by Power, P. S.
"Ah. So, what about asking me out? Dating? If I blow you, will you want to date? I can't believe that everyone was right about you. You really are kind of a prick. You know what's worse? I really was going to do it. I was going to ask you out and suck you off, just so that you'd finally like me. You know what? Forget it. I'm worth more than that. You haven't seen that in me for years, and it isn't going to change now is it? I really liked you too. I mean really." She wished that she could have said that he'd changed, but that wasn't true.
She had. Somewhere in the last weeks she'd actually grown a spine, at least when it came to him.
"I... Becky, I don't know what you're talking about. We hung out occasionally, but it wasn't anything more than that. I didn't do anything to make you think that I liked you more than as a friend, did I?"
"No... That's true. Really, you barely did even that much. I'm done with this. You know what?" She turned to walk away, but then smiled and spun in place. Facing him again. "Thank you."
The boy rubbed at his slightly messy hair. It was short, but like everything about him, it was just a bit unkempt. Clean, but not as tidy as she liked. It was like she could finally see him now for what he was. A person that had never really cared for her much at all.
"For what?" At least he sounded baffled enough for her to feel good about.
"Um, well, for showing me who you really were. This was all my fault. I let you treat me like I wasn't important, just there to do things for you. Yeah, you were the one that took advantage of me, but I let it happen, and it's my responsibility to not let people abuse me like that. So, yeah, I'm not coming over to blow you. You really should have asked two years ago, before I learned all this. Self-esteem, who knew?"
Then she walked away. Not stalking, not even feeling bad about it. To tell the truth, it was like a weight had lifted from her shoulders. She was... Free.
For years she'd been locked in a prison of her own making, carrying Mitch behind her constantly, like a ball and chain, and now she just wasn't. It hadn't been instant, but even though it hurt, knowing that he didn't like her that way, it was better, somehow. Like she could move on now.
The bell rang about then, so she headed off to her next class. Wondering what the rest of the day would bring. The people in the hallway all seemed so young suddenly. Not like children, but like people that would let themselves be carried away by emotions, without trying to manage them at all. From her lofty position of being free from that, for a whole... It must have been a minute by that point, she smiled.
Then she got to work, heading to class. After all, worked up or not, she had things to do. Grades to keep up, and then work after school. She kept her head down in class, but paid attention and did what she was supposed to, wondering what would happen after school. It was sort of her first day of work at Coretechs after all. She vaguely knew where the office building was downtown. It was a huge thing, being the national headquarters.
It turned out that she didn't need to bother with that at all, since a very good looking man who seemed to be about forty, and was wearing a gray suit, with shiny black shoes. It looked expensive and out of place there. He waited for her on her own doorstep, up a flight of stairs.
"Becky? I don't know if you remember me? We met at my daughter's house on Christmas? Dan Carmichael." The hand came out smoothly, to shake. "Mrs. Gibson assigned you to me for the next few months. Mainly so that you can use one of our scholarships. Today we have some paperwork to go over. Shall we go in?"
Becky wasn't certain that was a good idea at all, not knowing what would happen inside, but the place wasn't trashed, and if not tidy, didn't reek of booze for once. Probably because it was all gone. Mike may have dumped it, she realized. Her mother was on the one good chair though, sober herself for once. Blinking at them tiredly as they walked through the door.
"Hey sweetie? Who's your friend?"
Becky nearly froze, but it wasn't a bad question, was it? She hadn't asked if this was her new sugar daddy, or suggested that they could close the door on her bedroom. Yet. Then, sizing the man up, Becky could actually see herself doing that with him. He was good looking. In a way she could see how Keeley turned out so well, between Dan and Sherri. It wasn't happening, since he was too old for her, but given her mother's life, that would be a thought that probably had to be entertained.
"This is Dan Carmichael. I got a job at Coretechs, and he's my boss. My friend Darla Gibson got her grandmother to give it to me, so that I have a shot at a scholarship. Darla is her granddaughter, so, you know, strings were pulled."
"Oh? What are you going to be doing there?"
Becky still didn't really have a clue at all. She looked at Dan, who smiled professionally, putting his nice brown briefcase on the tiny table near the kitchen.
"Public relations. Since the job itself takes several years of training to really do, Becky will be shadowing me. Call it a glorified gopher's position. Fetching coffee and making phone calls to hotels to make arrangements for guests. That sort of thing."
Her mother, never one to let a chance to ruin Becky's life for her gave the man a sly look.
"Like an intern? But she gets paid?"
"Of course. It isn't a lot, but should give her about a thousand a month after taxes. Part time, and conditional on her grades remaining high. Mrs. Gibson put that in her contract." He winked, which was probably where Keeley had gotten it from and pulled out some forms. "Which I'm not kidding about. It's actually in here. I also have the form for the scholarship and the names of a few schools that I can pull strings at to get you into."
