One more time and you’re fired.
The last words my boss said to me the previous day play in my head repeatedly as I run around like a headless chicken.
‘I arrived at work fifteen minutes after the expected time and I ended up running into my boss. The glare he sent me was enough for me to flinch. “How come you’re late again, Aria?”
It was the same excuse, and even if he knew said excuse, he still wanted to see me squirm. “I had to drop—”
“I don’t care.” He interrupted and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from retorting. I needed my job as it was what I lived on. What we both lived on. “You keep on coming in whenever you like and making silly excuses.”
Since his voice was quite loud and we were in the reception, everyone around us heard him and I knew he wanted it so. He enjoyed embarrassing me. Fighting back the not-so-nice words threatening to escape my mouth, I settled on. “I’m sorry.” I didn’t promise him that it would be the last time because I’d be lying.
He looked at me from head to toe in a distasteful way, even if I knew he was actually checking me out. Subtly, for others, but not so for me. “One more time and you’re fired.”‘
Struggling to put on my heels, as well as fix in my earrings, I manage to knock off a vase that shatters to the ground. Groaning, I throw the earrings in my bag and try putting on my shoes first.
I groan in irritation when I hear the annoying sound of my ringtone, just as I am about to sweep off the broken pieces on the floor.
On a normal day, it wouldn’t be as annoying. I may have even let it ring for a while just to listen to my favorite song, but right now, it is just irritating. It just means someone wasting my time even more—I don’t have a lot of that right now.
Checking the caller ID, I see it was Heather, my friend, and colleague, and I pick up, greeting her with a sharp, “What?”
Heather snorts on the line, already knowing my predicament. “What your ass. I’m not the reason you’re late. Speaking of, where are you?”
“I’m still at home, and you’re keeping me here even more. Goodbye.”
I am ready to hang up when I hear her call out for me to wait. “Don’t forget to bring the black dress with you.”
I hang up after that and even if I won’t admit it to her, I did forget about it. Lending her my black dress is the least of my worries right now. I have a job to save. I don’t know how hard it is to find a job because I’ve been employed full-time since my internship there, and I’m not sure I want to find out anytime soon.
Quickly, I get back into my room and get out the folded dress I was planning on taking with me yesterday but forgot to this morning before going back to the living room to clean up my mess.
“Lucas! Are you ready?” I yell out and a muffled, ‘one minute’ reaches my ears as I quickly sweep off the pieces that had fallen on the floor, not wanting Lucas to step on any one of them. “Lucas!” I call out again when one minute has passed.
“One second!” His voice sounds through the door. I glance at my watch, hasten my steps, and throw his room door open.
“What the— what are you doing?” I ask, correcting myself at the last moment, not wanting him to pick up curse words at an early age. He has a habit of imitating me. He used to keep his ketchup on the side. Now, he pours it on his fries, just like me.
“Tying my shoes! I’m almost done.”
With a huff, I squat in front of him, bringing his legs forward and deftly knotting the laces of his sneakers. “All done. Can we go now?” His sheepish look makes me narrow my eyes at him. I already know he has done something wrong. “What?” His eyes fleet onto his nightstand and my jaw clenches at the still-full bowl of cereal that sits atop it.
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