Sweetie had mastered that expression. She fluttered her lashes before her eyes went wider than any pony had a right to have them. "Please?"

Rarity shook her head, unmoved by the display. "I'm afraid not, Sweetie darling. I'd love to oblige you, but that simply isn't happening today." She leaned forward. "Say, now that you have your cutie mark, you could get a job." She rolled a hoof even as her horn glowed, sewing what looked like a fancy drape. "You could learn some useful life skills, and earn those bits you want so badly. Wouldn't that be delightful?"

Sweetie made a face as she wandered off in failure. A job?

She wandered out onto the street and started to wander the town, thoughts jumbled and confused as she considered. What kind of job would she even get? Cutie Mark Crusading didn't pay anything, unfortunately, so that was out.

The smell of crispy hay fries wafted past her little snout. Mmm, maybe a snack? That would also need bits. She kicked a rock a few inches in impotent fury.

But then she saw it, there in the window! 'Help Wanted,' it read bright as day. 'No experience required.'

Perfect! She didn't have any experience, at least not working for the fast food place. How hard could that be? She'd be the best waitress ever!

With a huge grin, Sweetie moved inside, opening the door with developing unicorn magic.

She moved straight up to the counter where a bored earth pony stood. "Hello?"

He looked down towards her. "Hello and welcome to Hay Burger, what can I get you?" He paused only half a moment. "Oh, almost forgot. We're having a special toy with the little foal meals. You want one of those?"

Sweetie pinkened a little. She was no filly! She was gonna get a job, like an adult! "Excuse me, sir, but I'd like to inquire about the offer of employment." She pointed out to the sign in the window.

The pony brightened right up. "Finally!" He reached over the counter, plucked up Sweetie even as she squeaked, and before anyone could react, he had her in a little outfit suited for the Hay Burger and set her gently behind the counter. "Do you have any experience?"

"No?" She looked down at herself in the bright colors of Hay Burger.

"That's alright. It's easy." He reached for her again and set her down on the counter so she could see the register and started going over what each button did what with dizzying speed.

Sweetie shook her head violently. "That's too much too fast! Can you slow down a little?"

He blinked at her. "You get used to it, just takes practice, or would you rather make the food?"

Sweetie thought back to the last time she had tried to make food and the singe marks that were still in Rarity's house as a result. "Uh... nah. I'll do this." She smiled brightly. "I'll be super nice and make ponies feel welcome."

"Good spirit." The clerk bobbed his head. "I'll be in the back. Just get the orders to me and I'll have it cooked up in a jiffy. Good luck!" He swatted Sweetie across the withers and trotted into the back, looking quite pleased with life.

Sweetie looked around quickly and spotted a stool not far away. With a glow of her horn, she tried to tug it closer, but couldn't quite pull hard enough. It tipped over and clacked loudly against the floor. The customers all looked up at her with sour expressions.

She let out a little half-hearted laugh before she hopped down and moved the stool the earth pony way, then hopped up so she could see over the counter without sitting on the same counter. That seemed a bit better. She was ready! She hoped.

A colt came in. It was Snails! Snails saw her and tilted his head. "Heya Sweetie Belle. Where's the stallion that usually takes the orders, eh?"

Sweetie put a hoof to her puffed-out chest. "That's me! I mean, not a stallion, but I will take your order. What can I get for you?" She remembered something. "We have a special on foal meals today." She looked around in a panic before she saw a dangling slip of paper that specified the meal came with an extra special toy. "It has a special toy!"

Snails gave one of his trademarked slow blinks. "Oh... wow. I'll have one of those then."

Sweetie grabbed a pen nearby and scribbled it down. "Anything else?"

Snails tapped his chin in what seemed like slow motion. "I'll have a soda, and an extra large hay fries." He smiled at Sweetie. "Wow, you're really good at this. I'm surprised you didn't get a cutie mark in serving, eh?"

Sweetie blushed a bit at that. She was quite happy with the mark she did get. What would a serving mark look like? She didn't want it. She wrote down the order though, nice and quick! She was good at reading and writing and wasn't shy putting that to work. "Go ahead and have a seat and I'll call when it's ready."

