabby mused. "I know Jerry had something to do with this! He may not have put it in the lake himself, but he at least knows who did. I so want to find some evidence linking him to what happened."

“I doubt it,” Shelley responded. “I don’t think I asked them specifically about fingerprints, but I do remember Officer Montgomery telling me the cars had been in the water a few days and any evidence would likely be contaminated. I’m not sure how to link Jerry to the car thefts, short of doing some kind of stakeout or something. Uh, I don’t guess yinz have seen him since he stormed out yesterday, have you? No orange bugs following you to work or anything like that?”

"Nope," Tabby affirmed. "But we should totally go undercover and see what he's up to!"

“Oh, by the way, it turns out there have been more of those car thefts than we realized, about a dozen of them, going all the way back to March,” said Shelley. “The police think some professional gang is probably behind it, and they may have moved into the area around that time. But, they don’t really have any leads; apparently us finding those cars is their first break in the case.”

Tabby waited for Shelley to finish up and for Starla to get her skates on, too. It was about time for them to start as they filed out of the kitchen. As they skated into the parking lot, a familiar blue and white Ford van pulled into one of the stalls.

“Hey, isn’t that Gary’s van?” Starla asked, pointing out the new arrival.

Shelley beamed. “I believe it is,” she said and pushed off toward the van. She glided the short distance to the stall and came to a stop at the driver’s window.

Tabby was the last to notice Gary pull up into an empty bay, but at that point, Shelley had already seen him and was heading that way. Another car pulled up at the opposite side of the parking lot, so Tabby decided to take that one and skated off in that direction.
Shelley beamed. “I believe it is,” she said and pushed off toward the van. She glided the short distance to the stall and came to a stop at the driver’s window. “Hey stranger!” she said with a smile.

Gary was staring at the menu when Shelley skated up. "Oh, uh, good morning or afternoon, whichever the case may be madame. I was wondering if you could tell me about the menu... this deluxe bacon Speedy Burger... does that come with bacon," Gary asked trying to keep as serious a face as he could.

*Tag*

Shelley noticed a large flat box in the passenger seat of the van. On the top was what looked like a hot wheel car of her Trans AM.

*Tag*

Tabby was talking to another customer a few bays over and skated off towards the kitchen to turn in an order to Riley.
Shelley beamed. “I believe it is,” she said and pushed off toward the van. She glided the short distance to the stall and came to a stop at the driver’s window. “Hey stranger!” she said with a smile.

Gary was staring at the menu when Shelley skated up. "Oh, uh, good morning or afternoon, whichever the case may be madame. I was wondering if you could tell me about the menu... this deluxe bacon Speedy Burger... does that come with bacon," Gary asked trying to keep as serious a face as he could.

“Oh, yes sir, it comes with a heaping helping of bacon, and plenty of deluxe too. It’s a veritable handful of mouth-watering bacon-burger goodness,” Shelley said with a smile. “You can get fries with that too, or onion rings if that’s what suits your fancy. You know, back where I come from, the fries are often included inside the sandwich itself. I think Primanti Brothers started that tradition, but I don’t think they have any restaurants outside the Pittsburgh area. So, want to try one of our scrumptious deluxe bacon burgers?” She pulled out her order pad and a pen.

*tag Gary*

Shelley noticed a large flat box in the passenger seat of the van. On the top was what looked like a hot wheel car of her Trans AM.

Shelley’s eyes widened when she noticed what was in the passenger seat. “Ooo, whatcha got there?” she said, her curiosity getting the best of her. “That looks like my Firebird!”

*tag Gary*

Tabby was talking to another customer a few bays over and skated off towards the kitchen to turn in an order to Riley.

Shelley noticed Tabby heading back in to turn in her customer’s order. It looked like Starla was about to finish taking an order too. Shelley figured she better go ahead and get Gary’s order in. “Want a shake or something to drink on this hot summer day?” she said with a grin.

*tag Gary*
Gary was staring at the menu when Shelley skated up. "Oh, uh, good morning or afternoon, whichever the case may be madame. I was wondering if you could tell me about the menu... this deluxe bacon Speedy Burger... does that come with bacon," Gary asked trying to keep as serious a face as he could.

