-beep beep beep-
Ah, it's morning, my least favorite time of the day. How come I never want to sleep when I'm awake but never want to wake up when I'm asleep? Someone might tell you that it's your unwillingness to change the current situation out of comfort, but I think the real answer is more simple than that. When it's time to go to bed for the night, I don't have to work for a while, so I want to stay awake. But when I wake up, I have to go to work, so I want to stay asleep. Climbing out of bed, I turn off my alarm and throw a shirt on.
-BANG-
What was that noise? Is there an intruder in the apartment? I rush over to the bedroom door and stick my head out, listening for anything out of the ordinary.
"Is someone there?"
"I just dropped a pan." Matt called back from the kitchen.
Oh, that's right, Matt and Bell live here now. I guess I forgot about them overnight, but that didn't exactly make them disappear. Wait, will they eventually go away, or will they just keep living here with me forever? I definitely should have asked them that last night. Walking out to meet Matt, I hear a bunch of pans getting shoved around in a cabinet.
"You know... you've got quite the unorganized kitchen, James." Matt grunted while ripping a pan free from underneath a pile of other cookware.
"I don't have any time to fix this before work, but sometime soon, one of us needs to sit down and organize this mess."
Matt cracked an egg into the pan and started scrambling it as he talked to me. Where did he get that? I know I didn't have any eggs in the fridge last night before Callie came over. And looking at it, I'm pretty sure that pan is not mine. Did some items appear in the apartment with them? Thinking about it, that makes sense considering they are supposed to have been my roommates for a while now.
"Here you go" Matt slid the egg onto a plate with sausage and toast.
"I already poured you a drink."
Grabbing the plate and looking over at the dinner table, I see Bell already shoveling food in his mouth. I guess it's also possible one of them could have gotten groceries while I was sleeping last night. Maybe having them here with me is not so bad if it means I get to eat real meals from now on.
"Hey, wake up, your food's going to get cold" Bell's words brought me back into focus as I sat my plate down on the table and started to eat.
"Sorry, I zoned out there for a moment. I guess I'm just coming to terms with the fact that both of you are real."
"Unfortunately, we are." Bell sighed as he sat his glass down on the table.
Unfortunately? What does he mean by that? Looking at the time, I realize that there is only a half-hour until my train leaves the station. Gulping down the rest of my food, I jump up from the table in a rush to finish getting ready for work. I didn't set my alarm to go off in enough time to talk to people in the morning. Hurrying to clean myself up, I throw my suit and tie on, grab my briefcase, and head to the door.
"We are heading out. See you later tonight." Matt shouted into the kitchen at Bell, who was busy cleaning up the mess from breakfast by himself.
"If you are going to cook up a mess, at least clean up after it." Bell yelled back.
As the door closed behind me, I sighed in relief. I might hate my work, but at least I don't have to deal with people appearing out of nowhere there. Looking at my phone, I check the clock. Twenty minutes to catch my train, right on time.
-click-
"Ah, good morning James, are you ready to head out?" My next-door neighbor waved to me from the balcony, signaling me to start walking with him.
"Good morning Charles, I think I am."
Getting to walk to the station with Charles might be my favorite part of the day. It was only the first week I had started working at our company when I found out he was my neighbor. And ever since then, we've lined up our schedules to arrive at the office together. Always talking about our work-related struggles on the way there.
As we entered the subway, Charles looked at me. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"I slept well. How about you?" Matt responded.
My mouth was hanging open. Did Matt follow us all the way here? Turning around to look at him, Matt stared me back in the eye and winked.
"James here got an extra hour or two of sleep last night, so I'm sure he is feeling better than the two of us combined."
"Wow, I wish I could fall asleep early too, but I just can't seem to figure it out. Maybe Lilac can help me since she is able to fall asleep at just about any time of the day."
Charles gazed off into the distance as we boarded our train, deep in thought. Pulling Matt aside, I whispered in his ear. "Why are you here? Are you following me?"
"We work in the same office." Matt whispered back, smiling as he patted me on the back.
"Actually, I'm working on the same project as you and Charles."
Realizing what he said, I leaned back in my seat with my eyes closed. Matt working at my job means that everyone I interact with and talk to knows Matt and Bell. I can't escape from them no matter where I go or what I do. They have made their way into every part of my life. Well, at least our project team has gotten another member, whether the others realize it or not. We are already behind schedule, so hopefully, Matt's added help can put us back on track.
