Chasing November

Chapter 19: The Darkroom

"Damn it, Cooper!" my boss howls into my ears.

I'm sitting at my desk trying to work, but again, he's gotten it in his head that I'm the company malefactor. This time, according to him, I took the last bag of his favorite brand of chips from the vending machine—and I did it on purpose. Not that I wouldn't love to obstruct his day like that, but I've done no such thing today. Hell, I've never even used the vending machine. I pinch most pennies instead of wasting them on unnecessary snacks.

"You're staying late today!" he exclaims. Everyone around us can hear. "I've got some extra paperwork you can take care of!"

There it is. The whole reason for this conversation. He's only making false accusations because he wants to force his workload onto someone else, and sadly, everyone in the office except for him knows how easy that is to see.

"Whatever you say, sir," I shy away, just wanting the confrontation to end. My blood boils and my fists clench.

Apparently, he notices this, and his drill sergeant's voice comes through in a threatening growl, "You giving me attitude? Is there something you want to say, Cooper? Go ahead, get it off your chest. Or maybe you'd rather use those fists of yours."

At this point, I've turned back to my computer and reached for the phone to take another call. If he wants to argue, he can do it with a costumer on the line, because right now, I've got eight people on hold. That, and I don't know how much longer I can sit here without firing back; unfortunately, that would get me fired.

The moment I pick up the phone and open one of the calls, he grunts under his breath:

"Thought so."

And he stomps off to his office, probably feeling like top dog after such a cheap victory.

Just wait, I think while talking mindlessly through the script to an irritated customer. My hand grips the receiver so tight I could almost snap it in half. I won't be at this job forever, and when I leave, I'm taking you with me.

******

Again, I've found myself making the drive to Caleb's house after he sent a text last night with an invitation to hang out. I can't say I haven't been looking for to this. Recently, I've been so caught up in my problems that spending time with a friend should free up some headspace, and if I'm lucky, improve my mood. I can just hang up my feet and chill for a while—assuming I'm not disrupted by some random pressing issue that tears my day apart by requiring immediate attention. It's happened many times before, so why not be prepared for it now?

I pull into his drive and meet him at the front home's front door, and I'm invited in with a smile that isn't entirely genuine. He's not good at hiding his emotions, not like me. Maybe it's because he burnt out or because he simply doesn't care anymore, but I'm not fooled by his weak attempts to appear normal and happy.

"So what's up man?" I ask him as we stand in the kitchen. "Wanna play some videogames or what? I'm up for anything, really."

"Actually..." he answers. "...I have a different idea. There's something I wanted to show you, if that's okay."

"Of course."

I have no idea what he intends to show me, and to be honest, my expectations are neither low nor high, since I can't be sure what to expect. However, he doesn't hesitate to carry on, and he moves to the back door of the house, asking me to follow.

I oblige, and after stepping into his backyard, which is a grassy oasis where with fields in the background, we end up at the detached garage. Through its rear door we enter, then proceed to the staircase that leads to the second floor. What clammy, dirty place the garage is, with no cars inside; it's been used as a storage unit, and there are years of forgotten items scattered about, all covered in dust and cobwebs.