After Effects

Chapter 20 • After Effects

Coming back to the office, Mr. Remora did not hesitate in showing me how angry he was through paperwork. He sent files after files to be copied, emails upon emails to mail letters to, and letters upon letters to be sorted. By the time I was finished for the day, I was exhausted and my fingertips were burning.

I got off work at exactly five pm and dragged myself from my desk and to the elevator without a handbag. My clothes had thankfully dried, but my hair was another story. As usual, the elevator stopped to pick up people on its way down and it was truly a miracle that I met up with someone I actually knew.

"Hey!" Harper said excitedly when she reached the back of the elevator where I was.

"Hi," I replied with a small smile.

"So, you look frazzled," she observed. "And wet."

You have no idea, I wanted to say, but settled for, "Yeah, it was a rough day."

"It'll get better," she comforted softly with a hand on my shoulder. I smiled, even though my mind was telling me otherwise.

Ping!

The sound of the elevator alerted us that we had arrived on the ground floor. Everyone poured out, going in different directions including Harper and I who left the building.

"Well I'll see you tomorr-"

"Wait!" I interrupted her just as she was going to say goodbye. She turned back questioningly. "Can I borrow your phone for a second? I need to make a call."

"Ah...Sure," she said hesitantly with a facial expression that asked why. It wasn't like she had a problem, just that she was wondering why I didn't have mine.

"Here." she offered, handing me the phone. I took it gratefully.

I hurriedly called one of the five numbers I knew, five including emergency, and prayed silently that he'd pick up.

"Jake here." he answered.

"Jake it's me."

"Oh hey, yah it's me here too." he replied chuckling. I face palmed but hurriedly continued the conversation.

"It's Katherine,"I corrected.

"Oh Kat, hey! Why are you calling from an unknown number?" he asked sounding puzzled.

"I'll explain later, but could you come pick me up from work?" I pleaded. I was really depending on him so I was praying that he wasn't busy at work. I listened for a response and smiled when he answered "Give me ten minutes".

I thanked him before hanging up and returning the phone to Harper and telling her thanks as well. She waved me off and then actually waved goodbye as she left.

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July 8, 2011

Friday, 1:23pm

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Another day at work...the third to be correct, but that didn't matter since the same thing happened as the previous days. Mr. Remora first made me fetch him files and do all kinds of computer work all morning and then he had a meeting in the afternoon with a different group of people who also, according to him, needed water, drinks and snacks. It would've been fine if it had been only six like the last time, but this time it was thirteen including himself and so I had to make two trips down to he ground floor and that wasn't even the worse part.

I had just stepped out of the elevator, with my second trolley cart of drinks and pastries for the group, when I saw a girl going over to her desk with water and a hidden bagel on her hands. Where did she get those? I hadn't even seen her go down stairs so when had she managed to get a hold of them? These thoughts roamed my mind confusing me and I couldn't help going over to her and asking.