used to this ★ lrh

3

Madison was nervous, again, to put it lightly.

The chairman of the company had sent her an email last night about meeting with her in the morning and since then she hadn't stopped over analyzing it. Was it something she had done? Suddenly she regretted the blouse and blazer combo as her whole body felt like it was sweating, and the crammed, humid metro ride only made things worse.

Relax. She tried to assure herself it was nothing to worry about, but she couldn't help the way her heart sped up as she walked to her boss' office.

"Hey Ms. Peters!" Wait, didn't she tell me she'd rather me call her by her first name? This is off to a great start.

"Hey, Madison. Good to see you. I hope your week has been well." She simply nodded, wanting her to get to the point as she sat across the table trying to tame the impulsive bounce in her leg. "So we have a pretty big project coming up and I don't think there is anyone better for it than you."

This peaked her interest for sure. She thought that it would be some stern talk about her writing, after the way things have been going with the editor. This had not been foreseen.

"It's pretty clear that the education system in the U.S., and D.C. specifically is flawed and broken. There's a lot that is swept under the rug that they don't want people to know.  I think we have the potential to impact our readers and start making some changes in Capitol Hill if this a success. Bringing this to the surface could be huge.

Ideally we would make this a long term project. We expect you to visit different schools around the city. The way neighborhoods are districted says a lot about who they do and don't want in their schools. We want stories from teachers, students, administrators; really anyone that's involved and affected by this. You can create your own schedule you figure out what days will be best spent observing or interviewing, or when you can be in the office researching. We want to give you a lot a freedom and flexibility with formatting, documenting, and essentially what you publish. However there is a standard you will be held to because this will not only benefit our company but it will change the outlook on the education system here and all across the country. Are you interested?"

"Are you kidding?" She blurted before realizing how unprofessional it was of her. "I mean, of course I'm interested. It would be such an honor."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. You've got a knack for this type of stuff, and if there's a person I trust to deliver this story, it's you. I think your age and ability to communicate so well with so many different people makes you a great fit. You'll be able to connect with the students and teachers you meet, which not everyone here can execute." Madison knew she liked her, but this praise and these huge stories were usually given to the experienced journalists, who she felt she'd never compare to. It felt weird to be acknowledged in such a big way.

"Thank you so much, you really don't know how much that means to me." Madison literally could not wait to get back to her desk, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Of course. Please feel free to reach out if you need some help. I'd be happy to give you some suggestions on where to start, or send another writer with you if the workload is a bit overwhelming. This might be one of our biggest stories yet, and we know you'll work hard on this, but we don't want you to feel like you can't ask for help."

"I will, thank you so much. I'm so excited to work on this and I will not take this position for granted," she assured as she got up from the table. As soon as she got back to her desk she nearly screamed in excitement. The first thing she thought to do was text Andrew. He had sensed her feeling a little burnt out before she even realized it, so this would be great news to him.

Madison: Oh my god. I'm freaking out!!!!!!!

Andrew: Why? Everything okay?

Madison: MORE THAN OKAY. I just got assigned this really huge project about the education system and it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm going to visit a lot of different schools and hopefully figure out why there's such a difference in education from area to area. Eeeeeepp!!

Andrew: That's awesome! No offense but I'm not surprised. They'd be stupid not to put you on a project like this....but remember not to overwork yourself. You should have fun with this, and not feel like it's dragging you down. We've been down this road before. If I hear you stressing about this in two weeks we are having a Talk. Capital t Talk.

Madison: I know, I know...I think I'll love this though. I can't wait to get started!!

Andrew: Well then leave me alone and get to work! See you at trivia tonight, and that's not a question.

With a small smile and a shake of her head, Madison put down her phone and opened her laptop. She didn't know where to start exactly but she was going to enjoy the excitement and curiosity she was feeling. The girl couldn't remember the last time she felt this way about a story. She had a feeling this opportunity had a lot in store for her, and she couldn't wait to see what would happen.

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be patient people, we're just getting started! I'm soooo excited! I'm still figuring out how I want to write things so don't be surprised if I change the texting format or if I start naming chapters. We'll see what happens! I don't know how much attention this story will draw but I'm just here chillin...
Until next time!