Tricks to Love

Chapter 1

                                                                            Chapter One

The sky was grey and it matched my mood. I have spent nearly two hours curled up in a bright orange fold up chair on the loading dock, watching the S.H.I.E.L.D agents work furiously to prepare the Helli-carrier for lift off. From this distance, the mostly well built soldiers look a little like ants with shiny heads, bringing goods into the unbelievably massive metal disk that would soon carry many of us into the sky, for who knows how long.

‘If only they would let me help’ I thought miserably to myself. My organization skills are unmatched. Yet, it would be hard to believe that they would allow a petite, and soft spoken psychologist do any heavy lifting. Standing proudly at the height of five feet, I am constantly undermined. My high soprano voice doesn’t exactly sound threatening either. As a psychologist I have worked tirelessly to train myself to speak in a soothing voice. It seems to have worked because I apparently am one of the most successful out there at my job. It is also one of the only things im confident at doing. Reading people. I mean im no Sherlock Holmes but I love being able to lose myself in my mind, for it seems it’s the only place I feel truly safe.

BOOM! BOOM! Two large thuds shake me from my trance. I look up just in time to see the last of three large crates fall from a big crane, almost in slow motion, to the ground and split down the middle. Instinctively I stand and sprint across the a concrete loading dock that feels like the size of six foot ball fields. I’m almost running at turtle speed, the strong wind blowing in my face. Many workers circle around the mess. I reach the boxes and skid uncontrollably into the back of one of the agents and fall to the ground like an idiot.

The agent whirls around and stares at me with an annoyed expression until suddenly his irritation turns to fear. He looks around to see if anyone has noticed. Three other agents have seen and rush over to my aid and pick me up, brushing me off. The young man I have collided with has much concern in his dull blue eyes, his cute, childish features distorted with worry.

"Are you alright Miss Mason? I am so sorry, I didn’t even see you, I was just so distracted! I mean of course I see you, everyone does. Not that we all stare! Um can I get you anything? Ice pack, water, a blanket....." he rambled on. I put my hand up to silence him and then I shoo the other agents away politely. He stopped mid sentence looking at me like a scared rabbit. I sigh and smile at him, trying to seem bubbly, but lately that has seemed like a such great task....

"Im ok. Don’t worry about me. And please call me Ivy, we work together we should be on a first name basis." I said, my voice sounding light and cheery. He smiled widely at me. He bought it. ‘Practice makes perfect’ I thought smugly. The young man seemed to look over me a few times with a new kind of smile on his face. ‘Oh my god. Is he checking me out?’ I could feel my eyes widen. I looked frantically over both my shoulders, praying nobody saw.

"So..." he began to say, " I was wondering.... I mean I already swept you off your feet and all..... we could, maybe....

"Um I have to go now! Work to be done! You should get back to work anyway! Nice meeting you!" I practically yelled. The words couldn’t seem to spill out fast enough. I turned quickly on my heels and sped away towards the other end of the loading dock. After what seemed a decade I finally reached the edge. There were large, metal bars on the edge to protect the people from falling off into the deep, cold water below. The Pacific Ocean I guess. I look off into the distance. The mean, grey clouds have cleared and now a friendly yellow glow has appeared in the sky. Warmth fills my insides but disappears as quickly as it came. How pathetic I was. I used to be all about this crap. Sunsets, rainbows, unicorns and butterflies. None of it mattered. We were put on this earth to suffer. We were all intended to have our hearts shattered into a thousand little pieces....