"Alright." Snails walked off in no particular hurry.

Sweetie grabbed the paper full of the order and spun on the stool. "I have an order!"

The stallion that had been tending when she came in emerged from the back and reached for the order, but paused. "This isn't the usual receipt."

Sweetie blinked. "I just wrote it down."

He pointed back at the register. "Did they pay for it?"

Oh... right. Sweetie giggled embarrassedly. "Oh yeah! Snails!"

Snails turned slowly back around and came towards the counter. "Yeah?"

Sweetie leaned forward over the counter. "I forgot to actually charge you for it."

"Oh... yeah. How much?"

Sweetie looked over the register and all its buttons. She saw three side by side that looked like the horse shoe fries. Sizes! She pressed the largest one and it made a little 'ding'. Alright, she was getting somewhere. That one looked like a drink. She moved to press it when another hoof came in and warded hers away.

The senior employee was still there. "That's for a shake," he corrected, then pointed to the ones that were for a soda. "That's what you want."

Sweetie blushed deeply as she pushed the right button. But what was the foal meal?! After she looked for a few moments with increasing desperation, the senior employee reached over and pushed the last button. "You get used to it. Now you just hit the button on the bottom and the receipt comes out with the total. Go ahead."

She pushed down the big lever on the bottom and a little slip of paper came out. "Oh! Thanks. That will be five bits."

Snails produced the currency and floated it up into Sweetie's reach. It was dropped into the register and the receipt handed over to the senior employee.

He nodded approvingly. "That's how you do it. I'll be cooking this up. Keep it up." He walked back into the back out of sight.

The door chimed as another pony came in. It was another pony she knew. Her heart went cold. It was Twilight! She wasn't doing anything Twilight would be proud of! She'd probably lecture her for not using her brain more instead of just... that... With a bright red face, Sweetie hopped down behind the counter with sudden terror.

Twilight walked to the counter with some confusion. Where was anypony to take her order? "Hello? Anypony here?"

Sweetie trembled out of sight, hoping Twilight would leave.

But she didn't. Twilight leaned over the counter with a neck that had only gotten longer with her princesshood. "Hello?" She looked down and was looking right at Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie?! What are you doing here?"

Sweetie was caught and there was nothing for it... unless... "Oh, um, I just... I was looking around."

Twilight tilted her head faintly. "How'd you end up with a Hay Burger uniform?"

Sweetie gave a brief strained titter. "Funny thing, isn't it?"

Twilight lifted a brow. "Sweetie... Are you hiding something?" She peered at Sweetie as the filly seemed to shrink with discomfort. "Allow me to be clear, you are my friend and my student. Even if you did something wrong, tell me and we can work it out."

Sweetie blinked at that. This was Twilight. She was a reasonable pony, usually, until she freaked out. Was Hay Burger worth freaking out about? Probably not... "So... It's like this." She hopped up onto her stool. "Welcome to Hay Burger. How can I help you?"

Twilight seemed surprised at the sudden swerve in the conversation, but the gist of it struck her. "You work here?"

Sweetie's ears flipped back. "Y-yeah?"

Twilight smiled brightly. "That's very mature of you, Sweetie Belle. It's good to see you taking on such a responsibility. You are taking it seriously, I hope?"

Sweetie blinked with confusion. Twilight was happy, even proud? "Y-yeah! I only just started, but I'm gonna be the best they ever had."

Twilight nodded. "I don't doubt it." She glanced left and right. "I don't suppose I get a discount?"

Sweetie waved a hoof up at the larger pony. "You know that wouldn't be right. Now, what can I get for you?"

Twilight let out her own strained giggle. "Of course... Just testing you. Now, I'll have..."

It wasn't the perfect job, but Sweetie would make it work. She at least knew her friends would be proud with her in a job well done. The bits wouldn't be awful either.

Author's Notes:

So... How was it?! Really, let me know. It was a fluffy bit of slice of life, served straight from the oven.

I think a lot of us have had similar situations, yeah? First jobs can be quite intimidating.