Antoinette Price, a rising junior and cheerleader at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, wanted a “Sweet 16” party. To make it happen, she needed a job. She started at the Oceanfront’s 17th Street Dairy Queen in April, two months shy of her birthday. She takes the bus most days. She works the register, creates yummy treats and also cleans the public restroom that DQ maintains. She had her party last month and is now saving to pay for her cheerleading costs. “It gives me more responsibility and ownership,” Antoinette says.

So if you have ever been to the Oceanfront's boardwalk you probably know this Dairy Queen at 17th Street. And you've probably noticed the public restrooms right next to them - most likely used them because it's hard to find a bathroom at the beach unless you go to a restaurant and buy something. I was under the impression that these restrooms were run by the City of Virginia Beach until I went to photograph Antoinette. As I followed her to document her working I wondered why we went outside. Then she informed me that her entire shift was inside the women's bathrooms - to keep them clean, full of toilet paper and paper towels. She then explained to me that they are operated by DQ and that she'll be inside them for her shift. She also said that about once a week she gets that duty and the rest of her 20-30 hours/week are inside, at the register and serving up ice cream treats. That's the good news. The bad news is that it seemed to be hotter in there than outside and no matter how clean they got, they still smelled like a public restroom - at least for the three hours I was inside them.