Willa & the Extraordinary Internship

CH. 23

Normally when Willa woke up, she was full of foreboding about the coming day.

Choosing an outfit? Time-consuming.

Tangling her comb through her hair and wincing every time she hit a snag? Painful.

Plucking any stray hairs from her brow arch? Tedious.

Anticipating another boring day as she drove to the university for work? Mind-numbing.

Today was different. Today she sprawled leisurely on her cool white sheets, stretching her spine from its slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, then closed again as she yawned widely and swung her legs over the side of the bed. For the first time since her college days, she had woken up at noon. It felt incredibly liberating to sleep in like a teenager again, Willa mused as she brushed her teeth. She wished she could say that she was terrified of being unemployed without a reference at the age of twenty-four, but instead of feeling lost, she felt like her life was finally clicking into place. Willa spit out a gob of frothed toothpaste, then sprinkled water over it until it all washed down the drain.

Her parents had been supportive of her, promising to help cover her bills until she found an agent for her novel, and her mother had even asked, somewhat timidly, would Willa like to consider applying to an MFA program in the fall? The answer had been a whole-hearted no. As much as she loved writing and would have loved to be surrounded by people with the same interests as her, she knew that academics weren't the place for her any longer. The truth was, she hadn't been a student in years, and making the transition back to deadlines and group work and final exams didn't rank high.

Her iPhone vibrated and Willa ducked out of the bathroom quickly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she pounced upon the silver gyrating device.

You ok? read Maryam's text.

I'm over him, Willa typed back quickly. Thanks for checking in.

Maryam's reply came a few minutes later when Willa had finished running a brush through her bedhead and was heading to the kitchen to make breakfast. That's the spirit! You deserve better.

The platitudes brought a smile to Willa's face. She spooned coffee grounds into the coffee maker and pressed the ON button. Like her morning coffee ritual, Maryam was a constant in her life. Always there to provide stability and support - a walking, talking security blanket. Love ya, Maryam sent her with a chirpy-looking emoji and a red heart.

xoxo Willa typed. Want to hang out today?

~ ~ ~

A few miles away in her cozy apartment, Maryam tilted the eight-inch gold decorative ampersand on her desk until it was at a perfect thirty-five degree angle. She had only meant to cheer Willa up, not spend the whole day with her. She put off answering her friend, instead watering her potted ficus and rearranging her pen drawer until it was color-coded.

Her phone beeped and she instantly picked it up.

Running late. Can we change brunch to lunch? read Cyn's message, in all caps.

What are you doing? Maryam responded.

Have a guy over, was Cyn's simple answer.

She's ditching me for a guy, Maryam thought with irritation. She didn't reply to Cyn, instead sending Willa, yeah, let's do brunch. Little Sunflower?

An hour later, with hair still damp from her rushed shower, Maryam was sliding into the seat opposite her red-haired friend. "Sorry," she apologized, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ears as she adjusted herself on the tufted grey cushion covering the delicate, high-back wooden chair. "Sorry I'm late." She caught the eye of a passing waiter, thankfully not the same one who had waited on them before, and motioned for a menu.