Dante Hicks

Background:

A Quick-Stop employee who's life reflects his job, stuck and stalled in one place but unable to move on. His life seems stuck in New Jersey with his best friend, who happens to work right next door, Randal who balances his life with spontaneous activities but also acts as his conscious.

Major Plots:

We first join, in Clerks, Dante as a man stuck in his current position in life. He works at the local Quick Stop convenience store right next door to his best friend Randal. On his day off Dante is called up by the store's owner asking him to come in despite him having previous plans. Dante resists, kind of, but gives in when his boss convinces him that he will relieve him at noon.

Dante's day goes downhill quick. First he learns that the outdoor shutters to the store can't be open, gum in the locks, then he learns his current girlfriend has sucked 37 dicks. One by one the days events get worse for Dante but most of it is brought on himself culminating in his ex-girlfriend sleeping with a dead man, being charged $500 for selling cigarettes to a 4 year old, and losing his current girlfriend when she hears about the ex.

Luckily for Dante he has his friend, and sometimes pain in the ass, Randal who helps put things in perspective. He helps Dante put everything that happened in order and plan the next day to make everything better again.

We find Dante about 12 years later, in Clerks 2, with Randal working with Dante at a local fast food place after the Quick Stop had burned down. Despite the setback Dante has plans to leave his shit hole and poor paying job to leave with his fiance to Florida to get a job from her father. With his friend planning a grand exit Randal has become depressed since it means his best friend will be leaving town.

Even with his plans Dante isn't quite set yet. When his boss, Becky, arrives its obvious that Dante has some type of feelings for her. When the two sneak up onto the restaurant's roof to practice dancing for Dante's wedding he gets swept up into the moment and admits he loves her. Becky responds that she is pregnant after a one night stand a few weeks ago but makes him swear not to tell anyone. Of course Dante tells Randal who pokes fun at him for cheating and this quickly gets back to Becky who quickly leaves angry and embarrassed.

Dante leaves to get Becky back only to return to the fast food joint and at his surprise going away donkey show. When Becky also returns Dante is able to convince her that he loves her and he knows she loves him too, to which his current fiance sees and breaks it off.

Randal and Dante's relationship isn't alright though and the two have it out. Randal insults Dante for wanting to leave just to become a nobody with a nobody job down in Florida. Dante blames Randal for always being the one who ruins his life. Eventually the argument leads to Randal admitting he would miss Dante too much and wants to buy the Quick Stop so the two will always have a place to work and hang out. After getting a loan from Jay and Silent Bob, the two now have permanent places to stay and work, where they feel most comfortable and at home.