Once Mary got home, she packed her bags, carefully making sure to hide all the papers. Then rushing off to her soft, white bed. A part of her was happy to leave behind the busy city and the dullest apartment to ever exist, but she would never admit that to herself.
As she fell asleep, the thought of what her hometown was like during Christmas filled her mind, fresh gingerbread cookies, all the decorated pine trees. Though the memory was fading into the back of her mind more and more.
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The next morning came by in a flash. The colorful sunrise filled the room once more as Mary woke up. She pulled the covers off and strutted her way over to the kitchen, making her daily morning toast and coffee. But as she turned to the toaster, she checked the time, "7:56! I'm gonna be late!" She frantically slipped on some shoes, grabbed a random coat, and bolted out the door.
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While sprinting to the train, she tied her hair up in a messy bun. To cover up her uncombed hair, like she always did on days like this. Scanned her subway card, and just at the nick of time, she made it on the subway. She pushed her way to the spot, which was normally empty on the early train, but of course she had to sleep in on the last day of work before the break.
She pushed through the crowd of people as soon as she reached her stop, then again began running to work. Once there she felt a million eyes staring at her.
"Wow" one coworker said, Mary couldn't tell if it was sarcasm or if they were just surprised, but soon the whole room broke into a slow clap, making her feel more anxious than she did when there's family in New Jersey.
"This is the first time in forever that t you've been later than Jim" another coworker added, "and he's always super late." They continued, with Jim shouting back offended.
"I guess I'm turning back into my Middle school self," Mary shrugged, turning to take her case papers out of her messenger bag before realizing it wasn't there.
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In the dimly lit hallway leading up to her penthouse, Mary's pounding footsteps echoed her growing frustration. "Out of all the days to forget my bag," she muttered under her breath, her frustration growing with every step.
In her penthouse she cooled herself off, and put on some makeup, "can't be looking like a mess" she remarked while carefully curling her hair. Hopefully, her boss wouldn't find out how much extra time she was taking. "Can't be forgetting you" she said while grabbing her brown, leather messenger bag, as she did her phone went off.
"Hi Mac!" Her mom cheered over the phone; the second Mary picked up. She put the phone up on her shoulder holding it up to her ear while getting on the elevator.
Mary quickly made apogeic graze at the man next to her before shouting back, "I told you not to call me Mac mom!!" The man glared at her, then persuaded to get off at the next stop. "It's a baby name!" Mary complained, "I mean who wants to be called Mac! I was made fun of so much because of it!" She stepped off the elevator, "there's only so much 'Mary Mac' a girl can handle!" she said.
"I know – I guess" her mom stuttered on the verge of tears. "Wait a second- aren't you supposed be at work?" Talk about mood change, one moment you're gonna cry, next you're yelling at an innocent soul.
"Hold up," Mary snapped, she was not about to be lectured by her mom for something as dumb as this. "I have my reasons but wait – you know my work schedule, why try and call me if you know I'll be busy?" Mary questioned.
"W-well, I must go! Love you sweetie!" The call ended abruptly, leaving Mary standing alone in the middle of the lobby, flabbergasted at what point her mom was trying to get out of this argument.
Quickly she came back to her senses and ran off to work once more. Taking a cab instead; to avoid the overcrowded train.
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The tension in the office seemed to have cooled off by the time she made it back, 'nothing like a good yelling from the boss to make everyone busy bees at work' she joked to herself, little did she know she was about to get the yelling of the century from the boss herself.
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It seemed to be like forever before Angel; her boss, stopped her never-ending rant. "Blah blah blah be responsible blah blah you took the time to do your makeup blah" and a bunch of other mumble jumbo she couldn't care to listen to. One thing she learned about Angel is that she was kind when she wanted to be, only when she wanted to be. Angel knew where she wanted to be in life, and Mary respected her for that, but still – yelling at every person for making a single mistake is too much. Mary had seen the punishment before, but she experienced it firsthand, she felt a part of the team.
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Like Angel's rant, the workday seemed to be a bunch of blither-blather, a well-paying bunch of blither-blather. By the end of the day, an elephant's weight seemed to be lifted off her shoulders. Of Course there was a company meal, but she had to pack like her life depended on it!
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She rushed home, and greeted the door man Tom, whose strawberry blond hair blew peacefully in the breeze, unlike Mary's hair, that seemed to be doing loopty-loops around her head. Then she bolted upstairs once more. Throwing random clothes in her bag before checking her phone to see the departure time, praying she would wake up on time.
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Hi! On to the third chapter I go! I promise it'll get more juicer, but I gotta get the boring exposition out of the way :( . See ya next chapter :)!!!
word count 995 words
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The Sweetest Christmas
RomanceIn the bustling city, Mary finds herself too busy for the holidays. But then she comes up with a plan to make both her and her mom happy. When she returns to her Christmas-obsessed hometown, she encounters her childhood enemy, Carson.
