The Stringer

Chapter One

It was midnight and I still hadn't found an appealing job. I closed my laptop in frustration, hoping that maybe some ideas would come to me with the morning. I had my high school diploma, $30,000 I had saved from each birthday, christmas, and my old job at Barnes and Nobles.
I didn't know for sure just yet whether I wanted to take on a college education or just hope that my artistic work would be discovered somehow. My dad told me 21 was too late to go to college and that I had wasted my time, while my mom told me I needed a proper education.
Before I got too lost in my own thoughts, I crawled into bed, hoping that job searching would be easier when I woke up. My mind didn't calm itself for a long time. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable median.

The same monotonous beeping woke me up the next morning. In all honesty, I didn't want to get out of bed. I let out an exaggerated sigh, and reached over to my night-table for my laptop. Under my notifications, a few job listings were posted. One peaked my interest: creative design and office management.
'KWLA news is looking for a new creative designer to help organize and design ads, manage the office, be in charge of cover art for featured pieces, and be able to work with designing programs. High school diploma required,' it read. Nothing was listed about college requirements. 'Portfolio of some sort should be provided upon interview. This job pays $45 an hour and the hours vary from 4pm-12am. Communication will be required between employee and other workers; such as the news cast to gain ideas.'
There was a number listed so I decided to dial it. "Hello?" A woman answered.
"Hi, I'm Tanya and I was calling about your job opening," I said nervously.
"Thank you for calling. When would you be available for an interview?" she asked blandly.
"As soon as possible, I am currently unemployed and don't have a conflicting schedule," I answered, closing out my extra computer tabs.
"So this afternoon at three would work?" I heard clicking keys in the background of the other line.
"Absolutely, that will be fine." I pulled the pillow off my bed and straightened out the tangled sheets. "Is there a dress code?"
"Business casual would be the minimum, I'd say. I'll enter your information into the computer before you come. What's your middle and last name?"
"Renee McLadin. Tanya Renee McLadin," I dictated clearly into the speaker.
"Where are you located?"
"I'm about a few miles from Los Angeles. Practically the next town over."
"Ok that's all I needed to know for now, thank you. Just check in at the front desk when you get here."
I expressed my gratitude before ending the call. I crossed my fingers, hoping the interview would be a success. Sometimes I felt alone, so I would call my friends. They were off at college; some chose community. I felt a little lonely at the moment and wanted to tell someone about my interview.
"Hey Danielle," I said to the voicemail after she didn't pick up, allowing me to assume she was in class. "I just wanted to see how college was for you. Maybe we could hang out sometime? And hopefully the next time you'll see me, I'll be employed. I'm interviewing for a creative designer at a news station. Just wanted to share that with you. Call me when you can, take care. Love you, bye."
On a regular basis, I got my friends' voicemails. Only when it was the weekend would they be able to talk for a while. I rummaged through my closet and found my light pink, flowery dress my mom had bought me in high school. I hadn't grown at all since then, so it still fit. It looked fancy enough.
I laid the dress out on the bed as my stomach began to growl. In response, I headed to the small kitchenette and prepared some eggs; sunny side up. They weren't my favorite that way, but I occasionally had them because my good friend Jason always ate them that way. He was also the reason I began a pie diet.
There was still a good six hours before my interview, so I could take my time. Maybe I'd call everyone else and tell them my news and also look up other job opportunities just in case.
Just as I was about to pick up my phone, it started ringing. The caller id read a smiling invoking name. Jason. "Hey Tanya!" His voice was cheery.
"Jason! I was just thinking of you," I told him, smiling to myself. "I had my eggs sunny side up because it reminds me of you."
"Now all you need is some pie and The Walking Dead on your tv," he joked. "How's life?"
"Pretty good. I have an interview at 3. How's your life?"
"Great, I'm missing the group though. I'm doing some theatrical makeup for a short film." He paused. "Wait what are you interviewing for?"
"Creative designer at a news station," I told him. "It pays pretty good."
"That's good. I'm really happy for you. I'm like 2 hours away, one of these days we're gonna have to hang out. I've been trying to keep in touch with Danielle and Jessica. Danielle answers half the time, but Jessica's been busy with writing her book."
"I think I saw an ad for that. The last time I talked to her was a few weeks ago." Jason sighed deeply.
"Gosh we need to bring the group back," he groaned. "I love what I'm doing but I miss everyone."
"Kid, I miss you too. I'm proud of you," I said, my voice cracking from emotion. I heard someone shout from the other line.
"I'm needed back on set, sorry. Love you. Good luck with your interview."
"Thank you," I murmured. "Good luck on set."
I hung up, feeling a wave of emotions; comfort, sadness, and gratitude. I completed the circle of calls by dialing Jessica's number.
"Hey Tanya! So how is your life?" she asked after the phone hardly even rang.
"Good. Me and Jason were thinking about getting the group back together soon. How are you?"
"My book is coming along well. I feel proud. Life is going great with Gerritt. I'm so glad I went to Colorado," she eleborated.
"I'm glad you two finally met in person." I closed my laptop, crossing my legs. "It's so great that after those years you two wrote together and called you made it work."
"I can't wait for everyone to meet him. So what's new?"
