mcdonald's ❥ muke

eleven

"i'm fucked," melanie states.

perhaps that should worry me, but my worry faded away after she said it for the billionth time.

i understand entirely where she is coming from, her job is on the verge of being nonexistent. all because she mouthed off to michael's mom in defence of me. in a way, i feel like i should take ownership of her loss of a job. if i didn't act so damn sensitive, we wouldn't be in the position right now.

"no you're not," i say confidently.

melanie pauses temporarily, her voice faltering when she hears how positive i am.

"you don't understand luke, michael will end me. he'll make sure i never get a job from any video game developing company! he's just that powerful." melanie drops her stare to her toes and they barge on the boring grey sidewalk. she purposely steps on each crack.

"you won't loose your job melanie, i promise." i reassure her.

it's not an empty promise either, it's my fault she's in this mess. it's up to me to get her out.

"how are you going to do that?" melanie asks miserably as she stops in front of the building we work at.

before i answer, the doors swing open and a familiar face greets us with his usual smirk. jason fucking grace.

"melanie!" he grins, his voice dripping with venom and fake surprise. "just the girl i was waiting for! mr clifford wants you in his office."

melanie shoots me a look and trudges off to the elevator.

"wait!" i call after her, quickening my pace to keep up. long story short, she did wait and continued walking.

the elevator ride up was slow and tense. it was filled with melanie's heavy breathing and my anxious feet tapping on the ground. the doors open on michael's floor and i bolt out before melanie can. i run down to michael's office and i throw myself in without knocking.

"you can't fire melanie!" i shout at him.

out of alarm, michael knocks over a stack of paper with his elbow. he chokes on his coffee and almost falls off his spinning chair. 

"why hello to you too luke," michael states nonchalantly, sorting himself back out. "a knock or warning would be nice next time."

i groan and lock the door behind me so melanie can't get it. "this isn't a joke mr clifford, please don't fire melanie."

"why would i?" michael asks, seeming confused.

"uh, well. we had a little run in with your mum and-"

"oh that?" michael cuts me off. "ba, i don't care about that. my mom's a bitch."

i'm so taken off guard than i can only stand and blubber. "wait, what?"

"listen, my mom already called and complained. i don't give two shits. she only calls me when it's convenient for her. how do you think she treats me knowing that i'm bi and i'm running a video game company?" michael chuckles.

"well this company is successful," i frown. it never really occurred to me that michael might be understanding about everything.

"i could be earning billions yet my mother won't care. it's a video game company and in her eyes, that's equivalent to being homeless. she'd prefer i be a doctor but that's not happening," michael laughs again.

i really love that laugh.

"so why are you calling melanie up then?" i ask, confused.

"i'm not, where did you get that from?" michael asks, looking confused.

"well jason said-" i stop talking and i think for a moment. i feel myself getting angry. jason set us up to humiliate ourselves. "never mind, it's nothing."

"well okay?" michael says, his tone making it sound like a question.

i don't remember what happens next, i just know that i'm storming down to jason's office.