Heart To Heal

XI.

Chapter Eleven.

One Week Later.

Despite his father being adamant about him not getting a job, Zealand let his words go in one ear and out the other. It wasn't his father's say-so on what he could and couldn't do. Zealand felt like he was old enough to do what he wanted. With limits, of course. Getting a job was something that pretty much every teenager his age did, and he didn't see anything wrong with it.

Zee had taken the time out to apply to six jobs; Old Navy, Foot Locker, Best Buy, Walmart, Office Depot, and Chic Fil A. So far, only Best Buy had contacted him to come in for an interview, but he wasn't complaining. It was a start, and everybody had to start somewhere.

His interview was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, and it was currently Tuesday. He had been reading up on how to answer certain interviews questions, what to bring with him, and how to dress—which was one of the main issues. Zealand really didn't have any business attire type clothing, and he obviously couldn't just go out and buy any. He hoped that maybe he could go to his grandmother's house after school, and see if she still had some of his grandfather's old clothes in her attic that he could wear.

"Did you hear what I said?" Xavia asked, snapping Zealand out of his thoughts. He looked over at her, scratching his head. "Huh?"

They were in class, listening to Ms.Cross give her usual lecture. It wasn't anything interesting, which was why half of the class was either sleep or just not paying attention.

"I said, are you okay? You've been zoned out for a while now."

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just thinking about this job interview that I-"

"What?! You have a job interview? Congratulations!" Xavia said excitedly.

"It's only an interview, relax." Zealand chuckled. "I don't even think I'll get the job." He mumbled.

"Don't say that, Zealand. I'm pretty sure that you'll get hired and be the best employee ever. Where is the interview for?"

"Best Buy." He said, drumming his pencil on the table.

"Oh okay, that's great! I heard they pay pretty good."

"Yeah, I'll be making $11 an hour."

"Why don't you sound excited?" Xavi asked.

Zee sighed. "I've never had an interview before. I'm almost certain that getting bombarded with questions back to back is gonna give me anxiety. I hate feeling like I'm under pressure." He explained.

Xavia placed her hand softly on his shoulder, making Zealand slightly flinch. She quickly removed her hand, seeing that she had startled him. "Sorry." Xavi said.

"You good."

"Listen Zealand, you'll be fine. Before you answer the questions, take a deep breath and think about the best way to respond. They simply just wanna know about your background and work experience. It'll be a piece of cake. The main thing here is to put you best foot forward and to present yourself in a way that will benefit them. Make them want to hire you. If you end up not getting hired, oh well. It's not the end of the world. There's always other places."

Zee let Xavia's words soak in. She was absolutely right. He couldn't let something as simple as a job interview intimidate him. The goal was to come in showcasing confidence. But first, he had to be confident in himself.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying. Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiled. "So, what are you planning on wearing?"