The Stalked Assistant

Once I’m in my car, I turn the key and hear the motor having trouble starting. No, no, not today, please not today!

I should have taken it to the auto shop a long time ago. Sadly, I don’t have the money and didn’t have time while finishing college and job hunting.

I turn the key back off and say a little prayer, hoping that it works this time. Luckily, when I turn the key slowly and pump the gas a few times, it does, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

Thank God, I definitely didn’t need car troubles on my first day.

It wouldn’t have looked good to call a freaking billionaire CEO and say that I’m late for my first day because my crappy car didn’t want to start.

My guardian angels must have worked some magic because it started up like a damn dream for once. Before the car can change its mind, I quickly throw it into reverse and back out.

Fuck, I forgot to put in the address. No, I have not been there yet, due to COVID they did the interview over the phone.

The woman I spoke with sounded pretty desperate. I guess they would have taken anybody right now.

I throw my car back into park while I Google the business again, pulling up the address and pressing start on my phone.

Yeah, my car doesn’t have GPS. I have to rely on my phone. I know it’s dangerous but right now that’s all I have, and hopefully, tomorrow will be a lot easier once I learn the route.

Once the map on my phone is pulled up, I put my dang car back into drive and head out of the parking lot.

Taking in several deep breaths, I tell myself today is going to go great and that I shouldn’t worry too much.

A few minutes later, I can tell I’m definitely in the city. The cars are lined up back to freaking back.

Shit, this is bad.

The cars look like they are freaking frozen, backed up for miles. You might think that maybe there’s a wreck up ahead, but no.

It’s the city.

It’s nothing like Texas. I miss those roads. You could get where you wanted within minutes of driving. Not like here, where you already know you’re going to be sitting in traffic every day.

The clock on my dashboard reads 6:45 a.m. I’m starting to panic.

Yes, I also have panic attacks. My life sucks. The pain starts to shoot up my neck. I try to slow down my breathing, telling myself that everything is going to be fine and that I’ll make it on time.

As I’m sitting and waiting, I think about my life, how I moved away from my family and left behind my friends.

I was so lonely the past few years. The city people at the college I went to knew I came from the country and didn’t really involve me with things.

My momma had the bright idea for me to join a sorority, and I did. I pledged. I didn’t make it though. You want to know what they did?

They made a list, a freaking list of things we had to complete for the first two weeks of what they liked to call “hell week”.

On that list was ridiculous shit, one actually said I had to kiss a professor, a freaking goddang professor. They were all like forty years older than me! Who would want that?

Another thing on the list was they expected us to walk around campus looking like we just took the walk of shame. I’m talking messed-up makeup, messed-up clothes, and messed-up hair.

I actually did that. It wasn’t so bad; students laughed and took pictures, but that was okay. I could handle it. I even kissed a damn professor.

I picked the youngest one, he was around thirty-five at the time and actually a professor’s aide, but they counted it.

I passed them all. I didn’t like it, but I really wanted a place to belong. But it wasn’t enough.

They were only letting three new girls join that year, and they made us stand around naked on a table. Then they all started to draw circles on us with black permanent markers.

I listened while they made fun of the things on our bodies that didn’t fit the perfect freaking Barbie.

The last straw was that they wanted us to put on underwear. Underwear that barely covered anything just so they could post pictures of us online!

They wanted to show everyone everything that was wrong with our bodies, and back then I was a little overweight, so you could imagine how many circles I had.

I couldn’t do it.

A few girls were crying and all I could think was that my father would flip his tractor over if he found out I allowed myself to partake in that kind of situation. I refused and they told me I didn’t have what it took.

Well, fuck them. I wasn’t going to let them embarrass me for the whole dang school to see, laugh, and make fun of me.

Finally, after I don’t know how long, the cars slowly start to move. Thank goodness. I only have ten minutes left to get to work, and I just know I’m going to be freaking late.

Over ten minutes later, I locate the parking garage and find a spot all the way on the bottom level. I’m going to have to look for the freaking elevator to even get out of the garage.

Could my first day get any dang worse?

What else could possibly happen?