Last Resort

Chapter 1

   "Ms. September I need your payment for your apartment today, I can't wait any longer."

    I looked at my landlord with the best innocent face I could possibly fathom. "I promise you, Mr. Sinclair, I will have the payment as soon as possible, just please give me more time, and I promise, you will have your money."

    The old, feeble man looked at me as though he were holding himself back from grabbing my neck and shaking me around until I finally paid him back. Finally, he heaved a deep sigh and reluctantly responded, "Alright, but you only have two weeks until I kick you out."

   I thanked the man very enthusiastically and made my way off to the mall. My friend promised me she would try to help me find a job that would pay a fair amount of money quickly. I weaved my way through the busy streets of Manhattan, avoiding bumping into people and still maintaining my running walk. I remember that the first time I came to this city four years ago, I marveled at the large skyscrapers everywhere you looked. I thought that this city was full of promise and I would find a high paying job quickly. Turns out, one year in college didn't get you many jobs in the city. Even if you graduated at the top of your class.

   I soon arrived at the endless mall and pushed my way towards the center, where I promised to meet my friend. We decided that the best place to start out would be the mall, and if that plan didn't work out then we would look through newspaper ads until we would find something that looked promising. There was a glimpse of blue hair that caught my eye and I started making my way to it. I silently approached the owner of the hair, whose back was towards me, and snaked my way around to plop a kiss on the cheek.

   Mable twirled around suddenly and sliced her fist through the air and punched square in my gut. I grovelled over while my best friend brought her hands to her mouth and gasped.

   "Oh, my lanta! I'm so sorry, Rae, I thought you were some weird pervert that was going to have his way with me."

    "That man would quickly learn to never mess with blue-haired frenzy real quickly if you hit him half as hard as you just did me. I may have to go to the hospital to check if all my organs are still intact."

    Mable laughed at that and suggested that we go look around. Of course, with her passion for a certain store, she urged me to apply for Hot Topic. "Dude, imagine if I walked in one day to get some new band shirts, and, BOOM, there you are, my best friend and best shop all wrapped into one little nice bow."

   "Dude, will there be a cherry on top, too?" I rolled my eyes, "I'm pretty sure the salary is, like, 'Here's your money, now go enjoy your McChicken, 'cause that's all you're getting with this pay!'"

   Despite my protests, in Mable's worshiping of the store, she dragged me to the store anyways. In God's almighty power, the man said they were not hiring at the moment. So, like the motivated people my friend and I are, we left and got some donuts. Of course, after the tasty treat we continued the search.

   Many no hiring stores, and judgmental 'I don't know if you're qualified' remarks later, Mable picked up a newspaper and plopped down on a bench. Fate must have been on my side, for if she had not picked up that paper out of boredom, I would never seen Mable shoot up as fast as someone could say 'meow' and shout, "This is it! The answer to all our prayers, sugarpie!"

   I glanced over at her as she was wildly pointing at an ad on the paper. "Oh, my gosh! You're so right! I totally know what you are talking about because your hand is definitely not covering it up."

   Mable gave a bashful look then kept still. I looked at the paper and saw what the job was for. "No way, I am never going to get that job. Were you not just a martial arts expert because of a pervert? If I'm working for an old one, how will I ever live? I don't care how much the pay is, I am not applying."

   "Excuse me, missy, but this guy is not a pervert, at least I don't think. He is, like, the main macho in the construction field. Plus, he has a super hot son! So, the pay is good and there's a good-looking dude next to you. What could you possibly lose?"

   "Uh, my innocence? I could be objectified. Have you never read teen's stories?" I rolled my eyes as if everybody reads the cheesy stories. Clearly, it was the current trend. "The poor pumpkin girl falls for the senile hottie business man. Her innocence melts the old lover's heart and they have a make out session and get married and live happily ever after, with a nice bow on top."

   Mable looked at me as though I was off my rockers, which, frankly, I kind of was. She shook her head and said, "Can you just look into it?" I sighed but finally gave in. I gave her a hug, took the newspaper, and started walking off. "Oh, by the way, Rae?" I looked at her with a questioning look. "Get a life. Stop reading those stories."

   I rolled my eyes, waved her off, and went home to make a call.