FicWad

Sonia hurried into Sonic and Manic’s room with two boxes. “Boys, look what I got with my allowance and tooth fairy money.”
 “What is it?” Manic asked.
 Sonia set the boxes out and spread them out in front of Sonic and Manic.
 One of them was a McDonald’s playset and the other was a Pizza Hut playset. Both sets were basically plastic food and a pizza pan along with a plastic cutter and spatula.
 “Uh… it’s just plastic food.” Sonic said. “We have that.”
 “Not a pizza set like this or the McFlurry stuff.” Sonia replied.
 Manic leaned back against the wall. “So, is this gonna be like the last time we played restaurant?”
 “No.” Sonia said. “We’ll have more kids to play this time.”
 “So which one are we gonna play?” Sonic asked. “Are we gonna flip a coin or something?”
 “No, it’ll be a Pizza Hut combined with a McDonald’s.” Sonia said. “Like the Taco Bell and Pizza Hut in Green Hills.” 
 “But that doesn’t exist.” Manic replied.
 “Pretend it does.” Sonia snapped.
 “Fine, I was just saying.” Manic muttered.
  *
 The triplets and their friends gathered in Sonia’s room where she had set out hers and her brothers’ plastic tables and chairs next to her playhouse where the patio table and chairs were folded out.
 On the playhouse was a paper sign with crudely drawn McDonald’s and Pizza Hut logos.
 Surge looked at the sign. “There’s no such thing as a McDonald’s/Pizza Hut.” 
 “Pretend it is.” Manic replied. “She’s very touchy about that.”
 Surge rolled her eyes.
 Kit looked at the tables and chairs, then raised his little hand. “S-sir?”
 Sonia groaned. “Why are you calling me sir? I’m a girl.”
 “You are?” Kit asked.
 Surge, Sonic, and Manic burst out laughing.
 Sonia balled her fists up. “You’re joking, right?” 
 Kit cowered.
 “Yeah, he watches the Snoopy show a lot.” Manic said, rubbing the back of his head. “Y’know how Marcie always calls Peppermint Patty sir.”
 Sonia unclenched her fists. “Oh, okay.”
 “S-sorry.” Kit said, flattening his ears against his head. “Uh, Sonia? What if I want to go through the drive thru?”
 “We don’t have cars, Kit.” Sonia said. “Just… uh, pretend it’s a walk up window like the little restaurant at the Mobotropolis flea market.”
 Kit nodded.
 Sonia clapped her hands once. “Alright, I’ll be the manager,” She said. “Uh… Shadow, Amy, and Bunnie will be employees.”
 “Wait, why is Shadow an employee?” Sonic asked. “He’s not friendly.”
 “But he’s professional.” Sonia replied.
 “I don’t think you know what the word means.” Tails said.
 “Oh, and you do?” Sonia questioned.
  “Professional, noun, a person who is an expert at some kind of work.” Tails replied. “That’s one of many definitions.”
 The kids stared wide-eyed at Tails.
 “You… can you read?” Manic asked.
 Tails shrugged. “Yeah, why?”
 “I’m a year older than you and I can’t read.” Manic said.
 “Anyway, everyone else is customers.” Sonia said. “Okay, employees go to the playhouse, everyone orders at the window.”
 Manic leaned closer to Kit. “I saved you.” He whispered. “You owe me big time for this and my chicken nugget.”
 Kit nodded.
 *
 Sonic tapped his foot impatiently as he stood behind Kit and Tangle in the line. “Hurry up.”
 “Dude, chill.” Manic said, tapping Sonic’s shoulder.
 Sally, who was standing beside Sonic, elbowed him.
 “Could… could I get a hamburger, fries, and tea?” Kit asked.
 “Of course, Sugar.” Bunnie said, tapping on the toy cash register. “That’ll be five dollars.”
 Kit handed Bunnie his fake money. 
 Bunnie put the money in the register. “Okay, you can have a seat or step to the side to wait and I’ll bring it out in a minute.”
 Kit stepped aside.
 Bunnie stepped aside to make the food as Amy stepped over to the cash register.
 “Can I get a pepperoni pizza and a Pepsi?” Tangle asked. “Coca-Cola is fine if you don’t have Pepsi.”
 Amy nodded as she tapped on the register. “Sure, we have both.” She replied. “That’ll be six dollars.”
 Tangle bit her lip. “Oh, uh… I- I don’t have any money.”
 Sonic groaned.
 “I hate how the paper money feels.” Tangle said, cringing. “It really bothers me.”
 Amy frowned. “Aw, I’m sorry.” She replied. “Well, do you have a credit card?”
 Sonia hurried over to Tangle with a toy credit card. “Here.”
 Tangle smiled. “Thanks.” She replied. She handed the card to Amy. 
 Amy slid the card in the slot on the cash register, then handed the card back to Tangle. “I’ll bring your order right out.”
 “Thanks.” Tangle said. She walked over to one of the tables and took a seat at Sonic and Manic’s blue table.
 Amy went to make Tangle’s pizza as Shadow stepped up to take Sonic’s order.
 Sonic sighed. “Ugh, you?” 
 “Be nice, Sonic.” Amy called from the kitchen.
 Sally nodded in agreement.
