Chapter Twelve: Gives You Hell

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            “How’d it go?” Cameron asks as I slam the car door shut.

            “It was okay,” I put on my seatbelt.

            “You’re lying,” he said.

            This surprised me. Ever since we’d been hanging out, it was almost as if he could read my mind.

            “No, it’s just-“ I didn’t finish.

            “It’s just what?” he looked at me intently.

            I sighed. I cranked open my window and ran my fingers through the salty Pacific air. I breathed in deeply inhaling the air. I listened to the music playing from the stereo. I knew the song. It was called “Ocean Avenue”, by Yellowcard. The song that reminded me of sinking my toes into the sand.

            “It’s just not what I expected,” I told him straight up.

            “Uh-huh.”

            “Well, I mean, I thought I would be working at a desk in my own little cubicle thing with a Mac writing articles not in a stupid supply closet putting gift bags together. Stupid Stacy.”

            He laughed. Just laughed. Laughed. Can you believe this??? Does he have any sympathy for me? At all?

            “Don’t laugh at me,” I complained.

            “I’m not laughing at you.”

            “Sure you aren’t,” I crossed my arms over my chest.

            “Oh, please Hayley. I’m surprised Stacy would make you do that.”

            “She’s a complete bitch.”

            “You’re kidding, right?”

            “Absolutely NOT!! She yelled at me the entire time!” Well, that might be exaggerating it a tad, but still.

            He didn’t say anything for a moment.

            “What happened?”

            “Well, I was do damn excited for the job and Stacy gave me a tour and then she told me I had to make gift bags. So, I was like ‘Okay, I’ll be a good little trooper and do it’ and hoped I would get to do something else later. So, I was completely overwhelmed with myself but then, everything was going along fine-until after lunch. I’m trying to get a brown box full of Bath & Body Works crap and then I didn’t realize how heavy it was and it fell on me. Now, I have stupid orange-smelling shampoo in my hair and stains on my clothes. Any more questions?”

            He pulled into an empty parking lot and stopped the car.

            He put his hand on my shoulder, I supposed trying to comfort me. “Look, I know things aren’t going as planned, but I’m sure it’ll get better. And, I’ll talk to Stacy, if you want.”

            “It’s not going to do anything; she hates me.”

            “She doesn’t hate you.”

            For a split second there, I could’ve believed him. But I didn’t.

            “You know absolutely nothing about this or about me, for that matter.”

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