***Hey, guys! Allow me to introduce an AU I've been planning on for several months now...

McDareth's! (Please don't reuse this name without my permission <3)

It's a fast-food AU where the high school-aged ninja all have after-school jobs at McDareth's, a local drive-thru and restaurant. Let's just say that your fresh fries may be hot, but they have nothing on these steamy ships ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

It's YA romance, and I plan on releasing it sometime early next year <3

Here's some background information:

Skylor is an ice queen in the clearest definition of the word. She's a manager at McDareth's. Nya, a sixteen-year-old aspiring to join the restaurant's leadership team, tries to copy Skylor's untouchable, managerial attitude. She takes things further than Skylor, though.

Jay is a somewhat-new employee of McDareth's at the time of this oneshot. He's the carefree clown of his senior class. Well, at least, that's what it seems...

Today's Flumptober prompt is, "Does anyone have a cough drop?"***

***(Jay's POV)***

Going to work today is a happy thing. I thought I was going to loathe the working world, but when Nya Smith is practically my manager? I finally have incentive to keep a part-time job.

I hum to myself as I walk inside McDareth's, sending a wave to Cole at the manager's stand. Cole is my best friend who persuaded me to apply for a fast-food job in the first place. He smiles and waves back, and after quickly scanning the store, I approach him.

"How are you?" I ask, tapping my fingers along the counter.

"Good." He frowns down at my fidgeting hands. "I know you want to ask me something, Jay. You can skip the formalities."

"Okay." I take a deep breath. "Is Nya single?" The words come out of my mouth fast. I'm usually not this nervous about girls – it's not like I haven't dated before – but Nya's different. There's something more than just attraction simmering underneath the surface. I'm actually developing feelings for her.

Cole raises his eyebrows, then lets out a laugh. "You haven't heard?"

Um, I don't like the sound of that response. "Uh...I probably haven't heard, given that I have no idea what you're talking about. I mean, if she's not single, I can fix that. I'll just have to change my tactic. If she is single, you wouldn't be laughing at me. I guess that's out of the question. Um..." I rack my brain. "She is into guys, right? 'Cause if she's not...I can see why I wouldn't have a chance."

"She's into guys," he shrugs. "But...you want to try for Nya? Could you actually find anyone harder to get with?" He goes back to writing something down in a binder.

"I know she's hard to get, and I'm okay with that," I shrug. "I really like her, Cole."

"That doesn't mean squat, Jay. Nya's not going out with you or...anyone else, for that matter."

I think about this. "So...she is single."

"Duh."

"Hey, don't 'duh' Nya's relationship status. I'm sure lots of guys would like to be with her." They just won't succeed, if I have anything to say about it.

Cole raises an eyebrow. "Since you're so adamant about knowing why Nya's single, why don't you just ask her?"

"Because that's too forward. I like to play things cool."

Cole raises an eyebrow. "You're the class clown, Jay. Nobody said you had a 'cool' factor, besides the fact that you get along with everyone and have a list of hot chicks who'd be happy to go out with you on Friday night."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever, Cole. Why do you want me to ask Nya this, anyway? I already approached you."

"Maybe because she's standing right behind you."

I turn bright red and swivel to see Nya raising an eyebrow. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asks.

"Oh, Nya," I laugh, extending my arms for a hug. "How are you?"

She doesn't step into my embrace. "I'm good. What is it you needed?"

I loop an arm around her shoulders. "Uh, well...at what point did you tune into that conversation?"

"About the point where Cole duh'ed my singleness." She shoots him a look, and his cheeks turn scarlet.

I snicker. "So...anyway, I was asking, um, for a friend...if you were single, and Cole said you are, but there's some sort of catch. I mean, my friend's a good guy – about my height, nice-looking, funny, romantic. Is there any particular reason you wouldn't be interested in me, uh, setting up you two? I think you'd be a really good match."

Cole holds in laughter at my rather obvious lie. Nya frowns up at me, studying my face. I don't think she believes me, either.

