It wasn’t until two days later that I received a message back from them and in the strangest way.

It was like any other morning with me; trying to conjure any sort of energy to start my day when I noticed that I received a couple emails on my phone. When I looked at it, it was two emails from the Silver Cloud place. I could feel my earlier tiredness start to fade at what I would read on these emails.

Oh my God, what are they going to say? Are they going to reject me? Am I not qualified for any job they have in this called company of theirs?

Wait, stop! What am I doing?!

I haven’t even read them yet. Get it together, girl!

I had a bad habit of thinking of worst case scenario, but could you blame me? When I decided to go find a job to help out the family for the first time ever; I found that finding a job that would accept a teenager with no work experience while going to school was almost mission impossible.

I got that cafe job at a stroke of pure luck because the owner was desperate for help because the last person who worked there graduated and moved away. I almost cried tears of joy when I told my parents that I found a job at last.

Calming my nerves, I opened the first one that said in summary that I was accepted and that they have decided based on the answers in the questionnaire that I would be perfect for the position of a physical behavioral assistant. Also, that they need me to be available to work as soon as possible, so a representative of the company should be contacting me shortly.

What the hell is a physical behavioral assistant? It sounds like a title a therapist would get or something.

Oh no, please don’t tell me that they’re going to put me in charge of patients or something. I have enough on my own personal plate to be listening to people unload their own troubles and worries onto me. Then again, if that is the case and all I must do is listen to people complain about the world and their own personal issues then Claire was right.

This will be as easy as pie!

I opened the other email and noticed that it was sent to me three hours ago. When I read the message, I paused.

Then, read it again.

And again.

My brain was short circuiting and going a mile a minute at what this second message said. Its an email from this so called ‘representative’ and says that because my new place of employment is too far for a daily commute; they have decided that it was in both interests of the company and myself to arrange new living quarters closer to work.

Also, the company will be making all these arrangements and I don’t need to worry about a thing. At the very bottom it says that the representative will come to pick me up for orientation by nine thirty in the morning.

That’s in forty minutes!

My mind started to spiral, and I felt dizzy.

I leaned onto the table for support as I tried to process what I just read.

New living quarters? Arrangements? Pick up? What the hell is going on here?! They can’t just move me to a new place because I wanted to work for them. Who’s going to help around the house if I’m in some faraway place? Who’s going to babysit them when they need to be babysat while my parents are at work?

When this person comes over, I’m going to have to make it crystal clear that I can’t move over wherever their trying to move me and that I will find my own way to commute from and to work. I’m hoping that this person is as understanding as my mind is making them out to be.

Meanwhile, I get dressed and ready for the day while mentally coming up for a speech for this mysterious person.

“Lonnie, is something the matter?”

I looked over to see my dad looking at me with concern.

My dad was always seemed to know what we were feeling, no matter the time or place. Nobody knew how he was doing it; it was a gift he’s always had. Now that gift is projecting a neon anxiety sign over me head.

“N-No..not really. Actually, there is, but don’t worry, dad, I got it all under control.”

He crossed his arms with a raised brow. A silent ‘come on now, spill it’ gesture.

I raised my hands in defense while trying to make a brave face.

“Seriously, dad. Don’t worry about a thing, everything is going to be fine.”

His face changed to worry as he lowered his arms.

“Worry about what? Are you some kind of trouble? If you are, you can tell your old man and I’ll take care of it.”

I wanted to explain everything to him, but the moment that I opened my mouth to speak; I heard a couple knocks on the door. My dad and I looked over in the general direction of the door.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I knew my dad was wondering who it could be first thing in the morning. We rarely get visitors and when we do the whole house knows about it. But, I had a good hunch who was waiting beyond the front door.

I looked at my phone.

It was nine thirty on the dot.

I heard my mom call out as I heard her footsteps got closer and closer to the front door.

“I’ll get it!”

“No!”

I yelled out as I pushed past my dad and cut off my mom before she could make it to the door. The short sprint put me out of breath as I plastered my back towards the door.

“Lonnie? What’s gotten into first thing in the morning?”

I had to think fast or this was going to get complicated really fast.

“Well, um…what I mean is..um..you can go back to bed. Its probably just somebody trying to sell us something or something like that.”

She tried to push past me, so she could grab the handle.

“I would like to see that for myself. Thank you very much.” She said, haughtily.

I held my ground and used my body to block her hand. Quick as lightning, I opened the door a crack and slid most of body through it.

“Don’t worry, I got this so go back to bed or you can start making breakfast if you want. I’ll tell you what the salesman wants later if your that interested.”

Closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief.

“A salesman, am I?

Shit! I totally forgot that he was standing there the entire time. He’s probably thinking that I’m some kind of weirdo and is reconsidering hiring me.