Maggie sat up, so that she could look at both of them as they sat. She was drunk, it was clear, but not so much that it showed overly. Even to Becky she just seemed normal. She was used to seeing her that way though and when she was sober, she was different.
"Okay, so what's the flip side of this? She has to screw every dick at Coretechs or lick Gobson's musty old cunt?" She stopped, and Becky wondered if her new job was about to walk out the door, rightfully offended. If it had been her in that position, she might well have told the girl's mother that she'd just destroyed the best chance her daughter would ever have and slam her way out.
Instead, Dan chuckled.
"It's Gibson, and of course. Why else do you think we'd hire a young girl to work for us like this? Just based on the fact that Darla Gibson is her friend? Perish the thought. That's in the contract here too, see, right next to this line, what does it say..." He pretended to squint at the paper and then nodded. "Ah, yes, stop being a meddling witch and let us do our jobs... See Becky, line forty-seven?" He held the paper out for her, but the line he pointed at just said that she had to attend school, except in case of illness, in which case she'd need to see a Coretechs doctor for a checkup.
"Ohhh, it does mom... Their lawyers must be really good." She faked an awed tone of voice, but her mother just laughed, as if she'd meant it as a joke the whole time, and wasn't just being crude for some reason.
"Fine, but make sure you use enough lube, or you'll get sore."
Then she pretended they weren't there and Dan acted like it were a perfectly normal meeting. It was mainly just her filling out tax forms and school documents, as well as Dan helping her make calls to various schools. All of them agreed to expedite her applications, as long as they were sent to them directly. He actually knew the right people and had dozens of contacts that fit the situation, as odd as it seemed. That meant filling things out until just before she had to run off to her other job.
Outside the door, Dan clapped her on the shoulder. It was more fatherly than it was good looking older guy, but that was fine, given who he was.
"Good. I was worried that your mother might have thrown you off earlier. Don't worry, we're hiring you, not her. We also don't provide cute young ladies to the staff. Which doesn't mean no one will hit on you, just that you can say no and not worry about being fired."
"That's nice to know. So, do I work on Saturdays or..."
"For now. You can just go to my office tomorrow at two, on the seventeenth floor. You know the Coretechs Operations Headquarters building?"
Everyone did, so it wouldn't be too hard to find at all.
"Sure. At two." She held out her hand, to shake, knowing that it was too tentative, but hoping that it was adult enough to pass for now. She'd need to practice that.
It was going to be part of her life, doing things like that, she knew. Even actresses had to shake hands on occasion, didn't they?
Then she had to rush to change, her old uniform looser on her now than it used to be, and she walked into the place smiling, actually feeling good about herself. After all, she was free now. That hadn't changed. There was a bit of regret, since she still really liked Mitch, even knowing that he wasn't the right one for her at all, but she had a real shot at a future now. It wasn't a replacement for love, but it was something good, anyway.
It was busy when she got in, so she counted her till, and took over at the window, since Manuel was horrible at it, but good on line, making the actual food. His accent was too thick for people to understand easily. When Don came close enough, she passed him the envelope that Darla had given her, with the resignation letter.
At first she thought that he'd be mad at her for leaving, but he actually smiled.
"You got a job at Coretechs? That's impressive. Congratulations Becky! You also gave us two weeks to replace you. That's the way to do it." He cleared his throat, his assistant manager's badge flashing under the overhead lights. "You all heard that? That's the way to do it. Two weeks notice. Not five minutes before your shift, throwing a shirt at me. Thank you, Becky."
Then they all just worked. At about ten, as things slowed a little, a car drove up. It wasn't who she expected at all, since Mitch probably wasn't going to talk to her again, or if he did... well, then it would probably be awkward. Instead it was Keeley and Darla, along with Hally, Eve and Gary, with Barb tucked away in the back and, to her surprise, Rebekah.
Becky grinned.
"Oh, you all need to come in, everyone should meet Rebekah. You'll all love her. She's so cool." That got said to the rest of the crew, who, once they all traipsed in, agreed. She had her band shirt on and, today, was handing out CD's of their music. For free.
Don looked at it skeptically, and then checked the clock.
"Is it family friendly?"
The chalk white vampire looking girl nodded.
"Always. No foul language and the concepts are no more than PG-13"
"All right then, let's see if it makes our ears bleed."
It didn't. It was actually good. That kind of shocked Becky a bit. She'd been told that they were, but it was both slightly eerie, and technically proficient at the same time, as well as catchy. A few people that hadn't taken the free music before did then, including a group of kids from school that were there.
"This is awesome, where are you playing?"
