At six am Olivia woke up to the alarm clock in her bed stand. Meanwhile, at that same time, a woman named Amber entered the gym in her morning routine, and Olivia's brother Jasper slept at his work desk as he had spent the night in his office working on a stock analysis for his client. Ian slept.
As Olivia packed she noted the worn out tennis racket, sneakers and multiple plants. Her plan was to move to Jasper's place for a couple of months until she figured it out. The truth was that Olivia thought she wanted to purse a PHD to work on psychology academia for the rest of her life. But academia wasn't her thing. She did not want to spend the rest of her life pursuing tenior. She was moving to industry instead. For sure some large company would be okay hiring someone with a background in psychology. She wondered how lost was she as she packed. In reality, she had not been feeling like herself for a couple of months, and she was starting to wonder what did it even mean to feel like herself. What was she. Who was she. Was she late to start asking herself these questions again? wasn't she supposed to have answered them when graduating from college? The truth was, Olivia looked forward to going to live at Jasper's place for a while because he was grounding. He was family. Whatever it was she was figuring out, she was moving back to a her roots without having to turn to her parents.
It was 7:30 am as she passed the traffic light turning right on the i-90. At 7:40 am, Amber jumped on her vespa motorcycle and drove herself to fashion magazine where she ocuppied the role of head PR startegiest. As Amber drove herslef to work in her motorcycle, she put her headphones to listen to her favorite band: Metallica. Amber was a combination of different personalities, and most people couldnt put her together. Amber didnt care. At that same time, Ian continued to sleep. Contrary to Amber and Olivia, he was definitly more of a type B person. Relaxed. No need to get up this early. Jaspered entered the elevator to attendt he meeting with his client. Only after his work friend Dan gave him a hard time for sleeping in the office. They would have a conversation on healthy habits and workaholism soon. Jasper was burnind the canddle at both ends. At 10:30 am. After Jasper had put in 4 hours of work already, Aber reviewed the requirements of a client, and Olivia was half way through her road trip, Ian finally woke up. He was late.
Olivia calls Ian, and he finally picks up.
"hey" she says. 'Jasper gave you the ke3ys to his place didn't he?' Asked Olivia right away.
'Well good morning to you too. Someone is shippy.'
'sorry. Good morning.'
'yeah, he left them with me yesterday. At what time do you get here?' Ian had agreed to help Olivia with unpacking and settling into Jasper's place.
'I should be there around 3:00 pm.' she confirmed him. 'Are you sure its okay that you take the afternoon off?'
'Olivia. I' the boss. Of course its okay. I mean, yeah. Im the boss of a basement start up. But I'm the boss nonetheless'
'enjoy your kingdom' she added laughing.
'I am enjoying it.' said Ian from the other side of the line.
'Alright, I'm going to keep on driving now. I'll see you this afternoon.'
'Don't run over anyone' he added, then hanged up. Olivia let out an entertained laughter, but Ian had hanged up by then so he didn't hear her laugh at his joke.
'Don't run over anyone' Olivia repeated to herself as she shook her head. Ian was toasts. He was nice, but he definitely had some loose screws in his head. She couldn't tell if it was the need to connect with others through humor that drove him to say those kinds of things. As fi he didnt have any other tool for connection than that. As if he wasn't able to ever be vulnerable. He needed to deflect, he needed to say something deprecating. Always Ian.
Olivia put on a podcast to distract herslef. It would be a long drive. Not as entertaining as Jaspers last drive to Waren, Michigan, where their parents used to live. Olivia wondered when had it been the last time she spoke with them - her parentes. She had not called them about this yet. She as 100% dreading disappointing them. Olivia, their smallest child. The one who was to pursue a pHD, leaving. Deciding against it. Deciding that a pHD wasnt for her. They would be okay with the news. They really didnt care much about the pHD. Olivia cared though. Its funny. Sometimes she gave herself a way harder time for things that didn't matter so much to others. However, for her. it was the end of the universe: not having a plan. Winging it. She didnt even hang out with people that wong it. The only person like that she ever admitted in her life was Ian. And that was probably because Ian managed to a pretty safe person in spite of the large amoutn of risks he took.
Olivia would never start her own company. Not in a milliion years she oudl dare to do something as unchartered as that. Begin the trail blaser for a path that your employees would follow. Being responsible for hte paycheck. Knowing your decisiones held the weight of their families receiving a meal every month. It was too much to bare. Maybe that is why she chose Ian. He reminded her that things that seemed impossible to fathom were not so unreal.
--
Amber was dreading today. She had a note: an obligation to attend to work mandated sessions with a psychiatrist for yelling at a client. How was she going to explain herself? My client is a dumbass and I yelled at him because he was disrespecting his secretary. The secretary was not going to speak up because he was on a position of power in comparison to her. In that moment, amber decided to be a person before being anything else, and yelled. She lost control: and yelled.
Reality was though that Amber had not been mandated to take this session only based on one incident. She had, sadly, been learning about her anger issues. It was a thing. A very real very embarrassing thing for her. Why would a person that reach such a high level in her career have to be reduced to talk to an expert about her issues - and most importantly - why against her will. She figured she would just make the person waste their time. But little did she know her appointment was at 4:30 pm. The same time where some woman named Olivia Smith was suppossed to go to the office for an interview.
--
Akshay called Ian to his phone. He was the start up co founder.
" why on earth arent you at our head quarters yet" Akshay asked with an annoyed tone of voice.
"because I'm walking my neighbors dog so I can pay my rent."
Akshay sighted. " I need you to take this seriously."
"As seriously as the fact that our headquarters is your mother's basement? Sorry, you are right. I am undergoing some important revenue generating activities so that our books are balanced." he said sarcastically.