“Oh, yes sir, it comes with a heaping helping of bacon, and plenty of deluxe too. It’s a veritable handful of mouth-watering bacon-burger goodness,” Shelley said with a smile. “You can get fries with that too, or onion rings if that’s what suits your fancy. You know, back where I come from, the fries are often included inside the sandwich itself. I think Primanti Brothers started that tradition, but I don’t think they have any restaurants outside the Pittsburgh area. So, want to try one of our scrumptious deluxe bacon burgers?” She pulled out her order pad and a pen.

"Uhhhh, yeah, let's do that as a combo," Gary responded. "So, no tatter tots? Hmmm... are the fries the crinkly kind or straight? You know what, let's go with the onion rings. It seems like an onion ring kind of day." Gary had no idea why he said that or what 'an onion ring kind of day' even meant.

Shelley noticed a large flat box in the passenger seat of the van. On the top was what looked like a hot wheel car of her Trans AM.

Shelley’s eyes widened when she noticed what was in the passenger seat. “Ooo, whatcha got there?” she said, her curiosity getting the best of her. “That looks like my Firebird!”

"Huh, oh these," Gary replied suddenly remembering that he had meant to move the slot cars he had just purchased out of sight before stopping at Speedy Burger. "I was wandering around in Kmart next door, you know how I do when I'm bored and need to get out of the rat palace. Anyway, I happened to notice these little trucks. They work like slot cars, but they are construction vehicles and you can buy all these little terminals and trailers. One of the sets had an HO train! I couldn't resist. Then I noticed they had other vehicles... different trucks and what have you but then I spotted the Bandit and I thought, I don't know where I am going to set this up, but we need it!"

*Tag*

Tabby was talking to another customer a few bays over and skated off towards the kitchen to turn in an order to Riley.

Shelley noticed Tabby heading back in to turn in her customer’s order. It looked like Starla was about to finish taking an order too. Shelley figured she better go ahead and get Gary’s order in. “Want a shake or something to drink on this hot summer day?” she said with a grin.

"Well, I was going to see if you had Tab, but a shake does sound rather good. Let's do chocolate," Gary replied. Gary watched Tabby and Starla skating towards the building. Tabby had just dropped off her order and looked like she was headed his way. Starla was just finishing up hers and a moment later made her way to the pickup window.

"You should do roller derby or something between orders for some entertainment. After all, you get to see singing electrodal animals at the rat palace. That's how the Big C refers to himself and the other characters. They actually know they are robots plugged into a computer and make reference to it. Chuck E. actually has Jasper turned off when he gets too crazy in one of the skits in the current show..."

*Tag*

Gary realized he was rambling again. "Uh, anyway, I'll uh let you get that turned in so you can help other customers." At the moment, it seemed there were no new orders. It was still a little before the lunch rush. Gary had decided to come a bit early knowing it was going to get busy soon.

*Tag*
Shelley noticed a large flat box in the passenger seat of the van. On the top was what looked like a hot wheel car of her Trans AM. Shelley’s eyes widened. “Ooo, whatcha got there?” she said, her curiosity getting the best of her. “That looks like my Firebird!”

"Huh, oh these," Gary replied suddenly remembering that he had meant to move the slot cars he had just purchased out of sight before stopping at Speedy Burger. "I was wandering around in Kmart next door, you know how I do when I'm bored and need to get out of the rat palace. Anyway, I happened to notice these little trucks. They work like slot cars, but they are construction vehicles and you can buy all these little terminals and trailers. One of the sets had an HO train! I couldn't resist. Then I noticed they had other vehicles... different trucks and what have you but then I spotted the Bandit and I thought, I don't know where I am going to set this up, but we need it!"

Shelley didn’t really have any experience with slot cars; they were toys that had mostly appealed to boys when she was growing up. She still thought of them as something mostly for kids, but she could imagine that they could be a hobby for adults too, much like model trains. In fact, it sounded like what Gary had bought could interact with model trains, if she understood what he was saying correctly. She didn’t know what an HO train was, not being familiar with the scales that model trains came in, but it seemed right. It actually sounded like it might be fun, and the fact that there was a car that looked like hers had her rather excited to see what this was going to be like. She grinned and said, “That sounds kind of cool! I can’t wait to see it when it’s all set up!”

