YEAR OF THE ROOSTER
BY THE TIME GRADUATION arrived, my sanity was at its last straw. I was beyond ready to skip town just to get away from Dad's overbearing presence—in my mind and in my life—and Mom's incessant nagging that I do more than homework and video games whenever I wasn't at work. I don't think I'd even gotten a decent night's sleep in a week. Uncle Burnie had taken enough time to come visit the weekend of my graduation, bringing Ashley with him. The three of us went out for a night on the town to celebrate after the ceremony, my disappointed father deciding we were childish. He and Mom returned home and called it an early night.
After our partying—which ended early seeing as the bars around here closed earlier than we would've wished—Burnie and I found ourselves ravaging the kitchen at my house for a snack that night. He'd just finished telling me about something funny one of his co-workers did a few days before when he asked, "Any job offers yet, Kit?"
My mind flew back in time to when he'd offered to bring me into Rooster Teeth. "Well, there's your offer from last year. And Jimmy John's offered to keep me on as long as I want."
"Oh yeah, I did offer you a job, didn't I?" Uncle Burnie changed his expression to one of mocking thought so I whacked his arm. "You gonna accept it?" He pushed. "Now that you've graduated and all."
I give him an honest shrug as we sit at the glass rectangular table together with our snacks. "Depends on whether or not this is another job offer?"
"I mean, I could just let you struggle like the rest of us." He shrugs and his tone makes it seem like he's seriously considering it. "I've been offering you a job since you graduated high school, Kit. Of course the offer is still out there. You're always welcome to come work at Rooster Teeth." Burnie sipped on his water, probably hoping to dampen the blow of the hangover he'd get in the morning. Imagining the one I'd get, I stood up to retrieve a glass of my own.
As I returned with a bottle of water for myself, I shrugged, Dad's disappointed words ringing in my mind. "I don't know, Uncle Burnie. Dad would probably hate me for forever and then some if I took the job, but I've wanted to work with you since I was, what, thirteen years old?"
"Then what's stopping you?" Ashley says, popping into the dining room. She's been upstairs getting ready for bed so it surprised me into jumping in my seat when she suddenly made her presence known.
"Dad," I admit. Her and Uncle Burnie both nod knowingly. They know Dad despises the idea of me doing what Burnie does. He doesn't think it's a job for someone my age, much less Burnie's age, yet he supports Burnie. "But I really, really want to do it."
"Then do it." Burnie says with a matter-of-fact attitude.
"You're an adult that can make her own decisions." Ashley adds helpfully.
"Yeah, you know what, I am. Dad can suck it."
"Well, I didn't—," Ashley shushes Burnie and smiles proudly at my new revelation.
"I'll take the job, Uncle Burnie." I take a big munch of my PopTart and a smile graces my face that matches Ashley's.
The next morning Dad sat across from me at the table and, without any sort of eye contact, sternly said, "No."
Uncle Burnie, who sat beside me, gave Dad a confused look. He knew Dad disapproved, but I guess this was more real to him than my stories and rants every time there was an argument. "No?" He says before I can open my mouth. "What do you mean 'no'?"
YOU ARE READING
Keeping Up With Mr. Jones x m. jones
Fanfictionin which kit burns gets a job at her uncle's company and has chemistry between herself and the rage quit king +×+×+ Katrina, better known as Kit, is Burnie Burns' niece. As a college graduate, she is on the search for a job when her uncle offers her...