That started a whole discussion, about what was going on the next night. Becky had to keep running back to the drive-through window, so she missed it when Cory came in, having walked over, apparently, since he didn't have a car. When she got back, he was talking to Keeley, Darla and Rebekah.
It was the copper haired fanged one that was touching his arm though, looking pleased.
"Ask her..." There was a head tilt to go with it.
The boy froze, but only for a bit, finally smiling.
"Say, um, Becky. I just happen to have two, very good, tickets to see The All Vampire Band tomorrow. Would you like to go with me? On a date, I mean?" He blushed, his light skin turning colors easily.
Becky thought about it. She wasn't in love with Cory, but he'd been there for her, hadn't he? Besides, it was worth taking a chance on him. He was a good guy and everyone else seemed to like him as well. Smiling, Darla nodded at her, which helped her make up her mind. After all, there was a real sense that if Becky didn't jump on him, one of these other girls would. Who could blame them for it?
"You know Cory? I'd love to. That sounds like a lot of fun."
The boy blinked, as if he'd thought she was going to say no? How big of a "B with an itch" had she been being to him? Was it like with her and Mitch? She hoped not. If she could avoid ever doing that to anyone in her life, she would.
"That's great. I can pick you up at about seven? I can borrow a car." Then he glanced at Keeley. "You don't mind, right?" It was clearly a joke, but the girl shrugged.
"Get one from Darla. Her insurance will actually cover you driving it."
That got a laugh, but also plans made.
Then, almost as if everything was decided in her life, Becky went back to work. It was different, and a lot of things were about to change, but she felt good about it.
For one thing, no matter what else happened, she was finally out of the friend zone, and would make sure that never happened to her again.
As everyone had been telling her, she was just worth more than that.
It wasn't until after work, when she went to her car, that she found Darla there, parked next to her, waiting.
"So, it seems like Keeley's plan was a bust?" She smirked a little her pretty face outlined dramatically in the glow of the streetlight across the parking lot.
"Was it? I think it went exactly the way she intended it to. The girl has skills that way, I think." Becky paused, and then shook her head. "Do you think that life is always like this? I mean, ending and beginning all at the same time? I get a new job, and the old one is done. I graduate from high school, and college begins. If I'm lucky at least. Thanks by the way. For talking to your grandmother about me. No one gets chances like this, do they? Not in real life."
Darla shrugged, the sweater she was wearing barely moving, it was such a tiny gesture.
"Yeah. Things end, but new things always come along. It can be a pain, but we deal. So, anyway, are we on for tomorrow morning? Running? Those pounds won't work themselves off."
Becky puffed her cheeks out and made a bit of a face.
"Naturally. At your place? Say at about ten? I have to be done by one or so, or I'll be late to work."
At her new job.
Darla agreed and got into her little red convertible, driving away carefully, the thing barely making any noise at all.
Becky did the same. It was a noisier trip, and bumpier, just like her life. Things went wrong and were far from perfect, sometimes they broke and had to be fixed, but she had choices to make and chances, if she took them.
It was like with Mitch. Cory and Kyle too. They were each a choice for her, and a possibility. Not all of them would work out, and maybe none of them would, but sitting back and letting herself think that she didn't have opportunities wouldn't help.
Then she drove home, knowing that the next day was going to be interesting, no matter what happened. Most days were.
Anymore.
Afterword
(A note from the author)
If you enjoyed this book, and want to see more of Becky, Keeley, Darla, and the gang, you should read the Keeley Thomson, and Other Places series. Yes, two whole series of reading enjoyment! Then re-read this one, because if you haven't done it yet, you'll find hundreds of things to be far different than you thought they were the first time through!
Also, if you want to find out more about upcoming books, or to chat with me, you can do that on the Amazon.com authors section chat area for P.S. Power. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Thanks.
P.S. Power
Other Books
By
P.S. Power
Young Ancients:
(Tor)
The Builder
Knight Esquire
Knight of the Realm
Ambassador
Counselor
Slave Line
Ancient Kings
(Timon)
The Dark Half of the Sun
Lord of the Sky
(Tiera)
A Simple Darkness
Th
e Silence within
The Infected:
Proxy
Gabriel
Cast Iron
Proxy: Reunions
Cellophane
Goblin
Dead End:
A Very Good Man
A Very Good Neighbor
A Very Good Thing
A Very Dark Place
Gwen Farris:
Abominations
Monsters
Strangers and Lies
Keeley Thomson:
Demon Girl
Keelzebub
Mistress of Souls
Demon Trap
Related works:
Christmas of the Vampire
Other Places:
Shortcuts
Road Blocks
The Lament:
Without Rhythm
Stand Alone Novels:
Crayons
An Unrelenting Terror
Friendzoned