Reach for the Stars

Ch. 4 - Struggling to Adapt

It was a sunny morning in the streets of West Cutting Boulevard. Woody was nestled between the silk sheets, drool slobbering down his chin. Compared to his old place, this is the first time he slept this comfortably. It all seemed peaceful until a loud banging noise came from the front door.

"HEY LAD, ARE YOU AWAKE? IT'S WELL PAST 8 AM."

The banging echoed through the walls. He waited for a couple of minutes but the old potato was met with silence in return.

"I knew this farmer boy was nothing but a slacker." He muttered while rolling his eyes in the process. As he was about to knock on the door once more with his fist, a hand firmly grabbed onto his thin wrist. Mr. Potato's head eyes widened at the sudden interruption. He didn't even have to think twice about who it was. The strong scent of cologne ''Champagne Toast' that engulfed around them said enough.

"What's with all the ruckus so early in the morning?" A deep voice rang through the quiet halls of the hotel. Intimidated by the tone, it took a while for Mr. Potato to regain his composure. He gulped, "Oh, good morning sir, I was just trying to wake up the boy, he hasn't been answering his phone for half an hour so I might as we-".

Buzz was well aware of how the man seemed to treat the farmer boy. Strangely enough, it irritated him. What had Woody ever done to deserve being called a slacker? Though he doesn't come from a well-off background he should still be treated like any other employee.

"If you want to keep supporting your family, then I suggest you stop making a scene, go start the car." Buzz said in an oddly calm manner. The brunette let go of his wrist and motioned his chin upwards. He was aware that it's irresponsible for a newcomer to be this late for their first day, but he found himself somewhat defending the guy.

"Will do, sir." The potato quietly scowled, walking away with a bitter taste left on his tongue. This was the first time Buzz had ever commented on his actions and it made him feel indifferent. Taking in a deep breath, he straightened up his posture and headed down the elevator.

The CEO could sense the steam emitting from the potato but rather paid no attention. He glanced over at the door, ROOM 420 printed on the silver label. Should he wake the boy up himself? The thought of catching his new assistant realizing that he was late seemed pleasing. His mind came to an agreement that now would be the perfect time considering his butler was awaiting their arrival.

Just as his knuckles were about to make contact with the door, a loud alarm of a cow mooing was heard.

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Buzz froze in place. He couldn't believe what he had heard. MOO?!

On the other side of the door, Woody woke up with a sleepy yawn. He smiled at the sound of cows greeting him just like every other day. "Time to feed the horses!!" Out of instinct, he reached his hand towards the side of his bed where a bucket would normally be found. However, he felt nothing.

It suddenly dawned on him that this in fact was not his room nor was it his house. He immediately checked his phone and realized he forgot to set his work alarm when he arrived here. The pit inside his stomach only grew more when he saw the time. "8:45 AM???!!"

Woody quickly snatched the blanket off his figure and ran over to his closet. There was only one pair of clothing that was hanging loosely on a hanger. The dark blue jeans he's had ever since he was brought into the world. Accompanied by a mustard colored long sleeved flannel and a cow printed vest. Wrapping his red bandana around his neck, he gazed at himself in the mirror. "Not too shabby cowboy."

He rushes over to grab the slightly faded brown boots he was given a year ago by his parents. It didn't even take a minute to put them on before he was bracing himself to unlock the door knob. This was finally it. His new job. He stared over at the cowboy hat neatly placed onto the middle of his bed. A smile slowly crept up onto his lips, knowing that his parents would've been so mad at him being late on his first day.

"Wish me luck ma' n pa'."

After what seemed like hours, Woody finally opened the door and was met with a masculine figure that covered his view. He let out a loud gasp and looked up to see his one and only boss.

A deep shade of red covered his cheeks to see the man smirking down at him. "Look who's finally awake." Woody's legs trembled in shock and embarrassment. His hands became clammy as the worst possible outcomes began clouding his head.

AM I...GOING TO GET FIRED????

"S-sir! I-I'm so s..sorry. I-I-I-I f-forgot to set m-my alarm a-and-"

Buzz cut him off by softly grabbing his chin, lifting his head up to meet his gaze. "It's rude to avoid eye contact when talking to someone." It was as if time had stopped altogether. They stared at each other in silence. Woody's eyes wandered over the males face, taking in his hidden features that he didn't get to see up close yesterday.

A chiseled jaw, dark brown eyebrows, and beautiful ocean blue eyes. Not only that, he was gifted with a little mark on his chin.

"I-I-"

"Let's go, you don't want to be more late than you already are."

Woody could only nod his head in response, following the man in a purple suit. Before he could even bring himself to acknowledge what had just happened, he was met with Mr. Potato Head mumbling something about arriving at the building in 10 minutes.

The ride wasn't awkward nor was it pleasant. He couldn't bring himself to focus when all he could think about was the warmth of his bosses fingertips. Why was he so affected by such a simple gesture ?

Jazz played through the radio as they drove past huge billboards that showcased products from Lightyear Corp. This only seemed to peak his interest more about his job. Was his boss really that famous and successful?

A huge building then came into view, flashes of green and purple tinted windows.

"Woahhh...." Woody said in awe.

"That's where you'll be working at, starting today, " Buzz informed.

The car pulled up next to the sidewalk. Recognizing the color and brand of the vehicle, people began to rush towards it. One person holding a red carpet rolled it down the floor which connected to the limo. Mr. Potato head got out in a respectful manner and rushed to open his boss's door. With one simple step the crowd began screaming, mostly his fangirls.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

"YOU'RE SO HOT!!! PLZ MARRY ME!!"

"IM GAY FOR YOU BUZZ!"

Buzz noticed his assistant hadn't come out of the car and began growing a little confused. He tapped the window lightly, yelling a small "Are you coming out or what?"

At the sight of numerous people, Woody unconsciously started sweating profusely. He looked over at Buzz's concerned face and proceeded to unbuckle his seatbelt. Despite his hands being shaky, he got himself out and was met with bright flashes.

Picture after picture.

"Who's that guy?"

"Did his maid secretly get in the car?"

"Why is he wearing a cowboy suit?"

''Is he cosplaying?"

People whispered.

Woody released an awkward laugh and placed his hand behind his neck out of habit. Wow. Adapting to this lifestyle might be harder than he thought.

Words from the authors:

Michael: Hi

Jack: In the spirits of the Buzz Lightyear movie premiering, we decided to update. We are actually all going to watch the movie in a few hours! Sorry if it seems rushed.

Sherold: We screamed too much while writing this.

Chapter Published: 06/22/22