Work schedule delimma

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Ok, here's my situation:

I've been working as courtesy at a grocery store for about a month(1-2 3-5 hour shifts per week), and here's my track record of requesting "time off":

Asked to take Christmas Eve and Day off(the place was closed on The 25th, so I guess it didn't matter)

Asked to take New Years Eve and Day off, so that I can be sure I can make big plans with particular people and not miss out on a once per year occasion.

Asked for Saturday, January 14th off because I'm going to a Chicago Bulls game 4 hours away.

Keep in mind that I didn't go to someone. There's a binder in the break room where you can write down what day(s) you want off.

Meanwhile, I've been hanging out with this guy from my old school a lot lately(went to that school for 7th and 8th grade, now in 10th). Along with that is another guy that I also knew from my old school. And I was told that he goes to the local roller skating rink every Saturday night(my friend said that he'd be willing to go too if I go). That said, my main concern is for Saturday, January 7th, which I don't know if I'm going to be given a shift for that time or not. For the following reasons:

A. I've worked on a Saturday night before.

B. I currently have written down that I can work anytime from 10 AM to 10 PM on Saturdays(and Sundays, for that matter).

C. I have no control over when they decide to schedule me.

D. They've always given me Saturday shifts.


B is the most important one, because I'm concerned that I will be less respectable of an employee if I ask for that change in the times I'm available. Given that I'm still fairly new and that I've already requested time off(altough most of them are on holidays).

Like I said, my friend and I don't go the same school together, and I literally have no friends at the school I'm currently at. So my friendship with him is very important to me. And these Saturday nights are the only legitimate times we can get together(he takes care of his grandma during the week). Yeah, I would obviously be able to hang out with him on Sundays too, but I want these Saturday nights at the skating rink to be the norm for us.

So, do you think that if I make myself "unavailable" on Saturday nights(my availability would say 10AM-6PM instead of 10AM-10PM, if that makes sense), I will lose my respectability as an employee? Other than all that, I have good intentions to be a great worker there, but I also want to take care of what has hurt me in my year and a half at my current school; not having a friend. And I think going to the skating rink every Saturday night would do wonders for that.

Thanks for any replies to this.

P.S., just to confirm, this is my first job

It sounds to me like your friendship is more important than the job at this point in time.

I would say work as hard and as well as you can in the time they give you to make yourself more valuable to them, but maybe explain to your boss why the weekend nights are important to you vs just writing it down.

Just make sure you dont ask off too much other times.

When I worked at a grocery the more seniority you had the earlier you could come in - is that still the same nowadays?

Basically all I have to do is write down what hours I'm available. I just hope I can change that without losing the amount of good hours I get.