I turned to face this mysterious man and I have to say that this man was easy on the eyes.

Handsome, tall, well put together with his blue suit and white glove combo and is practically oozes authority and confidence. I’m willing to bet that the ladies faint on a daily basis when he walks by in the halls.

“Are you done ogling me, Ms. Stone?”

I could feel my face heat up with embarrassment as I realized that this man as just called me out on my obviously checking him out. I’m not making a first good impression at all.

“Sir, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to stare!”

Oh please, let the Earth swallow me whole!

“Its quite alright, Ms. Heart. Nothing for you to get embarrassed about. Are you ready to leave?”

“Huh?”

For a moment, my mind was drawing a complete blank at why this man was here in the first place and why I didn’t want my parents to meet him. Then, everything came flooding back into my mind.

“Yeah, about that…”

For some reason, as I started to speak I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth. It was like that entire mental speech I prepared in advance has completely left me and now I’m at a loss on how I should break the news to him.

“Do you no longer desire to work for us, Ms. Heart? If that is the case, then you should have informed me before I made the trip here.”

His face was looked slightly annoyed as if I was wasting his time and he should have gotten someone else to do this. It kind of irked me a little bit, but I held my tongue at his attitude.

“No, no. I still want to work for you guys, but I can find my own way there and back. Their is no need for you or anyone else to go out and make any sort of arrangements for me, sir.”

I tried to sound as polite and professional as a nervous teenager could be in this kind of situation. I’m hoping with all of my heart that he doesn’t take it the wrong way and say that I’m fired because I really need this job.

“I see. There is nothing you or me can do on that front unless your about to back out of the job. This position requires you to be available at a moment’s notice twenty-four seven and we can’t have that particular person a hundred miles away now, can we?”

“I understand that, but-”

The stranger cut me off from what I was going to say by raising his hand in a stopping motion. He raised his hand to his glasses and pushed them closer to his face.

“Ms. Stone, do you remember what you said in your application?”

Oh, I don’t think I’m going to like where this is going.

“Umm…”

“When we asked how many hours your willing to work, can you work weekends and are you able to commute or move to any location at any moment’s notice. Do you remember what your exact response was?”

I looked away from his face and stared at my feet as I could feel the sweat rolling down skin. I definitely don’t remember what I said exactly because their were so many questions and I went to sleep almost right after sending it back to them, but I could pretty much guess what I said.

When I gained enough courage to face him again, the look he was giving me made me squeal. His face was overcast with a dark shadow, but not dark enough that I couldn’t make out his hardened gray eyes.

“ You said to all three questions,’ wherever you need me, no matter the time or place. I’ll be there.”

Fuck.

“ Now that sounds like a model employee anyone would pay an arm and a leg for, wouldn’t you agree?”

I didn’t say anything because I felt like anything I said at this point would be useless and would make me look more like a fool than I already feel at this point. I didn’t lie, but I heard that’s what your supposed to put on any application to make yourself stand out more in the crowd. How was I supposed to know that these people were going to take everything I said on the application literally?

He lifted his arm to take a look at his wristwatch then looked at me with a calculated expression.

“Ms. Stone, I don’t have all day to bargain with you, so I’ll make you a deal since I’m on a tight schedule.”

I perked up at the thought that this man was going to cut me some kind of slack after all.

“ You have a total of ten minutes to do whatever it is you need to do before we head off. If you are not in my car, in ten minutes or less then I’ll let my superiors know to terminate you as a potential applicant and black list you from having any future contact with us. Is that understood?”

My face paled as he explained his so called ‘deal’. No, it was more like he was giving me an ultimatum. I could feel all my hope and energy drain out of me as my shoulders sagged in defeat. Before, I could give any kind of response that I agreed to his terms; he simply turned around and walked back to his car.

I was at a loss at what to do and the clock was ticking. I had only minutes to explain the situation to my family and say goodbye to them before going to some unknown place and do who knows what.

I could hear Claire in the back of mind; trying to cheer me up and telling me that things will get better. That’s right, I have to remember that if she can adjust and love her job than so can I. I just have to think more positive thoughts about this is all.

Now here comes my real big challenge.

I have to tell my parents.

They are not about to take this well at all. Dad is very overprotective of all of us especially mom and his daughters. Mom is kind of the same, but she sees all of her children as babies and not people growing up to be adults. I remember she had the hardest time when William moved out to California to live on campus at some big university. She acted like she was never going to see him again that day.

I hope its not as bad for me as it was for William.

I turn towards the door and calm my nerves as best as I could at the moment. But, I find that for the second time today my fickle confidence leaving me again when I open the door to find two angry parents glaring at me. Their eyes projecting all the questions that they want answered.

“Are you going to start explaining what that was all about, young lady?”