The Unnamed Story

Chapter 1

  I unlock the apartment door, no easy feat while balancing an armload of grocery sacks. Just as I turn the knob, I feel myself losing control of my load. The bags start to fall and I curse under my breath. While I'm trying to rebalance the bags, the door opens and I hear my sister's laugh. Danielle grabs a couple bags, still laughing, and maneuvers me into the apartment and shuts the door.  

  "How did you know I was at the door, Dani?" I ask. I set my half of the grocery load on the kitchen table and start unpacking the bags. Danielle sets her bags on the counter and helps me put away the food before answering my question. "I heard you fumbling at the doorknob. Listening to you try to find the keyhole by sense of feel was very entertaining. So was your choice of vocabulary," she finishes with another laugh. 

  I roll my eyes. I did let a few creatively colorful phrases slip. But that's to be expected. I was trying to find the damn keyhole and open the door. Of course Dani found my expletives funny, she's a weirdo. But then again, so am I.

  When we finally finish unloading the groceries, Dani pulls out a chair at the kitchen table and collapses into it. I hoist myself up to sit on the kitchen counter, my favorite spot, and sigh. "Man, today was a long day," I say, "What's for dinner?"

  Dani smirks. "I haven't even thought that far ahead. I only got home from work 20 minutes ago. Change of subject, Lizzie, but did you get the groceries from Riverview?"

 "Uh yeah, I did. I wanted to visit Logan and slightly annoy him," I answer with a sly smile, "Why?"

 "I thought you were avoiding Riverview until you heard about your application. Have you heard anything yet?" Dani's voice drops a little at the last part.

 I drop my gaze to my hands in my lap. Logan works in a small family-owned grocery store called Riverview. For years now, he's hounded me to apply there. I held off until finally I decided I needed a job. So I sent in my application. 

  "It's been almost two weeks, Dani," I reply, feeling discouraged, "And I've still heard nothing. I probably didn't get the job." I feel tears fill my eyes and swipe them away angrily. I'm almost 21 years old. I shouldn't be crying over a job. But I am. What is wrong with me today?

 Dani gets up from her chair and puts her arm around my shoulders. "Hey, it's all right," she says soothingly, "I've never seen you so worked up, Lizzie. What's the matter?"

I sigh and don't answer right away. How can I tell my sister what I'm afraid to admit to myself? But I have to if I want to feel better.

 "I'm afraid, Dani," I say quietly. "Afraid of how I'll feel if I don't get this job. It's the first time I've applied for something, on my own, in six years. Everything's gone so well so far and I'm scared that if I fail one thing, everything else I have will come crashing down. That's why I have to get this job!"

 Dani pulls me into a hug, which is a little awkward because I'm sitting on the counter, but it helps. "Oh Lizzie. I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same way when I applied for my job. After everything we've been through, everything we've accomplished, a little loss feels catastrophic. But it's not. That's life. And you are not a failure no matter what happens. Logan won't ever think so, and neither will I. So cheer up," she finishes. "Even if you don't get this job, you'll get another one. I know you will."

 I smile. "Thanks Dani. You always know what to say. I don't know how you do it."

 Dani laughs. "I don't either. Now, Logan's going to be home soon and he'll want dinner." 

 She holds out her hands, I jump off the counter, and engulf her in a real hug. We break apart and start preparing the meal. My fears have been pushed far back in my mind, but they haven't fully gone away.