Shelley noticed Tabby heading back in to turn in her customer’s order. It looked like Starla was about to finish taking an order too. Shelley figured she better go ahead and get Gary’s order in. “Want a shake or something to drink on this hot summer day?” she said with a grin.

"Well, I was going to see if you had Tab, but a shake does sound rather good. Let's do chocolate," Gary replied. Gary watched Tabby and Starla skating towards the building. Tabby had just dropped off her order and looked like she was headed his way. Starla was just finishing up hers and a moment later made her way to the pickup window.

"You should do roller derby or something between orders for some entertainment. After all, you get to see singing electrodal animals at the rat palace. That's how the Big C refers to himself and the other characters. They actually know they are robots plugged into a computer and make reference to it. Chuck E. actually has Jasper turned off when he gets too crazy in one of the skits in the current show..."

Shelley laughed. “Roller derby? I never tried that before. We’d have to get some of those tight uniforms, and probably a few more carhops to make up the teams. How many girls are on a roller derby team, anyway? Tabby would probably come blasting through, knocking the rest of us into customers’ cars to score. I don’t think we could stop her, and unlike Jasper, I’m pretty sure she can’t be turned off.” She chuckled again. “All joking aside, she really is a good skater. I don’t know; maybe there is a way we could incorporate some kind of skating-based entertainment into our jobs. I’ll have to think about that one.”

Gary realized he was rambling again. "Uh, anyway, I'll uh let you get that turned in so you can help other customers." At the moment, it seemed there were no new orders. It was still a little before the lunch rush. Gary had decided to come a bit early knowing it was going to get busy soon.

Shelley looked around. “Looks like you came at a good time; you beat the rush. We should have a little time to chat before it gets busy. Back in a minute!” With that, she skated off to turn in Gary’s order.

Starla was finishing up with her customer, and she saw Tabby heading for Gary’s van while Shelley skated off. There weren’t many customers here yet, and the ones that were here had already been served, so she decided to go say hi to Gary as well. As she rolled up to the van, she smiled and said, “Hey Gary! How’s it going?”
Shelley laughed. “Roller derby? I never tried that before. We’d have to get some of those tight uniforms, and probably a few more carhops to make up the teams. How many girls are on a roller derby team, anyway? Tabby would probably come blasting through, knocking the rest of us into customers’ cars to score. I don’t think we could stop her, and unlike Jasper, I’m pretty sure she can’t be turned off.” She chuckled again. “All joking aside, she really is a good skater. I don’t know; maybe there is a way we could incorporate some kind of skating-based entertainment into our jobs. I’ll have to think about that one.”

Gary chuckled. "There definitely is no stopping her," Gary replied. "I'm not sure how many are on a roller derby team. They were showing it for a while late at night on channel 21. I just happened to catch it on one time. They just skate around in a circle running into each other. As best as I could understand it, one team member has a star on her helmet. I think she's known as 'the jammer' and she tries to get as many laps around the track without getting taken down by the other team. Her teammates try to protect her."

Gary realized he was rambling again. "Uh, anyway, I'll uh let you get that turned in so you can help other customers." At the moment, it seemed there were no new orders. It was still a little before the lunch rush. Gary had decided to come a bit early knowing it was going to get busy soon.

Shelley looked around. “Looks like you came at a good time; you beat the rush. We should have a little time to chat before it gets busy. Back in a minute!” With that, she skated off to turn in Gary’s order.

Gary nodded.

Starla was finishing up with her customer, and she saw Tabby heading for Gary’s van while Shelley skated off. There weren’t many customers here yet, and the ones that were here had already been served, so she decided to go say hi to Gary as well. As she rolled up to the van, she smiled and said, “Hey Gary! How’s it going?”

"Oh good," Gary began. "Shelley and I were just talking about how you should form a roller derby team and how that would be a bad idea because Tabby would run into the rest of you and send you flying into the customer's cars..."

"Do what," Tabby asked as she skated up next to Starla.

"Uh, nothing," Gary replied. Tabby took note of the slot cars.

"Is that a slot car set," Tabby asked. "Oh! You got Shelley's car!"

