narsiserious
Senior Member
(roleplay between Narsiserious and FloatingAroundSpace)
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narsiserious
Senior Member
Long drawn out weary sighs left thin chapped lips as the cold night air shifted through dark brown hair that had once been slicked back but now a mess due to having fingers run through them countless times out of frustration. The swings on the playground squealed in protest at the wind, whilst the trees ruffled their branches, shivering against the cold in place of the man that sat on the park bench, a bottle of water held loosely in his hand and a street light above his head, illuminating his spot as though he was a dramatic character in a Broadway show about to pour his heart out with a ballad. The bottle he held could have been easily mistaken for beer and the man could have been assumed a drunk, except that he looked far too unhappy with the world to be drunk. Then again, many drunks were unhappy with the world, but he didn't need to think of his father at the moment.
Garret knew that he was overreacting. He had known what he was getting himself into when he signed up for that crummy job at an office building. What kind of life was that for a man like him? An office job? Garret James Withers did not do office jobs...until now. Another sigh forced itself out from between his lips, this one loud and completely resigned. Was this what he would have to be subjected to for the rest of his life? Was this his punishment for dropping out of college? Though the brunet did not regret stepping off the lawyer path that he knew his mother had wanted him to take, he wished he could have done something better with his time. He had wished that he hadn't wasted so many hours on studies that wouldn't even benefit him at the current time. Garret didn't want to be a lawyer, nor did he want to work in a stuffy office with a boss that did nothing but breathe down his neck and touch him in a rather too friendly way. He knew it was ridiculous but...he wanted to be a Calligrapher.
As a child he always dreamed of writing on the night sky. Now that he was older, he understood how silly that notion was, but he still wanted to be a calligrapher nonetheless. He found it intriguing and wonderfully enthralling to watch. To write so smoothly and so beautifully, that was his dream. However, when he had expressed that to his father when he was at the wee age of...seventeen...his father laughed in his face and sent him to his room. There was nothing more stinging than a parent laughing at their child's interest. He didn't have to worry about his father anymore however.
Garret just wanted to vent. He wanted to scream and yell, but he wasn't comfortable enough with his friends and he no longer had a partner. All his previous lovers had deemed him too indecisive and immature. He always thought things were going well until he saw the regret in their eyes or the bags by their feet. It never lasted and it bothered him that he wasn't more upset about it.
Taking his phone out from his pocket, he contemplated talking with his mother, but his father would probably want to join in the conversation, and he couldn't deal with his dad right now. He decided against it. Scrolling through his embarrassingly short contacts list, Garret frowned deeply at the screen. There was no one he could talk to. No one. So, out of pure frustration and desperation, Garret tapped in a random number and sent a text.
"Y is the world so cruel? ths sucks! my job is terible my boss is a sleaze ball i have no real friends and now i'm cold," he wrote. He wasn't expecting a reply. He just wanted to write something down just to relieve himself a little bit of that pent up anger. "my feet are cramping up and i'm aging horribly. i mean i'm stil young but this is just ridic."
Garret knew that he was overreacting. He had known what he was getting himself into when he signed up for that crummy job at an office building. What kind of life was that for a man like him? An office job? Garret James Withers did not do office jobs...until now. Another sigh forced itself out from between his lips, this one loud and completely resigned. Was this what he would have to be subjected to for the rest of his life? Was this his punishment for dropping out of college? Though the brunet did not regret stepping off the lawyer path that he knew his mother had wanted him to take, he wished he could have done something better with his time. He had wished that he hadn't wasted so many hours on studies that wouldn't even benefit him at the current time. Garret didn't want to be a lawyer, nor did he want to work in a stuffy office with a boss that did nothing but breathe down his neck and touch him in a rather too friendly way. He knew it was ridiculous but...he wanted to be a Calligrapher.
As a child he always dreamed of writing on the night sky. Now that he was older, he understood how silly that notion was, but he still wanted to be a calligrapher nonetheless. He found it intriguing and wonderfully enthralling to watch. To write so smoothly and so beautifully, that was his dream. However, when he had expressed that to his father when he was at the wee age of...seventeen...his father laughed in his face and sent him to his room. There was nothing more stinging than a parent laughing at their child's interest. He didn't have to worry about his father anymore however.
Garret just wanted to vent. He wanted to scream and yell, but he wasn't comfortable enough with his friends and he no longer had a partner. All his previous lovers had deemed him too indecisive and immature. He always thought things were going well until he saw the regret in their eyes or the bags by their feet. It never lasted and it bothered him that he wasn't more upset about it.
Taking his phone out from his pocket, he contemplated talking with his mother, but his father would probably want to join in the conversation, and he couldn't deal with his dad right now. He decided against it. Scrolling through his embarrassingly short contacts list, Garret frowned deeply at the screen. There was no one he could talk to. No one. So, out of pure frustration and desperation, Garret tapped in a random number and sent a text.
"Y is the world so cruel? ths sucks! my job is terible my boss is a sleaze ball i have no real friends and now i'm cold," he wrote. He wasn't expecting a reply. He just wanted to write something down just to relieve himself a little bit of that pent up anger. "my feet are cramping up and i'm aging horribly. i mean i'm stil young but this is just ridic."
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FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
A single lamp illuminated a desk covered in books and papers, the only source of light in an otherwise dim dorm room. Opposite the covered desk sat another one, practically empty save for a cup full of pens and pencils and a laptop. Someone was sleeping in the room, their steady breathing filling up the room and competing with the dull buzzing of the lamp.
Someone was bent over the books and papers, a highlighter in her mouth and a red pen clutched in her left hand while her right trailed down the page that she was staring at, occasionally pausing to take the highlighter out of her mouth and scribble over a few words and tuck a few strands of black hair back behind her ear. It seemed that the bun that was perched on her head had been done in either a hurry or out of frustration, as it was fraying and seemed on the verge of tipping over.
The book before her jabbered on and on about various computer terms, terms about Java script and HTML and BBCode. The woman sitting at the desk seemed to be entranced with the book, her eyes darting across the page and following her finger, her left hand drumming the pen against the pages.
A single clock in front of her stared dully at her, reporting the time as around 10:30. A few stacks of paper by the book declared that tomorrow, there would be a quiz on something or another and it was obvious that she was cramming.
For the umpteenth time, Lauren wondered why the hell she had taken this computer science class. She was a biology major damnit. She wanted to become one of those medical researchers that tested out how the human body reacted to various chemicals, new medications, that sort of thing. Why the hell was she taking a class about computers and the languages that the wrenched piece of technology understood?!
Her phone, a sleek new android, lovingly gifted by one of her cousins, vibrated on a stack of papers leaning precariously towards the floor. She seized it immediately, hoping that the quiz was canceled because her professor had come down with something or had decided to extend the date.
Instead, she got a text that seemed most certainty from one of the frat boys that leered at women as if they were only there to be entertainment for them. She wrinkled her nose at the poor spelling and the complaint about having "a sleaze ball boss" and "no real friends" that she swore could have come from a high-schooler complaining about how life was never easy, even though Lauren could say that it would get harder.
She rolled her eyes at the last sentence and fired back a, "Please, use proper grammar and spelling, thank you. I think my eyes have started crying because of you."
She set the phone down again, hoping that that would stave off whoever it was on the other end before going back to reading about how to make a loop in Java script.
Someone was bent over the books and papers, a highlighter in her mouth and a red pen clutched in her left hand while her right trailed down the page that she was staring at, occasionally pausing to take the highlighter out of her mouth and scribble over a few words and tuck a few strands of black hair back behind her ear. It seemed that the bun that was perched on her head had been done in either a hurry or out of frustration, as it was fraying and seemed on the verge of tipping over.
The book before her jabbered on and on about various computer terms, terms about Java script and HTML and BBCode. The woman sitting at the desk seemed to be entranced with the book, her eyes darting across the page and following her finger, her left hand drumming the pen against the pages.
A single clock in front of her stared dully at her, reporting the time as around 10:30. A few stacks of paper by the book declared that tomorrow, there would be a quiz on something or another and it was obvious that she was cramming.
For the umpteenth time, Lauren wondered why the hell she had taken this computer science class. She was a biology major damnit. She wanted to become one of those medical researchers that tested out how the human body reacted to various chemicals, new medications, that sort of thing. Why the hell was she taking a class about computers and the languages that the wrenched piece of technology understood?!
Her phone, a sleek new android, lovingly gifted by one of her cousins, vibrated on a stack of papers leaning precariously towards the floor. She seized it immediately, hoping that the quiz was canceled because her professor had come down with something or had decided to extend the date.
Instead, she got a text that seemed most certainty from one of the frat boys that leered at women as if they were only there to be entertainment for them. She wrinkled her nose at the poor spelling and the complaint about having "a sleaze ball boss" and "no real friends" that she swore could have come from a high-schooler complaining about how life was never easy, even though Lauren could say that it would get harder.
She rolled her eyes at the last sentence and fired back a, "Please, use proper grammar and spelling, thank you. I think my eyes have started crying because of you."
She set the phone down again, hoping that that would stave off whoever it was on the other end before going back to reading about how to make a loop in Java script.
narsiserious
Senior Member
Taking a large gulp of his water, Garret felt the cool liquid slide down his throat but it didn't give him that satisfied feeling alcohol could provide. He wished he had gotten the beer from the convenience store instead of a bottle of water, however, he had to go to work tomorrow and he really didn't need to drink himself silly. He may hate his job but he didn't need to feel worse whilst he was there. He would also have to stay aware, he never knew what his boss could make him do next. He was being targeted, he was certain of that.
When his old and crack-screened iPhone buzzed from beside him on the bench, he picked it up lazily and unlocked it. He had been expecting one of his 'friends', inviting him out to drink or his mother just checking up on him. No. Instead he got a reply from the random number he had texted out of anger and exhaustion. Considering it was rather late in the night, he wasn't all that surprised by the exasperated tone of the text. He had probably woken them up with his out-of-nowhere message and they were undoubtedly annoyed by him. Usually what normal people did when they text a wrong number was they apologise and move on with their life, however, Garret was just not done venting yet. He had a lot of pent up issues that he needed to let out. Although he was good at keeping his problems locked away, this was his breaking point and he wasn't sure if he could continue living like this. He blamed his father for all of this.
