Inevitable Ever After

Part 2

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Waiting for my coffee to be done I absent-mindedly let my eyes wander over the people sitting in the canteen. They are too lively for this time of day. Their chatter is too loud. The neon lights are too bright. The walls are too white. The company news video running on repeat on the info screens I made myself is too colourful.

I am really not a morning person.

"Here you go," Frank says and hands me my 'maybe tomorrow' cup over the counter. "Dark and bitter, just like your face."

I only roll my eyes.

In the elevator upstairs I start checking the first emails of the day on my phone and find one from Juliet. "Movies at your place tonight?"

"Sure. 7 pm. I'll bring pizza," I write and already know it's a lie. The very fact that she wrote me an email instead of a text or simply calling proves so.

Before I realize it, my fingers have pressed 911, my thumb hovering over the green call button on the screen without touching it. If I can't save my best friend from her beastly man, maybe the police can? With a sigh I put the phone down, slip it in my blazer pocket, lean back and close my eyes.

It's not gonna change anything anyway.

Stupid Jared.

I can't believe I let him trick me into saying yes to this story telling thing. I'll have to tell him I can't do it after all. I couldn't sleep all night, haunted by nightmares of dark forests and caskets. In the light of the new day - and without him staring at me - it's an awful idea.

I don't have to do as he says. He is not my boss. We're both team leaders of the marketing department. Same level. I can just tell him off.

Of course, I do not tell him off.

Before I know it, I'm sitting in the small meeting room at the end of the hallway. The lights are dimmed and the shutters on the window front are closed, making the light intensity bearable. Noises from outside are muted. The grey walls are blissfully plain. A new cup of coffee awaits me and my team is quietly waiting for me to start.

I let my eyes wander over them before I do.

Amber sits right to me, copper hair tied to a lose bun today, with a goofy smile and a brand new notebook ready in front of her. To the left sits Alex, our intern. By the looks of his pale skin and tired eyes last night has been long for him. Probably another frat party.

Opposite of the table sits Susan, showing the newest pictures of her cat to Charlie, who in return shows her a video of his football team of kids.

Ravi sits next to Susan, with a free seat in between, probably because he keeps blowing his nose and doesn't want to get everybody else sick.

"Alright," I say, stuffing my personal concerns down to be as professional as possible. Objectively, I can't put the life I made for myself on hold every time my fairy tale curse threatens to break over me. And I certainly can't drag innocents into my drama. "Good morning, everyone. As Amber might have already told you, we'll be taking over this year's story telling event."

ONC ~ 2.000

"Oh, how nice," Charlie says. He claps his bear-hands together in front of his chest.

"Yeah." Nice. "It's on the 27th, so about two weeks from now. Mr. Schneider decided to do fairy tales this year." I slide the picture book to the middle of the table.