Buzzfeed, Boys, Black Magic

leela, spaceman, android

Abby had suggested I go all in and find a "where will you meet your soulmate quiz."

I wasn't going to do that. I think I was too scared Buzzfeed would confirm my suspicion that I wasn't the type of person who possessed a soulmate. That the jagged edges of my personality couldn't mesh with somebody else's. That my soul was made of corroded scrap metal. The kind you couldn't do anything with, not even make a half-heart charm for a friendship bracelet. 

That was something I knew I couldn't deal with. At least, not right after leaving Ethan's house. So instead, I started small.

Pick four 80s movies and we'll tell you how you're life will be different next week.

I like 80s movies, and the quiz was only threatening to reveal the events of seven days into my future. How drastically different, I thought, could my life be in seven days?

For the sci-fi movie, I picked Blade Runner.

For the action movie, I picked The Terminator.

For the rom-com, I picked Pretty in Pink.

For the comedy, I just had to pick Back to the Future.

And then, I held my breath as my screen jumped to the results.

Ten words. Black font.

You will be working that new job you applied for. It took me a minute to remember that the only job I had applied for and still hadn't officially heard back from was the educator position at the Newton Science Center's new planetarium. But it had been a month since I sent my resume. I was under the impression it was a no. If you don't hear from somebody for a month, they really don't care about you.

My phone buzzed in my hands, and I jumped.

A text message. From Abby. I exhaled.

So. What's the future hold?

I screenshotted my result and began to type out my reply:

I don't think Buzzfeed is still working. I don't have a job application out atm.

But before I could hit send, my phone buzzed again in my hands. A phone call. From a number I didn't recognize, except that the area code was local. I didn't want to accept it, but this itchy part of my brain made sure that I did.

"Uh, yeah?" I said.

"Is this Leela Pendurthi?" A woman on the other end asked.

"Uh, yeah," I replied.

"Leela, this is Dr. Helena Moreno," she spoke very quickly, "director of education at the Newton Science Center. I've just reviewed your resume and you appear to have adequate credentials for our open planetarium educator position. Would you be available tomorrow afternoon for an in-person interview?"

"Uh," I wanted to say no, and prove Buzzfeed impossible. But the pull of some stable, science-related income was irresistible. "Yeah." I said instead.

"Excellent," Dr. Moreno said, "I'll see you in my office, tomorrow, at 2:30."

"Yeah, okay," I answered Dr. Moreno's non-question before I realized she had hung up.

I stared through my windshield at the garage door.

It had just begun to rain when my phone buzzed again in my hands and I jumped again in my seat.

A text message, from Abby:

Come on. Whatever the result was, it can't be that bad.

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