"Are you any good at software development?"
"Only as good as you are." Matt responded with a sarcastic smile on his face.
"Fair enough."
But if that's the case, then my workload just got lifted by quite a lot. Seeing as I'm always the one who has to help others on the team with their questions and problems.
"So, if you work with me, what does Bell do during the day?"
"Ah, that's the thing. He doesn't. He just sits around home all day playing games or watching tv. He is mostly waiting to reapply to med school when that opens up in a couple of months." Matt replied, sighing in disappointment.
"That's all he does the entire day?"
It sounds kind of nice when I think about it.
Matt smiled at me with a hint of pity. "Unfortunately. Even though Bell did not manage to get accepted into med school, he is insistent on chasing that future, so he chooses not to work elsewhere in the meanwhile."
I'm sure Matt would not like it one bit if I said this out loud, but I am a little jealous of Bell. Getting to enjoy his life as he chases after his dream job, not having to work in a place he hates to make ends meet. If I could live my life like that, I can't say for sure that I wouldn't.
"And we are here." Charles turned to Matt and I as the train came to a halt, and the three of us got off.
Walking out of the subway tunnels and into the city, we were met with people briskly walking past us in all directions. This time of day was always the most hectic, but luckily we didn't have far to go. As I crossed the street, I looked up at the office building looming over me, sighed, and followed Matt in.
-ding-
The elevator to our office floor opened up, and the three of us entered together.
You know how people get a sense of relief when they say something that's been on their mind for a long time? A weight off their shoulders? Entering this building feels like someone is putting weight on my shoulders.
-ding-
There it is, the workday hasn't even started yet, and I feel a sense of dread. Stepping off the elevator, I start walking over to my cubicle when someone from across the room starts moving towards me.
"Hey James, how are you today?"
Turning to meet the voice, I am greeted by our project leader Erica. Her hair was clipped to one side and draped over her shoulder. Wearing a collared shirt unbuttoned at the top with a pencil skirt and loose suit to match the look, she might as well be wearing casual clothes around the office. I guess that's something you can get away with after working for the company for a few years.
"I'm doing alright. I got a couple extra hours of sleep last night, so I'm feeling pretty good right now. How about you?
"I'm feeling good too, although I'm getting worried about how our project is behind schedule. Hopefully we can start catching back up this week!"
Responding with a smile, Erica shifted uncomfortably as she spoke, not able to hide her worry very well. I feel bad for her. Since she's the project leader for our team, the responsibility for managing our timeline is on her. It doesn't seem right to me, considering all of us have an equal part to play in its completion. Hopefully, adding Matt to our team of three will help speed things up the way she wants.
"I hope so too."
Returning her smile, I turn around and walk to my cubicle. Arriving at my spot, I notice Matt sitting at what should be the empty desk behind mine.
"I guess I no longer have the place to myself, huh."
"You should be happy that you get to spend every waking moment with me" Matt tilted his head back with a smug grin.
"Haha" That was the least funny thing I've heard in a while.
Time flows differently in this office, so much so that it often contradicts itself. Say you have finished all of your work and want to speed through the rest of the day to go home, then a minute will seem like an hour. Conversely, if you are pressed for time like our team is now, then the day is practically over when you sit down and start working. Getting our project back on schedule over these next couple of months is going to be hell. I put my head down and start plugging away at the keyboard, and the hours start flying by.
"James!"
Huh, who said that? Standing up from my computer, I start frantically looking around the office for whoever called my name.
"Can you come over here and help me with something?"
Erica sheepishly looked at me from across the room as she asked for my assistance.
This interaction happens all too often. For as good as Erica is at leading the team and coordinating results, she needs to spend more time learning how to code instead of constantly relying on me. I'm already swamped with work myself and don't have any time to spend helping others. This is part of why I hate my job. If I can't complete my work on time, taking on other people's portions of the project is not something I want to do either.
"I've got a handle on things over here for now, so go ahead and help her."
Matt looked at me as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. If he says so, then I guess it wouldn't hurt. Leaving Matt behind, I walk over to Erica's desk and she shows me what the problem is. After sitting down and reading through her code for a while, I explain what needs to change to get it to work.
"Thanks James, I wouldn't have been able to figure that out myself." Erica smiled at me as I stood up from helping her.
"It's no big deal."