"Yes and yes," Gary replied. "Actually, slot trucks. This is a USA-1 trucking set combined with a model HO train by Tyco. It comes with a big rig and a dump truck, but they had other vehicles, too. I just thought it looked fun. I couldn't resist because of the Pontiac."

"Hmmm, this could be fun. What you need is to find Trevor's big green booger car," Tabby replied.

"I don't think they make anything that looks like an Impala," Gary replied.

"Oh, that's too bad. You need a blue and white van and a solid white one for Matt's, too," Tabby mused.

"Are we making a Teal Cove playset now," Gary asked.

"Nah, I just want to run Trevor off the road with the semi or have Matt get stuck on the crossing as the train comes around," Tabby responded grinning. "That would be hours of fun and therapeutic!"
Gary chuckled. "There definitely is no stopping her," Gary replied. "I'm not sure how many are on a roller derby team. They were showing it for a while late at night on channel 21. I just happened to catch it on one time. They just skate around in a circle running into each other. As best as I could understand it, one team member has a star on her helmet. I think she's known as 'the jammer' and she tries to get as many laps around the track without getting taken down by the other team. Her teammates try to protect her."

“A jammer, huh? Yeah, that would probably be Tabby’s job. She could skate circles around the rest of us, I’m sure.”

Shelley skated off to put in Gary’s order, and was soon replaced by Starla. “Hey Gary! How’s it going?” she said.

"Oh good," Gary began. "Shelley and I were just talking about how you should form a roller derby team and how that would be a bad idea because Tabby would run into the rest of you and send you flying into the customer's cars..."

"Do what," Tabby asked as she skated up next to Starla.

"Uh, nothing," Gary replied. Tabby took note of the slot cars.

"Is that a slot car set," Tabby asked. "Oh! You got Shelley's car!"

"Yes and yes," Gary replied. "Actually, slot trucks. This is a USA-1 trucking set combined with a model HO train by Tyco. It comes with a big rig and a dump truck, but they had other vehicles, too. I just thought it looked fun. I couldn't resist because of the Pontiac."

"Hmmm, this could be fun. What you need is to find Trevor's big green booger car," Tabby replied.

"I don't think they make anything that looks like an Impala," Gary replied.

"Oh, that's too bad. You need a blue and white van and a solid white one for Matt's, too," Tabby mused.

"Are we making a Teal Cove playset now," Gary asked.

"Nah, I just want to run Trevor off the road with the semi or have Matt get stuck on the crossing as the train comes around," Tabby responded grinning. "That would be hours of fun and therapeutic!"

“Can slot cars even run each other off the track?” Starla asked. She had the feeling they couldn’t, but she had no experience with them at all, so she didn’t know. “Then again, I remember Richard Dreyfuss wrecking a toy train in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, so I supposed accidents (or deliberate wrecks) are possible.”

*tags*

“If you’re planning to make a Teal Cove playset, you should have a lake with a red Camaro in it,” Starla said mischievously. She quickly looked around to make sure no other cheerleaders were present to overhear her.

*tags*

“No wrecking my Firebird,” said Shelley as she skated back up to the van, having caught some of the conversation. “See what I mean? The perfect jammer,” she said to Gary with a grin. Turning to Tabby, she said, “Know what would be a good car to wreck? An orange Bug.”

*tags*
"Are we making a Teal Cove playset now," Gary asked.

"Nah, I just want to run Trevor off the road with the semi or have Matt get stuck on the crossing as the train comes around," Tabby responded grinning. "That would be hours of fun and therapeutic!"

“Can slot cars even run each other off the track?” Starla asked. She had the feeling they couldn’t, but she had no experience with them at all, so she didn’t know. “Then again, I remember Richard Dreyfuss wrecking a toy train in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, so I supposed accidents (or deliberate wrecks) are possible.”

"My brother used to have a big setup. It got sold in a garage sale just like everything else did every time we move," Tabby replied. "He didn't have any train crossings, but there were track pieces where one lane cut into the other or the cars crisscrossed and switched lanes. It was like an X. Of course, he never let me play with it, but I remember watching him wreck his little slot cars and seeing them go flying off the track."

“If you’re planning to make a Teal Cove playset, you should have a lake with a red Camaro in it,” Starla said mischievously. She quickly looked around to make sure no other cheerleaders were present to overhear her.