'ha. ha. ha.' Akshay's tone was everything but genuine laughter.
'shut up. you know you love me' said Ian.
'just be on time bruh'
with that, Akshay hanged up. Ian sighed. Akshay had a point. He should have been on time.
--
By then it was almost noon, and Jasper has through with his fourth cup of coffee for the day. He needed the caffeine. Badly. It often happened that way when he didn't get enough sleep the previous day. He had slept a the office for crying out loud. when had it become like that - his life. When was it that he started making that switch. The switch into oblivion, where he would sign his life away to a contract paper in return for prestige. A chance for survival. A chance to make his parents proud. He was the older. Certainly not the brightest. He needed to make them proud. But he did wonder. Until where would he continue to receive those calls from client investors at 9:00 pm. At 3:00 am even, being that they are potentially in China. In the other side of the world. All of the calls demanding of details - of answeres - that he would need to work for. Asking for some gaurantee that a particular asset would go up or down as researched. Asking for an advice he could not fabricate out of thin air or BS his way around. He really did wonder if one day, when he had made enough money or proved his worth enough, he would just pack up all his belongings into a suitcase and go live by the mountain. Away from civilization, and just be.
If not because of Amber. Amber needed the city. It flew through her very toxic veins. That woman was quite right in her head, and he knew it. But she loved her. He would have picked her out of the crowd in a second. She was so interesting. In her struggles she was also very real. Jasper could see himself in many of the things that drover her anger issues. Jasper had learned to control himself from an early age. That was the main difference. She was wild. He was collected. But they were, underneath it all, almost the very same person.
--
As predicted, at 3:05 pm Olivia arrived in seattle. In her brothers house. Ian was waiting for her by the stairs of the building.
'How the hell did you calculate your timing so exactly' was his greeting.
'Hi to you too' answered Olivia.
'Hi, you. Olivia human computer'
Olivia stuck out her tongue at him.
'very mature of you'
'learned it from the best'
Ian smiled at her. ' I missed your silly as*'
'and I missed your stupid face'
That was it. That was all the affection that would be exchanged between them, but it meant the world nonetheless. Some relationships, some friendships, are so tied to the core of who we are. The meaning our subconscious pursues. Making sense of a world that is largely random. They were that type of friendship to each other.
"Alright, how many bags do you have with you."
'just the three. Most of my stuff was at my parents house anyway. I sold everything that could be considered furniture'
'you didn't keep anything that may have had emotional value?'
'No. I don't transfer emotional value to material things.'
'what does that even mean? You didn't like any of the things that you owned? liking things can also be considered emotional value'
'Ian please drop it.'
Ian understood then that it was all very well tied together. Whatever reason why Olivia had decided to opt out form the pHD could very well be the same reason for which she had decided not to keep any of her belongings, and it didn't seem like she - even herself - knew exactly what this reason was.
'Only for now' he answered. He would eventually help her think critically of this.
'For now works'
---
Amber entered the psichoanalysis clinic as nervous as she could be. She was emabrassed. Her. Here. She was at a place she always through she would never be caught dead at. Especially beacuse it felt as if she was admitting to being wrong. And she disliked - so deeply - to be wrong. She felt so disgusted with herself. But she kept calm and waited. 'See, world? I can be calm.' she told herself. 'No need for this ridiculous appointment.'
In the waiting room she saw and young lady walk in. She could be maybe 25 or 28. She looked younger than her. At that moment amber promised herself that if her psychiatrist looked like her, she would walk out of the office. The lady locked eyes with her for a second, scan the room, and continued walking. She seemed to be looking for a particular office. She was pretty. Her features reminded her of her boyfriend jasper a little bit.
'Pardon, would you know where can I find room 102?' she overheard the young lady ask to the receptionist.
'Straight down the corridor to your right.'
'thanks.' As she was walking by, Amber took a long look at her. She did look like jasper. The young lady seem to notice her starring, and rapidly looked away uncomfortable. Amber did the same. Amber proceeded to have a small mental conversation with herself on the importance of acting naturally when in public.
'Amber Henry' the receptionist called. Amber stood up, noticing that her fancy boot style heels were probably too much of a statement for the conservative clinic. She had decided to ware them because they made her feel comfortable though. She would need her thickest skin for the conversation she was about to have - and would certainly get herself an ice cream after as a reward for going through with it.
---
Jasper's name appeared on Olvias phone as it rang that afternoon.
'How did it go? Do we celebrate tonight or do we throw you a pity party?' he said after she said hi.
'I think it went pretty well, but I don't know if I want to work there. I kind of want to keep my options open and see what else is there.'
'Celebrate it is. Glad to hear.' Olivia smiled at her brother. 'Look, there is someone I want you to meet. Shall we go to the Angry Burrito tonight? Its bar at the corner of West 45 Street'
'Angry burrito, sounds aggressive.'
Jasper laughed.
'Well they do often have live rock music'
'Hm. I always pegged you for more of a neutral elevator music kind of guy'
'and you would not be wrong. lets go there tonight though.'
'if you say so.'
'good. Tell Ian to come to. I owe him a beer for helping you move in instead of me.'
'Can you get me a beer too for helping myself move?'
'I already about to give you rent. You should be the one buying me beer. Actually that's a good one. Give the beer you were getting me to Ian. That way I don't owe anything to anyone any longer.'
Olivia rolled her eyes.
'I'm broke' she said.
'yeah, i know that. Its the only reason why I'm allowing you to be my parasite. Get Ian his beer' Jasper answered, but by the sound of his voice Olivia knew he was laughing. He was enjoying this.
'fine'
At the bar, Jasper got Ian the beer. Not Olivia.