Gravity

Chapter 3 - April 2019

It had been almost a month since Jerry's HR regime had begun at work and it was just as awful as you'd expect. The work itself remained the same but he'd changed the rules with things we could and couldn't say so much that everyone just started to mumble and stumble their way through conversations like a junkie that's just had their fix.

One particular lowlight was him standing over to the side of me, watching intently as I explained to our newest customer the colour options for the van he was hiring.

"You can have red, blue . . . charcoal or snow," I groaned as Jerry gave me a thumb up from a short distance away. He wasn't officially my boss, but at this point he might as well have been.

"Isn't that just black and white?" The perplexed patron asked.

"You'd think," I nodded sarcastically.

Luckily it was just work that was now hell and nothing serious.

Actually, here's an unpopular opinion that might surprise you. I don't mind work.

Hear me out. Obviously if I was super rich and didn't have to work, I wouldn't. I would travel the world, buy a giant house and probably drink beer every day. I'm one of those people that imagine and plan what I'd do if I won the lottery without ever actually playing it.

The thing is, I don't enjoy work either. I go because I have to and I do my best to make it pass by quickly, then I go home.

It's a pretty mundane existence but it's what I've always been used to.

When I was at school, I was exactly the same. I was always in awe of these teen dramas on TV that portrayed life in a hugely different way to what I was used to. Of course, now I know that that's just so they could get more viewers and keep people engaged, but at the time, I wasn't so wise.

So as a result I waited and waited for an adventure to find me, like it did in the shows. It always starts as any other day but every day came and went and was as boring and dull as the one before.

I didn't go on any adventures because I was waiting for a purpose.

I didn't ask out any girls because I was waiting for the hot popular girl to realise that she was in love with the shy quiet guy.

I didn't study hard and work at school or sports because I was waiting for my random hidden talent to emerge by itself.

As you can probably tell by this little rant, none of those things happened. Life sucks, huh?

Don't get me wrong though, it's not all bad.

I had Joe and Evelyn by my side the whole time, as well as a few other lads that I hung out with. I also had a few pretty decent jobs, have a nice flat and lost my virginity when I was eighteen to a girl who was actually pretty tidy before having a few girlfriends that kept me grounded until they eventually fizzled out.

Nothing tragic; nothing brilliant. Just bang average.

Despite what I keep telling Evie, I am worried about the future. At twenty-eight years old, I'm nowhere near my deathbed, barring a crazy illness, accident or murder. But at the same time, I am nearing the stage where people start to expect things of you, like settling down and actually being an adult. It's fucking scary to think about.

Sometimes I wish I was Joe.

Of course I'm happy for him, he's my best friend. But I can't help looking at his life and wishing I had what he had. Basically, I'm jealous.

He's got the perfect life. Someone who loves him for who he is, a fairly easy but high paying job and of course a great friend like me!

Whatever, clearly me and my regrets have some issues to work out.