"i'm sorry about your eyes bt i jst need to get this out there. i am havng a terible fuking day. i'm drinking practically lukewarm water and i wish i was a little drunk right now. but no! i have to stay sober or my boss is gona do smthing inappropriate to me tomorow morning if i'm not aware!" he went on a rant. He didn't know who this person was, where they were, or if they were even living in the same city, but he just needed someone. Anyone to listen to him for a couple of minutes. "also! what is up with these park benches? why are they so hard? my butt hurts." absentmindedly, Garret rubbed his rear and grimaced at the soreness of his cheeks. He should probably get up now. What was the point though? It wasn't like he had someone to go back home to. He didn't even have a pet to feed. Maybe getting a pet would solve his loneliness problem.
When his old and crack-screened iPhone buzzed from beside him on the bench, he picked it up lazily and unlocked it. He had been expecting one of his 'friends', inviting him out to drink or his mother just checking up on him. No. Instead he got a reply from the random number he had texted out of anger and exhaustion. Considering it was rather late in the night, he wasn't all that surprised by the exasperated tone of the text. He had probably woken them up with his out-of-nowhere message and they were undoubtedly annoyed by him. Usually what normal people did when they text a wrong number was they apologise and move on with their life, however, Garret was just not done venting yet. He had a lot of pent up issues that he needed to let out. Although he was good at keeping his problems locked away, this was his breaking point and he wasn't sure if he could continue living like this. He blamed his father for all of this.
"i'm sorry about your eyes bt i jst need to get this out there. i am havng a terible fuking day. i'm drinking practically lukewarm water and i wish i was a little drunk right now. but no! i have to stay sober or my boss is gona do smthing inappropriate to me tomorow morning if i'm not aware!" he went on a rant. He didn't know who this person was, where they were, or if they were even living in the same city, but he just needed someone. Anyone to listen to him for a couple of minutes. "also! what is up with these park benches? why are they so hard? my butt hurts." absentmindedly, Garret rubbed his rear and grimaced at the soreness of his cheeks. He should probably get up now. What was the point though? It wasn't like he had someone to go back home to. He didn't even have a pet to feed. Maybe getting a pet would solve his loneliness problem.
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FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Lauren's phone buzzed again and she slammed her head down on her book, groaning. She really didn't need some unhappy frat boy to be texting her, annoying her. She really needed to study, to concentrate so she didn't fail miserably when the next day rolled around and a quiz was dropped in front of her, asking whether typing in binary code was correct in a certain instance.
She picked up the phone, intent on telling the person off when she noticed the wording of the text when it came to her boss.
Something cold slipped into her stomach as she read it over, her fingers gripping the case tightly.
If your boss has been that vulgar, you should report them for sexual harassment, she typed back.
While Lauren was about the last person most people went to for help when it came to most things like love, advice, and friendship and she was fully aware that her own drive nature might make other people feel like they would be ignored, Lauren was never one to leave someone who needed help hanging.
Unless that person was standing between her and her goals, in which case she would push them down and walk all over them.
But some things she never looked over, no matter who it was. Sexual harassment, discrimination, unfair judgement. They were the bane of humanity, in her opinion, and she refused to look them over.
If they try something you can get them fired. Ask your co-workers to help look out for you.
And I guess it's because the city is cheap that the benches are so hard.
She picked up the phone, intent on telling the person off when she noticed the wording of the text when it came to her boss.
Something cold slipped into her stomach as she read it over, her fingers gripping the case tightly.
If your boss has been that vulgar, you should report them for sexual harassment, she typed back.
While Lauren was about the last person most people went to for help when it came to most things like love, advice, and friendship and she was fully aware that her own drive nature might make other people feel like they would be ignored, Lauren was never one to leave someone who needed help hanging.
Unless that person was standing between her and her goals, in which case she would push them down and walk all over them.
But some things she never looked over, no matter who it was. Sexual harassment, discrimination, unfair judgement. They were the bane of humanity, in her opinion, and she refused to look them over.
If they try something you can get them fired. Ask your co-workers to help look out for you.
And I guess it's because the city is cheap that the benches are so hard.
narsiserious
Senior Member
Garret had barely put down his phone before it began buzzing again. He raised an eyebrow as he read over the text. Sexual harassment? Well, he wouldn't go that far but he supposed it could be considered sexual harassment. His boss was far too friendly and slightly overbearing and in all honesty, Garret never liked them from the start. He had assumed that their behaviour was the way it was because their age was close to his, but over the course of the first few months, he realised that there were others around his age group and yet the actions were mostly targeted at him. Had he done something wrong? Was his work not sufficient enough? He was slightly afraid of filing a report against his boss. Confrontation was something he wasn't good at. He could handle his boss just fine, he wasn't the biggest thorn in his side at the moment. He had other things to be concerned about.
"not good wth confrontation, man. i'll think about it, thanks for the suggestion," the brunet had calmed down considerably now and he was thankful for this mystery person he had bothered in the middle of the night. "srry about bothering u. i was just havng a bad day and needed someone to tlk to. thanks for listening, dude," Garret wasn't actually sure if the person he was talking to was a man. If they weren't then he hoped he didn't offended them by calling them 'man' or 'dude'. He usually used those terms for both males and females, though he would understand if someone didn't want to be called such things.
He wanted to stop pestering them, he really did, however, it had been a while since he had talked to anyone so casually over text. He had missed it. He missed having fun and talking nonsense with someone who didn't point out his flaws every ten seconds. He knew his ex-girlfriend meant well, but he felt like he was always on thin ice with her. Always tip-toeing around so that she wouldn't get mad at him. He thought partners were supposed to be supportive. Guess he was wrong. "...so...u ever sit on these benches? they're harder than satan's dick," he sighed. He probably shouldn't be talking so crudely with someone he didn't know. For all he knew this person could be a serial killer or...a republican. He wasn't sure which one was worse. "hey, you're not a republican, right?" he wanted to make sure anyway.
"not good wth confrontation, man. i'll think about it, thanks for the suggestion," the brunet had calmed down considerably now and he was thankful for this mystery person he had bothered in the middle of the night. "srry about bothering u. i was just havng a bad day and needed someone to tlk to. thanks for listening, dude," Garret wasn't actually sure if the person he was talking to was a man. If they weren't then he hoped he didn't offended them by calling them 'man' or 'dude'. He usually used those terms for both males and females, though he would understand if someone didn't want to be called such things.
He wanted to stop pestering them, he really did, however, it had been a while since he had talked to anyone so casually over text. He had missed it. He missed having fun and talking nonsense with someone who didn't point out his flaws every ten seconds. He knew his ex-girlfriend meant well, but he felt like he was always on thin ice with her. Always tip-toeing around so that she wouldn't get mad at him. He thought partners were supposed to be supportive. Guess he was wrong. "...so...u ever sit on these benches? they're harder than satan's dick," he sighed. He probably shouldn't be talking so crudely with someone he didn't know. For all he knew this person could be a serial killer or...a republican. He wasn't sure which one was worse. "hey, you're not a republican, right?" he wanted to make sure anyway.
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FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Lauren waited for a response and almost groaned at it. She supposed she shouldn't be expecting a total stranger who texted her randomly to take her advice, but at least whoever they were seemed to take it to heart.
Seriously, think about it.
She had had one friend who had ignored her boss until she had quit, at which point the next object of the creep's affection wrote a report and got him fired. It had been great to see and it had been wonderful to know the man wasn't going to be hired anytime soon.
No, I have never sat on a bench before, she responded.
And I am fairly sure I'm a republican nightmare. So no, not republican.
Chellsea would be sniffing at Lauren if she was a republican and Juliet would take it as a straight up joke until she realized it wasn't and quite possibly beat her up for it.
Seriously, think about it.
She had had one friend who had ignored her boss until she had quit, at which point the next object of the creep's affection wrote a report and got him fired. It had been great to see and it had been wonderful to know the man wasn't going to be hired anytime soon.
No, I have never sat on a bench before, she responded.
And I am fairly sure I'm a republican nightmare. So no, not republican.
Chellsea would be sniffing at Lauren if she was a republican and Juliet would take it as a straight up joke until she realized it wasn't and quite possibly beat her up for it.
narsiserious
Senior Member
With a small groan, Garret pulled himself off the bench and threw his now empty bottle into the trash. He knew he would have to go home sooner or later. Sleeping on the park bench was probably not a good idea, especially when he had his work bag with him. Picking up said bag, he slung the strap onto his shoulder and started to make his way home, his phone in his hand at all times so he knew when he got a new text message. He didn't know how, but an almost giddy feeling was welling up in his chest. He finally found someone to talk to. He may not know their face or name, but it was good enough. Though he probably shouldn't get his hopes up. This person could very well ignore his texts from now on. He had annoyed them enough he bet. "i'll think about it. i promise. thanks."
Once he arrived back at his apartment building, he strode into the lobby, gave a friendly nod towards the landlady then hopped into the elevator. "u too huh? bad thing is my dad's a republican. family reunions are always interesting lol," he was smiling now. This was what he had been needing for such a long time. An easy conversation with someone nice. He hadn't realised how sad he had been up until this point. His life was work, eat, then sleep. An endless cycle that he wasn't sure how to get out of. He did none of the things he enjoyed anymore. His friends barely noticed he was there. He was just stuck in a rut.
"God, get a hold of yourself," he said under his breath, shaking his head. "You don't need to start feeling sorry for yourself right now," he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Throwing a pity party for yourself will get you nowhere."
Once he arrived back at his apartment building, he strode into the lobby, gave a friendly nod towards the landlady then hopped into the elevator. "u too huh? bad thing is my dad's a republican. family reunions are always interesting lol," he was smiling now. This was what he had been needing for such a long time. An easy conversation with someone nice. He hadn't realised how sad he had been up until this point. His life was work, eat, then sleep. An endless cycle that he wasn't sure how to get out of. He did none of the things he enjoyed anymore. His friends barely noticed he was there. He was just stuck in a rut.
"God, get a hold of yourself," he said under his breath, shaking his head. "You don't need to start feeling sorry for yourself right now," he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Throwing a pity party for yourself will get you nowhere."
FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Good.
She glanced over her textbook again and realized she still had 50 more pages to read and groaned to herself. Now was not the time to get tied up in a conversation, when she had a quiz that was going to start haunting her in less than twelve hours. Her class was at 8:30 and glancing at the dull red lights, it seemed that she was creeping towards 11:00 at night, which was not at all great.
