The Intern

Chapter Ten: Apologies and Lunch Dates

   "Ella, do you need a ride home?" Sohinki knocks on the door to my office. I haven't left it at all today since my fight with David.
   "No, Sohinki, go ahead without me. I'll walk home," I say without looking away from my monitor."
   "Ella, it's already ten o'clock. You've been in your office all day. Com'on let me bring you home," he insists. I sigh, shut my computer off and grab my bag. I open the door to my office and see Sohinki standing there with a sympathetic smile on his face. I just walk passed him and outside to his car.
   "I know, what Lasercorn said to you earlier. I'll apologize for him. He just really cares about you and doesn't want to lose you," Sohinki says smiling at me. We pull out of the parking garage.
   "That's not why I stayed in my office all day," I say quietly. He looks at me surprised.
   "Then why did you-"
   "I'm really confused, okay?" I sat cutting him off. "I do like Mark. He's a sweetheart and we're going on a date Saturday. But David and I have known each other since high school. I loved him then and I still love him now. I'm just so confused right now. I don't know what to do," my voice cracks and tears well in my eyes. "I don't know what to do." I start sobbing and Sohinki pulls into a gas station parking lot. He parks the car and hugs me.
   "I get it, Ella. I do, but you're going to have to make a choice eventually," he says. I sniffle and wipe the tears from my cheeks.
   "I know I will, but what if I make the wrong choice?" I ask.
   "You won't. I promise you that."
   "Thank you, Matt."
   "It's no problem, Ella."

   My phone rings the next morning as I'm making breakfast. I leave the pan with scrambled eggs on the stove and pick up my phone. David's contact name appears on the screen. I hesitate. Should I answer it? I deny the call and go back to making breakfast. If he really needs to talk, he'll walk down the hall and talk to me.
   I hear a knock at the door not even five minutes later. "Ella?" Lasercorn calls from the other side. "I know you're home. Work doesn't start for another hour. I really want to talk."
   "Look, I don't know if you know this, but maybe I don't want to talk," I say through the door. I hear him sigh from the other side.
   "El, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything yesterday. I just got jealous and I shouldn't have. We aren't together and I should be happy that you're happy," he says quietly from the other side.
   "I accept your apology, but-"
   "Yeah. I know. You don't want to see me anymore. I get it," he says. I hear his footsteps walking away from the door. I swing open the door and hug him from behind.
   "But I think that it's best we stay best friends for the time being," I finish my sentence. He turns around and wraps his arms around me with a tight squeeze. I smile and release him from the hug. He smiles at me.
   "Okay. I'll accept that," he says.
   I hug him once more quickly and release. "Try not to get jealous."
   "I'll try," he calls down the hall as I walk back to my apartment. Smoke rises from the pan on the stove.
   "Shit!" I exclaim shutting the burner off and scooping the burnt eggs into the garbage can. I open the window and wave the smoke out of the room, coughing as I do it. "Looks like cereal it is!" I chuckle to myself.

   I walk all the way to Smosh Games HQ and into the recording room. Wes and Sohinki sit at their computers and Joven is playing Mario Maker on the Wii U.
   "Where's Lasercorn?" Joven asks. 
   "He's not coming in today," Sohinki says without looking up from his computer.
   "Then how are we supposed to film GTS?" Joven asks. "There are only three of us."
   "How about you join us Ella?" Sohinki suggests.
   "Oh, uh, maybe I shouldn't. I'm just an intern," I say.
   "But it's not like you haven't been on camera before," Wes says. "You'll do just fine."
   "I don't know, guys, I have 200 subscribers. You have thousands," I say.
   "Nope. You're doing it," Sohinki says walking over to me. "You're not getting out of it this easily."
   "Yeah, Ella, it'll be fun," Joven says.
   "No. That really isn't a good idea," I say walking toward the door and sprinting down the hall.
   "Ella!" Joven yells. "You're not getting out of this!" He catches up to me and grabs me from behind then carries me into the recording room.
   "You can use Lasercorn's spot and use his character," Joven says.
   "Hey guys welcome to Grand Theft Smosh," Joven says. "And with us today is Smosh Games's new intern Ella!"
   "Uh, hi," I wave to the camera.
   "So guys let's meet up at the pier I've got a plan," Sohinki says.

   "Yes die!" I yell blowing up Sohinki and Wes.
   "Dammit, Ella!" Wes yells with a laugh. "She's like the new Lasercorn."
   I laugh awkwardly, thinking about our fight yesterday and Lasercorn's apology this morning.  

   After recording, I walk into my office to edit the video. I blare Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco through my head phones.
   I finally finish editing and lean back in my chair watching the video to make sure it's perfect. A hand touches my shoulder and I jump into the air.
   "Woah! Sorry, Ella. I didn't mean to scare you," Sohinki says. 
   "You just startled me. I wasn't expecting anyone to come in here," I say. He nods. 
   "I just wanted to tell you you have a visitor."
   "A visitor? Who is it?" I ask. 
   "Mark."
   I walk out of my office and down to the lobby. Mark stands there with his hands in his pockets. I smile and walk over to him. He smiles when he sees me.
   "Hey, Mark, what's up?" I ask. 
   "I just wanted to take you out for lunch. If it's a good time," he says. I smile and check the time on my phone. 
    "My lunch break starts in a few minutes, but I'm sure Ian and Anthony wouldn't care if I left a few minutes early," I say. 

   Mark takes me to a nice Mexican restaurant. We sit down and order our food. 
   "So Sohinki told me about your fight with David,"  Mark says. I nod. 
   "David apologized this morning, but he got so jealous of you and I hanging out," I say. "He was like this in high school too."
   "You went to high school with him?" he asks. I nod and tell him the whole story about David leaving me behind. Mark nods, intrigued the whole time I tell the story. Our food shows up and we eat in a comfortable silence. "You know what we should do?" 
   "What?" I ask. 
   "Another collab," he says. "But with Jack and maybe Wade." 
   "That would be so much fun! I love Jack's videos. I've only ever seen Wade in your videos playing Prop Hunt and stuff," I say. He smiles.
   "Well, now you'll get to talk to him," he says. 
   He drives me back to the office. I turn to him and give him a quick kiss, then get out. I give him a small wave and walk back into the office.