"I've got an interview. Crossing my fingers that it all works out."
"What time's that?"
"3. I'm a bit nervous. Thankfully, the job doesn't require a college education and it's right up my alley."
"Something with art, then?" Jessica assumed with a laugh. I laughed with her and almost nodded, forgetting I was on the phone.
"It's a creative designer for KWLA." I let out a nervous laugh. "If this job doesn't work, you know I'll always call about the next interview."
"I always like to hear how your life is going. I miss talking to you face to face. I do have some deadlines to make when I write, but don't feel bad when you want to catch up. I'll answer whether I'm busy or not, but if I am, I'll tell you and call you back when I can."
"Ok, I just feel bad if I were to interrupt. You're doing something totally amazing with your life and I don't want to keep you from that at all," I stated insecurely. I was paranoid about that sort of thing.
"Don't feel bad. I worry about that too, you're not the only one."
"Thanks." I ran my fingers through my hair and my phone began to beep. "Oh! Danielle's calling, shall I add her?"
"Of course." So I did and it took a minute to switch over.
"Hey lady, hey lady," Danielle greeted. "I got your message, Tanya. Wishing you luck. How's that book, Jess?"
"Great, it's going great. Gerritt has been a wonderful supporter."
"When's it being published?" she asked.
"I think sometime near the end of this month. It'll be out in Barnes and Nobles. Too bad Tanya doesn't still work there." We all laughed. For another hour we talked about our other plans and what we would do when we meet up. It was a little after 12 the next time I glanced at my phone.
"One day we should all have a lunch date," I half-joked. "Over skype, you know."
At 12:30 we decided to get along with our day and I finished getting ready. After putting on my dress, I pulled my long, light brown hair into a bun. I put on a touch of coverup and some chapstick.
I killed some time by writing a grocery list and preparing my portfolio. I had tshirt designs sketched on paper, drafts for websites, and sketches of landscapes and people.
It was a little hard to find a parking spot, but I made it to the KWLA station just fine. I approached the front desk with a smile. "Hi, I'm Tanya McLadin. I'm here for my 3 o'clock," I addressed.
The woman typed something into the computer and nodded at me. "Down the second on the right, first door on your left." I thanked her and followed her directions.
There was a confident, a bit older than middle aged woman sitting at a small desk. "Hi, I'm Nina," she said with a warm smile. "I don't often conduct these interviews but I'm at the top of the department you're applying for. It's kind of a jumble, not too organized. I work with a media specialist, the news crew, and a stringer."
"A what?" I asked, unfamiliar with the term. She politely chuckled at my ignorance.
"Stringer... nightcrawler... you know, those people who drive around at night to film late breaking news. Anyways, if you get the job, you'll be working closely with our media specialist Frank. As creative designer, I'd like to hear your ideas for banners, backgrounds, website designs, billboards, any new logos, or cover art for a new piece."
I nodded curtly, signifying I understood what she was saying. "Alright," she continued. "I'll get started with the questions. When's your birthday?"
"October 6th, 1994."
"What are your flaws?"
I hesitated. If I said my connection with people, that would probably rule me out. They'd probably want someone who worked quite well with others. "I'm a perfectionist; I'll work on something until I feel like I can be done with it. I'm not very strong in trigonometry or calculus."
"Who was your last employer, what was the reason you left that job, and what did you like the least about it?"
"Barnes and Nobles. I left because I worked there for around 3 years and decided I needed a change. It was nice to be surrounded by books but it wasn't really an atmosphere I could continually grow with. I feel like this job can provide me with that atmosphere," I answered deeply.
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" She crossed her leg, trying not to get it entangled in her long dress.
"Quite frankly, I see myself then as a creative designer, trying to please the public eye with my ideas. I can't see my life in any other direction besides art."
"Tell me why you feel as though you would be a good candidate for us," she ushered softly.
"Well, since early childhood I've been drawing many different things. I used to make my own magazine covers and stickers. In my junior and senior year, I took graphic arts for my academy and I learned on a more professional level about those things." I handed her a manilla file folder that was label portfolio.
She looked through it, nodding and smiling at my work. "Promising, very promising," Nina commented under her breath. Once she finished with the short stack, she glanced up at me.
"I'm pleased with your work. So you don't have a college degree, correct?"
"Correct," I answered her with a nervous smile. "I have completed high school, though. All four years."
"Good. We don't like to hire solely on college degrees, we feel like that limits people and it eliminates those with great potential."
"I'm glad. I know college is important for some people, but I didn't feel like it was for me."
"Thank you for your time, we'll get back to you in a day or two. We've had quite a few other people apply so it won't be super quick." She handed back my portfolio and lead me down the hall.
A lanky, slightly awkward man passed by her and smiled at her. "I see you're still interviewing, huh, Nina?" he said. His eyes wandered the length of her dress and over to me. Insecurely, I folded my arms over my chest.
"Yes, Lou," she replied. I could sense some kind of tension. "This is Tanya." I waved briefly to him. He waved back and kept walking. "That's the stringer I mentioned," she told me quietly.
As I headed out to the parking lot, I thanked Nina for her time and for walking me out, all the while praying that I'd get the job.