That must suck. No one in my family is republican, though the reason for that is because hardly anyone in my family is straight. I don't have a straight cousin. It's kind of funny when you talk to people that believe so adamantly in straightness.
She glanced over her books again, debating whether or not she should tell the person that she needed to do work.
She glanced over her textbook again and realized she still had 50 more pages to read and groaned to herself. Now was not the time to get tied up in a conversation, when she had a quiz that was going to start haunting her in less than twelve hours. Her class was at 8:30 and glancing at the dull red lights, it seemed that she was creeping towards 11:00 at night, which was not at all great.
That must suck. No one in my family is republican, though the reason for that is because hardly anyone in my family is straight. I don't have a straight cousin. It's kind of funny when you talk to people that believe so adamantly in straightness.
She glanced over her books again, debating whether or not she should tell the person that she needed to do work.
narsiserious
Senior Member
Garret looked back down at his phone and took in a deep breath. They said 'whole family', did that include themselves too? He bet it was nice to have people in your family who you can relate to. Garret was not completely straight either, which wasn't exactly welcomed in his house. With his father being a very loud republican with no shame in his beliefs, and his mother too timid to do anything to help him, the brunet never enjoyed going back home. The only reason he ever did was because he needed to make sure his mom was doing alright. He would have loved to have an accepting family; people he could really fall back on. He never cared for the term 'blood is thicker than water'. His family never cared for him, he wasn't even sure if he could call them family anymore.
"ah, tell me about it. must be nice to have peple like that arond u. i'd give anything to have someone to relate to," he leaned back against the elevator wall and closed his eyes. If only he could talk to them in person. Maybe they'd get along. They could become friends, but that was wishful thinking. There was a chance that they would never meet and even if they did...what would happen after? Sometimes internet friendships don't work out and it made him sad that there was a possibility that he would never meet someone like this in real life. Well, he probably could but it was 50/50.
"hey...it's pretty late. i didn't wake u up did i?"
"ah, tell me about it. must be nice to have peple like that arond u. i'd give anything to have someone to relate to," he leaned back against the elevator wall and closed his eyes. If only he could talk to them in person. Maybe they'd get along. They could become friends, but that was wishful thinking. There was a chance that they would never meet and even if they did...what would happen after? Sometimes internet friendships don't work out and it made him sad that there was a possibility that he would never meet someone like this in real life. Well, he probably could but it was 50/50.
"hey...it's pretty late. i didn't wake u up did i?"
FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Lauren blinked at the text message that flashed back to her. It seemed like whoever she was speaking to was lonely, terribly so. Perhaps that was why they had chosen to text a random message; they had no clue how to speak with the people around. The wording of the text seemed to suggest that the person was having trouble relating to people around them, most likely their family, given the fact that Lauren had mentioned hers before hand.
It was strange, speaking with someone across several barriers. She couldn't see their face so she didn't know how old they were or what they looked like or if they were being genuine or not. For all she knew, this was someone who was simply bored and trying to milk her for attention and some sympathy.
Evelyn would scold her for thinking like that and the thought made Lauren smirk. Her roommate would crow about how some people were simply more comfortable with communicating with people across devices and boundaries, that they weren't quite ready to commit to talking face-to-face because of the pressure and general social anxiety.
Lauren understood that to some degree. Talk to people could be nerve-wracking at times.
Yeah, they're cool people. Don't tell them I said that.
Lauren squinted at the clock on her desk again and sighed, glancing over the textbook that sat in front of her, still open and waiting to be read.
I'm sorry you feel like you don't have people to speak to. Hey, you're talking to me so I guess that's something right?
And no, you didn't wake me up. I'm cramming for a computer science quiz. Why do I need to know Java script and its roots? Why?
It was strange, speaking with someone across several barriers. She couldn't see their face so she didn't know how old they were or what they looked like or if they were being genuine or not. For all she knew, this was someone who was simply bored and trying to milk her for attention and some sympathy.
Evelyn would scold her for thinking like that and the thought made Lauren smirk. Her roommate would crow about how some people were simply more comfortable with communicating with people across devices and boundaries, that they weren't quite ready to commit to talking face-to-face because of the pressure and general social anxiety.
Lauren understood that to some degree. Talk to people could be nerve-wracking at times.
Yeah, they're cool people. Don't tell them I said that.
Lauren squinted at the clock on her desk again and sighed, glancing over the textbook that sat in front of her, still open and waiting to be read.
I'm sorry you feel like you don't have people to speak to. Hey, you're talking to me so I guess that's something right?
And no, you didn't wake me up. I'm cramming for a computer science quiz. Why do I need to know Java script and its roots? Why?
narsiserious
Senior Member
His eyes reopened and the first thing he saw was the long corridor that awaited him beyond the elevator doors. Home sweet home he supposed. Pushing himself away from the wall, Garret stepped out onto the floor to get to his apartment. The hallway was as quiet and inactive as always. Not many people lived in this apartment complex since it had only recently been built a year or so ago. There were only a couple of people he knew that lived on this floor. A group of college kids, a stoner guy, and an elderly woman who loved to give him hard candies even when he didn't ask for one. At least he didn't live on this floor alone, then he would truly be lonesome.
"if i ever meet them, i'll be sure to keep my lips sealed," he chuckled as he pulled out his keys and unlocked his door.
He was met with a dark, empty living room and there was no use in suppressing his sighs this time. If only he had a dog or something to come greet him. That would make him feel a little bit better, but no, there would be no one to greet him. "I'm home," he said into the darkness before switching on the lights. "Damn, who knew living alone would be this boring?" he rolled his eyes. "And I'm talking to myself again," Garret kicked off his shoes and hung up his jacket.
"yea, talking to u is definitely smthing! thanks for keeping me company," he responded then immediately paused when he read her other message. "oh shit! srry for distracting u! haha, you're taking computer science?? you're a college student then," he concluded. Then again he wasn't sure if high-schoolers took computer science these days. He had graduated from high school a long time ago, so he didn't know if anything had changed. He didn't have any siblings t ask about it either.
"if i ever meet them, i'll be sure to keep my lips sealed," he chuckled as he pulled out his keys and unlocked his door.
He was met with a dark, empty living room and there was no use in suppressing his sighs this time. If only he had a dog or something to come greet him. That would make him feel a little bit better, but no, there would be no one to greet him. "I'm home," he said into the darkness before switching on the lights. "Damn, who knew living alone would be this boring?" he rolled his eyes. "And I'm talking to myself again," Garret kicked off his shoes and hung up his jacket.
"yea, talking to u is definitely smthing! thanks for keeping me company," he responded then immediately paused when he read her other message. "oh shit! srry for distracting u! haha, you're taking computer science?? you're a college student then," he concluded. Then again he wasn't sure if high-schoolers took computer science these days. He had graduated from high school a long time ago, so he didn't know if anything had changed. He didn't have any siblings t ask about it either.
FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Lauren looked up from her book, having read only a few more pages as she struggled to labor through on barely any caffeine. She really needed to talk to Evelyn about their budget when it did come to caffeine. Sighing, she picked up the phone again, scrolling through the responses and snorting a bit at the first sentence.
She scrolled down further and was satisfied that the other person seemed to deem her company worthy. Most people found her terrifying, probably for good reason. Lauren had the tendency to step on toes if it meant getting herself higher. Once, she had literally shoved past another girl to get to an interview at an internship faster and once she had purposefully arrived early to one to talk about the person that was to be interviewed before her.
It had been a bit rude. Evelyn had yelled at her about giving everyone else a chance and Lauren had relented, arriving on time to most of her professional meetings instead of purposefully getting there early.
Yes, I'm a college student. I'm going to go back to sobbing over Java code now, if you don't mind. Talk to you later.
She paused after she sent the last message. Did she truly want to keep this up? Offer the other person an ear, or rather, a number, to vent to?
What the hell. Evelyn and Sylvia were always telling her that she needed to start being nicer to people.
She scrolled down further and was satisfied that the other person seemed to deem her company worthy. Most people found her terrifying, probably for good reason. Lauren had the tendency to step on toes if it meant getting herself higher. Once, she had literally shoved past another girl to get to an interview at an internship faster and once she had purposefully arrived early to one to talk about the person that was to be interviewed before her.
It had been a bit rude. Evelyn had yelled at her about giving everyone else a chance and Lauren had relented, arriving on time to most of her professional meetings instead of purposefully getting there early.
Yes, I'm a college student. I'm going to go back to sobbing over Java code now, if you don't mind. Talk to you later.
She paused after she sent the last message. Did she truly want to keep this up? Offer the other person an ear, or rather, a number, to vent to?
What the hell. Evelyn and Sylvia were always telling her that she needed to start being nicer to people.
narsiserious
Senior Member
Later? Did that mean they were giving him the chance to talk to them again?
"yea. ok. tlk to u later. good luck with your java script thing!"
Dropping his bag by his feet in the entry way, Garret grinned down at his phone. His smile was stretching so far that he felt his cheeks starting to ache in protest. He didn't care however. He was making a new friend! Well, it was close enough. They didn't get annoyed with him or send him away. They didn't push him, they even offered him advice. This was almost like a dream come true. He was overreacting of course but he had spent so much time alone that this simple act of kindness from a stranger sent him soaring over the clouds.
It had made him so happy that he practically skipped inside and flopped down on his couch. He couldn't stop smiling, his whole face was about to split in half. He felt like a kid who had just made a new friend by showing another kid a bug, pestering them with said bug until they relented. Alright, so that wasn't exactly the best comparison he could have come up with, however he didn't give a damn. He was making a friend!
Garret rolled onto his back and lifted his phone up to his face, the blackened screen showing his reflection. He looked a mess; dark bags under his eyes and hair messier than the last time he checked it. His eyes were the only things that looked alive. They were bright and full of glee. A definite change from the typical drained expression he had whenever he came home. Looking closer at his face, Garret realised now that he looked nothing like the kind of person he thought he was.
His previous lovers had said that his looks and his personality clashed. He had never taken any of that to heart though. They said that he was a waste of a good face because he ruined his impression whenever he opened his mouth. He was told that he was the opposite of how he appeared. Whilst he looked nice and mature most of the time, his behaviour was one that resembled a child. "Nothing wrong with that..."
"yea. ok. tlk to u later. good luck with your java script thing!"
