Whatever Happens

Chapter 4

"No, no, no, no..." I muttered, jabbing the button a few more times. "Come on!"

The demonic printer continued to spit out copies of that same page and I stared in dismay, having no clue what else to do. Why couldn't they just listen to me when I said I was no good at this stuff?

I watched the papers pile up and wondered if they could fire me on my first day. I thought I'd been lucky to get a job in the library. It didn't seem thrilling or anything, but at least it wasn't cleaning toilets or food service or anything gross like that. But would I be able to keep it?

Why couldn't they put me with actual books? I hated computers and they hated me. Putting me in the computer lab was asking for trouble.

Jen must have noticed my distress because she was suddenly beside me, frowning at the papers.

"Which computer?" she asked after a second.

I pointed and she quickly went to sit at the keyboard. Clicking a few things on the screen, she came back over to stand at the printer, and magically, the papers stopped.

I was both relieved and embarrassed. Why was this stuff so easy for everyone else?

Jen sighed and shook her head. "Come on. I'll show you."

She moved back to the computer and I followed. We sat together and she showed me everything again. I really tried to focus and remember it all, but I didn't hold much hope. I knew how to do stuff on my computer because Ben drilled it into my head, but these computers were completely different.

"Got it?" she said, turning to me when she was done.

"I think so..." I lied.

Seeing right through me, Jen sighed. I'd just met her about twenty minutes ago and she already knew I was hopeless.

"You don't think they'll fire me, do you?" I asked.

"I don't know if they can...but Dan isn't going to be happy."

"I tried to tell him," I muttered.

She smirked. "Yeah, and he doesn't like to be wrong."

I smiled at that. Dan was my supervisor and he was kind of a jerk. Apparently, he didn't like input from anyone, so he ignored me when I told him I was a disaster with computers.

Jen sighed before she stood up. "Call me if you have trouble again."

If? I wanted to laugh. I only said, "okay. Thanks."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an excruciatingly long two hours, I returned to my room to grab my books for my next few classes. When I shut the door and turned around, I smiled at Taylor and her friend, near the desk.

"Ah!" the other girl said, looking in the hand-held mirror. "I love you! Are you sure I can't pay you?"

There was a comb and a pair of scissors on the desk and a pile of hair on the floor, so I guess Taylor was good at cutting hair.

Taylor shook her head and smiled. "Just remember me when you go to Italy for Christmas."

The other girl laughed. "Okay."

Taylor looked at me. "Becca, this is Stephanie."

"Hi," I said, grabbing my Algebra book.

"All that hair," Stephanie said, lowering the mirror and looking at me before she turned to Taylor. "You must be dying to get at it." She laughed.