Caged Bird | ✔

Chapter Two

''Ava I just want to know what's your game plan here'' Aunt Shannon's voice carries through the phones speaker directly into my ear

I press the landline phone closer to my ear with the help of my shoulder freeing my hand so that I can open my office drawer to look for another black pen

''Does there need to be a game plan? '' I ask, rummaging through the door blindly, relying solely on my sense of touch, hoping my hand doesn't cross paths with the stapler that I know is in somewhere there

''I have a job, that is a lot more than most people can say'' I point out, I hear her intake a breath as if she wants to insert something, but I don't give her a chance to

''Unemployment rates are alarmingly high'' I mention. I hear her huff an annoyed breath in turn

''you know for a news reporter you sure are not doing a very good job of staying informed of what's happening in the world'' I muse, My hand making contact with the pen that I was looking for. I pull it out of the drawer before shutting the draw with my elbow

''Ava –'' she begins, I can hear her voice begin to take a highfalutin tone, and I know all too well how this is going to play out

I pull the lid off the pen, dragging the paper on my desk closer to my hand so that I can test out the pen to see if the ink has not dried up like the last three

''is there a specific reason as to why you despise my job so?'' the question comes spilling out of my mouth before I can stop it

I do not like to give any grounds for Aunt Shannon to complain about my job, as she will use it

''Of course not-'' she begins

I sense the But coming, I interrupt her before she can continue

''Then I don't see what the problem is, I get paid, I pay my bills I have no student loans to pay off –'' I begin listing, even counting them off my fingers involuntarily

''Ava you're an assistant'' she reasons, and I hate how condescending her voice sounds

''what's wrong with being an assistant?" I ask defensively

Another sigh

This conversation has become a series of sighs on Aunt Shannon's end

Jerry a regular delivery guy for Mr Cross, walks in to the office, only stopping when he is standing in front of my desk, I notice the parcel he is holding in his hand.

He sees I'm on the phone so he doesn't say anything, instead he just lifts up the parcel and the pen to show that he needs me to sign for it

I beckon him to hand over the box and page, where I scrawl my name on the paper, Jerry nods his head in greeting before walking off. I slide the box under my desk catching sight of the name on the box; Damien Cross

''Jesus I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being an assistant –'' Aunt Shannon starts up , I fall back into my chair dramatically, Martha Mr Cross's second assistant, looks up from behind her computer monitor to shoot me a questioning look

I ignore it

''Actually you are'' I cut her off, I know I'm being annoying and acting childishly, but I'm just tired of having to hear the same thing over and over again

''Ava, I'm not going to argue with you'' she says calmly, like a mother trying to calm down her child who is throwing a temper tantrum

Which is ironic as Aunt Shannon is the furthest thing from a mother, yes she is my mother's sister, and she is probably the only blood relative that actually cares about me, but she wasn't very present in my life growing up as she is significantly younger than my mom. Actually, she is closer to my age than to my moms. And because of her age I do not call her Aunt Shannon, I call her by her name, but when referring to her I call her Aunt Shannon to avoid confusion