My face warmed up as she said that. Am I blushing? I turn away and walk back to my desk before she can notice.
"You get it all figured out?" Matt asked me as I returned.
"Yeah, she knows what to do now."
"That's good. I've almost got our portion done for the day."
Woah, it's been a while since I've gotten all of my work done on time. If we can keep this pace up in the long term, then things are looking up for the future. I put my head down to work once more, and by 5 pm, I've completed everything I wanted for the day. Packing up my laptop, I see Charles walking to meet Matt by the elevator and I rush over to join them.
"Can you feel that breeze?" Charles exclaimed, holding his arms out as we left the building
"This is why fall is my favorite season!"
"I can't argue with you there." Matt laughed as we entered the subway once more to head home.
Turning around to look behind me, I see Erica wave as she boards a separate train. She always arrives at the office before us, so I wonder how far her daily commute is. Turning around, the doors to our train open and I get on. After finding an open seat and sitting down, I turn to Matt.
"Thank you for helping out today."
"I hope I was good at your job." He replied sarcastically.
"Yeah yeah."
I completely forgot I had said that to him this morning. As the train came to our stop, the three of us got off and started silently walking back to the apartment complex. This was my second favorite part of the day, where I got to unwind from work and think to myself. As we arrived home, I gave Charles a wave.
"See you tomorrow morning."
"Yeah, sleep well, James." Charles smiled back as he entered his apartment.
Turning to my door, I insert the key and open it to the sound of gunshots and Bell shouting. Wait, I know that sound. He must be playing one of my games right now, although I can't tell which one. It's been so long since I've had any time to play that I can't recognize those details anymore. But the volume is way too loud. If I didn't know better, I would have ran and called the cops about an intruder. Turning around, I look at Matt and point behind me.
"This is what he does all day?"
"Aaaah"
Matt groaned as he took his shoes off at record speed and stormed past me. Watching him head towards the living room, I listen in on what they are saying to each other as I put my things away from work.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm playing a game."
"Shouldn't you be looking for a job?"
"What gives you any right to tell me what to do with my life?"
Bell paused his game and glared at Matt. Walking into the living room to join them, I decide to interrupt their bickering and talk to Bell myself, as this discussion isn't going anywhere.
"Is this all you did today?"
"Yeah, it is. Do you have a problem with that?" Bell looked at me as if he was getting ready to debate Matt and I simultaneously.
"No, I don't. But you need to-"
-Ding-
Someone rang the doorbell.
"You need to turn down the volume on the TV." I quickly finished my sentence and turned to Matt.
"You both need to be quiet and stop arguing while I go answer the door."
Turning back around, I retrace my steps through the hallway and look through the peephole. Charles is standing outside looking embarrassed and upset. Did he forget something at the office? I open the door and he takes a step back.
"Hey Charles, you need something?"
"Yeah. Actually, I came over to talk to you about your roommate."
Charles looked past me to see if anyone was listening in on our conversation from inside the apartment. Damn, not even 24 hours and these guys are causing trouble with the neighbors. Matt at work may have been one thing, but Bell is a whole other issue. Stepping outside, I close the door behind me and Charles relaxes.
"You know how my wife works from home, right..?" Charles spoke with more confidence knowing that I was now the only one who could hear him.
"Well, today there was a lot of noise coming from the TV in your apartment. Enough that she could hear it through the walls and it ended up interfering with her work."
"I figured as much." Sighing, I shake my head and point at the door behind me.
"Matt is in there right now already chewing him out for that, and I don't intend to let him off the hook for it either."
Charles turned around to face the balcony, the fall breeze hitting him in the face as he smiled and waved for me to join him. Walking forward to stand next to him, I lean on the railing as he looks off in the distance.
"Thank you. Of course, I would never ask you to be silent the entire day, but when the volume is so loud it goes through the wall, it really does interfere with Lilac's work."
"No need to feel sorry. It's our fault. Although, I would much rather not have to deal with him like this in the first place. I promise you won't have any problems with it in the future."
"Thanks James, I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Yeah, sleep well."
Reentering my apartment, I am once again greeted by the sound of Matt and Bell arguing. For claiming to not care about the choices of others, they seem heavily invested in telling each other what to do.
"You need to get a job instead of lazing around here all day playing games. I'm spending almost two-thirds of my paycheck on our rent. Stop wasting your time doing nothing." Matt stood between the TV and the couch, blocking Bell's view with his arms crossed.
