Unpromised Home

office meetings

'in which you connect the dots'

You groan in annoyance as the door slams shut. You lean back in the office chair and stare up to the ceiling. Squinting your eyes you groan again as you look directly into the overhead fluorescent light.

The room you were in was small. It's only contents were the chair you were seated in and a small round table shoved into the corner. It was an office, presumably, seeing as though you were led through an office building to get to this room. Likely it was an office that an unpaid intern would work in. Or America just specifically have a room for when he needs to lock someone up. You hope it's not the latter, but you wouldn't put it past him.

You glance over to the door. Surprisingly it was ajar. The force must have swung it back open before it latched shut. Sighing, you pull your feet up onto the chair.

You really screwed yourself over with the multiple fragmented stories that you had developed over your time in the past. Maybe rule three to your little time travel guide should involve something along those lines. 'Keep your story straight'.  You could only wish you had that option now.

Leaning your face on your knees you breathe deeply through your nose. Rubbing your eyes of forming tears, you tightly grip the fabric of your jacket with your free hand. You wince as the bruise on your arm stings from the pressure. Tears begin falling freely.

To think, all this started because you didn't try hard enough. All because you were being mopey and useless over something you shouldn't have messed up in the first place. You were smarter than that. You had to be.

You had to prove yourself now. You got yourself into this mess. Lack of planning, ditzy thought processes. All of it. It was your fault without a doubt. Inconveniencing Dani through your entire semester, forcing whatever his name was up that cliff, forcing Vivian and Justin to take you in after you appeared essentially on their doorstep. You find a way to make it up to all of them. Even if that means...

You jump from your thoughts. Eyes wide and stinging from the tears that rolled down your cheeks as you stare at the doorframe and at the cursing figure standing within it. Quickly you wipe the tears from your face as you dumbly stare at the brunette sitting on her knees.

"Shit..." She huffs in annoyance, running a hand through the loose upper portion of her hair, resting it above the loose bun that sat at the nape of her neck. Once she reaches her feet is when panic fills your stomach. You make eye contact. She squints at you, before snapping her fingers in recognition.

"You're that little anomaly aren't you...?" She steps into the room, closing the door behind her, "What's your name...? I should know this with how often America mentioned you." She crosses her arms, almost laughing through her last words as if that information isn't incredibly terrifying.  She raises an eyebrow at you as you remain silent. Lowering your feet back to the floor you swallow the knot that was building in your throat.

"It's [Name]." Your breath shakes. She nods satisfied, placing a hand on her hip. The small room falls silent for a few moments before the brunette speaks again.

"Oh! Guess I gotta introduce myself now, don't I?" You blink a few times, eyes widening in shock as you register the sudden change in her appearance, "The names Cali. Well, California... But you can just call me Cali." The state flag of California disappears as suddenly as it appeared, returning her appearance back to that of an unassuming office worker.

"What the fuck...?" All caution is thrown to the wind as the comment falls from your mouth. Any fear you had is both eradicated and increased tenfold as you try to figure out what you just saw.