CHAPTER ONE
pre-grease

"Can we go to the café?" Sandy asked sweetly. Roxy looked at her in the corner of her eye and smirked.

"Sure," she said, making a left turn where the café definitely isn't. The pair arrived at an old diner that had a giant snowman on top of the roof with a bunch of giant fruits surrounding it.

"What is this place?" Sandy asked. Roxy squinted against the sun's glare to read the sign above.

"Frosty Palace," she hummed. She cut the engine and stepped out of the car. Sandy had a permanent face of confusion as they walked in. Roxy was also new to the place, but that didn't faze her as she sat down at a booth. Sandy bumped into multiple people but eventually took a seat with her sister.

"Why are we here? I thought we were going for tea," Sandy whispered to Roxy, afraid that someone would hear and take offense. Roxy sort of ignored her, grabbing a menu from the table and opening it to look at the food.

"I mean, this isn't really our scene," Sandy said. Roxy snapped the menu shut and looked at the girl in front of her.

"No. This isn't your scene. I'm comfortable in whatever scene isn't yours. If you want to go home, you can walk the five miles," Roxy said, opening the menu again.

"What'll it be?" An older woman with big gray hair walked up to the girls. Roxy set the menu down on the table and Sandy grabbed it eagerly, skimming the contents.

"I'll have an Eskimo pie, please," Roxy smiled up at the woman.

"Oh, I don't think I've seen you around here," the woman smiled back.

"Yeah, we just moved here," Roxy pointed at her sister.

"Where from?" The woman asked.

"Sydney, Australia," Roxy answered. The woman made a surprised 'O' with her mouth and gave a look of astonishment.

"Oh, I'm sure you miss it," the woman laughed.

"Not one bit," Roxy shook her head playfully and the woman laughed again.

"What about you dear?" The woman poisoned her pen and turned to Sandy.

"Oh, um, I'll have the strawberry milkshake, please," Sandy said politely. The woman nodded and wrote something down on her writing pad.

"Well," she turned back to Roxy. "My name is Viola, you can call me Vi, and I hope to see you around more often..."

"Roxanne, but my friends call me Roxy," Roxy smiled. Vi nodded.

"Roxy," Vi left with their orders and Sandy watched her go, turning back to her sister.

"What took you so long in the store?" Sandy asked.

"When?" Roxy asked, taking a dime out to play something on the mini jukebox on the table.

"Just now," Sandy said.

"Oh, I dropped some boxes," Roxy said plainly as she punched in some numbers.

"Yeah, but you were talking to someone. A boy, I saw," Sandy whispered to Roxy as if it were a massive crime.

"Sandy, don't get all judge-y on me. I know who you're hookin' up with when you go to the beach," Roxy rolled her eyes. Elvis filled the little table area as the sisters stared at each other.

"What? How-?" Sandy started, but Roxy cut her off.

"I know everything," Roxy sighed, grabbing her Eskimo pie popsicle from Vi's tray when she arrived. "Thanks, Vi."

"No problem, you girls need anything else?"

"A basket of fries would be wonderful," Sandy glared at Roxy.

"And a knife along with that," Roxy sneered, grabbing a straw and ripping the paper off it. Sandy squinted her eyes at her sister, watching her slurp the strawberry milkshake that was supposed to be hers.

"Tell me about the boy at the shop," Sandy chirped, grabbing the Eskimo pie and biting onto the chocolate covered vanilla ice cream on a stick.

"What boy?" Roxy asked, downing the milkshake.

"The boy behind the shop, you know who I'm talking about," Sandy said. She usually wasn't one for a petty argument like her sister, but if her father found out about Danny and what she's been doing, she knows that Roxy wouldn't hold back any details.

"Oh, that boy," Roxy sighed. Vi returned with the basket of fries and both girls dug their hands in it. They stopped and stared at each other.

"I won't tell Father if you don't tell him," Sandy said quickly.

"What is there to tell him, Sandy? Hm?" Roxy raised a brow and slowly munched on a fry. "I have no idea what you're talking about. A boy? At the store? Why, call the police! It's a national emergency!"

Roxy almost fell off her seat in a fit of laughter. Sandy frowned at her sister laughing like a maniac and grabbed her purse, hitting Roxy on her shoulder.

