the ribbon could go around my waist with a few inches left
over for a knot. I slip into the work pants, and hold my breath as I
slip the piece of fabric through the loops. Sucking in my breath for
several seconds, I tie the ends of the ribbon into a double knot
right over the pants button. I slip into the white blouse and
carefully button my shirt. The hems are as long as I remembered and I
slip the rubber band from my wrist off. I bunch the material to one
side and tie it loosely. I leave enough material to tuck the knot
inside. If no one looks closely, they'll barely notice the irregular
bulge sitting beside my right hip. I check my reflection one more
time, not because I care what I look like but it gives me another
second to ready myself for battle.
It might not be that bad today, an optimistic part of me whispers. The words sound so
artificial and fake that the thought does more damage than good.
Forcing my stiff legs to move, I walk back to the break room. I'm not
even surprised that the two girls are still there. They look like
they've been waiting for me, although one pretends to continue
eating. I don't tell her that I can see her plate's been licked
clean.
"Hi," both
greet as I walk by.
"Hi," I
respond, trying not to notice how their skin seems to glow in this
light. I probably look sickly pale in comparison.
"You're the new
girl, right?" The blonder of the two asks me casually.
I pause. "Yes,
just started yesterday." I look toward the door as a clue to
them I'd like to leave. They don't take the hint.
"What's your
name?" the other one asks.
"Jules," I
answer, finally resigning myself to looking at them. I turn around
until I face them both. As expected, they're supermodel beautiful
with long legs that stretch beyond the table like the tail of a
lemur.
"I'm Stella,"
the one who asks for my name informs. She has a mole above her lip.
She's got the same blue eyes and blonde hair as her friend. They look
like twins.
"I'm Courtney,"
the other one offers, staring intently at my face. I nod politely
making a move to go.
"So, how do you
know Reid?" Stella abruptly asks.
I pause. "Reid?"
I repeat, confused. They continue looking at me, not saying more. I
want to shake my head at them, but I don't. "I don't know a
Reid," I finally say after several moments of silence. They
continue to study me as if they're not quite sure I'm telling the
truth. After another awkward moment, I decide to leave, making a move
to do so.
"If you want to
like working here, you should probably stay away from him,"
Courtney warns me. Her face is blank so I can't tell what she's
thinking or why she’s warning me about a guy I don't know .
"Sure," I say
and continue walking before they can say more. What is up with these people? I think irritably. Is this what city people
are like? They don't say everything on their mind? But as soon as I
think the question, an answer flitters into my head. Faces from my
past appear and I know this isn't a city thing. Some people don't
tell the whole truth. Some people work in the night and use the
darkness to hide who they are. My face hardens as I'm reminded of
what I came from, what I did. "If I survived them , I can
survive this," I whisper gravely to myself.
My worn tennis shoes
don't make a sound as I march down the stairs. I'm walking harder
than normal because I'm upset but the sounds I make are mere whispers
that don't travel very far. I see Anna up ahead, her black hair in a
perfect bun. I'm amazed that not a single piece of hair seems out of
place.
"Hi Anna," I
greet her from behind.
She turns with a start.
"Hi Jules." She frowns. "You scared me."
I shrug. "It's the
shoes," I lie.
Her eyes narrow a
little as she studies me, starting from my toes up to the pants that
hang on me like leaves on a willow tree, to my wide shirt, and
finally to my eyes. She seems happier when she glances at my face.
Maybe having Nat put make-up on me was a good thing after all. Anna
purses her lips as her eyes
over for a knot. I slip into the work pants, and hold my breath as I
slip the piece of fabric through the loops. Sucking in my breath for
several seconds, I tie the ends of the ribbon into a double knot
right over the pants button. I slip into the white blouse and
carefully button my shirt. The hems are as long as I remembered and I
slip the rubber band from my wrist off. I bunch the material to one
side and tie it loosely. I leave enough material to tuck the knot
inside. If no one looks closely, they'll barely notice the irregular
bulge sitting beside my right hip. I check my reflection one more
time, not because I care what I look like but it gives me another
second to ready myself for battle.
It might not be that bad today, an optimistic part of me whispers. The words sound so
artificial and fake that the thought does more damage than good.
Forcing my stiff legs to move, I walk back to the break room. I'm not
even surprised that the two girls are still there. They look like
they've been waiting for me, although one pretends to continue
eating. I don't tell her that I can see her plate's been licked
clean.
"Hi," both
greet as I walk by.
"Hi," I
respond, trying not to notice how their skin seems to glow in this
light. I probably look sickly pale in comparison.
"You're the new
girl, right?" The blonder of the two asks me casually.
I pause. "Yes,
just started yesterday." I look toward the door as a clue to
them I'd like to leave. They don't take the hint.
"What's your
name?" the other one asks.
"Jules," I
answer, finally resigning myself to looking at them. I turn around
until I face them both. As expected, they're supermodel beautiful
with long legs that stretch beyond the table like the tail of a
lemur.
"I'm Stella,"
the one who asks for my name informs. She has a mole above her lip.
She's got the same blue eyes and blonde hair as her friend. They look
like twins.
"I'm Courtney,"
the other one offers, staring intently at my face. I nod politely
making a move to go.
"So, how do you
know Reid?" Stella abruptly asks.
I pause. "Reid?"
I repeat, confused. They continue looking at me, not saying more. I
want to shake my head at them, but I don't. "I don't know a
Reid," I finally say after several moments of silence. They
continue to study me as if they're not quite sure I'm telling the
truth. After another awkward moment, I decide to leave, making a move
to do so.
"If you want to
like working here, you should probably stay away from him,"
Courtney warns me. Her face is blank so I can't tell what she's
thinking or why she’s warning me about a guy I don't know .
"Sure," I say
and continue walking before they can say more. What is up with these people? I think irritably. Is this what city people
are like? They don't say everything on their mind? But as soon as I
think the question, an answer flitters into my head. Faces from my
past appear and I know this isn't a city thing. Some people don't
tell the whole truth. Some people work in the night and use the
darkness to hide who they are. My face hardens as I'm reminded of
what I came from, what I did. "If I survived them , I can
survive this," I whisper gravely to myself.
My worn tennis shoes
don't make a sound as I march down the stairs. I'm walking harder
than normal because I'm upset but the sounds I make are mere whispers
that don't travel very far. I see Anna up ahead, her black hair in a
perfect bun. I'm amazed that not a single piece of hair seems out of
place.
"Hi Anna," I
greet her from behind.
She turns with a start.
"Hi Jules." She frowns. "You scared me."
I shrug. "It's the
shoes," I lie.
Her eyes narrow a
little as she studies me, starting from my toes up to the pants that
hang on me like leaves on a willow tree, to my wide shirt, and
finally to my eyes. She seems happier when she glances at my face.
Maybe having Nat put make-up on me was a good thing after all. Anna
purses her lips as her eyes
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