Dropping his bag by his feet in the entry way, Garret grinned down at his phone. His smile was stretching so far that he felt his cheeks starting to ache in protest. He didn't care however. He was making a new friend! Well, it was close enough. They didn't get annoyed with him or send him away. They didn't push him, they even offered him advice. This was almost like a dream come true. He was overreacting of course but he had spent so much time alone that this simple act of kindness from a stranger sent him soaring over the clouds.
It had made him so happy that he practically skipped inside and flopped down on his couch. He couldn't stop smiling, his whole face was about to split in half. He felt like a kid who had just made a new friend by showing another kid a bug, pestering them with said bug until they relented. Alright, so that wasn't exactly the best comparison he could have come up with, however he didn't give a damn. He was making a friend!
Garret rolled onto his back and lifted his phone up to his face, the blackened screen showing his reflection. He looked a mess; dark bags under his eyes and hair messier than the last time he checked it. His eyes were the only things that looked alive. They were bright and full of glee. A definite change from the typical drained expression he had whenever he came home. Looking closer at his face, Garret realised now that he looked nothing like the kind of person he thought he was.
His previous lovers had said that his looks and his personality clashed. He had never taken any of that to heart though. They said that he was a waste of a good face because he ruined his impression whenever he opened his mouth. He was told that he was the opposite of how he appeared. Whilst he looked nice and mature most of the time, his behaviour was one that resembled a child. "Nothing wrong with that..."
FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Lauren went back to her work, managing to labor through the couple pages she had left, occasionally taking the highlighter from her teeth to mark off something important or using the pen in her hand to jot down a note or two, or circle something important or underline something that she believed was key to the quiz coming up. The phone vibrated again and she glanced at it and pushed it out of her mind as soon as the person decided to leave her alone.
She continued on until around 1:00AM, as her blinking clock told her. She rubbed her tired eyes as she read over the notes she had made in the margin for the umpteenth time. She would need to wake up in about six hours to be able to go through a shower and bolt to the dining hall for food and then run back to class to hopefully not fail. Groaning and hoping that she had crammed as much knowledge as she needed into her mind, Lauren dragged her over to her own bed and flopped down on it, not bothering to pull the covers over herself before falling asleep.
Her alarm clock didn't wake her the next morning.
Evelyn did.
Evelyn and her singing.
Lauren screamed in irritation, having forgotten that her roommate had the habit of belting out lyrics in the shower in the morning.
She crawled out of bed and dragged herself over to the bathroom, brushing her teeth as Evelyn burst from behind the shower curtain, grinned at Lauren and gave her a kiss on the cheek before bounding into their room. Lauren grumbled in response and dragged herself through her daily routine, hardly feeling the scalding water or notice what she was pulling on before grabbing her phone and stuffing her books into her bag before pelting out the door and to the dining hall.
Lauren wasn't sure what she ate or how much she ate, but next thing she knew, she was sitting in class, staring down her test.
Taking a deep breath, she read through it, scanning her eyes across the various terms and codes that were provided and jotting down answers, circling what she deemed were the correct ones, and hoping that her half-asleep brain could handle everything.
By the time she was finished, she hoped that she hadn't forgotten anything terribly important and stumbled out of class.
She had about half an hour before her next one and so took the leisurely path in the direction of the science lab, taking out her phone to examine whatever emails she had gotten.
She was reminded of the texts the previous night, and the concern over the boss.
Hesitantly, Lauren tapped out a text to the mysterious number.
Hey. How's work going? Boss giving you flack?
She continued on until around 1:00AM, as her blinking clock told her. She rubbed her tired eyes as she read over the notes she had made in the margin for the umpteenth time. She would need to wake up in about six hours to be able to go through a shower and bolt to the dining hall for food and then run back to class to hopefully not fail. Groaning and hoping that she had crammed as much knowledge as she needed into her mind, Lauren dragged her over to her own bed and flopped down on it, not bothering to pull the covers over herself before falling asleep.
Her alarm clock didn't wake her the next morning.
Evelyn did.
Evelyn and her singing.
Lauren screamed in irritation, having forgotten that her roommate had the habit of belting out lyrics in the shower in the morning.
She crawled out of bed and dragged herself over to the bathroom, brushing her teeth as Evelyn burst from behind the shower curtain, grinned at Lauren and gave her a kiss on the cheek before bounding into their room. Lauren grumbled in response and dragged herself through her daily routine, hardly feeling the scalding water or notice what she was pulling on before grabbing her phone and stuffing her books into her bag before pelting out the door and to the dining hall.
Lauren wasn't sure what she ate or how much she ate, but next thing she knew, she was sitting in class, staring down her test.
Taking a deep breath, she read through it, scanning her eyes across the various terms and codes that were provided and jotting down answers, circling what she deemed were the correct ones, and hoping that her half-asleep brain could handle everything.
By the time she was finished, she hoped that she hadn't forgotten anything terribly important and stumbled out of class.
She had about half an hour before her next one and so took the leisurely path in the direction of the science lab, taking out her phone to examine whatever emails she had gotten.
She was reminded of the texts the previous night, and the concern over the boss.
Hesitantly, Lauren tapped out a text to the mysterious number.
Hey. How's work going? Boss giving you flack?
narsiserious
Senior Member
Garret had spent the better part of his night dozing off on his couch, his television screening some random show as his drooping eyes blinked lazily every now and then. The lights had been turned off at some point and a microwave dinner stood on his coffee table growing cold when he had neglected to eat it. He couldn't muster up the energy to do much after his conversation with mystery person. It had appeared that the cold kept him awake long enough to prevent him from falling due to fatigue, and now that he was warm and comfortable, he gladly allowed sleep to take over.
As he awoken that morning, he realised that he hadn't set an alarm to alert him of the time. Thankfully his body naturally became conscious due to having woken up at the same time every single day, saving him a lecture on tardiness from his boss. "...Thank god," he sighed after checking the time on his small clock that hung above his television. He still had some time before he needed to head to work.
With a big yawn, the brunet hauled himself up from the plush seats of his couch to stretch his arms above his head. His body had become stiff without the support of a proper bed which made his back and his neck creak when he stretched once again. He took a moment to shake the aftermath of sleep from his limbs then began his preparations for the day. Shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, prepare lunch, brush teeth... Whenever he was feeling particularly adventurous he would skip breakfast and watch some television.
"Man, I am a fucking riot," he muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes to himself.
His trek to work was unexciting. The office building was not too far from his apartment, so his car had become unnecessary for quite some time now. He sure was glad to have renewed his car insurance last month. He was putting it to great use.
Along with his arrival at work came the unwanted attention of his boss. "Make sure you get everything done by today."
"Don't slack off or I'll have to file in a report."
"Do you have plans for lunch today? Sure you don't. Come have lunch with me later."
"That's a nice smelling cologne, where did you get it?" the man said as he blatantly ignored Garret's request to not shove his face against his shirt collar.
The department head was a short, blond haired man with features resembling those of a rat. How he was ever named the head of Garret's department was a mystery since all the man ever did was scowl at his employees. He was sure his boss had a lot of paperwork to be doing, he had just never seen him do any of it.
Once the man finally left him alone, opting to yell at another employee instead, Garret took in a long, deep, breath before pulling out his phone to check for any messages. He got a few from his colleagues, asking him to join them after work for some drinks. He never really liked to drink with people he didn't know. It meant there was a risk of him making a fool of himself in front of people he simply wanted to keep at a professional distance. He didn't need his co-workers seeing him drunk off his rocker, and since he was a very touchy, happy, drunk, there was no way he'd let himself become so vulnerable.
There was another message. A number he didn't recognise. A jolt of excitement ran up his spine when he saw the notification that he had gotten a text from his new 'friend'. From the tone, he assumed they were worried about him. He hadn't gotten that in a long time.
"work is work. boss is being a creep as alwys. wht about u? how did ur test go?"
As he awoken that morning, he realised that he hadn't set an alarm to alert him of the time. Thankfully his body naturally became conscious due to having woken up at the same time every single day, saving him a lecture on tardiness from his boss. "...Thank god," he sighed after checking the time on his small clock that hung above his television. He still had some time before he needed to head to work.
With a big yawn, the brunet hauled himself up from the plush seats of his couch to stretch his arms above his head. His body had become stiff without the support of a proper bed which made his back and his neck creak when he stretched once again. He took a moment to shake the aftermath of sleep from his limbs then began his preparations for the day. Shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, prepare lunch, brush teeth... Whenever he was feeling particularly adventurous he would skip breakfast and watch some television.
"Man, I am a fucking riot," he muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes to himself.
His trek to work was unexciting. The office building was not too far from his apartment, so his car had become unnecessary for quite some time now. He sure was glad to have renewed his car insurance last month. He was putting it to great use.
Along with his arrival at work came the unwanted attention of his boss. "Make sure you get everything done by today."
"Don't slack off or I'll have to file in a report."
"Do you have plans for lunch today? Sure you don't. Come have lunch with me later."
"That's a nice smelling cologne, where did you get it?" the man said as he blatantly ignored Garret's request to not shove his face against his shirt collar.
The department head was a short, blond haired man with features resembling those of a rat. How he was ever named the head of Garret's department was a mystery since all the man ever did was scowl at his employees. He was sure his boss had a lot of paperwork to be doing, he had just never seen him do any of it.
Once the man finally left him alone, opting to yell at another employee instead, Garret took in a long, deep, breath before pulling out his phone to check for any messages. He got a few from his colleagues, asking him to join them after work for some drinks. He never really liked to drink with people he didn't know. It meant there was a risk of him making a fool of himself in front of people he simply wanted to keep at a professional distance. He didn't need his co-workers seeing him drunk off his rocker, and since he was a very touchy, happy, drunk, there was no way he'd let himself become so vulnerable.
There was another message. A number he didn't recognise. A jolt of excitement ran up his spine when he saw the notification that he had gotten a text from his new 'friend'. From the tone, he assumed they were worried about him. He hadn't gotten that in a long time.
"work is work. boss is being a creep as alwys. wht about u? how did ur test go?"
Last edited by a moderator:
FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Sorry about that. You sure that you can't file a complaint? Maybe ask a co-worker to file one if you don't want it linked to you?
I have no clue. I don't think I was fully awake for it. I don't think I failed, but I'm not sure I did as well as I had hoped.
"Who you textin;?" Evelyn asked, popping up beside Lauren.
"Oh my god, where the fuck did you come from?" Lauren managed, glancing up and over at the other girl in alarm.
