Mimeomia

03 | sotto voce

CHAPTER THREE

SOTTO VOCE

( — (of singing or a spoken remark) in a quiet voice, as if not to be overheard. )

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

          GINNY ISN'T AT THE OFFICE ON FRIDAY MORNING. It immediately triggers Michaela's 'something is wrong' internal alarm, as she steps into their room and finds two empty desks instead of one. Ginny is never late for anything, a nice change from most of Michaela's other friends, even when she gets stuck in traffic, so this situation might raise some questions from other co-workers.

          Michaela sighs, staring down at the box of homemade (vegan) cinnamon cookies she had baked last night, and sets the box on Ginny's desk, never failing to be amazed by how tidy the place is. Michaela herself also has to keep her own working space relatively organized if she wants to focus, but you know what they say about how your desk mimics your personality and, more often than not, your current state of mind.

          That's probably why there's a pen resting inside her mug instead of the pen holder basket she bought herself for Christmas. She pulls it out, wraps it in a paper towel to dry and falls to her chair, sliding forward towards the desk.

          It's snowing today, meaning it's one of the rare times Michaela is thankful for Josephine's low body temperature and the insane number of flaws in the heating system of the headquarters. The snowflakes that fell on Michaela's hair have since melted and dampened the chocolate strands, and she had to leave her coat in the kitchen for it to dry up before she leaves to have lunch as it's, without a doubt, the warmest place in the building.

          She sends Ginny a quick text to ask her where she is, remembering their brief conversation from last night, and almost manages to laugh while picturing her friend scrolling down Chipotle's website because it's not something you'd usually associate with Virginia Daugherty.

          Once the message is sent, she pops a dry apple slice in her mouth and turns on her computer, scanning her work inbox in search of any article suggestions . . . before finally remembering today is Friday. It's Friday, the day those dreaded staff cuts will finally see the light of day and potentially ruin several people's lives. Maybe that's the reason why Ginny's not here—maybe she was scared of showing up on such a terrible day (a snow day, even) and called in sick, or maybe Blair was kind enough to let her go via text.

          Ginny wouldn't be the first friend Michaela lost at work. The girl who sat at Ginny's desk before her arrival, Millie, was one of the victims of one of those cuts last year. Ginny was her replacement, though no one ever really treated her as such, but Michaela, at first, was a bit bitter over losing her friend. Millie resented her for having been fired, as Michaela could have prevented it from happening, but Michaela was wrapped in the biggest story of her career—that Barbra Streisand interview, obviously—and thought there was nothing she could have done. Thus, she hasn't seen or heard from Millie ever since.

          Now that she thinks about it, a year after their friendship fell apart, perhaps there was something she could have done, much like Ginny has decided to do for her this year, which goes to show you can never be too sure of anything in this place. One minute, you're at the peak of your career, but the peak is just that—the highest point you can reach. It's all downhill from there.

          Ginny's reply comes five minutes after the text, but in a completely different app, one Michaela uses so rarely she often forgets she even has it. When she goes out, she's too busy trying to have fun and enjoy her night to feel the need to document it, especially when any mistake might turn into a landslide and drag her down the mountain.