Good Parts (ON HOLD)

I

The smell of coffee saunters through the room, waning in between each person's body. Ducking and weaving, dodging, and diving in front and behind each eager candidate. Their bodies are exuberant and high on caffeine as they wait in line. The ticking of the clock becomes louder and louder as it all kicks in. The plain tacky yellow walls and the loud aching hardwood floor make it hard to hear and listen out for your name. Anticipation.

"Next!" Is the word you think you hear coming from the woman's mouth from behind the glass, but it's just the floor, groaning in agony as the person in front of you takes yet another anxious step. Bouncing from foot to foot, shuffling endlessly. You think to yourself, when is this over?

Enter Cyd. The nonbinary woman who is determined. So determined that they begged to be moved up in the schedule for the interviews, no bribing or nepotism or connections, it was purely vibes between Cyd and the hot receptionist lady twice her age Cyd is also respectful. And kind. And punctual. So punctual that they showed up to their interview an hour and a half early.

"Cyd G.? Follow me." A woman appears from behind the previously closed door and motions for Cyd to follow her. Cyd stumbled to their feet, grateful to be leaving soon. The sooner, the better. Just then, a girl rushes into the building just as the door closes. The woman who was leading Cyd to their interview smiled as the door shut on the girls face and turned back to Cyd. "Now, are you ready to rock this interview?". The lady patted their shoulders, and then Cyd's shoulders relaxed, and their muscles were no longer tense. They looked around at the newly unlocked part of the building. Beyond that closed door is the exact same essence as before. Plain. Tacky yellowish walls. And yawn worthy dollar store paintings. Aggravating. But the hall seemed to stretch on and on, and the offices were shut closed, having a hushed meeting as a collective.

The lady stops in front of a brown door and gestures for Cyd to walk in, "Go on. It will be quick." Cyd smiled, and in return, the lady sighed and walked back to the front room. Cyd gently pushed the door open and was met face to face with a tall older woman with a grey bun. She was wearing a black blazer with a very colorful pencil skirt. Quite the outfit, thought Cyd.

The woman smiled and introduced herself,  "Hello, I am Margaret Scholl, on campus supervisor!" She extended her hand out to greet Cyd. In which Cyd gave her the most firm handshake they could muster.
"Now tell me why you want to work as a tutor." Cyd began to explain why and answered each question diligently with ease. At this moment, time seemed to stop. Cyd is passionate, ambitious, and determined. Just what Margaret was looking for.

A loud knock on the door interrupted the two. "Who is it?" The same lady from earlier peaks her head between the door and the frame with a confused look, "Uh, the next candidate has been waiting for ten minutes now." Margaret shots a look at her clock, "Dammit. Tell her I am so sorry, but we are no longer hiring for this position." Cyd looks over at Margaret with a tentative smile. After all, you don't get hired on the spot unless there's trouble, right?

The lady sighed and took a step back slightly, revealing the most angry person you can imagine. A girl stands there, her body engulfed in flames, eyes spinning with rage, fists red from her anger, Cyd looked away shyly afraid of confrontation. The girl's short dark hair once beautifully straightened to a silk crisp is rising in the heat, sporadically poking itself in every didection. Her white shirt and black pants were becoming uncomfortable and unbearable on her body. Everything felt tight. The lavender hair ties start to strangle her wrists as she watches the job she so badly needs to be taken by someone who snagged her interview time.

The girl clears her throat and focuses back on Cyd before straightening out her shirt and puts on a smile, "Ah, well I just want to thank you so much for this opportunity, and your thoughtful, thoughtful, consideration, and of course, thank you for your time. Please enjoy the rest of your day... all of you. Especially you, Cyd G." The girl retreats with the lady, and Margaret sits back in her office chair and fixes her lipstick. She looks at Cyd and gives them a thumbs up, "You start next Momday, training for the first three days of the week." Cyd nods and fixes their tote bag that rests on their shoulder. They make their way to the door, ready to leave before that girl from earlier jumps them on their way out.