Bitten

New Job

~ Julia's POV

My eyes shuddered open staring at the white ceiling above me. I try to block the bright light that burned the corner of  my eye that shone through the white curtains. Sitting up still shielding my face from the stupid light, I didn't even realize I was still in my outside clothes making me cringe at the feeling.

I toss the covers off of me climbing out of bed and dragged myself into the bathroom hopping in out of the shower and slipped a grey longsleeved button up shirt and an old pair of jeans i've had since my freshman year of highschool. Putting on my sneakers I head for the door only to be greeted by my aunt who was already dressed up. Were they the same clothes she had on yesterday?

She noticed my confused look and only smiled and walked towards the stairs, not daring to mention it I trailed behind her and stopped in the kitchen she stood in.

"Laiya, how long were you out there?" I quirked a brow waving my finger at her like some magician. She reached for the newspaper and her fresh cup of coffee and finally turned to look at me, with a small smile she opened her mouth,

"I slipped in and you were completely out of it. I decided to head to bed and I got up early. Whats with the concern?" She shook her head like I was her mom scolding her from sneaking out. And that's exactly what I was about to do, until she brushed past me and sat down in her claimed couch sinking into it.

"Okay new question, why are you dressed so early? Got a date with the doctor?" I snickered plopping down on the couch next to her letting my head lean against the top of it. I could tell she didn't find it funny but it was worth trying to make her laugh.

I haven't seen her lips stretch into a smile big enough to show her pearly whites or a laugh erupt from her chest since my thirteenth birthday. I'm gonna be honest I miss it very much, and nothing seems to get her to act the way she used to. And I don't blame her either. If i was in her shoes all i'd think about is what could happen to me next. And it didn't help to see her features change. Just a week before she looked like she was healed from whatever tragedy that struck her. I turn to look at her and examined her new face.

Her brown eyes have sunken into her sockets and eye bags dark enough make that make it look like she has been beaten up. Her lips weren't this pale and chapped the last time I visited her. They were a rosy pink and were always coated in red lipstick that would sometimes stain her teeth because she didn't use a mirror. The worst of all and most noticeable to me was her frail and meek body that concerned me sometimes when I would help her from her bed, only when it was a really bad day, and her ribs were so visible I feared it would crack right in my hands from a small pat on her chest.

I could feel my throat get tense and eyes swell just from staring at her. I cleared my throat catching her attention and placed a kiss on her head inhaling her scent to hold onto and pulled back, my sad eyes locking with her dull ones.

"It's okay my dear, it's not as bad as it looks. The medicine i've been taking is making it look much better than when it all started." She gave me her best apologetic look and zoned out behind me. "You should go before you're late. Who knows what your boss will be like. Go. Go." She shooed me away and with one more good look at her I was already on my front doorstep and heading for the car.

This car wasn't the best thing to drive but it was my dads before he passed, or what the others think 'vanished' and I couldn't let mama throw everything way, he was my father too, and she fails to realize that. Putting the memories behind me I put the keys in and drove off to this new job I was in desperate need of.

While I sat in what felt like forever of a red light. I leaned against the window praying the colors would change and like magic the light switched to green and I drove off making it into the building just in time. Not wasting a second I ran to the front desk and signed myself in.

"Name please." The short haired woman didn't look up from her bright screen. "Julia...Julianna Kane, i'm here for the job interview." That last word got her to finally look up at me, she raised a brow and scoffed like she heard the craziest thing ever.

"I don't know why you'd want to work here," she tilted her head towards the big double doors, "but good luck, your 5 minutes late Mrs. Kane." She looked back down at her computer leaving us in silence. I nodded and made my way over to the doors she directed me to.

As soon as my first reached the door a deep voice ordered me inside making my heartbeat pick up. I stepped inside of the huge office taking in my surroundings before a big thud caused me to focus on who I was standing in front of.

An older woman who seemed to be Aunt Laiya's age stood up from her seat with a i'm going to scold you and ground you type of look making me go pale. Her eyes were making me feel like I had been trapped by some succubus demon and she was going to kill me.

Shit I sound crazy, those aren't real.

"You're late!" Her loud voice echoed through the room making me flinch. "I don't like people who are late, it's like you don't even want to job." There was a hint of sarcasm which made me laugh nervously. She titled her head at that and rolled her eyes.

"Have a seat, you have 2 minutes to tell me why you want this job and since you're late it better be good." She sunk back down into her seat never taking her grey eyes off of mine. While she was studying my features, or being a creep, I tried to remember what I said the night before.

"Well...I uh...I really want this job because my aunt is currently sick with this illness that my family can't seem to figure out and uh...I really want to help her but I would also like some working experience. I really enjoy shopping," I laughed at myself, "and if that still doesn't convince you, I can work any shift as long as I get to go home and check on my aunt." I sighed feeling my chest get heavy from all the talking.

Her eyes widened at how much information i've given her in a short amount of time, then a smile creeped up on her face which made me ease up from the weird tension that was growing in the room. I waited until she opened her mouth but she just kept looking at my resume and back at me.

Why is she being so stubborn. Just give me the damn job and,

"You're hired. Come here at 4pm sharp tomorrow," She tucked away my papers in a vanilla folder and handed me a uniform, "maybe come fifteen minutes early so I can do a quick run down before you start working." Her eyes gleamed with joy like she found her prey and flashed a toothy grin before walking around the desk and opened the door for me.

I followed behind her and stopped a few inches from the door, looking into the same gleam she had turn into a puzzled look.

"Are you sure? It was that easy??" There was an uncertainty in my voice but she only smiled and pushed me fully out the door. "Don't back out now, you're an interesting young woman. Just don't be late again." Her expression hardened but before I could open my mouth the door was shut in my face.

I sighed in defeat and made my way outside,

"See you tomorrow!" The same woman from earlier said in a cheery tone stopping me in my tracks. I nodded in return and stepped outside running my fingers through my hair. Something was definitely off.