However, she doesn't call my bluff. "I don't date," is all she says, shrugging out of the arm I put around her.

"I – I mean, he – could change that," I smile. "I promise you'd really, really – "

"I don't date, Jay." She pulls a page off the manager's stand and looks over it. "According to Skylor's line-up, you're going straight to the drive-thru headset when you clock on."

"That's not for another half hour. I came early so I could eat."

She nods. "I know. Your food's sitting in the back booth." She jerks her head in that direction.

I furrow my forehead. "I didn't order yet."

"I know. You always get the same thing, so I went ahead and ordered for you."

"I...you know what I usually get to eat?" Does she pay that much attention to me? Does that mean...she's into me?

"Yeah, I know what you order. You should switch it up some, Walker. Adding variety to your diet is a good thing. Now, go sit down."

"I...okay. Thanks." I smile at her as I back away, letting her know I appreciate her thoughtfulness.

She just stares at me for a moment, then turns to say something to Cole.

My mind races as I sit down to eat my burger and fries. Why doesn't Nya date? I'm sure I can change that – when you want something bad enough, you find a way to make it happen – but I think there's a really good story behind this.

"I forgot your sweet and sour sauce," Nya says, interrupting me out of my thoughts. She sets down two dipping sauce containers next to my fry box.

I wipe my mouth, trying to chew and swallow my food before she can walk away. "Thanks. Nya – "

A piece of burger bun falls out of my mouth, and I cringe. That wasn't impressive.

Her lips quirk upward, ever-so-slightly, at my faux pas. "What now, Walker?"

I take a swig of lemonade, trying to wash any food residue down my throat. "Nya, I was just wondering...why don't you date? I mean, we're friends, and it kind of seems like Cole knows why you don't do it, so...is it okay if I know, too?"

She crosses her arms, leaning her back against the table. "You really want to know?"

"Um...yes," I reply, swirling a fry in ketchup and sticking it in my mouth.

"I'm sterile."

I sputter, coughing up bits and pieces of French fry all over. Nya...not...able...

Nya laughs slightly, slapping me on the back. "I'm kidding. That's not the reason. You okay there? Do you need a cough drop or something?"

I continue to choke up my fry, but now, I'm mesmerized by her smile. Skylor's ice queen-in-training has broken character.

And by golly, she's gorgeous when she lets herself full-on toothy grin. I knew she wasn't naturally as stoic as Skylor.

"I'm not actually sterile, Jay," Nya chuckles as I finally calm my breathing. "Sorry I surprised you there."

I take a big drink of lemonade. "I didn't think you had a sense of humor." I mean, it's kind of morbid, but she does indeed have a joking streak.

"It's not well-known." She pats my shoulder one last time. "I don't date, Jay, because there are three things that matter to me in this life – my brother, getting into an ivy league college, and this job. Dating is only a distraction, so I swore it off." She grabs my empty sandwich box and tosses it in the nearby trash.

I ponder this. "So...you're not dating until you finish high school?"

"College."

I blanch. "But...knowing you, you're going for your PhD, and you won't get that until you're, like, thirty. And then you'll show up at your fifteen-year high school reunion, and everyone else will have kids and soccer practices and family dinners, and you'll have...well-paying investments in Wall Street." She'll be just like her plastic surgeon of a father – a man she despises.

She hitches a shoulder. "Look, I have dreams and priorities, and I'm not just giving them up to satisfy some hormonal teenaged need for love. Or college-aged need for love."

"So...you don't dream of having someone to make you dinner after a long day of work? Or someone to steal beanies and scarves from in the fall? Or someone to cuddle with after a bad dream?" I know I do.

She shakes her head. "Trust me, Walker, there's always a trade-off – especially with love." She peels open my sweet and sour sauce, dips a fry in it, and saunters away.

***Obviously, this AU will be written inclusively, just so those of you who've never worked fast-food can enjoy it, too <3

Thoughts on this AU?***