Men Are Like Candy

Chapter 1

This office smells like cheerios, I thought looking around the bright, dusty space, and not the good kind. My chair creaked as I leaned forward to look at eh picture on the desk. Pretty generic family photo, you know those posed ones on a beach in North Carolina or something when the whole family is wearing white? Yup, that's the one, sitting next to one lone picture of a slight depressed looking cocker spaniel.

"I feel you buddy," I whispered to the dog and the door swung open.

I turned quickly towards the sound of the door knocking against the wall. In the doorway stood a short man clad in a suit that was a size too big and a frown that was about the same size as the suit. I stood up prepared to shake his hand. I practiced a lot; firm, but not too firm to show confidence.

"Kerrington Reeves," he said walking past my outstretched hand to his desk where he sat. His seat sunk with this weight and he hopped up quickly to adjust the height as I took my seat.

"So, you are applying for the office assistant position," he said while looking at the papers strewn across his desk.

"Yes, sir and I am really grateful for this oppor-"

"It says here that your parents are both from a country in South America called Ghana."

"It's pronounced Guyana, but yes they are." He nodded and looked at his papers again.

"And there seems to be one thing missing from your application, which is okay, which race would you say you are closest to?" He said looking up at me.

There was silence. An awkward, confused silence.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked because I needed to make sure I wasn't hearing things.

"Which race do you identify with the most?" He asked slower this time as if I'm hard in hearing or just slow. I looked at him harder this time.

"Black," I said, "I would say I identify as Black."

He checked off the box on the application and continued to file through the papers. I looked down at my clearly dark brown skin as he did so, wondering what he would have said if I identified as White.

"Lastly, you are currently obtaining a degree from Bucknell University?"

"Yes sir, I'm majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Business." He mumbled in agreement while gathering his papers.

"Okay, well that will be all for today you can go."

I looked at him quizzically knowing that can't be the whole interview. His hand gestured towards the door as he said, "you can go." I got up quickly and started briskly towards the door.

I lingered on the outside and turned around to say "Thank you for your time," but the door had already been shut behind me.

----

'I swear Em he was such a fucking jerk!! He literally did not give me the time of day and asked me what race I identified with!! Like wtf is that!!!!'

I furiously texted one of my best friends, Emily as I walked quickly down 42nd Street to Grand Central trying to catch the 3:25 train back home.

'Maybe he was just having a really bad day???' She responded trying to diffuse my anger.

'OK BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE HAD TO MAKE MY DAY BAD', I type quickly back and shove my phone in my pocket as a start to walk/jog in my heels. It was 3:20 and if I miss this train the next one isn't for another hour. I sprint across the street ignoring the honks of impatient cab drivers and yelps of people I bump into to while passing. I burst through the doors of the station running to see what track my train leaves.

TRACK 30 3:50 NEW CANNAN, CT

3:50?! I have like 30 minutes now! Guess who's getting Shake Shack, this girl. I pull out my phone again as I happily walk towards Shake Shack. I saw I had four unread messages.

'Okay ur at a ten rn bring it down to a four.' One said.

'I'm sure you did fine, everyone always loves you.' Another said.

They were both from Em, aka my own personal hype girl. We were on the same dorm floor in school and both hated our roommates. We've been friend's ever since her roommate kicked her out to have sex with some guy. She's from Virginia, so we just text and FaceTime a lot. She also tends to be the more optimistic out of the two of us.

'Margarita's my house at 6. Be there bitch.' This message was not from Emily. This was from one of my other best friends, Brianna or Bri for short. She's the craziest of my friends, her life is a constant rollercoaster so I live vicariously through her.

The four message was from my mom. 'How did the interview go????" I ignored it with the intention of answering when I was sitting.

"Next in line!" I hear as a step forward.

"An order of fries please and a small lemonade." Weirdly enough the cashier produces both of them from the window and hands them to me after I paid. Never in my life has Shake Shack ever been this quick. I pull out my phone again to text Emily and Bri about this phenomenon, but the I see the time. 3:47.

"Shit,' I say under my breath as I have to again jog in heels to the track, but this time on the slippery floor of Grand Central while holding my fries and drink.

I should get an award for this shit, I say to myself as I run into the last train car and look around for a seat. I decide to take a fry as a reward for running as I walk down the aisle looking for a seat that I don't have to share with someone.

"KerBear?" I hear a male voice say from behind me.

Oh no. Oh GOD no. I can't do this right now. There are crumbs all over my face and I'm slightly sweaty from the run.

"KerBear, it's me, Cameron!!"

Trust me guys, I knew EXACTLY who it was as soon as he said that dumb nickname he made up. And all I can say is I'm really regretting not going to the bathroom before this train ride.