Found

Chapter 9- Sympathy

Anger started to fill Cesar up. He glared at Vincent with pure hatred. Vincent looked back at him, almost scared. Painful memories began to pop into Cesar's mind. He remembered the hate and despair he felt for years. He was bullied and never felt close to anyone while he was at the orphanage. One person stood out to him. A young boy a few years older than him; Vincent Cooper.

Vincent was the one. Vincent made him suffer. He beat him everyday. Made fun of his photograph of the girl; his loneliness. Vincent and his friends ganged up on Cesar. He threw hateful words that stung like punches to the face; he got plenty of those too. He despised the kid and wished he'd never see him again. His wish came true, until now. He stared coldly at Vincent, who sat there in front of him, pure shock and worry filling his deep, brown eyes.

"Vincent."

"Yes?"

Silence. Cesar couldn't think straight. Was it really the Vincent he grew up to hate and fear for his entire childhood? It had to be. He always imagined Vincent to be exactly like this when he was older. Except now he sat in his office, asking him for a job. Cesar suddenly took pride standing on his side of the desk. He stood up straighter and glared at Vincent, never breaking eye-contact. Vincent was good at that game too. He stared into his eyes almost menacingly, then dropped his gaze.

"What are you doing here?"

"Applying for a job, Sir," Vincent answered, seeming impossibly bored.

"Fair enough," Cesar responded as he sat down again, feeling his heart race as he scanned the rest of the forms. He turned the page to the back side and continued reading. He saw what he was hired to look for. "Doctor Cooper?"He asked with a look of shock that made Vincent smirk.

"That's right."

"And I see you studied at Cornell."

     "Yeah." Cesar was tired of Vincent's lack of compassion. He was trying to have a conversation, and Vincent was starting to give him a headache. He couldn't handle it.
"Why are you here?" He repeated. "Why did you come to ask me for a job in particular. Why not someone else?" Vincent stared back at him. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts.

"I wanted to end this. Our feud."

"Feud? You bullied me for years!" Cesar spat, his anger beginning to rise again.

"Yes, well we are now adults. We can settle our differences. I thought if I came for a job interview, I'd make things better between us." A pause. "I understand it's difficult to decide, since I played a little rough with you for some time." Cesar took that as another punch to the face. The guy thought he was playing rough, while Cesar felt like he was tortured. Cesar shot him a dirty look, and Vincent looked down. Maybe he's changed, he thought to himself. Or maybe he just wants a job, and asking for forgiveness is his last option, countered another voice in his brain. Cesar closed his eyes tightly, and opened them again.

"Out of pure sympathy I'm gonna give you the job. Don't expect a good morning from me every day."

"Whatever you say Boss."

"Mr. Martínez."

"Of course, Sir," Vincent said with a genuine grin. I wonder if he said Sir, on purpose, he thought.