"I know I would hate every day if I worked in that job field. I haven't resigned myself to that kind of life yet, and I don't plan on doing so anytime soon. You should stop wasting your time working at a place you dislike."
Bell put the controller down and stared Matt back in the eyes. I don't even know who to side with here. Both of them are saying things I agree with, which confuses me even more. But it's not the issue I need to deal with right now. As I enter the room, both of them turn to face me.
"Bell, I won't tell you to get a job, but you need to keep the TV volume down from now on. The neighbors could hear it through the wall today, and causing that kind of disturbance is not ok."
"Ha! As if he would think about anyone but himself. Isn't that the same reasoning behind him choosing to be unemployed?" Matt snorted as Bell glared in his direction.
"You're just upset that I'm happy while you live a sad, miserable life." Bell shot back, anger flaring in his eyes.
The situation just keeps escalating, and if I don't stop it quickly, the two of them might be at each other's throats.
"Matt, I need you to stop trying to force him into a job. Bell, I need you to promise me that we won't have any more problems with the TV upsetting the neighbors."
As the two of them grumbled their consent I sighed and sat down on the couch. "Now that we worked that issue out, Bell, you may want to consider going next door and apologizing for-"
"No. I won't apologize for making noise. I'll be more mindful of it in the future, but by telling me to turn the volume down, they're interfering with my life just as much as I'm interfering with theirs."
Bell looked me in the eyes unapologetically as he cut me off. Shaking his head and leaving the room, Matt muttered what sounded like "no sense of common courtesy" under his breath.
I'm not sure what Bell's deal is right now. Maybe something important happened between him and Matt while I was outside talking to Charles, but he currently seems unreceptive to any criticism. Thinking about the difference between my interactions with both of them today, my comparison of Matt to a shoulder angel and Bell to a shoulder devil looks a lot more reasonable.
"Why are you staring at me? Is there something else you want to get on my case for?" Bell looked at me with discontent.
"My bad, I was spacing out." I hurriedly turn to look at the TV. Why is he on edge this much? Maybe he actually is my shoulder devil.
"Hey… are you a bad guy?"
Bell turned and looked at me. My face was flush from asking such an insulting question in a straightforward manner.
"That depends. Are you a bad guy?"
"Ah… I'm going to go..."
Standing up, I excuse myself and retreat to my bedroom to get away from him. His response hurt more than I thought it would. Ignoring me, Bell continued to play his game. I guess that puts a nail in the coffin of my angel and devil theory. It's definitely not that simple. But if that's not the case, then exactly how much of Bell and Matt's thoughts and actions come from me? "That depends. Are you a bad guy?" His words echo in my mind as I clean myself up from work. I don't think I'm a bad person, and since that's the case, I should give him another chance before boiling his entire existence down to something so easily described. Leaving my bedroom, I sit back down on the couch next to Bell.
"Sorry about that earlier. I wasn't being fair to you."
"Don't worry about it."
Focused on playing his game Bell continued to ignore me. I wonder if he truly forgives me or not. If I was in his position, I'm not sure I would. Does that make me a bad person?
"Do you mind if I played this with you for a bit?" I'm grasping for straws here, hoping that we can do something together and end up back on good terms with one another.
"Huh? Sure I guess."
Bell got up from his seat and handed me a second controller from underneath the TV. No longer ignoring my presence, he started talking to me as we played together. Now that the mood in the apartment has shifted to a more friendly atmosphere, I can finally relax after work. Maybe if the three of us can come to an understanding, we can live without this kind of conflict in the future.
-grrrr-
As a faint scent of food wafted into the living room, my stomach growled. I hope Bell didn't hear that.
"I made dinner. You both should come over here so we can eat. And while you are at it, throw this in the washing machine." Matt tossed a dishcloth at me as he left the room.
I'm not sure why he wanted me to take care of that, but if he cooked a meal for the three of us, I guess I can't complain. Making my way over to the table, I sat down, and for the first time in months, I ate my dinner with other people. Thinking back on today, it was relatively eventful compared to anything that normally happens to me. However, a good portion of what happened was less than favorable. Bell and the TV served as the perfect example in that regard. All of this excitement certainly makes my life more interesting at the very least.
"Thanks for helping at work today Matt, that was the first time in weeks I managed to finish everything I needed to do on time."