"Whoever they are, their grammar sucks. Is it a new partner?" Evelyn said, glancing up at Lauren. "Because I swear, the only reason you should ever tolerate such shitty writing is if the person's cute and has a nice-"
"No Evelyn," Lauren sighed, continuing on her walk to class. "It's some random person that texted me last night venting."
"Ooo, so you finally decided to put yourself out there and get someone! Nice, now you can actually go on dates instead of being cooped up the room always studying," Evelyn said. "Hey, maybe you can come-"
"No, that wasn't sarcasm," Lauren drawled out.
"Wait. Someone actually randomly texted you to vent. And now you're having conversations?" Evelyn said, grinning.
"Evelyn," Lauren said cautiously.
"Come on," Evelyn said, "this shit happens in movies and stories and fanfiction."
"Oh my god Evelyn."
"It's a love story waiting to happen."
"Oh my god Evelyn, are you trying to set me up with a stranger that might be a total creep?"
"You're still texting them," Evelyn sang, wiggling her eyebrows gleefully.
"Evelyn, what happened to 'going with the flow'? Does that just turn off whenever romance is involved?" Lauren asked, exasperated.
"Come on, Lauren," Evelyn whined. "You've been working since you got here, getting internships, jobs, research opportunities. You haven't dated anyone or gone out on any fun trips, beside that one you went to the botanical garden to research what plants were made of or something."
"it was to see what kind of chemicals they secreted when watered with different-"
"Yes, yes," Evelyn said, waving away the rest of Lauren's sentence. "Very important stuff with large words and long processes and time consuming actions that don't leave you any time to hang out with your darling best friend." Evelyn pouted and batted her eyelashes at Lauren.
"Oh my god Evelyn," Lauren groaned. "I'm not interested in dating anyone. I need to focus."
"Honey, if you were anymore laser focused on your studies, you'd actually have laser eyes."
Lauren dragged a hand down her face as they neared the brick building that contained their biology class.
"Seriously. I know you wanna get some great job at some huge corporation doing great things, but you need to live a little. Let yourself dream and believe," Evelyn said, sweeping a hand before them as Lauren pushed open the door to the building.
"I am. I'm going to be a medical researchers as soon as I get out, working for-"
"You need a Ph. D. You're going to be in school until you're thirty. Live, for gods sake," Evelyn said. "You're going to work yourself thin and look up once you get your job and realize that you're not quite happy because you haven't gotten anything but your job in the past decade of your life."
Lauren was silent as they found seats in their classroom.
I have no clue. I don't think I was fully awake for it. I don't think I failed, but I'm not sure I did as well as I had hoped.
"Who you textin;?" Evelyn asked, popping up beside Lauren.
"Oh my god, where the fuck did you come from?" Lauren managed, glancing up and over at the other girl in alarm.
"Whoever they are, their grammar sucks. Is it a new partner?" Evelyn said, glancing up at Lauren. "Because I swear, the only reason you should ever tolerate such shitty writing is if the person's cute and has a nice-"
"No Evelyn," Lauren sighed, continuing on her walk to class. "It's some random person that texted me last night venting."
"Ooo, so you finally decided to put yourself out there and get someone! Nice, now you can actually go on dates instead of being cooped up the room always studying," Evelyn said. "Hey, maybe you can come-"
"No, that wasn't sarcasm," Lauren drawled out.
"Wait. Someone actually randomly texted you to vent. And now you're having conversations?" Evelyn said, grinning.
"Evelyn," Lauren said cautiously.
"Come on," Evelyn said, "this shit happens in movies and stories and fanfiction."
"Oh my god Evelyn."
"It's a love story waiting to happen."
"Oh my god Evelyn, are you trying to set me up with a stranger that might be a total creep?"
"You're still texting them," Evelyn sang, wiggling her eyebrows gleefully.
"Evelyn, what happened to 'going with the flow'? Does that just turn off whenever romance is involved?" Lauren asked, exasperated.
"Come on, Lauren," Evelyn whined. "You've been working since you got here, getting internships, jobs, research opportunities. You haven't dated anyone or gone out on any fun trips, beside that one you went to the botanical garden to research what plants were made of or something."
"it was to see what kind of chemicals they secreted when watered with different-"
"Yes, yes," Evelyn said, waving away the rest of Lauren's sentence. "Very important stuff with large words and long processes and time consuming actions that don't leave you any time to hang out with your darling best friend." Evelyn pouted and batted her eyelashes at Lauren.
"Oh my god Evelyn," Lauren groaned. "I'm not interested in dating anyone. I need to focus."
"Honey, if you were anymore laser focused on your studies, you'd actually have laser eyes."
Lauren dragged a hand down her face as they neared the brick building that contained their biology class.
"Seriously. I know you wanna get some great job at some huge corporation doing great things, but you need to live a little. Let yourself dream and believe," Evelyn said, sweeping a hand before them as Lauren pushed open the door to the building.
"I am. I'm going to be a medical researchers as soon as I get out, working for-"
"You need a Ph. D. You're going to be in school until you're thirty. Live, for gods sake," Evelyn said. "You're going to work yourself thin and look up once you get your job and realize that you're not quite happy because you haven't gotten anything but your job in the past decade of your life."
Lauren was silent as they found seats in their classroom.
narsiserious
Senior Member
"i'm doing fine, really. it's nothing i can't handle. it's probably beter this way. it means the other kids won't be subjected to it."
"man i remember when i was in college. here's some breking news. lawyers are freakin boring as all hell. hey i'm sure you did just fine. beleve in urself."
Garret set his phone beside the keyboard on his desk, then turned back to his work. If he was to get all the reports done by the end of the day like his boss had requested, then he needn't be distracted. Despite thinking that, his eyes would involuntarily shift towards his phone and his typing would stop. He would then shake his head and try focusing on the statistics and numbers on his monitor. This process continued for a while until he finally just stopped all together. He needed a break. There was no point in trying to do anything if his mind was preoccupied with something else. He hopped up from his chair, his head poking out from atop his cubicle and catching some of his co-workers' attention. He gave them an apologetic look for disturbing them, and made a quick escape to the door, however, just before he could step out, his boss' voice boomed from the front of the room, gathering everyone's interest.
The tall brunet turned his head, seeing his boss' short figure at the head of the office situated next to someone he had not seen before. The woman that stood fidgeting with her jacket sleeve was petite and rather frail-looking. Her auburn hair hung loose, framing her angular face. Her gaze was glued to the floor, a shy gesture that had caught most of the men in the office's attention. Garret was curious as to why she was here. Had she only been hired recently? He heard nothing about this and given how much gossip the employees in this department spread, he was sure he would have gotten word about it by now. The woman looked like she should have belonged in the higher levels of the company based on her choice of clothing. She looked as though she had stepped out of a modelling magazine that was how well dressed she was. Compared to the dreary grey walls of this office, the soft colours of her blouse and skirt made the room brighten ever so slightly. Garret was not the only one who had his eyes on the young woman. Many of his male peers leered at her and spoke of her under their breaths. It made the brunet shift uncomfortable. His skin was crawling.
"This is Mina Hamilton...or whatever," the boss waved his hand dismissively, showing his lack of interest when it came to her name.
"...It's actually Nina Hemingway," the woman spoke up, her eyebrows furrowing. She looked offended.
"Yeah, okay," the man didn't seem to care that he had upset her either. "She's the new office manager starting from today," he kept it short and simple. "She's gonna be dealing with you whilst I do more important stuff."
Nina stepped up, finally lifting her head to regard the members of the office with a polite smile. "Hello. I am Nina, your new office manager. I will be in charge of design, implementation, evaluation and maintenance of the work that happens in this office. I am here to make sure that there is improvement and efficiency within the department," she spoke softly and Garret had to strain to actually hear her from the back of the room. When she took a quick glance around the room, her eyes suddenly landed on him, staring for a good few seconds before she caught herself and averted her gaze.
Garret was sure his heart was about to explode from his chest.
"man i remember when i was in college. here's some breking news. lawyers are freakin boring as all hell. hey i'm sure you did just fine. beleve in urself."
Garret set his phone beside the keyboard on his desk, then turned back to his work. If he was to get all the reports done by the end of the day like his boss had requested, then he needn't be distracted. Despite thinking that, his eyes would involuntarily shift towards his phone and his typing would stop. He would then shake his head and try focusing on the statistics and numbers on his monitor. This process continued for a while until he finally just stopped all together. He needed a break. There was no point in trying to do anything if his mind was preoccupied with something else. He hopped up from his chair, his head poking out from atop his cubicle and catching some of his co-workers' attention. He gave them an apologetic look for disturbing them, and made a quick escape to the door, however, just before he could step out, his boss' voice boomed from the front of the room, gathering everyone's interest.
The tall brunet turned his head, seeing his boss' short figure at the head of the office situated next to someone he had not seen before. The woman that stood fidgeting with her jacket sleeve was petite and rather frail-looking. Her auburn hair hung loose, framing her angular face. Her gaze was glued to the floor, a shy gesture that had caught most of the men in the office's attention. Garret was curious as to why she was here. Had she only been hired recently? He heard nothing about this and given how much gossip the employees in this department spread, he was sure he would have gotten word about it by now. The woman looked like she should have belonged in the higher levels of the company based on her choice of clothing. She looked as though she had stepped out of a modelling magazine that was how well dressed she was. Compared to the dreary grey walls of this office, the soft colours of her blouse and skirt made the room brighten ever so slightly. Garret was not the only one who had his eyes on the young woman. Many of his male peers leered at her and spoke of her under their breaths. It made the brunet shift uncomfortable. His skin was crawling.
"This is Mina Hamilton...or whatever," the boss waved his hand dismissively, showing his lack of interest when it came to her name.
"...It's actually Nina Hemingway," the woman spoke up, her eyebrows furrowing. She looked offended.
"Yeah, okay," the man didn't seem to care that he had upset her either. "She's the new office manager starting from today," he kept it short and simple. "She's gonna be dealing with you whilst I do more important stuff."
Nina stepped up, finally lifting her head to regard the members of the office with a polite smile. "Hello. I am Nina, your new office manager. I will be in charge of design, implementation, evaluation and maintenance of the work that happens in this office. I am here to make sure that there is improvement and efficiency within the department," she spoke softly and Garret had to strain to actually hear her from the back of the room. When she took a quick glance around the room, her eyes suddenly landed on him, staring for a good few seconds before she caught herself and averted her gaze.
Garret was sure his heart was about to explode from his chest.
FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
When the afternoon rolled around and Lauren could pause in all her running around from class to class, she glanced at her phone again and shot off a quick message.
Take one for the team, huh? That's kind of you. Most people I know would have bailed out a long time ago. Go you, being strong for all the kids.
I take offense to that. My cousin will be a lawyer.
Wait no, I take it back. I agree with you. So much.
I am believe in myself. I believe I could have done better.
She shoved her phone back into her pocket and ran to lunch. Evelyn and a few of her other friends looked up, opening their mouths to say something. Lauren shoved her food down and shook her head: they were probably going to ask her about what she was going to do that night, or if she would come with them somewhere. Her internship at a lab was at 4:00 that afternoon and it would end at 7:00. She didn't have time to hang out that day.
"Seriously," one of her friends said, her red hair curled around her shoulders. Her eyebrows were creased and she actually looked very concerned. "You can't just... swallow yourself up in work. Live a little."
"You sound like Evelyn," Lauren responded when she came up for air before gathering her things.
"Lauren," Evelyn said sharply, staring up at her, "you can take a break. It's not going to make you fail a class."
Lauren sighed and smoothed out her shirt. "I know. But if I want to get into a good medical school-"
"If they're not begging you to come to their school by the time you graduate, they're never going to accept anyone. You've got a research project under your belt, you've been published twice, you're on your second internship," her first friend listed off. "You're working yourself thin."
"Lighten up and liven up," someone else piped up.
"Look, I appreciate your concern," Lauren said, glancing at her watch, "but I need to get to class."
She bolted off towards her chemistry course.
Take one for the team, huh? That's kind of you. Most people I know would have bailed out a long time ago. Go you, being strong for all the kids.
I take offense to that. My cousin will be a lawyer.
Wait no, I take it back. I agree with you. So much.
I am believe in myself. I believe I could have done better.
She shoved her phone back into her pocket and ran to lunch. Evelyn and a few of her other friends looked up, opening their mouths to say something. Lauren shoved her food down and shook her head: they were probably going to ask her about what she was going to do that night, or if she would come with them somewhere. Her internship at a lab was at 4:00 that afternoon and it would end at 7:00. She didn't have time to hang out that day.
"Seriously," one of her friends said, her red hair curled around her shoulders. Her eyebrows were creased and she actually looked very concerned. "You can't just... swallow yourself up in work. Live a little."
"You sound like Evelyn," Lauren responded when she came up for air before gathering her things.
"Lauren," Evelyn said sharply, staring up at her, "you can take a break. It's not going to make you fail a class."
Lauren sighed and smoothed out her shirt. "I know. But if I want to get into a good medical school-"
"If they're not begging you to come to their school by the time you graduate, they're never going to accept anyone. You've got a research project under your belt, you've been published twice, you're on your second internship," her first friend listed off. "You're working yourself thin."
"Lighten up and liven up," someone else piped up.
"Look, I appreciate your concern," Lauren said, glancing at her watch, "but I need to get to class."
She bolted off towards her chemistry course.
narsiserious
Senior Member
"yea. i'm a good guy like that u know. you could even call me a hero of sorts."
"lawyers aren't fun. but good luck to ur cousin. hope she dosn't quit half-way like i did."
"aw. c'mon. u just gotta believe. i'm sure u did great nd even if u didn't, u can try again."
After the introductions were made, Garret exited the room and headed up towards the roof for some fresh air. Most of the employees in the building went up there to smoke, however, during this time of the day, there was no one around. It was working period and lunch wasn't until another ten minutes, so he had some time to get the fresh air he needed to clear his head. His thoughts were no longer consumed with thoughts of his mystery friend within his phone, all that was there now was his new office manager's face. He knew it was a bad idea to think about a superior that way. He didn't have a chance anyway, she was a upperclassman and he was a mere drone in the beehive that was this company. He shook his head and tried to forget about it. Once he got to the roof, he opened the door and the first thing that hit him was the wind. It blasted against his face and blew back his hair, causing him to tip backwards. He gripped the door handle but he was still losing his balance.
"Whoa there!" someone placed their hand against his back and helped him stay on the step.
"Thanks," Garret turned, seeing Nina on the step below him looking concerned. "Sorry about that. Wind caught me off guard."
The older woman blinked owlishly then smiled. "No worries. I guess you're here to take a break too?" she moved up the last step, catching the strong wing. It shifted through her hair, making it fly towards Garrets direction. "Sorry! Sorry! I really should tie my hair up," she apologised then walked out onto the roof away from the brunet.
All Garret saw for those two seconds was nothing but red hair. Call him a romantic sap but he had never seen something so beautiful. "Shut up," he scolded himself.
"What?" Nina snapped her head back around, looking alarmed.
"No! Sorry! I wasn't talking to you!" Garret quickly reassured her. "I was just mumbling to myself is all," he joined her on the roof, his hair flying all over the place as the wind picked up even more. When he got to the middle, he inhaled deeply then exhaled. He did this repeatedly until his mind was finally clear.
"I'm Nina," the woman behind him spoke timidly. "I noticed you at the back of the room before. You're a temp, right?"
"Ah...yeah. I guess you could call me that," Garret turned towards her, flashing a bright smile. "I've only been working here for a couple of months," his smile dropped a tad. "Though it seems like longer..." he combed his fingers through his hair, patting it down so it wouldn't be in a complete disarray. "I'm Garret."
"lawyers aren't fun. but good luck to ur cousin. hope she dosn't quit half-way like i did."
"aw. c'mon. u just gotta believe. i'm sure u did great nd even if u didn't, u can try again."
After the introductions were made, Garret exited the room and headed up towards the roof for some fresh air. Most of the employees in the building went up there to smoke, however, during this time of the day, there was no one around. It was working period and lunch wasn't until another ten minutes, so he had some time to get the fresh air he needed to clear his head. His thoughts were no longer consumed with thoughts of his mystery friend within his phone, all that was there now was his new office manager's face. He knew it was a bad idea to think about a superior that way. He didn't have a chance anyway, she was a upperclassman and he was a mere drone in the beehive that was this company. He shook his head and tried to forget about it. Once he got to the roof, he opened the door and the first thing that hit him was the wind. It blasted against his face and blew back his hair, causing him to tip backwards. He gripped the door handle but he was still losing his balance.
"Whoa there!" someone placed their hand against his back and helped him stay on the step.
"Thanks," Garret turned, seeing Nina on the step below him looking concerned. "Sorry about that. Wind caught me off guard."
The older woman blinked owlishly then smiled. "No worries. I guess you're here to take a break too?" she moved up the last step, catching the strong wing. It shifted through her hair, making it fly towards Garrets direction. "Sorry! Sorry! I really should tie my hair up," she apologised then walked out onto the roof away from the brunet.
All Garret saw for those two seconds was nothing but red hair. Call him a romantic sap but he had never seen something so beautiful. "Shut up," he scolded himself.
"What?" Nina snapped her head back around, looking alarmed.
"No! Sorry! I wasn't talking to you!" Garret quickly reassured her. "I was just mumbling to myself is all," he joined her on the roof, his hair flying all over the place as the wind picked up even more. When he got to the middle, he inhaled deeply then exhaled. He did this repeatedly until his mind was finally clear.
"I'm Nina," the woman behind him spoke timidly. "I noticed you at the back of the room before. You're a temp, right?"
"Ah...yeah. I guess you could call me that," Garret turned towards her, flashing a bright smile. "I've only been working here for a couple of months," his smile dropped a tad. "Though it seems like longer..." he combed his fingers through his hair, patting it down so it wouldn't be in a complete disarray. "I'm Garret."
FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Lauren never particularly liked chemistry. It had too many rules, too much to memorize. Well, more like she wasn't interested in the things she had to memorize, the things she had to know and the rules that governed it. Biology and its rules were something that intrigued her more.
Organic chemistry was the only chemistry class she ever liked. It was right up her alley, with focus on things that could aid her in her future job as a researcher. She knew that if she really did become a biomedical researcher that both biology and chemistry would be vital to her, but she had never really wanted it to be until this class. It intrigued her more than most.
By the time the class was over, however, it was 2:30 and Lauren needed to bolt elsewhere.
A few people waved at her and she returned the gesture hurriedly, rushing back to her dorm room to change into a more formal outfit before catching the bus downtown to the research facility she was interning at.
Once she was finally able to sit down on the bus, she managed to pull out her phone and fire off another text.
Just don't say you're a nice guy and I'll call you a hero.
She's like me, in a way. Stubborn and studious and won't give up.
Aw. You really hated lawyering, huh? Was it all the laws? The memorization? I hated chemistry for the same reason. Hated that subject for so long.
Thank you for the encouragement. It means a lot.
Did it? Well, Lauren was trying to be nice. Maybe he'd (was the person on the other end a he?) would feel less lonely if it felt like someone needed him.
Maybe.
Organic chemistry was the only chemistry class she ever liked. It was right up her alley, with focus on things that could aid her in her future job as a researcher. She knew that if she really did become a biomedical researcher that both biology and chemistry would be vital to her, but she had never really wanted it to be until this class. It intrigued her more than most.
By the time the class was over, however, it was 2:30 and Lauren needed to bolt elsewhere.
A few people waved at her and she returned the gesture hurriedly, rushing back to her dorm room to change into a more formal outfit before catching the bus downtown to the research facility she was interning at.
Once she was finally able to sit down on the bus, she managed to pull out her phone and fire off another text.
Just don't say you're a nice guy and I'll call you a hero.
She's like me, in a way. Stubborn and studious and won't give up.
Aw. You really hated lawyering, huh? Was it all the laws? The memorization? I hated chemistry for the same reason. Hated that subject for so long.
Thank you for the encouragement. It means a lot.
Did it? Well, Lauren was trying to be nice. Maybe he'd (was the person on the other end a he?) would feel less lonely if it felt like someone needed him.
Maybe.
narsiserious
Senior Member
Garret's phone buzzed in his pocket, however, his attention was elsewhere. Nina had been telling him about how she had come to the decision to take on the job of an office manager, and he was sure it probably would have been a tad dull for anyone else, he couldn't be more interested. Her face lit up with something akin to pure excitement and there was nothing more adorable than someone talking so enthusiastic about their interests. Garret kept quiet for most of the time, allowing Nina to chatter away. He'd ask questions every now and then just to keep her talking. By the end of their break the brunet had discovered more about the wonders of being an office manager than he realised. It wasn't ever going to be useful for him in any way, it was just the look on Nina's face that made him want to listen to more.