 “Okay, so, uh… do you have chili dogs?” Sonic asked.
 “No.” Shadow said flatly. 
 “So what happened to the customer is always right?” Sonic asked.
 “We don’t serve chili dogs.” Shadow replied. “If you want one, go somewhere-”
 “No, we can serve chili dogs.” Sonia piped up.
 Shadow gave Sonia a look. “But this-”
 “You heard Sonic.” Sonia said. “The customer is always right.”
 “No, I think the saying is the customers are idiots, but we want their money.” Shadow replied.
 Manic and Surge burst out laughing.
 Amy, Bunnie, and Sally tried their best to stifle their laughter.
 “Shadow.” Sonia scolded.
 “Fine.” Shadow muttered. “One chili dog.”
 “Oh, and a strawberry McFlurry.” Sonic said. 
 “The machine is down.” Shadow replied.
 “Wha- again?” Sonic asked. He looked at Sally. “Why are the machines always down?”
 Sally shrugged.
 “Well, can’t you fix it, Shads?” Sonic asked.
 “No, that’s not my job.” Shadow replied. “I don’t know-”
 “Fix the machine, Shadow.” Sonia said.
 Shadow looked at Sonia, who was sitting beside the door and writing in a notebook. “What are you doing over there?”
 “My taxes and payroll.” Sonia said. She motioned to her beanie baby hedgehog.  “Trying to find a babysitter for Prickles.”
 “You can’t bring your kid to work.” Shadow said.
 “Well, you’re working so you can’t stay home with Prickles either.” Sonia replied.
 Shadow couldn’t have looked more confused if he tried. 
 “Take the orders.” Sonia said.
 Shadow groaned. “Okay, is that it?”
 “One order of chicken nuggets and fries.” Sonic said. “And two waters.”
 “Alright that’s… ten dollars.” Shadow replied.
 Sonic paid Shadow. 
 “Okay, then sit down and shut up.” Shadow said. “Amy will bring it out to you.”
 Amy looked up from getting Tangle her order. “Why do I have to do it?”
 “Cause I’ll spit in the punk’s food.” Shadow said.
 Sonic’s eyes widened.
 “That’s why Ma always tells us to be nice to restaurant workers.” Manic said.
 *
 Surge and Manic looked around after their order was taken.
 “Where are we gonna sit?” Manic asked.
 Surge snorted. “Tangle and Whisper have already finished their food and they’re gonna hold up the table?” She asked. “We’ll make ‘em move.”
 Whisper looked over at Surge. “No, we’re paying customers too.” She replied. “You can sit somewhere else. Take Lanolin’s table.”
 “Hey, that’s not fair either.” Lanolin protested.
 Sticks, Knuckles, and Rouge nodded in agreement.
 “Why don’t they eat with Kit and Tails?” Rouge asked.
 Everyone looked around. 
 “Where are Kit and Tails?” Whisper asked.
 “They wanted to play with my Nintendo and I said they could.” Manic replied. 
 “Well, go sit by the closet and eat.” Whisper said, motioning to the closet.
 “But you’re done eating.” Surge snapped. “You sit by the closet.”
 Whisper got up and clenched her fists.
 Sonia rushed over. “I’ll get you and Manic our trays to eat on.”
 “No, we shouldn’t have to sit on the floor when they’re done eating, Urkel.” Surge said, glaring at Sonia.
 Manic burst out laughing. “You do kinda sound like Urkel, sis.”
 Everyone, except for Amy and Shadow, started laughing.
 Sonia cried hysterically.
 Amy rushed out of the playhouse and hugged Sonia.
 Shadow stepped over and patted Sonia’s shoulder.
 Everyone stopped laughing.
 Surge bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Sonia.” She said as Aleena walked into the room.
 “What happened?” Aleena asked.
 Sonia pulled away from Amy. “Surge said I sound like Urkel.”
 “I’m sorry, Sonia.” Surge said. 
 “Okay, that wasn’t nice, Surge.” Aleena said, giving Sonia a tissue. “If you do that again, I’ll tell your parents.”
 Surge nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Hedgehog.”
 Sonia wiped her eyes with the tissue. “I forgive you, Surge.”
 “Okay, seems like you all need a break.” Aleena said. “Why don’t you go outside and play? We have the crazy daisy sprinkler set up.”
 The children cheered.
 *
 The children, now all dressed in their swimsuits and shorts, played in the backyard under the sprinkler.
 Manic sighed as he looked at his arms. “The stupid sunscreen doesn’t work.” He whined. “My skin isn’t blue.”
 “I told you that it wouldn’t work like the commercial claimed it would.” Aleena said, setting down a tray of Sunny Delight bottles. 
 The kids hurried over to the tray, quickly thanking Aleena before drinking their Sunny Delights.
 *
 Sonic, Sonia, and Manic cleaned up their toys after their friends went home. 
 “Sorry again, sis.” Manic said. 
 “Yeah, I’m sorry too.” Sonic added.
 “Do you really think I sound like that?” Sonia asked.
 Sonic and Manic glanced at each other.
 “Nah, you’re not that annoying.” Manic said, grinning nervously.
 Sonia hugged Manic and Sonic. “You two aren’t that annoying either.”