engineering or something related.”
“No, I haven’t heard of it,” Candace said.
“You should totally enter. This is awesome!”
“No. This is a daydream, not much more than a doodle. I wouldn’t stand a chance. And even if I did, I’m not going to Florida. I’m going to Cal State.”
“Well, then, what are you going to do with it?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Probably toss it.”
“Can I have it then? It’s cool.”
“If you want it,” she said.
“I do. Here, sign the bottom for me.”
She did, feeling a little strange.
“Awesome. Now I’m in possession of a certified Cotton Candy original.”
She laughed. “The first and last piece in her promising art career.”
“Then I’m even more honored.”
She stood. “Good. You’re honored, and I’m almost late. I’ll see you later.”
As she walked back toward Egypt, she thought about what he had said about the scholarship competition and found herself wishing that she actually had taken some real art classes. Maybe then she’d have something worth entering.
11
Saturday when Candace arrived at work, it wasn’t Martha, but another supervisor, Ron, who was waiting for her with crossed arms. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Candace said. “What has Lisa signed me up for now?”
“I can assure you that Lisa has nothing to do with this,” Ron said. “Grab your stuff and go home.”
“What? Why?” Candace asked, startled.
“You failed your drug test.”
“I what?” Candace asked, confused.
“You failed. As in, the screening showed traces of illegal substances in your system.”
“No, it couldn’t. I mean, how could it? I don’t do drugs.”
“You might want to keep your voice down,” Ron said. “No need to share with everyone.” He grabbed her by the elbow and started maneuvering her toward the door.
She yanked her arm free. “Let go of me!” she shouted. “You have no right to grab me like that. I do not do drugs. The test is wrong!”
Ron was getting red in the face. It was clear that he was trying to get her to leave — and to leave quietly. That wasn’t going to happen. Dozens of other refs who were just getting to work or just leaving were now staring at both of them. On the other side of the room she saw someone take off running.
They’re going to get security!
she thought, panic setting in hard.
“This is the second time this week I’ve been falsely accused of something, and I’m not going to stand for it,” she yelled, spurred on by fear and unable to stop herself. She knew she should just walk away and sort it out later, maybe when Martha was in on Monday. She wanted to quit, to throw the badge and the identification in Ron’s face, but then they’d all think she was guilty. She wasn’t about to give anyone that pleasure.
“Don’t —” Ron started to say.
“No, you don’t!” she shouted, interrupting him. “Don’t you ever lay your hand on me or another female employee ever again. If you do, I’ll yell sexual harassment and see how long it takes them to kick your butt out of here.”
She saw fear in the man’s eyes, and like a shark smelling blood in the water, she went in for the kill. “Yeah, how does that sound, huh? Doesn’t feel so good being the one on the receiving end of the accusation, does it? If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay as far away from me as you can. I want to speak to Martha. She’s my supervisor, not you. She’ll help me straighten this mess out because I DON’T DO DRUGS!”
Vaguely she heard someone shouting her name. “Candace! Slow down, it’s okay!”
She turned, and her eyes fastened on Josh. Suddenly she could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of a room full of people — and especially in front of Ron.
“Did you hear what this idiot accused me of?” she asked Josh.
He nodded. “We all heard, and we all know that there is no way you do drugs. So, let’s just get out of here, and
“No, I haven’t heard of it,” Candace said.
“You should totally enter. This is awesome!”
“No. This is a daydream, not much more than a doodle. I wouldn’t stand a chance. And even if I did, I’m not going to Florida. I’m going to Cal State.”
“Well, then, what are you going to do with it?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Probably toss it.”
“Can I have it then? It’s cool.”
“If you want it,” she said.
“I do. Here, sign the bottom for me.”
She did, feeling a little strange.
“Awesome. Now I’m in possession of a certified Cotton Candy original.”
She laughed. “The first and last piece in her promising art career.”
“Then I’m even more honored.”
She stood. “Good. You’re honored, and I’m almost late. I’ll see you later.”
As she walked back toward Egypt, she thought about what he had said about the scholarship competition and found herself wishing that she actually had taken some real art classes. Maybe then she’d have something worth entering.
11
Saturday when Candace arrived at work, it wasn’t Martha, but another supervisor, Ron, who was waiting for her with crossed arms. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Candace said. “What has Lisa signed me up for now?”
“I can assure you that Lisa has nothing to do with this,” Ron said. “Grab your stuff and go home.”
“What? Why?” Candace asked, startled.
“You failed your drug test.”
“I what?” Candace asked, confused.
“You failed. As in, the screening showed traces of illegal substances in your system.”
“No, it couldn’t. I mean, how could it? I don’t do drugs.”
“You might want to keep your voice down,” Ron said. “No need to share with everyone.” He grabbed her by the elbow and started maneuvering her toward the door.
She yanked her arm free. “Let go of me!” she shouted. “You have no right to grab me like that. I do not do drugs. The test is wrong!”
Ron was getting red in the face. It was clear that he was trying to get her to leave — and to leave quietly. That wasn’t going to happen. Dozens of other refs who were just getting to work or just leaving were now staring at both of them. On the other side of the room she saw someone take off running.
They’re going to get security!
she thought, panic setting in hard.
“This is the second time this week I’ve been falsely accused of something, and I’m not going to stand for it,” she yelled, spurred on by fear and unable to stop herself. She knew she should just walk away and sort it out later, maybe when Martha was in on Monday. She wanted to quit, to throw the badge and the identification in Ron’s face, but then they’d all think she was guilty. She wasn’t about to give anyone that pleasure.
“Don’t —” Ron started to say.
“No, you don’t!” she shouted, interrupting him. “Don’t you ever lay your hand on me or another female employee ever again. If you do, I’ll yell sexual harassment and see how long it takes them to kick your butt out of here.”
She saw fear in the man’s eyes, and like a shark smelling blood in the water, she went in for the kill. “Yeah, how does that sound, huh? Doesn’t feel so good being the one on the receiving end of the accusation, does it? If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay as far away from me as you can. I want to speak to Martha. She’s my supervisor, not you. She’ll help me straighten this mess out because I DON’T DO DRUGS!”
Vaguely she heard someone shouting her name. “Candace! Slow down, it’s okay!”
She turned, and her eyes fastened on Josh. Suddenly she could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of a room full of people — and especially in front of Ron.
“Did you hear what this idiot accused me of?” she asked Josh.
He nodded. “We all heard, and we all know that there is no way you do drugs. So, let’s just get out of here, and
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