"Hahaha, if anyone should be thanking anyone... It should be Erica thanking you. You did a good thing today helping her when she got stuck." Matt smiled while laughing, praising me for something he essentially pressured me into doing.
"Well, I would not have been able to do that and get my work done at the same time if it were not for you. So thank you."
"Does anyone else at that job go out of their way to help you?" In mere seconds, Bell managed to dismantle my hopes for the three of us to live without conflict.
"Ah, no, that does not happen very often."
As I muttered under my breath, Matt glared at Bell from across the table. Watching this take place, I discard my plan where the three of us become friends. Their thoughts on how someone should live their life are so contradictory that getting the two of them to be on good terms will never happen. But I don't see any reason why I can't be on good terms with both of them at the same time. Although now the mood was thoroughly ruined, so the three of us ate the rest of our meal in silence. Pushing his chair back from the table, Bell looked over at Matt.
"Thanks for the meal."
"Yeah, don't worry about it."
As I get up from the table and start to clean my dishes, I think back to what Bell said about others in the office helping me. I mean, it's not like I ask for help or anything, so maybe that's why I don't receive any. But it would be nice for others to offer help every once in a while. None of the things Bell said today were very friendly, but they were all harsh truths that I can't disregard. And so I come to the same conclusion once more. I hate my job.
"You want to play a little more before heading to bed?" Bell poked his head into the kitchen, inviting me to join him once more.
"If the two of you are going to stay up much later, can you keep the volume on the TV down since I will be heading to bed soon?" Matt asked, putting the leftover food in the fridge.
Going to bed already? It can't be that late yet. Looking at the time on my phone, I do a double-take. How can it be 10 pm already? Did we lose the entire night just from arguing with each other?
"I didn't realize it was this late… I'm sorry, Bell. I would have loved to join you some more tonight. But I need to go to bed soon for work tomorrow as well."
"That's ok." Bell smiled as he pulled away from the wall and walked back to the living room.
"We can always play together another night."
Well, he isn't wrong about that. Walking back to my room, I set my alarm and climbed into bed. Staring at the ceiling, I start to think about how much my life has changed in just one day. From living alone to having two roommates. From being in a tough spot at work to a situation where getting back on schedule is a possibility. Matt and Bell are undeniably affecting my life, although I can't tell if it's for the better or worse yet. As I drift off to sleep, Bell's words echo in my head "It's not that simple." That sounds about right. This situation is no different than anything else in life, out of my control. All I can do is my best and hope for a good outcome. Smiling, I close my eyes and fall asleep.
-BANG-
I jolted upright in bed out of shock. Completely awake now, I start walking to the door while panicking. What was that noise, and why have I heard it before? Oh right, Matt dropping pans in the kitchen. Looking at my alarm, there are only twenty minutes left until it is supposed to go off. Not enough time to make getting back in bed worth it. If I do that, I'll probably end up sleeping through the alarm. Sometimes those extra minutes matter the most, so if I'm going to be missing out on them thanks to a disorganized kitchen, then maybe Matt was right about needing to sort that out.
Getting myself cleaned up for the day, I step out of the shower and see Bell sitting on the couch playing games. Did he stay up all night? There's no way. I can't even remember the last time I pulled an all-nighter. It must have been months ago when I spent the whole night debugging a project due at work the next day. Returning to my room, I finish getting ready by putting on a suit and tie. I've never understood the need for formal wear at my office. We all could do our job much more comfortably if it weren't a requirement.
-beep beep beep-
"Yeah yeah, I'm awake you dumb alarm."
I should have shut that off the moment I got up earlier. I feel like I'm being shaken awake for a second time this morning. How is that even possible when I've been moving around for almost a half hour now? Going out to the kitchen, I see Matt cooking eggs. Is that all he knows how to make, or do we just not have enough money to afford anything else? It beats having ramen or cereal for every meal, so I won't complain.
"Thanks for making us breakfast, Matt."
"Yeah, don't mention it." He held two plates out to me and I took them over to the table to start eating.
"Do you know where Bell is right now?"
"I think I saw him on the couch playing games when I stepped out of the shower." I said with my mouth full of food.
Why did he have to ask that after I took a bite? Stepping out of the kitchen, Matt shouted down the hallway.
"Get in here. I made you breakfast."
"Wah… oh!" Bell came stumbling into the kitchen looking dead. He definitely stayed up all night.
