Another Day

Another week, another cheek, another day wishing she was fired. Jamie hated her job. She works in a cubicle. Who would want that job? She’s been here for five years with no raise. Her boss is the typical sexist pig you see in every movie, always ordering the female employees to do all the small things and having the male employees doing the “hard work” because it’s what they do. She’s not friends with any of her coworkers. They were friends before she got there and she scares off the new employees from being friends. Her mother told her that for once Jamie should just do what is better for her and either stick it up or quit. Instead, for the past few months, she’s been trying to get fired because Jamie Lyn Pialgo is too stubborn to quit. 

What makes it worse is that Jamie lives three miles from work and, for the past month, has been staying with a sick friend to help care for them when their partner is at work. They live an extra three miles from work. She hates it. Without a car or extra cash for a bus ticket five days a week, Jamie walks every day. Six miles to work at 4:15 in the morning and six miles home at 9:00 in the evening. In heels. And a skirt. Remember the sexist boss? He makes all the women wear “what women should wear.” She used to bring a pair of sneakers and leggings to change into for the walk home, but then she caught her boss checking her out as she left one day so that ended.

This particular crisp Autumn night, when Jamie was about two miles away from her house, with four to go, she got a phone call from said sick friend. Immediately worried, because Alex always texted, never called, she hurriedly answered.

“Yes Alex, what hurts this time?”

“Nothing Jamie. I’m fine. That’s why I called. You don’t need to come over tonight. I feel well enough to care for myself until Chris gets off work tonight. I feel bad for making you come over so often and you deserve some time off. So, no arguing with me. Go home to rest and if you show up here tonight, I will drive you home myself and you don’t want me to do that so stay home.” 

Before Jamie could get a word in, Alex had hung up. They had always been just as stubborn as Jamie, the two would always bicker growing up due to that shared stubbornness, and Jamie was too tired to fight tonight. With one mile left, Jamie was very thankful it was Friday so she could go home and take a nap for two days.

She finally reached her home, so thankful for the sight of the usually bothersome worn white colour of the outer walls and the disgusting marron door that was barely on its hinges. Or rather, she was thankful until she noticed the new car sitting in the driveway. A car she had never seen and a car she knew none of her friends had. Jamie wasn’t stupid. She knew how this looked and, even though she would never admit she was afraid, she kept walking out of fear. Her body had taken the extra three-mile walk the previous month, one more day wouldn’t hurt. Alex would have to understand. At least, if they did drive her home, she wouldn’t be alone.

She walked until she was at the corner of the street. She turned to go down the road that would take her to Alex’s house when she saw the car in her driveway turn on. Had someone been sitting in the car when she walked past? She suddenly couldn’t remember. It began to pull out of the driveway when she finally turned the corner. She kept walking, her pace quickening with every step. Halfway down the street, she hears a car pull up to the turn behind her. Risking a glance, she looked and saw it was the same car from her driveway. A quick walk turned into a slight run, her heels clicking against the ground in time with her heartbeat. 

She heard the car’s engine rev and then it got quieter. Looking back again, she noticed the car turned the opposite way of her. She felt so silly. She overreacted. Of course, she did. She chuckled slightly to herself before straightening her skirt out and starting back home. She pulled out her phone to call Alex to make fun of herself with them when she noticed the car again. It was coming down the street towards her. Fast. 

Faster than a car should go in this neighborhood. 

Jamie realized she hadn’t overreacted and turned to run again. Instead of moving, her heel got stuck in the crack of the sidewalk. She fell, hard. She went to recover and stand to get away when she felt a sharp pinch in her ankle. Twisted. She reached for her phone, which had tumbled from her hand as she fell. She could hear the car getting closer. 

If she could just grab her phone she could call someone. Alex. Her mother. The police. Someone. To make sure someone knew where she was right now. Her phone was out of her reach, her ankle not helping her any. The car was so close. Jamie closed her eyes. 

“Well?”

“Well, what?” 

“How does it end? Does Jamie escape? Is she taken? Who was in the car?” Chris jogged slightly to catch up to me, looking at me with such enthusiasm, and a hint of betrayal. I had left the story off there, as always, leaving Chris with a cliffhanger at the climax and beginning to walk away. It was part of our routine. Every day on the way home from work, I would tell him a new story, always timing it out perfectly that the best part came when we would have to split ways. This had been the routine for the past year. Tonight would be a change though.

“Eli get back here and tell me the rest of the story!” He pouted. Chris may have been three years older than me but he acted more like a three-year-old. It was cute. 

“Chris, honey, you know the rules. I tell you a story until we get to your complex, you get pouty at me and beg me to finish it, and I say no.” 

“I hate you.” He proclaimed as if I hadn’t heard it so many times before. I walked back over to him and pulled him into a hug.

“Maybe if you lived closer I would have more time to finish my stories.” 

He took a second then nodded. I was hoping I hadn’t upset him too much this time when Chris stayed quiet until he suddenly pulled away. “I’m gonna work extra hard then! Save my money! Work overtime! Get a raise! I’m gonna get a new apartment closer to you!” 

I let out a short laugh at his sudden enthusiasm and determination. He was off in his own world now, planning everything he could do to save as much money as possible. It was now or never. 

“Or….”

He turned back to me, his head tilted slightly to the side confused. He looked like a little puppy and I almost lost my train of thought. “Or?”

“Or…” I took a deep breath. “Youcouldjustmoveinwithme!”

He looked equally as confused as he had before. “Eli, I have no clue what you just said.”

“I said. You could just move in with me?” I didn’t mean for it to be a question but I was too nervous to control it. 

“Are you being serious?” Not trusting my own voice, I only nodded. The next thing I knew I had an arm full of Chris. “Of course I’ll move in with you Eli!” I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding in. 

“Oh thank god, I thought you were gonna say no.”

“Why would I say no? We’ve been friends for so long-”

“And we’ve only been together for a year. I was nervous it was too soon.”

He just softly sighed, setting his hands on the back of my neck, playing with the freshly dyed black hairs that were there. “I love you, Eli. I want to move in with you.”

“I love you too.” I pulled him closer, which didn’t seem possible. This was the right time. Everything felt right with Chris.