A Virtual Start - Chasing Normal, Arc 6

Scene 36: The Shoe's on the Other Foot

"This isn't fair. Do you know who I am?" Shiri Ando would have risen from her seat if her husband hadn't placed a hand on her arm.

"Yes. And we knew what we were getting into hiring you. But you agreed to control your behavior."

Shiri slumped in her seat, a motion Travis knew all too well. But she said nothing from her vantage point at the back of the studio president's office.

"I think we can both agree a wild party on the roof of one of MicroTech's main buildings isn't 'controlled behavior'."

Shiri looked away.

Watching her mother, Travis thought back to the last time she herself was in this office. It wasn't so long ago that she sat in that same chair while President Shiratori threatened to terminate her apprenticeship. She could only hope she was more respectful that morning than her mother was being at the moment.

"Under the circumstances, you will have to be suspended. You will not be allowed on the studio premises for the next month."

Shiri snorted. "You can't afford to be without me for a month."

"You overestimate your importance here, Ms. Ando. As it stands, you're lucky to still have a job at all. MicroTech owns this building; they're threatening to revoke our lease because of your actions."

"It was just a little party," Shiri whined.

"You circumvented, and in some places destroyed, MicroTech's security system. They've already arrested some of your more technologically gifted party guests, and they want to add you and your husband to the list as the hosts of the party."

"Whatever. Are we done here?" Shiri stood up before Ben could grab her again.

"You'll need to drop your badge off at the desk."

Shiri waved a hand as she left, Ben already grabbing her badge.

Travis watched them go, and then turned to the president. "Am I suspended, too?"

The president's features softened. "Of course not. I think you've already learned your lesson. Besides, I think Brice would kill me if I robbed him of his most talented apprentice."

I'm the most talented apprentice? "Yes, sir." With the president's permission, she left the office and headed up to the animator workspace, where Shiri's escapades were already the favorite topic of gossip. She ignored them as she logged in.

The apprentice at the next workstation leaned over, "Is it true they found your mom having an orgy in the MicroTech CEO's office?"

Travis refused to look at her, "They haven't said, and Mom really hasn't been up to talking about it."

"Man!" The girl whistled and went back to work.

I don't know if I can handle a month of this.

==

At the end of the day, Travis was tired of her newfound position as authority on all information related to her mother's now-public suspension. She slipped out of the studio as quickly and quietly as she could, intending to hide out at her grandparents' for the night.

But she didn't want to face them any more than she wanted to go home.

She considered heading to the Underground. She'd been promising Will ever since her own suspension was lifted that she would come back and hang out with his friends. But she hadn't seen Will at the studio, and she had no idea just how far reaching news of her mother's shenanigans was.

She thought about calling up the girls and asking if they wanted to hang out. But they'd only ever hung out at her apartment, the place she was avoiding.

In all practicality, she really had only one option. As she headed toward the arcade, she thought, Well, Gloria and Noel can't say I didn't try. Or that I don't have a good reason to hide out virtually.