"I'm… actually going to head to bed. But thanks."
"Bed? But it's morning now!" Matt called after Bell as he shambled back to his room.
"Not for me it isn't!"
Matt turned to me with disbelief in his eyes. "That's not how the time of day works. Does he think it's only morning when he wakes up?"
"Doesn't really matter if he's unemployed right now." Shrugging, I pick up Bell's plate from across the table.
"Mind if I eat this?"
"Knock yourself out."
After gulping down two helpings of egg, I start helping Matt with the cleanup from breakfast. Looking at the clock, I have almost forty minutes until the train leaves for work. That's enough time to have a full-blown conversation with someone before even needing to leave the house. Where did all this extra time come from?
"I'm all ready for work, so if you want to go ahead and get cleaned up, I'm going to reorganize the kitchen for you."
"Huh, I thought for sure I would be the one doing that this weekend."
As I start pulling pots and pans out of drawers, Matt looks at me in shock. Turning to smile at him, I respond with a mix of sarcasm and irritation.
"It seems I have some extra time to fix it myself this morning."
"Well, in that case, who am I to stop you?" Matt chuckled as he left the room.
If I didn't know any better, I would have said that him dropping the pan to wake me up in enough time to fix this was deliberate. After a good 20 minutes of effort, the entire kitchen was sorted out and the two of us were ready to head to work together.
"You think Charles is already out there waiting for us?" Matt asks as we step outside the door.
"Probably"
Even if I had a head start today, it wouldn't be enough to beat Charles. In the half a year we've walked to the station together, I've never once been out the door before he was. Is there something inside his apartment he is trying to get away from?
"Oh, good morning James." Turning to greet Charles, I am met by an unexpected face.
"Good morning Lilac, what are you up to today?" Wearing sweatpants and a hoodie with her hair loosely tied up, she looked like she had just rolled out of bed. I guess this is formal wear if your office is your home.
"Oh, I was just taking the trash out before work. How are the two of you?"
As she peered behind me at Matt, I was reminded of her issue with Bell yesterday. If he won't apologize to her, then I probably should.
"We're doing well, thanks for asking. By the way, I uh… I just want to let you know that there won't be any more problems with noise during the day in the future. I talked it over with Bell, and he promised to be more mindful of the noise he makes going forward."
"Thanks James, I hate to put you in an uncomfortable situation, but noise like that does interfere with my job."
Lilac smiled at me as the door to her apartment opened and Charles walked out to join us. As she stepped inside the apartment, Lilac thanked me once more and waved the three of us off as we began walking to work together.
"Good luck today you three!"
As we boarded the train and started making our way to the office, her words echoed in my mind. Wishing luck is always seen as a gesture of kindness, hoping that something goes well for another person. But in the end, wishes don't do anything to help others. Some people claim that asking for something to happen can actually jinx the scenario itself, causing wishes to curse the situation instead. But in the end, I don't believe in that either. Good luck at work. It sounds nice, but why would I need that? As I exit the elevator to our office floor, a familiar feeling of dread washes over me. On second thought, I'll take all the luck I can get.
"James!"
I don't even make it halfway to my desk before Erica spots me and starts walking over. Have I done something wrong or does she need help with her portion of the project before the workday has even started? Turning around to greet her, I brace myself for trouble.
"How was your commute?"
Oh, she's just being friendly. For a second there I thought something bad was going to happen. How lucky.
"It went well. How about yours?"
"Oh, not too bad. I wish the train ran at a slightly later time though, that way I wouldn't have to wake up as early."
Now that I think about it, that explains why she always gets to the office before I do. Erica smiled as she rambled on about her morning, not seeming to care whether I was listening or not.
"Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you had any plans tonight."
"Wha, uh... no, I don't think I do."
I never have plans at night. The last time I can even remember going somewhere with someone was back in college. What did I do? I can't really remember, but I think I went to an amusement park with Callie.
"Why?"
"Well, I wanted to thank you for helping me yesterday, and after thinking about it for a while… I was wondering if you would be ok with me taking you out for dinner tonight?"
Her voice trailed off at the end, but I heard what she said. Taking a step back in shock, I no longer feel any weight on my shoulders. This is more than unexpected. Erica looked away from me, waiting for an answer.
"Yeah, that would be fine, I guess."
Erica beamed at me and started walking back to her desk. "I'm looking forward to it then."