"Oooh! We need to go slot car shopping after work. If we can't find the right colors, I bet you could use your miniature paints and customize them," Tabby suggested. "Since neither of us has cars, we could be the big rig truck..."

"One of you can be the green dump truck," Gary suggested. "While you're at it, you can dump logs all over the road for Trevor and Matt to crash into in case the train doesn't get them."

“No wrecking my Firebird,” said Shelley as she skated back up to the van, having caught some of the conversation. “See what I mean? The perfect jammer,” she said to Gary with a grin. Turning to Tabby, she said, “Know what would be a good car to wreck? An orange Bug.”

"What's a jammer," Tabby asked confused.

"A girl with a star on her helmet," Gary chuckled.

"What," Tabby asked lost turning between Starla and Shelley for an explanation.

"Okay, so my trucking set needs two vans, a green Impala, an orange bug, a lake, a red Camaro, and a burger joint with roller skating roller derby girls. Oh, and I need to find some crossover and lane swerving pieces of track so we can maximize the number of wrecks we can have. Got it," Gary replied. "And here I was all focused on thinking I needed some more train cars."

*Tags*

A few more cars began to pull into some of the empty stalls and Riley was waving trying to get the girls' attention since some of the orders were ready for pickup.

"Oh! We're being summoned," Tabby noted. "See ya later, Gary. We'll look into more cars for your slot cars... er um, trucks.!"

Tabby skated off toward the pickup window.
"Oooh! We need to go slot car shopping after work. If we can't find the right colors, I bet you could use your miniature paints and customize them," Tabby suggested. "Since neither of us has cars, we could be the big rig truck..."

“Should we join B.J. McKay’s team of lady truckers?” said Starla with a laugh.

*Tag*

"One of you can be the green dump truck," Gary suggested. "While you're at it, you can dump logs all over the road for Trevor and Matt to crash into in case the train doesn't get them."

“No wrecking my Firebird,” said Shelley as she skated back up to the van, having caught some of the conversation. “See what I mean? The perfect jammer,” she said to Gary with a grin. Turning to Tabby, she said, “Know what would be a good car to wreck? An orange Bug.”

"What's a jammer," Tabby asked confused.

"A girl with a star on her helmet," Gary chuckled.

"What," Tabby asked lost turning between Starla and Shelley for an explanation.

“The girl with the star on her helmet! Kind of like a Dallas Cowboy, but prettier, meaner, and better able to knock people out of her way,” said Shelley with a grin.

Starla put her hands on her hips indignantly. “Hey, don’t be insulting the Cowboys, you Steelers fan! You’re in Dallas now!”

“I seem to have touched a nerve,” Shelley told Tabby and Gary. “Could it be our friend Starla has aspirations of being a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader? She’d look pretty good in a star-spangled outfit; even has the word ‘star’ as part of her name!”

“Who, me? A Cowboys cheerleader? I don’t think I’d have much of a chance of landing a spot on that squad,” said Starla humbly.

*Tag*

Seeing that Tabby still had a confused look on her face, Shelley explained. “A jammer is a position in Roller Derby, apparently. Earlier Gary suggested we ought to do Roller Derby to entertain the customers while they’re waiting for their food. Since you’re the best skater among us, I suggested you ought to be the jammer.”

*Tag*

"Okay, so my trucking set needs two vans, a green Impala, an orange bug, a lake, a red Camaro, and a burger joint with roller skating roller derby girls. Oh, and I need to find some crossover and lane swerving pieces of track so we can maximize the number of wrecks we can have. Got it," Gary replied. "And here I was all focused on thinking I needed some more train cars."

“And a Rat Palace,” Starla added to the list. “No Teal Cove playset would be complete without one!”

A few more cars began to pull into some of the empty stalls and Riley was waving trying to get the girls' attention since some of the orders were ready for pickup.

"Oh! We're being summoned," Tabby noted. "See ya later, Gary. We'll look into more cars for your slot cars... er um, trucks.!"

Tabby skated off toward the pickup window.

