When opportunity knocks

Chapter 3 - Rise and Shine

Standing in front of her full length mirror, Prisha had a thought. 'This is it, I have a job. And it's with Harry freaking Styles.' She couldn't be happier. However, there was this feeling in her stomach, a worry this all might be too good to be true, that it was all fake. 'No,' she thought to herself. She pushed the thought to the depths of her mind where it could be forgotten, and the feeling deep down inside her until she no longer felt the worry. She would later discover that this feeling was not one to be discarded. After finishing getting ready for her first day of her new job, she practically skipped down the stairs, a grin on her face that couldn't be suppressed. Noticing her unreasoned joy, her mother stopped her as she breezed through the kitchen, only grabbing an energy bar and an apple to eat on her way.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Her mother queried.
"No where mum, but I will be out all day," Prisha replied to her mother, still slowly inching toward the door.
"Who with?" Her mother pried, curious.
"No one."
"So let me get this straight," her mother responded, talking slowly, trying to understand her daughter. "You are going to be out all day, wherever no where is, with no one. That definitely isn't a lie." She said the last sentence sarcastically.
"Exactly." Prisa declared, and hurried out the door in a whirlwind of excited motion before her mother could even process what Prisha had just said.
Now standing alone in the kitchen, her mother sighed to herself. She reassured herself she needn't worry, Prisha was a teenager who was capable of looking after herself. Plus, she was probably going to a party or something, and Amy would definitely be there.
She was right about one of those things, and it wasn't that she would be at a party.

Meanwhile, Amy was also on her way to her first day of work. As much as she hated Harry Styles and his greasy hair, this was a job. Prisha popped into her mind, she loved Harry Styles, apparently they were soulmates, even though Harry didn't know of Prisha's existence. As she walked the few miles to the address that she had been sent, she pondered this. Amy wasn't sure she believed in true love, or soulmates. It all seemed a bit too good to be true, something people made up to reassure themselves that the person they are in a relationship with is "the one." Prisha always says that one day someone will come along and change her mind, but she doubted it.
Arriving at the address, she was confronted by a tall, unimpressive building on an average road, in a quiet neighbourhood. Wow. This place was trash. She slowly made her way up the steps, old chewing gum just about visible after being trodden into the concrete by dirty shoes for who knows how long.
Looking at the list of names and numbers next to the buzzer, she looked for a name that could be it. The names read:

John Simmons. No.1
Lucy Bell. No.2
Susanne Jones. No.3
Amir Malik. No.4
Dave. No.5

Nervous, Amy clicked the button next to number 5, only to be answered by a deafening screechy buzz, like a car horn gone wrong. Almost immediately after the haunting sound ceased to be heard, a voice came through the speaker. It was the voice of a middle aged man, maybe 45.
"Who is it?"
"Amy, I'm here for-"
"I know why your here." Dave interrupted. "Come on up."
Then came the sound again, and Amy thought it was worse than the first time, screechier. She opened the battered door, the wood creaking like it does in horror films. Slowly, she ascended the stained marble steps. She could tell that this building had been neglected, probably why a famous person would hide out here, it would be overlooked.
As she reached the stairs, she turned her head to the right, noticing a brown door with gold-coloured metal lettering reading NO.5 . Here goes nothing, Amy silently thought to herself as she cautiously wandered down the hallway, which stunk of nasty aftershave and old cigarettes. Her hand tapped against the door lightly and a short man with a stubbly beard opened the door straight away. This must be Dave.
"Y'alright? I'm Dave nice to meet ya. Come on in."
Amy entered, scanning the small space. She heard Dave lock the door behind her but she barely took notice of him because sitting on the disgustingly dirty sofa was Prisha. Prisha was there, sitting on Dave's manky couch. Amy couldn't believe my eyes, why was she here? Then the truth hit her like a wave of betrayal, which probably hit her too. She was the other candidate.
At that moment, Prisha turned around and a look of shock and horror spread across her face like paint on a canvas. They both were still for a while, staring at each other like they had each just discovered a new species, and that species was staring at them too. The next thought Amy had was somewhere along the lines of "Oh shit. She knows."

Prisha, sat on the manky sofa, was thinking the same thing. Why was Amy here? Then she realised, Amy had betrayed her and applied for the job too. She was her competitor. This was not going to be good, Prisha knew it, and she knew Amy knew it.
They stayed staring, neither one knowing what to do or say. Neither one wanting to break eye contact, as if it was a sign of weakness if you did.
This situation had gone from 0-100 really quick and Prisha knew that if she didn't end up winning the job in the end, then nothing good was going to come out of this. It had already gone downhill, and she wanted to be at the top.

The competition had started, but it was not for a prize either of them were prepared for. Not yet.