Striptease

Sick

[Everleigh]

"Uh huh….And you're absolutely sure you're not looking for another cake decorator? Because I'm amazing with cakes, any cakes in general! Cupcakes, bundt cakes, poke cakes, regular cake-cakes…..Hello?"

I spoke into the microphone installed in the small, technologic device known as my smartphone but the beeping on the other end told me what I feared the most, that the interviewer on the other line had hung up on me.

Pulling my phone away from my ear, I groaned with frustration as I realized that my fears had been confirmed, they indeed hung up on me because I was apparently that much of a terrible fit.

And I didn't even get to ask them about the benefits!

Or the health insurance that may or may not come with the job!

Like, seriously, what kind of person just does that to someone?

They could've at least told me that they didn't think we would be a good fit and if they had been nice enough, they could've even given me a letter of recommendation so I could provide it to the next business I tried to slither my way inside like a goddamn snake.

Okay, well, maybe a snake isn't the best analogy given the context related, unironically enough, to Adam and Eve.

Maybe a bull in a china shop would be a better analogy?

After all, I sure was bursting my way into these little homes of business, seeking a job that I've dreamed about having since I was a little kid.

And yes, on yet another unrelated topic, I have been diving into a bit more of the Christianity religion as it was a bit mandatory and necessary because Esa loved going to church and I didn't exactly mind the break from the stifling restriction of freedom that was my reality.

I dropped my head into my hands with a sigh of frustration, wishing I could just bang it against the dining table or maybe the closest wall thinking it would solve all of my problems.

If only that was the case.

If anything, I'd probably give myself brain damage, have to be admitted to the hospital and then the psych ward and then Teresa would be placed with our fucking mother because I wouldn't be able to care for her.

I could feel my anxiety and blood pressure going up with those dark, consuming thoughts that regularly occupied my headspace and all I wanted to do was just get away from those negative thoughts.

I just wanted to pack up Esa and take us on a road trip to nowhere land and do anything except think about the reality which was that I had no shot whatsoever at becoming a baker and I should just give up on just dreams now to be reduced to nothing more than a common, low-end stripper at the club.

Because that's all I was going to amount to anyways so why should I try anything else different or new?

Hey!

Stop that.

No more of that self deprecating shit, you hear me?

The voices inside my head agreed unanimously, an action that rarely occurred unless it was my absolute lucky day but hey, there have been weirder things to happen, right?

Like parallel universes colliding to form one intersection of multi-verses.

Yeah, I know, I watch too many sci-fi movies but you can't really blame me.

The producers and creators of those movies always gear the plots and themes towards my generation so truly, they're the ones to be blamed here.

"Evie? Sissy?"