IRENE'S POV
Song for the chapter
Closer than this - jimin
"When I hate being myself, when I just want to disappear forever, let's make a door, and its in your heart, If you open that door and come in, I'll be waiting for you there, it's okay to believe the magic shop will protect you."
I stopped singing and removed the headphones from my head, dumping them in the cushion. I ran to the kitchen and quickly switched off the gas cooker only to find the white rice I was cooking completely brown, some of the parts were even black. "Aaah!" I gasped annoyed. "What will I eat?!"
I burnt the food I was cooking and on top of that, I was a horrible cook. I took the rice to the trash can and walked to my room. I took my jacket and my purse and quickly ran outside quickly. I took a cab to the biggest supermarket to shop a little food items for myself, but when I reached there the first thing I did was to buy a fine white rice and chicken stew for myself, I found a seat and ate quietly.
I took a bottle of water and then went back to business, I took a trolley and started shopping. I wish I made a list because I didn't want to forget anything. Then my eyes fell on a bottle of strawberry beer, of course I love anything with strawberry. It was my favourite. I reached for the bottle of beer and immediately I touched it, I felt a hand, on my hand.
Someone was trying to reach for the bottle on the other side. I reached for it again and felt the person's hand again! It wasn't the only bottle of beer so I decided to take another one, but I'm very curious. Who was that? I moved the bottle away to see the person, and as I suspected, it was a man.
I looked at him carefully and I immediately recognised him. That asshole that I almost sprained my leg because of him. That asshole that claim he was an attorney and could make me suffer. Maybe I recognised his face because he was literally handsome. If its true he's an attorney, then he'll make a drop dead gorgeous attorney.
"You! I recognise your pompous ass." I scoffed.
He looked at me and for the first time, I swear I felt like I was stabbed. Maybe I was. His iris was obsidian, ebony glowing eyes. He smirked when he recognised me, then he walked over to where I was for a better view. "You!" He said almost laughing. "God wants me to deal with you, that's why I met you again."
I frowned. "Instead of you to drag your scrawny little junkie ass and apologise, you're trying to be dramatic."
He chuckled. "Me?" He pointed at himself. "Apologise to you? Are you crazy?"
"You're the crazy one!" I glowered at him. "You think just because you go around wearing expensive suits and watches so you're someone special? You bumped into me and injured my leg and then next you claim you're an attorney and you can make me suffer." I stopped talking when I noticed his eyes were fixed on my legs.
He returned one of his hands into his pockets. "Your leg seem to be doing fine, I don't need to give you any compensation."
He spoke like a real attorney and I almost believe him. I walked closer to him until he furrowed his eyebrows. "I know your little secret, you went to PalaceHall to look for a job and when you didn't find any, you claim you're a lawyer! Haha." By the look on his face, I knew I got him.
"Me? Looking for a job? Who put that into your head?" He shook his head angrily and walked away.
I couldn't help but laugh alone in the corner of the supermarket. I took the bottle of beer and walked to the receptionist to pay my bill.
_________________________
I found Jane lying down on a couch in the bedroom, pressing her phone. She was so engrossed in her phone that she didn't hear me until I smacked her on the leg. She quickly got up and started apologising, I didn't know why she was apologising for nothing so I asked her.
"You told me you failed your interview at the palace whatever. I came to your house and found out you've burnt your food and threw it in the waste bin. I'm sure you must have been feeling depressed. I'm so sorry, my friend."
I took a deep breath and looked at her again. "You're speaking like an old woman, y'know. I'm going to CityHall for an interview tomorrow. If I don't get a work there, I'll just find a guy and get married."
Jane started laughing. "You never like talking about marriage, and by the way I'm sure you'll get a job. You'll make a very beautiful civil servant, trust me."
I smiled at her. "Thanks Jane, go get yourself something to eat, I ate outside." I watched her as she exited from my room to the kitchen. She returned with a bottle of sprite and a biscuit, she sat opposite me and started eating.
"There's something in your mind, you seem really pissed." She said.
This was the reason why Jane was my bestfriend. She read me like an open book. She knew when I was happy or sad or when I was hiding something from her. I grew up really alone, no friends no family, only neighbours and Jane was also a friend from the neighbourhood. We became friends when we realised we were attending the same school and sometimes, her mom would invite me to come eat with them or even sleep.
"Nothing much," I replied. "There's just this guy I met today."
"Wow! Is he handsome?!" She asked amazed.
I stared at her in astonishment. Of course, he was way more than handsome but that's not what I'm talking about. She understood my mood immediately and she quickly shrinked. She asked me who he was and I told her everything about the asshole.
"What if its true he's an attorney? You shouldn't have been mad at him and even call him an asshole." Jane said.
"Whatever, he sounded like a complete ass-, huh. I was just mad that he bumped into me the day I failed my interview as a civil servant." I replied with a frown.
The next day,
I went to CityHall as early as possible, I got up six'o clock in the morning and did everything necessary before leaving my house. I arrived at the company and did my interview around nine'o clock. The interview was very simple and it didn't take a long time. They said they will notify me by tomorrow or tonight so I left the company immediately.
I arrived home and quickly change my clothes into comfortable ones. I switched on a music from my playlist and started dancing while scrubbing the floor.
"Live fast, we do it like that
and we don't lie, we born to be mad, better come right or never come back. Don't mess with the girls, with the girls, with the girls."
I stopped when I noticed something odd, one of my bulbs are off. I got up and switched it on but it didn't work. I tried it almost twenty times but it wouldn't work. I decided to check what it's problem was even though I wasn't a professional at this, I took a stool and a screw driver.
I did a little checking but nothing changed so I gave up and returned the stool. I was a person who easily gave up, even though I didn't want to. That was the reason I had been bullied through out my entire through out my entire elementary class, and on top of that I had a tiny body.
I heard my phone ringing and I quickly picked it up.
"Hello, who's on the line?"
"Hello, am I speaking to Irene Cyrus?" the male voice said.
"Yes," I replied casually. I've been receiving numerous calls from unknown numbers these days. I didn't even wanted to pick up this one but I had to.
"I'm calling to inform you that you've been employed as a civil servant in CityHall and you can start coming to work by tomorrow." The man said.
"Wait... Really?" I asked with wide eyes. I was very surprised and happy. The man didn't say anything and I assumed he nodded his head. "Thank you so much, thank you. I'll try my best, thank you."
He ended the call and I immediately started dancing in joy, I danced for five minutes before I realised I had no one to tell. I had no one to say 'mom, I just got employed,' and they's no one to tell me 'I knew you could do it, my daughter'.
I sat back on the stool and saw an image of my father saying 'You can do anything, Irene. That's the girl I know, you're always brave'. "Brave, my foot." I told myself and decided to text Jane so that she would congratulate me.
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Song to cheer you up : The Girls - Blackpink 🖤💗