Starla and Shelley skated off to the pickup window as well; they all had food to deliver to their respective customers. A minute later, Shelley skated back to Gary’s van. “Here you go, sir; one dee-luxe bacon Speedy Burger combo, complete with onion rings and a chocolate shake,” said Shelley in a business-like tone of voice. Then she grinned and gave Gary a wink. “As an extra bonus, Riley even let me add a small order of tater tots at no additional charge!”
"Oooh! We need to go slot car shopping after work. If we can't find the right colors, I bet you could use your miniature paints and customize them," Tabby suggested. "Since neither of us has cars, we could be the big rig truck..."

“Should we join B.J. McKay’s team of lady truckers?” said Starla with a laugh.

"Would we get a monkey," Tabby asked.

"One of you can be the green dump truck," Gary suggested. "While you're at it, you can dump logs all over the road for Trevor and Matt to crash into in case the train doesn't get them."

“No wrecking my Firebird,” said Shelley as she skated back up to the van, having caught some of the conversation. “See what I mean? The perfect jammer,” she said to Gary with a grin. Turning to Tabby, she said, “Know what would be a good car to wreck? An orange Bug.”

"What's a jammer," Tabby asked confused.

"A girl with a star on her helmet," Gary chuckled.

"What," Tabby asked lost turning between Starla and Shelley for an explanation.

“The girl with the star on her helmet! Kind of like a Dallas Cowboy, but prettier, meaner, and better able to knock people out of her way,” said Shelley with a grin.

Starla put her hands on her hips indignantly. “Hey, don’t be insulting the Cowboys, you Steelers fan! You’re in Dallas now!”

“I seem to have touched a nerve,” Shelley told Tabby and Gary. “Could it be our friend Starla has aspirations of being a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader? She’d look pretty good in a star-spangled outfit; even has the word ‘star’ as part of her name!”

“Who, me? A Cowboys cheerleader? I don’t think I’d have much of a chance of landing a spot on that squad,” said Starla humbly.

"WHAT? The only reason you aren't the star cheerleader is stupid Marie is older. If you were a senior, you'd totally be captain right now," Tabby argued. "But I still don't know what a jammer is..."

"How did we go from roller derby to football," Gary mused.

Seeing that Tabby still had a confused look on her face, Shelley explained. “A jammer is a position in Roller Derby, apparently. Earlier Gary suggested we ought to do Roller Derby to entertain the customers while they’re waiting for their food. Since you’re the best skater among us, I suggested you ought to be the jammer.”

"What does a jammer do," Tabby asked confused. "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"You might say she's the star of the team," Gary replied. "In a literal sense."

"Uh, okay, so back to car chases with semi-trucks," Tabby said changing the subject back to the new trucking set on Gary's front seat.

"Okay, so my trucking set needs two vans, a green Impala, an orange bug, a lake, a red Camaro, and a burger joint with roller skating roller derby girls. Oh, and I need to find some crossover and lane swerving pieces of track so we can maximize the number of wrecks we can have. Got it," Gary replied. "And here I was all focused on thinking I needed some more train cars."

“And a Rat Palace,” Starla added to the list. “No Teal Cove playset would be complete without one!”

"Do they make one," Tabby asked. "My dumb brother had a model train at one point and it had little buildings. I know he had a Howard Johnson's and a Burger King."

"If not, I'm sure you can make one out of another building. You're already planning your own custom line of slot cars," Gary pointed out.

A few more cars began to pull into some of the empty stalls and Riley was waving trying to get the girls' attention since some of the orders were ready for pickup.

"Oh! We're being summoned," Tabby noted. "See ya later, Gary. We'll look into more cars for your slot cars... er um, trucks.!"

Tabby skated off toward the pickup window.

Starla and Shelley skated off to the pickup window as well; they all had food to deliver to their respective customers. A minute later, Shelley skated back to Gary’s van. “Here you go, sir; one dee-luxe bacon Speedy Burger combo, complete with onion rings and a chocolate shake,” said Shelley in a business-like tone of voice. Then she grinned and gave Gary a wink. “As an extra bonus, Riley even let me add a small order of tater tots at no additional charge!”

"Those are the best kind," Gary replied handing her $2 for a tip. "Thanks. You best get back to work. We'll be ready to do some trucking by the time you get home. I didn't really think out where I was going to set this thing up, but I guess we can have a miniature highway in the living room for a few days anyway."

Gary took the bag and let Shelley get back to serving the other customers in the parking lot.

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