The two returned to their floor, going their separate ways once they exchanged a quick goodbye. Garret waddled back to his desk in a daze. His cheeks were slightly flushed due to the wind and his hair was ruffled in ways that it had never been before, he looked happy however; something that his co-workers barely saw when he was with them. After situating himself back down on his chair, he pulled out his phone and smiled down at the texts he had received.
"ahaha alright then i'm not a nice guy. i'm actualy the meanest person ever."
"she sonds nice. it's good tht she knws what she wants. being a lawyer isn't an easy thing nd i gues i wasn't cut out 4 stuff like tht. i wouldn't have been able to handle it."
"i know u probably get this fro your family nd friends anyway but it never hurts to hve one more person believe in you."
Just as he was setting down his phone, a hand landed on his shoulder, causing him to startle.
"Whoa! Sorry about that," one of his co-workers lifted his hand, laughing gently at Garret's reaction. Mark Campbell, a superior of sorts. He had worked here far longer than Garret had, so many addressed him with respect. The man was a couple of years older than him and it showed, with his dark stubble and crows feet. However, he was still lively and managed to be one of the most jolly person Garret had ever met. "The boss is riding my ass about reports and paperwork. Did you managed to get everything done?"
"No, not yet," Garret knew he should have looked apologetic. "Just give me until the end of the shift and I'll have them on your desk," he said, running a hand down his face in exhaustion.
"Don't work too hard, alright? I'll understand about the reports, you don't have to lose sleep over 'em," Mark smiled, clapping him on the back. "Anyway! Why don't you come drink with us after? You go straight home after work and me and the guys are a little worried you aren't getting laid enough," he chuckled heartily.
"...I'm not getting laid at all at the moment," Garret rolled his eyes. "I don't really like to drink," that was a lie. "I'm just not feeling up to getting hangovers anymore. I have-"
"So that's why you've been so uptight lately! You haven't gotten a good lay in a while!" Mark cut him off, grinning from ear to ear. "You're coming to the club with us tonight. You can't say no because I'll drag your ass there myself if I have to," the older man patted him on the back again.
Garret should have refused. He should have made it clear that he had no desire to go out. He just wanted to go back home and sleep.
The two returned to their floor, going their separate ways once they exchanged a quick goodbye. Garret waddled back to his desk in a daze. His cheeks were slightly flushed due to the wind and his hair was ruffled in ways that it had never been before, he looked happy however; something that his co-workers barely saw when he was with them. After situating himself back down on his chair, he pulled out his phone and smiled down at the texts he had received.
"ahaha alright then i'm not a nice guy. i'm actualy the meanest person ever."
"she sonds nice. it's good tht she knws what she wants. being a lawyer isn't an easy thing nd i gues i wasn't cut out 4 stuff like tht. i wouldn't have been able to handle it."
"i know u probably get this fro your family nd friends anyway but it never hurts to hve one more person believe in you."
Just as he was setting down his phone, a hand landed on his shoulder, causing him to startle.
"Whoa! Sorry about that," one of his co-workers lifted his hand, laughing gently at Garret's reaction. Mark Campbell, a superior of sorts. He had worked here far longer than Garret had, so many addressed him with respect. The man was a couple of years older than him and it showed, with his dark stubble and crows feet. However, he was still lively and managed to be one of the most jolly person Garret had ever met. "The boss is riding my ass about reports and paperwork. Did you managed to get everything done?"
"No, not yet," Garret knew he should have looked apologetic. "Just give me until the end of the shift and I'll have them on your desk," he said, running a hand down his face in exhaustion.
"Don't work too hard, alright? I'll understand about the reports, you don't have to lose sleep over 'em," Mark smiled, clapping him on the back. "Anyway! Why don't you come drink with us after? You go straight home after work and me and the guys are a little worried you aren't getting laid enough," he chuckled heartily.
"...I'm not getting laid at all at the moment," Garret rolled his eyes. "I don't really like to drink," that was a lie. "I'm just not feeling up to getting hangovers anymore. I have-"
"So that's why you've been so uptight lately! You haven't gotten a good lay in a while!" Mark cut him off, grinning from ear to ear. "You're coming to the club with us tonight. You can't say no because I'll drag your ass there myself if I have to," the older man patted him on the back again.
Garret should have refused. He should have made it clear that he had no desire to go out. He just wanted to go back home and sleep.
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FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
Lauren found herself glancing at her phone every now and then as she waited to arrive at her internship. It took a while for her mystery friend to respond. (Friend. When had they lapsed into friend territory? Probably that morning, when Lauren consciously texted them. Weird.) She glanced over the text messages and snorted a bit before firing back her own message.
I knew it. You're a meany pants.
She paused at the next text, reading it over a few times. Whoever was on the other line seemed to think little of themselves, for whatever reason. Which was a pity. They seemed a nice enough person and had fairly alright morals (dealing with a very creepy boss so the others wouldn't receive their attention seemed noble enough). She read the next sentence and furrowed her brow at it, trying to decipher what it meant. Were they trying to say that she ought to believe in herself more? That they wanted her to believe in them? That they were glad that she was glad because they-
Christ, her brain hurt. She was going to assume that they were glad she appreciated them. Or something along those lines.
The lawyer path seems draining, for sure. Hope that your job is more your speed and that your creepy boss leaves you alone soon.
And I believe in you, too. In whatever you're doing.
After she hit send, she stared at the message.
My god, Lauren thought, That is cheesy as hell and borderline... romantic? More like supportive. Why the fuck am I doing this again?
Because she was lonely? Because she needed friends? Because she needed excitement?
Lauren ran a hand down her face as the bus finally screeched to a halt and she disembarked. This was all very confusing.
When it came to what Lauren wanted out of life, she had a set goal. Become a biomedical scientist. Investigate the human body, watch how it reacted to certain stimuli, whether it be medicine, surgery, anything. She wanted to help cancer patients and the AIDs epidemic and she wanted to find simple solutions for huge problems like the anemia problem in third-world countries and how to make people healthier. She wanted to save lives and help lives, she wanted to make the world a better place to live in.
But lately, as time moved on, she started to notice things. While she went off, researching at some lab or another, doing an internship at a corporation that was doing massive, important things, her friends would be out having fun. Going on dates. They would come back and talk to her about them, tell her how much fun they were having and beg her to come with them.
She usually refused. She had bigger things in mind, grander things to think about. She didn't want to waste time going to clubs and heading out on dates with people that she hardly liked when she could be watching history be made in a lab.
Lauren had it all thought out. She would go to medical school, get her Ph. D. She would go work for Merck & Co.or Johnson & Johnson and she would help discover cures and solutions.
That was the end goal, really. To help people. To find the solution to the problems that plagued their world, when it came to diseases.
For some reason, though, lately, her plan had felt less solid.
Like she was missing pieces of it.
She wasn't quite sure why.
Shaking off the feeling as she entered the large glass building before her, she signed in, clipped on her name tag, and walked towards the lab she was assigned to.
I knew it. You're a meany pants.
She paused at the next text, reading it over a few times. Whoever was on the other line seemed to think little of themselves, for whatever reason. Which was a pity. They seemed a nice enough person and had fairly alright morals (dealing with a very creepy boss so the others wouldn't receive their attention seemed noble enough). She read the next sentence and furrowed her brow at it, trying to decipher what it meant. Were they trying to say that she ought to believe in herself more? That they wanted her to believe in them? That they were glad that she was glad because they-
Christ, her brain hurt. She was going to assume that they were glad she appreciated them. Or something along those lines.
The lawyer path seems draining, for sure. Hope that your job is more your speed and that your creepy boss leaves you alone soon.
And I believe in you, too. In whatever you're doing.
After she hit send, she stared at the message.
My god, Lauren thought, That is cheesy as hell and borderline... romantic? More like supportive. Why the fuck am I doing this again?
Because she was lonely? Because she needed friends? Because she needed excitement?
Lauren ran a hand down her face as the bus finally screeched to a halt and she disembarked. This was all very confusing.
When it came to what Lauren wanted out of life, she had a set goal. Become a biomedical scientist. Investigate the human body, watch how it reacted to certain stimuli, whether it be medicine, surgery, anything. She wanted to help cancer patients and the AIDs epidemic and she wanted to find simple solutions for huge problems like the anemia problem in third-world countries and how to make people healthier. She wanted to save lives and help lives, she wanted to make the world a better place to live in.
But lately, as time moved on, she started to notice things. While she went off, researching at some lab or another, doing an internship at a corporation that was doing massive, important things, her friends would be out having fun. Going on dates. They would come back and talk to her about them, tell her how much fun they were having and beg her to come with them.
She usually refused. She had bigger things in mind, grander things to think about. She didn't want to waste time going to clubs and heading out on dates with people that she hardly liked when she could be watching history be made in a lab.
Lauren had it all thought out. She would go to medical school, get her Ph. D. She would go work for Merck & Co.or Johnson & Johnson and she would help discover cures and solutions.
That was the end goal, really. To help people. To find the solution to the problems that plagued their world, when it came to diseases.
For some reason, though, lately, her plan had felt less solid.
Like she was missing pieces of it.
She wasn't quite sure why.
Shaking off the feeling as she entered the large glass building before her, she signed in, clipped on her name tag, and walked towards the lab she was assigned to.
narsiserious
Senior Member
By the end of his shift, Garret had made a rather impressive pile of finished documents on his desk. He didn't think he had ever typed so quickly in his life. He was hoping that he could get everything done early and sneak out. It seemed he didn't have a choice in the matter from the very beginning when Mark had invited him out. Although he'd rather not be forcefully dragged out of the office, he just didn't want to go. There was just nothing appealing about going to a club. The loud music would most likely add on to his growing migraine and socializing with his misogynistic male co-workers was the last thing he ever wanted to do. Mark was a nice person. A genuinely nice person, and he didn't want to disappoint his senior, however, Garret had lost most of his need to party a while ago. Of course there wasn't anything wrong with going to clubs and drinking. He just no longer felt like that sort of setting made him happy anymore. He didn't know if he was getting old or it was something else, but he was starting to find joy in quieter places. Clubs were greet to meet new people and makes friends, it was just not his scene. He was twenty-three dammit, he had a lot of time to meet friends. So what if he took some time off to live quietly?