As I opened up my laptop and sat down to work, a smile snuck its way onto my face. Maybe Lilac's wish affected me after all.
-BANG-
The door to the boss's office slammed open and the entire floor went silent. Something bad was about to happen, but to who? Mr. Bonnet was a slender and tall man who kept to himself most of the time. In fact, there were many workweeks where you would not see him at all. However, if your project were behind schedule for whatever reason, then he would not hesitate to chase you down and find out why things were progressing slower than they should be. My team coincidentally happened to be drastically behind schedule, and as he stormed over to Erica's desk, I prepared for the worst.
"How is your team's project progressing, Erica?" Mr. Bonnet loomed over the cubicle wall, trapping her inside with no place to hide.
"I-It's coming along faster each week." She stuttered, avoiding eye contact as if that would make the situation any easier to handle.
"Really? Because it looks to me like this is the 4th week in a row where your team has failed to meet its quota."
He leered at her while backing away and looking around the rest of the office. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Charles slouching in his seat, trying to conceal his presence.
"At this rate we will not meet the customer's deadline, and what should we do when that happens?"
Matt stood up and calmly walked over to Mr. Bonnet. "I don't think you will need to worry about that much longer."
"And why would that be?" The boss fixed his gaze on Matt.
"Taking yesterday for example, as a team we managed to complete more than our daily quota. James helped Erica, I helped James, and we managed to complete more at a faster pace by working together. If we continue to work at this rate, then I can guarantee you the project will be done on time." Matt smiled as he challenged our looming threat of a due date.
"You can guarantee it… then in that case, there should not be any problem." Mr. Bonnet retreated to his office and slammed the door shut once more.
Matt returned to his seat and sighed. "That was tense."
"Tense? It was a little more than tense. I don't even know how you pulled that off." Charles walked over to our cubicle and started talking to Matt.
"How could you stand to say that to him with a straight face, knowing that we are already doing everything we can?"
It's a fair point, and to be honest, I was thinking the same thing. Matt certainly helped speed things along yesterday, but I just can't see that being enough to overtake our current predicament.
"He makes a good point Matt, how can I take stride in my work knowing that our efforts are not being recognized, even when everyone on our team is doing their best?"
Matt turned to me with a soft smile on his face. "It's because everyone is doing their best that I can be happy with whatever we make. Even if our results are not recognized, I can go home knowing that we each gave it our all, and that makes any criticism invalid to me."
"I'm not sure that criticism is invalid if it leads to us losing our jobs" Charles stood up from leaning on Matt's desk and shook his head.
"You know, with that much willpower, it almost makes me think your efforts are wasted at this company."
As he walked back to his desk, our team pushed away any thoughts of resentment and started working as fast as we could to get back on track. If we were going to even have a chance to fulfill Matt's promise, then the next couple of months would be hellish.
Hours later, after completing my quota for the day, I stand up and look around the office. Everyone has gone home except for our team, although I guess that's to be expected right now. Matt closed his computer behind me and started packing his things up.
"Are you ready to head out?"
"Yeah, I think so. It seems like the entire team has finished what we need to for the day."
Waving at us from across the room, Charles is sitting on a bench by the elevator. I hope he hasn't been waiting there when he could have headed home earlier.
"Are you ready to go, James?" Erica tapped me on the shoulder as I finished packing my laptop up.
"Oh, I almost forgot! I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner Matt, I'm going to eat dinner somewhere with Erica tonight, so you will have to go home without me."
Matt raised an eyebrow at me and walked over to Charles.
"Have fun then."
"See you both tomorrow!" Charles waved as he entered the elevator.
Turning to Erica, I grab my briefcase and put my coat on. "Do you have an idea of where you want to go?"
I don't get out enough to know any good restaurants in the area, so I'm hoping that she already has one in mind.
"There are a couple of places we could go, but they're all kind of in the same area, so we can just walk around and decide once we get there."
"Sounds good to me."
As we stepped off the elevator and out of the building, the fall breeze blew Erica's hair back, and she started to laugh. "I don't know about you, but nothing feels better to me than getting out of the office after a long day, especially when the weather is this nice."
"For sure, it feels like a weight is being taken off my shoulders."
"Hahaha, you've got that right."
As we walked to the shopping district together, my weariness from the day washed away. Enjoying each other's company as we laughed and talked about meaningless things, I came to a realization. I wish this moment would last forever.