"Roxanne Marie Olsson!" Sandy scolded, not showing any mercy to the girl who was crouching behind the table. "This is a serious matter! If Father finds out I'm going with Danny then I'll be in trouble!"

"Oh, c'mon! Invite him over for tea or somethin', you'll be fine!" Roxy laughed as she got back up and sat comfortably in the booth. Sandy cleared her throat when everyone who was watching went back to what they were doing before.

"Still, you don't understand," Sandy shook her head.

"I don't understand? Sandy, darling, I've been past this stage for the past nine years," Roxy rolled her eyes. "You're Daddy's favorite. You'll be fine."

"I suppose," Sandy shrugged. It's true, she could get away with almost anything.

"Anyways," Roxy wiped her hands on the seat. "I was going to go back to Bargain City tomorrow. Don't tell mom or dad."

"What, why?" Sandy asked.

"Because I don't want them to know," Roxy rolled her eyes. Again.

"No, why are you going to Bargain City?" Sandy asked.

"Because I need a job, Sandy," Roxy sneered. "Just don't tell the 'rents."

"Why can't you ask Father for money?" Sandy asked.

"Because I want to work for my own money. I want to get my own car and not have Dad get it for me," Roxy said.

"I guess I could understand," Sandy sat back and crossed her arms. "But I'm done covering for you. This is the last time."

"Sure," Roxy winked at Sandy as she threw the dollar bill on the table and got up, walking out the door.

***

"A what?"

"A job," Roxy sighed at Darrell who was sporting a blue cap that day.

"A job for what?" Darrell asked, not taking his eyes off the paper. Roxy looked at Darrell for a second before replying.

"For money," Roxy said plainly.

"Yeah, I got money," Darrell said, turning a page in the newspaper.

"Well I want to work for your money," Roxy sighed, leaning on the counter. She was starting to ticked off with Darrell and his attitude.

"Why do you wanna work here?" Darrell asked, throwing his newspaper to the side and finally looking at Roxy.

"Well sir," Roxy clasped her hands together and looked at Darrell dead in the eyes. "I'm very passionate about Bargain City. It truly feels like home. I can't live without it."

"It's easier, huh?" Darrell's lips pulled into an amused smirk.

"Yes, sir, it's extremely easy," Roxy nodded, cutting off the sarcasm.

"Well," Darrell got off his stool and stood up. "I've been lookin' for some vacation days for a while now. You're hired as a cashier. Think you can handle it?"

"You won't be disappointed," Roxy smiled.

"Have seen this store?" Darrell huffed. "You could be dead and I'd be impressed."

"That's promising," Roxy muttered. Darrell just smirked.

"Alright, I'm off," Darrell said, walking out of the store. Roxy ran over to the door and held it open as she watched Darrell wall to his pick-up truck.

"Wait!" Roxy called when Darrell opened the door to his car. "When do I start?"

"Right now," Darrell called back, climbing into his car and driving away. Roxy watched, then went back inside and closed the door.

Nickie walked in from the back door, carrying a cardboard box. Roxy sat at the counter and flipped through a magazine, waiting for Nickie to notice that she was there.

Nickie set the cardboard box down. "Heya Darry, I got a shipment of lighters. Where do ya want 'em?"

"Just leave 'em there," Roxy said. Nickie's head shot up and he jumped five feet in the air.

"Geez!" Nickie calmed down. "What're you doin' here? Where's Darry?"

"I work here," Roxy said. "Darrell took the day off."

"He hired you?" Nickie asked.

"Yeah," Roxy rolled her eyes. "And?"

"Nothin'," Nickie shook his head and leaned against the counter. "You doin' alright?"

"Why do you care?" Roxy asked, a small smile pulling at her lips.

"I don't," Nickie leaned back, suddenly aware at how close he was to the girl. "I just wanna know if you're gonna mess up."

"I can't predict the future," Roxy rolled her eyes again.

"Alright, well the name's Kenickie," Kenickie leaned away from the counter and tapped the glass with his hand nervously. "Tell me if you set this place on fire..."

Roxy looked at Kenickie for a second before replying, "Roxy."

"Roxy," Kenickie purred. He smirked and tapped the glass on more time before turning away and walking out the back door. Roxy watched him go with a small smile on her face. She shook her head and brought the magazine up to her face to hide her blush.

UNEDITED