Five - Adalyn

Five - Adalyn

I wake and see nothing but sunshine. I wish that was what it was like every day. Only two weeks ago, I started my new job and I’m already regretting it. My supervisor, Makie Greywalt, has been trying to take me out for over a week. I try to tell him it’s unprofessional and I really can’t see myself dating him or going out on a date with him. He’s also a creep. I’ve caught him multiple times snooping around my car when it’s time to head home. Maybe he’s trying to be nice, but it’s creepy. A lot of the guys in the office have told me they’ll keep an eye out for me, but even then, a lot of them get fired for doing that.

My body aches as I get to my feet and head to the bathroom. I hate looking at myself in the morning. I have two thoughts; Well, I’m not all that ugly. Wow, I can’t believe I look like this. There has to be something wrong with me if those are the first things I think about. I throw on my wrinkled button up and blazer. When I get into my car, the radio blasts. Jumping, my hand smacks against the volume knob, turning the radio off. My hand stings as I turn the steering wheel.

Each day. The same thing. I hate it. I want something to change, but I don’t know if I can do that myself. The meteorologist called for rain today. I hope it’s not a thunderstorm because I’ll have to hide in the boiler room again to wait it out. I have a big fear of thunderstorms. Maybe it’s how loud the sounds are, but I feel like I’m going to die each time there’s a roll of thunder. It reminds me of my parents. They used to fight a lot, and it ended up as a normal thing. Sure, they’re fine now; divorced and far away from each other. My dad lives in Dahlia and my mom lives in some other state with her new husband and kids. They were okay parents. I wish I didn’t have to go through thirteen years of their fighting by myself.

Makie greets me at my parking spot, smiling and holding his hand out while I open the door and stand beside him. Trying to walk away, he quickly speeds his pace, walking beside me. He talks about his dog and the people he lives near and how the neighborhood is perfect for a couple and a child. He’s talking about us. I know he is. I give him a look that obviously says I don’t care, but he continues. Ron Glenworth, my cubicle buddy, runs over to us, smiling. He’s saved me. Makie leaves us alone, visibly angry. Ron and I get into our cubicle and begin working. We occasionally chat, but rarely.

That’s how my days are 24/7/365. If there’s a change, thank god. I need a change. Everyone does now and then. We have a security company that works just above us. They’re loud. Recently, they’ve been quiet, and no one has come downstairs to ask for anything. This is the change I’ve looked for, right?

I sit at my desk and stand, flipping through a small notebook and leaving it on my desk with a page that says ‘Be back at fifteen!’. My legs carry me up the stairs and I wait at the door to go onto the fourth floor. Breathing out, I open the door and walk around. I brought my sticky notes with me in case I needed an excuse to be up there. A man in a hoodie and jeans sees me and waves. He walks over to me and holds out his hand. I shake it and smile back.

“You’re from the management company below us, right? I think I’ve seen you before!” He says, laughing. I nod and tuck the hair behind my ear.

“You probably have. I always give you guys staples and sticky notes if you need ’em!” I hand him the wad of sticky notes in my hand. He walks away, but turns and nods his head to me. I follow him. He tells me about the company and how someone died. That’s why it’s been so quiet. I see another man in an office, going through papers and talking to himself. He sees the two of us and calls out to the man I’m standing with.

“Ash! Get your ass back to work. You can’t talk to girls all you want because you’re single and looking for a distraction.” He returns to messing with papers and moving folders. Ash turns to me and rubs his neck, telling me he’s probably right. I nod and head back the way I came. When I get back to my cubicle, all I can think about is the guy going through papers. The look on his face. The way he gave Ash a look when he was talking to him. It all felt so…important. Little did I know that it really wasn’t. Just a boss yelling at an employee. I never went back up there. I couldn’t; Makie fired me. He never told me why, but he kept using different excuses each time. I found a bright side to this; at least I wouldn’t have to be around him anymore.

These past few years have been harder than I thought they would be. I hope that in the next few years I can have an easier life. The second Makie fired me, I applied for three other jobs. Of course, each one was accepted since everyone needs employees for some dier reason. There’s been a low employee count. I’ve heard rumors that people are dying from disease or, something I find funny, vampires. This isn’t Twilight, it’s reality. There’s no shiny pale vampire men running around, falling in love with any Bella’s I know.

Pulling the kettle from the stove, I begin to fill the glass bowl with the boiling water. I sigh, stirring the noodles in. This is the only break I’ve gotten all week. Out of curiosity, I look through the newspaper on the coffee table. A tragic car accident kills 45 year old Gabriel Shaw. It takes me a minute but I nod, realizing he ran the security company on the floor above my old office job. I can’t imagine what it’s like to leave a whole company to your employees. I know I won’t get that far in life.

In the next few years, I want to be able to have some time to relax, not having to work every hour of my life. My dad always told me that if I wanted to do anything good with my life, I’d have to die first. He always made it seem like my life was a waste of time. Maybe he’s right, but I want to prove him wrong.