Letters to the Star Whisperer

-28-

He pushed the front door open, waving goodbye, and started to walk down the street. He walked around a bit, looking at all the store. It was a lot of clothing stores, a few book stores, a pizza store on each end. There were lots of homeless bums, making him hurry up and going into a store to ask for an application.

It was a camping store, and it turned out they weren't hiring. He wasn't sure if it was true or not. Wearing a suit didn't make him look like he knew anything about camping. He didn't though. The outdoors was not for him. He would get eaten by a bear for sure.

The next store he went to, it was a bookstore. He did the same thing, going in and asking if they were hiring. They were actually, and he was asked to fill out an applicant. He took it, and filled it outside on the bench. He looked over the simple paper, asking what books you read and who was your favorite author. Ethan didn't remember the last book he had read. It had been a while. He remembered there was one book he had liked, "The Catcher in the Rye."

He remembered how his brother had hated that book, but when Ethan was a kid he would read it over and over again. He didn't know why he liked it so much. Before he left the bookstore, he decided to purchase it.

The owner, who had ringed him up, told him, "Are you a student?"

"No, I haven't been a student in years. I just remember really liking the book."

She smiled. He had bright blonde hair, and bright blue eyes hidden behind her glasses. She looked smart, as if she could hold an intelligent conversion. "I really like this book. One of my favorites."

"Oh really?" he asked, grinning ear to ear. "I haven't read it in so long, and I was just thinking that I really wanted to read it again. I'm trying to figure out what to do in life right now, you know?"

She nodded. "I understand. Well, maybe you'll get a call soon," she said, handing him his bag. "I'm Jenny."

"Ethan."

"I know," she said. He looked confused, but she pointed to the paper. "It's right here."

He smiled, and talked some more, making her laugh. Then he left, walking down the street. He tried a few more stores, but no one was really hiring. He passed by a pizza store. He stopped, and laughed to himself. He wondered what Aspen would do if he got a job there.

He walked in. They welcomed him, and he nodded. He went up to the front, asking, "Are you hiring?"

A bigger man with a thick black hair nodded. He was different from the other workers. He must have been the manager or the owner of the store. "Yes, you can fill this applicant out over there," he said, handing him a piece of paper. The man had a thick accent that he couldn't pin point.

He stated to fill it out, giving his name and number. This one asked for his address, but he skipped it. When he headed back the applicant, the man said, "I can give you an interview right now, if you want."

"Oh," Ethan said, feeling nervous suddenly. If it was the cute girl from the book store, he could have charmed her, but a big hairy man was a little harder. "Yes, that's fine."

They sat down at a table, and he looked over the applicant. "You have college degree?" he asked in his thick accent.

"Yes sir."

"Can't find a job for your degree?" he asked. "It's happening more and more, and it's kind of sad all these kids spending so much money on something like that to only end up working here."

"I agree."

"Do you live in town?"

"Yes, I just moved here. I don't know my address yet."

He waved his hand. "That's okay. But, do tell me, why should we hire you?" he asked the normal interview question. Ethan remembered Aspen's words, about making them laugh.

"Well sir," he said, trying to come up with something funny. He didn't care if he really got the job or not. He just made something up. "I am gluten free, and I won't steal any of the pizza."

The man dropped his pen, and stared at him. He thought that he had offended the hairy man, but instead, the loudest laugh that he had ever heard escaped from the man's belly and echoed out in the restaurant. He started to not be able to breathe, turning blue in the face. He was banging on the table, laughing so hard. Tears were coming to his face, and in between laughs, he took a deep breath. The other people were looking at him, wondering what was so funny.

"That is the funniest damn thing I've heard in years!" he said. "I like you! When can you start?"