Mobius Strip

ch 01

The sun shone over the city of Rivervale, casting it's glistening light over the dome that adored the top of the city's largest Daily's office-- The Rivervale Tribune.

The insides of the office was just as busy as ever. It was as if nothing else could be heard over the countless noises in the office. People moved around like bees working their way in a hive.

Heels clicking, papers shuffling, people chatting over telephones... Everything was so familiar. Yet, it suffocated Hayden. He really wanted to get out of there and breathe some fresh air. But with his boss' office just a few metres away, there was nothing he could do about it.

Hayden let out a loud groan as he laid his head back, staring at the ceiling above his head . Working on a computer all day long was indeed tiresome.

He took his thick black glasses off his nose and rubbed his eyes, as he heaved a deep, heavy sigh.

"What's the matter, Hayloft?" Hayden jolted when a sharp elbow nudged the side of his arm. He knew who that was. "Don't call me that, Lana" he hissed, rubbing his arm.

Lana was a colleague of his. Sort of a best friend. She knew exactly how to get on Hayden's nerves at the most inaccurate times. She had an advantage that Hayden wouldn't skin her alive, so she dared to do anything that he disliked, not having a care in the world.

"Aw, someone's annoyed" Lana chuckled and pulled her chair closer to Hayden's, gazing into what Hayden was working on his computer.

Lana immediately burst into laughter when she read halfway through the report he was writing.

"What's so funny?" Hayden asked, slightly annoyed by the way Lana wheezed.

"Haa. Dear Mr. Hayloft. You are mixing up this report with last week's! Look!" Hayden glared at his computer screen wide eyed when he realized why he was getting a feeling that something wasn't right about his report. He let out yet another groan and ran a hand down his face.

"I gotta turn this in this evening!" He whined. "Jack is going to sue me" he mumbled out in a desperate tone as he thought about how his boss was going to yell at him later. It was better to willingly walk down to hell than to hear what weird words his boss, Jack Lore, would shower at him for the slightest mistake he made. He had even made him question his very existence once.

Yeah, the best boss anyone could ever ask for.

Lana couldn't help the chuckle from escaping her lips. "Hey, why don't you go home and sleep for a while?"

Hayden grunted.

Lana's expression turned into a serious one. "Tell me, Hayden. How long has it been since you last slept?" She asked, shaking the guy by his shoulder, earning a grunt of disapproval.

Hayden sighed as he gave it a thought. "Two days" he mumbled.

Lana rolled her eyes. "Go. Home"

"Come on, Lana. You know I can't just go home. This report is supposed to be darn long. And it is for the next day's newspaper. How am I supposed to turn this in the mean time if I go home and sleep?!"

"Stop acting like a workaholic, Hay-boy" Hayden frowned at the nickname. "We both know how much of a lazy couch potato you are"

"Can you please just stop calling me weird nicknames?"

"Out of the question. But, hey, it's fun" Lana winked and it was Hayden's turn to roll his eyes.

"Well. I can make an excuse for you. I'll bail you out if he still decides to yell at you anyway" Lana suggested.

"No, Lana. I--"

"We can go to the next anime con if you just go home right now" Lana said and Hayden blinked in surprise.

"For real?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, for real" she nodded.

"Fine then. Don't you dare go back on your promise, Lana. You better make a great excuse to tell Jack" Hayden grabbed his long-coat and made his way to the exit of The Rivervale Tribune.

Lana found herself smiling at the fast retreating back of Hayden.

How easy it is to get someone to do something when they are obsessed over something...