Was that what he really wanted? To stay alone? No, of course not. Garret was an extrovert through and through, yet he had declined any invitation from his 'friends' to hang out. He complained about being lonely, and how a chaotic life wasn't for him. Yet here he was pushing everyone away instead of making an effort to get close to them. He was contradicting himself. He was making it worse for himself. Everyone had tried reaching out for him. They wanted to include him, but he turned his back because he was so insecure about his presence in their life that he removed himself completely, thinking that maybe they wouldn't notice if he wasn't around. He thought so low of himself that he came to the conclusion that no one wanted him around and wouldn't acknowledge that he was gone.
"...Shit..." Garret cursed under his breath after printing out the last of the reports. He slumped in his chair and tilted his head back. "I'm fucking pathetic. What the hell is the matter with me?" he murmured. He needed to do something about this. Where had his spirit gone? How did he let himself sink so low that he couldn't even recognise who he was anymore?
With a sudden burst of determination, Garret jumped up from his seat, grabbed the last report, picked up the stack of files and jogged over to Mark's desk. "Done," he said to the older man. He placed the stack on his desk, making a loud thud. "Let's get going."
"Hold up there, kiddo," Mark raised his eyebrows in surprise at the abrupt burst of eagerness that came from his underling. "I'll call the other guys first then we can go," he chuckled, slowly rising from his chair. He noticed that Garret was looking livelier than usual, it was a welcomed change. He didn't know what had happened in that cubicle, it must have been something good to make the brunet look this fired up.
**
After gathering the rest of the party, Garret rode down with Mark to the club. It was a relatively large building, not too crowded yet not deserted either. He could hear the loud thumping bass of the music all the way from the parking lot, which was a little ways away from the actual building. Before they entered, Mark stopped him at the door and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"Loosen up, kid. You look like a health inspector about to close the place down," he spoke lowly to Garret, an amused look in his eyes.
"...I look the same way I always do?" he said, the sentence coming out more as a question than a statement.
Mark rolled his eyes and began unbuttoning Garret's suit jacket, causing the younger man to look startled. "Er...Mark, I really appreciate the gesture but isn't this place a little too public to be doing stuff like that?"
"Kid, if I wanted some of you then I would have gotten it by now," Mark smirked, pulling the jacket off Garret's shoulders.
"That's real offensive, Mark. I'm really not that easy," the brunet shrugged out of his jacket. He then unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. He was now left in just his white shirt and black pants. Not as proper as before and not too casual either. He could blend in, but still be an individual.
"Better," Mark nodded in approval as he pulled Garret into the loud and humid club.
Was that what he really wanted? To stay alone? No, of course not. Garret was an extrovert through and through, yet he had declined any invitation from his 'friends' to hang out. He complained about being lonely, and how a chaotic life wasn't for him. Yet here he was pushing everyone away instead of making an effort to get close to them. He was contradicting himself. He was making it worse for himself. Everyone had tried reaching out for him. They wanted to include him, but he turned his back because he was so insecure about his presence in their life that he removed himself completely, thinking that maybe they wouldn't notice if he wasn't around. He thought so low of himself that he came to the conclusion that no one wanted him around and wouldn't acknowledge that he was gone.
"...Shit..." Garret cursed under his breath after printing out the last of the reports. He slumped in his chair and tilted his head back. "I'm fucking pathetic. What the hell is the matter with me?" he murmured. He needed to do something about this. Where had his spirit gone? How did he let himself sink so low that he couldn't even recognise who he was anymore?
With a sudden burst of determination, Garret jumped up from his seat, grabbed the last report, picked up the stack of files and jogged over to Mark's desk. "Done," he said to the older man. He placed the stack on his desk, making a loud thud. "Let's get going."
"Hold up there, kiddo," Mark raised his eyebrows in surprise at the abrupt burst of eagerness that came from his underling. "I'll call the other guys first then we can go," he chuckled, slowly rising from his chair. He noticed that Garret was looking livelier than usual, it was a welcomed change. He didn't know what had happened in that cubicle, it must have been something good to make the brunet look this fired up.
**
After gathering the rest of the party, Garret rode down with Mark to the club. It was a relatively large building, not too crowded yet not deserted either. He could hear the loud thumping bass of the music all the way from the parking lot, which was a little ways away from the actual building. Before they entered, Mark stopped him at the door and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"Loosen up, kid. You look like a health inspector about to close the place down," he spoke lowly to Garret, an amused look in his eyes.
"...I look the same way I always do?" he said, the sentence coming out more as a question than a statement.
Mark rolled his eyes and began unbuttoning Garret's suit jacket, causing the younger man to look startled. "Er...Mark, I really appreciate the gesture but isn't this place a little too public to be doing stuff like that?"
"Kid, if I wanted some of you then I would have gotten it by now," Mark smirked, pulling the jacket off Garret's shoulders.
"That's real offensive, Mark. I'm really not that easy," the brunet shrugged out of his jacket. He then unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. He was now left in just his white shirt and black pants. Not as proper as before and not too casual either. He could blend in, but still be an individual.
"Better," Mark nodded in approval as he pulled Garret into the loud and humid club.
FloatingAroundSpace
Three Thousand Club
The lab work moved as it usually did; tediously and without any miracles. Lauren found this kind of thing slightly boring, what with watching the temperature on the gauges and recording slight shifts. Downward trends and upward trends were what they were looking for but this was a long term thing, something that was going to take years. She supposed she would have to get used to it.
Her superiors were nice enough, as were the other interns. They talked about life, what they were going to do after they got out of the lab. Most were going out to have a nice bite with friends, go off to a party or something. Lauren looked slightly scandalized; it was a school day, after all!
Once they were out, Lauren glanced at her phone. No new texts.
She felt slightly disappointed, for some reason. Even so, she hurried onto the bus, arriving back at the college dining hall at 8:00 on the dot. She managed to slip in just as the dinner crowd was thinning out, as most people would go to restaurants, and managed to snag something to eat before bolting to her professor's office hours to get some extra help on Latin.
Afterwards, she took her usual stroll back to her dorm room and dumped all her books out from her bag and sorted through them. Evelyn came bursting in a second later, crowing about how great the new club was.
"It just opened downtown. There's a bar, but they let people over 20 in, so long as everyone who's 20 doesn't drink," Evelyn informed Lauren, looking excited.
Sylvia's shrill screaming could be heard in Lauren's ear and she bit her lip to keep from grinning at the thought of her cousin storming the club and shouting legal jargon at them before shutting them down for allow people under the age of 21 to be around alcohol in such a public manner.
The day wound down as it always did: with Lauren pouring over whatever subject she had the next day and Evelyn harping on and on about how she needed to liven up and loosen up.
"Seriously," Evelyn said, and she sounded startling sincere, so much so that Lauren turned around to stare at her. Evelyn wasn't smiling. Her lips were in a fine line and she was peering at Lauren with an intensity that made her want to shrink. "You're the most studious person I've ever known. You've got your mission and you're going full speed at it. But you've been sacrificing a lot for it. Don't you ever wonder what it's like to relax and have fun?"
Lauren sighed. "I know what I want to do in my life."
"But is it fun? Is it going to be fulfilling to just do your job for the rest of your life, without parties to go to and people to socialize with?"
"I just want to get through college, Evelyn. That's all I want. College, then grad school."
"I'm not asking you to ruin your life by drinking or doing drugs or having unsafe sex," Evelyn said, sounding exasperated. "Go out for a walk that isn't to class or to a job. Go out for a bite to eat with someone who isn't directly linked to your goal. Come hang out with us again. Go visit your cousins on a weekend for the love of it. It's not going to make your plan fall apart. Hell, maybe it'll make it feel better."
Lauren turned back to her books as Evelyn got ready for a shower, tapping her pen on the pages as she scanned over phrases in Latin.
"You're surprisingly lonely, Lauren." Evelyn added.
Lauren whirled around to stare at her roommate, but found that she had already gone into the shower.
Her superiors were nice enough, as were the other interns. They talked about life, what they were going to do after they got out of the lab. Most were going out to have a nice bite with friends, go off to a party or something. Lauren looked slightly scandalized; it was a school day, after all!
Once they were out, Lauren glanced at her phone. No new texts.
She felt slightly disappointed, for some reason. Even so, she hurried onto the bus, arriving back at the college dining hall at 8:00 on the dot. She managed to slip in just as the dinner crowd was thinning out, as most people would go to restaurants, and managed to snag something to eat before bolting to her professor's office hours to get some extra help on Latin.
Afterwards, she took her usual stroll back to her dorm room and dumped all her books out from her bag and sorted through them. Evelyn came bursting in a second later, crowing about how great the new club was.
"It just opened downtown. There's a bar, but they let people over 20 in, so long as everyone who's 20 doesn't drink," Evelyn informed Lauren, looking excited.
Sylvia's shrill screaming could be heard in Lauren's ear and she bit her lip to keep from grinning at the thought of her cousin storming the club and shouting legal jargon at them before shutting them down for allow people under the age of 21 to be around alcohol in such a public manner.
The day wound down as it always did: with Lauren pouring over whatever subject she had the next day and Evelyn harping on and on about how she needed to liven up and loosen up.
"Seriously," Evelyn said, and she sounded startling sincere, so much so that Lauren turned around to stare at her. Evelyn wasn't smiling. Her lips were in a fine line and she was peering at Lauren with an intensity that made her want to shrink. "You're the most studious person I've ever known. You've got your mission and you're going full speed at it. But you've been sacrificing a lot for it. Don't you ever wonder what it's like to relax and have fun?"
Lauren sighed. "I know what I want to do in my life."
"But is it fun? Is it going to be fulfilling to just do your job for the rest of your life, without parties to go to and people to socialize with?"
"I just want to get through college, Evelyn. That's all I want. College, then grad school."
"I'm not asking you to ruin your life by drinking or doing drugs or having unsafe sex," Evelyn said, sounding exasperated. "Go out for a walk that isn't to class or to a job. Go out for a bite to eat with someone who isn't directly linked to your goal. Come hang out with us again. Go visit your cousins on a weekend for the love of it. It's not going to make your plan fall apart. Hell, maybe it'll make it feel better."
Lauren turned back to her books as Evelyn got ready for a shower, tapping her pen on the pages as she scanned over phrases in Latin.
"You're surprisingly lonely, Lauren." Evelyn added.
Lauren whirled around to stare at her roommate, but found that she had already gone into the shower.
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