The Journalist's Job

Part 1

"Hey!! Look who's back! How was it?"

Elle, your roommate, said as you walked into your dorm after a long day at work. You were a NYU student during the school year and a journalism intern over the summer. Both you and Elle had decided to stay living in your dorm over the summer. You had stayed because of your internship and your parents lived states away and she had stayed because she had a pretty rocky relationship with her parents.

"It was good...today was kind of boring though," you replied.

Elle was eating Oreos from a box and you came over and snatched one.

"I'm starving- do you want to go out?" you asked as you stuffed the Oreo into your mouth.

"Go out on a FRIDAY NIGHT? DUH," Elle said as she put the oreo box back in the cabinet, "I'm going to go change I've been waiting all day for you to get home."

"Don't you have a life besides me?" you asked as she was walking away.

"Obviously!! But i wasn't about to go out without my best friend," she replied as she headed over to her closet and began fishing out outfits.

You decided to do the same and eventually you both found outfits and were doing your hair and makeup. Finally, you both were ready and you headed out. It was around 8:00 on a nice August evening and the weather seemed to already be getting crisper. You were thankful for the jean jacket you had on over the cute dress and boots.

"So where do you want to go?" Elle asked as you eventually got off campus and were walking on the streets of New York City.

Even though you lived here, you would never get over the beauty of it- the lights had already gone on as it was getting darker.

"Earth to (y/n)? Or shall I pick a place?" Elle asked.

"Whoops sorry...um i don't care honestly," you replied.

"You always say that yet when we get somewhere you'll always complain about something- are you sure you don't want to provide your input?" Elle narrowed her eyebrows.

You rolled your eyes, "I won't complain, Elle."

"Fine," Elle said and you followed her lead as you continued walking.

Of course Elle picked a weird sushi place neither of you had ever been to but you had said you wouldn't complain so you didn't. You had trouble picking something on the menu but eventually you found something that wasn't sushi because you hated sushi. Didn't Elle know that? Or was she just trying to make a point...?

After you ordered you gave her a look and she looked back at you cluelessly.

"I gave you the option to choose," she finally said.

"Next time," you replied.

While you waited for your food you talked about pretty random stuff. Finally, your food got there and you began to eat. You basically inhaled your food and suddenly right as you were finishing up, your phone began to buzz.

You were getting a call- from work, "Hello?"

"Hello, (y/n). Do you think you could come into work tomorrow morning? We have a proposition for you."

"Uh- yeah, sure, what time?" you asked.

"7."

You almost spit out your water, "Oh-okay."

"Don't be late. Thanks, enjoy your evening."

You hung up with an eye roll and Elle furrowed her eyebrows at you, "What's wrong?"

"No alcohol for me tonight...might even have to call it an early night.." you replied.

"Aw shoot why?" Elle replied.

"I have to be at work at 7am tomorrow. They said they have a proposition for me," you explained and Elle just rolled her eyes.

"I thought the internship specifically specified that you would have weekends off," she scoffed.

"Yeah, well, whatever i'm just going to have to suck it up," you replied.

•••

The next morning you arrived right on time at 7am. You were waiting outside your boss' office when she called for you to come in. You walked in and sat down, "You had a proposition?"

"Yes. We were wondering if you would be interested in being an undercover journalist for us at a high school in the suburbs nearby this semester," she said.

Wait what?!??

"Oh," was all you managed to say.

"It would pay well and you would be excused from some college classes- I already spoke to most of your teachers," she explained.

"Wait so what exactly would I be doing?" you asked.

"You'd be pretending to be a senior in high school and meanwhile you would be making stories about your experience. I'm sure there would be plenty to tell. And in the meantime you can show us how good of a writer you actually are...."

•••

And that's how you found yourself walking into high school on the first day of school. You thought that you would never have to come back to this dreaded place, yet here you were.

As you walked through the hallways you couldn't help but feel everyone was staring at you.

As if they knew your secret.

One of them would surely shout that you weren't who you said you were.

Someone was bound to expose you.

You were a 21 year old and in college for heavens sake did you really look like you fit in with the rest of them?

Yet no one said a word as you found all your classes and went about throughout your day. Nobody reached out to you to try to be your friend, either, which kind of sucked.

However, you did feel the stares of plenty of the guys and heard the constant whispers about the "new girl."

But whatever.

You were honestly so done with the day as you rushed through the hallway, not knowing where your your history room was.

You heard the bell ring and panicked and rushed around until you finally came across the room a few minutes late.

Ugh.

Stepping in late, all eyes turned to look at you.

All eyes including the beautiful blue ones owned by the very handsome teacher standing at the front of the room.

1027 words