Minute by Minute

One. Growing Pains

The echo of the clock ticking bounced around the bland and yet ostentatious room. I tried to control my breathing, as the man across from me could most likely sense my anxiety. Because like the blood sucking demon he is, he could smell fear. And I was full of fear.

My hands fidgeted out of sight, I used my fingers to count down the seconds that felt like minutes that I was staring into his dull grey eyes. I figured this is equivalent to being a snake charmer, only I'm not much of a charmer and this snake totally just made me his bitch.

"Adrien." His voice called my attention back as he for what felt like the thousandth time looked at me with dissatisfaction. It made my stomach churn. "I don't ask for much from you." He began and I briefly went over a montage of all the monotonous things he has asked me to do in my lifetime. From modeling from the time I could walk, all the way to choosing a business/marketing major on my behalf in college. My shoulders slumped as I bit my tongue... again.

"I've provided you with everything you could've ever needed. I've given you a future others would've given their soul to have, and yet you won't accept this because it's "too much"?"

I nodded my head solemnly. "I-I hadn't planned for this, I planned for something rather different." I said pathetically, and he could sense just as much as he had just merely laughed in response.

"We're done here. Everything is final. You'll thank me later." He stood from his seat at the dining table making his exit pausing just briefly, "Congratulations my boy, or should I say, CEO of Agreste Enterprises." His steps echoed down the corridor, followed by the quiet sound of his office door shutting.

I sat still. Both from shock and fear. I closed my eyes looking away from the marble white table top. My eyes stinging with unwanted tears, which I didn't shed. I haven't cried in a good three years, mostly because it felt silly. What could I possibly have to cry about? I was given the position just under my father in the company as the second higher up. A lot of people would've killed to be in my position. I eat well, I have a roof over my head, I'm not terminally ill.

"What could I possibly have to cry about?" I uttered, balling my fists up to push away from the table as I made a hasty exit from my father's cold house to my warm flat.

I didn't live that far from my father's house, seeing as he had expressed his discomfort with other neighborhoods. But in my head I'm pretty sure he's just trying to keep me on a tight leash.

A slight drizzle fell from the sky, bringing me to pull my hoodie up, the smell of rain almost made me forget about my troubles but it just reminded me of my mother.

"I said, I don't have anything on me, now let me go!" A panicked voice caught my attention and I quickened my pace towards the voices.

A woman adorned with a scarf wrapped around her head, her face concealed from sight stood bravely as a man across from her held her purse. They were in a type of tug-o-war with it and I looked at her perplexed. Most women by this situation would be a sobbing, terrified mess but this girl seemed ready to pounce.

But I wasn't about to let her go through the trouble. So in a completely out of character move I stepped into view.

"Give her the purse, and get lost." The guy dropped it darting off down the ally, leaving me to sigh in relief. It actually worked.

"Thanks." The girl sighed picking her purse off the ground, and shouldering as far as if could go she righted herself smiling at him after doing so. I couldn't help but be confused as to why this woman would be wearing sunglasses around this time of night but I decided not to question it:

"Are you alright." I pathetically made my voice an octave deeper to appear more intimidating but the woman merely nodded her head as she continued to make her way down the street without another glance back.