Life Is Real

Chapter One

Hadley's Point of View

I slammed a crumpled résumé on the desk of the head Librarian at the local university library. She looked up at me with a disappointed yet wrinkled face. She peered at the crinkled sheet of pale paper that sat on her wooden desk.

"Um, that's my résumé," I murmured, pushing the paper towards the lady.

"It's rather, er, wrinkly and crinkly, don't you think?" she muttered with a chuckle, picking the sheet up. I watched her blue eyes scan back and forth over the page. She raised an eyebrow occasionally, making me feel nervous. I needed the job, I needed the money.

"Sorry, but I have a bunch of studying to attend ," I informed the librarian, "I was wondering if we could maybe just go through this right now? See, I've got some important exams coming up and-"

"Keaton Hadley is it?" she interrupted, pointing to my name on the résumé.

"Hadley Keaton," I corrected her. "And yes, I am a female."

"I didn't doubt that, dearie," the librarian muttered, still scanning the page. "Wait, what does it say here under 'dislikes'? Children?"

"Yes."

"Sliced bread?"

"Oh, that one was just a joke," I explained. "Y'know, like what Freddie Mercury said and all."

"Freddie who?"

"Never mind," I muttered. "So did I get the job Miss..."

"Abernathy," the librarian cut in to my sentence. "Mrs. Abernathy. And no, you did not get the job."

"Why not?!" I sputtered. Dear god, I needed that job a whole awful lot.

"We haven't gone over your résumé yet and your joking, sarcastic manner shall not be accepted here," Mrs. Abernathy explained, tapping her manicured fingers on the desk. "The information you put on here isn't even enough to sustain me."

"But Mrs. Abernathy-"

"I'm sorry, Miss Hadley."

"It's just Hadley," I growled. "Well, if you ever need a 'joking, sarcastic' librarian, call me. Just know that most college kids are like me, lady." I strutted out of the room, fuming mad. McDonald's wouldn't take me and neither would that babysitting union thing... And now the library! Lord, I would never get a job!

I walked out in anger, trying to keep it together. Knowing myself, I was bound to burst out in anger, drop a few F-bombs and make a couple little kids cry. I got onto the sidewalk and fumbled with a cigarette before lighting it. I held the stick between my lips and grumbled as I looked through job ads on Kijiji with my old iPhone 3. Liza Turner suddenly popped out of nowhere and gave me a friendly smile. Yuck, Liza Turner.

"Hey, Haddie!" she chirped. She sauntered up to me with her blonde hair bouncing along to her light footsteps.

"Hadley, Liza, it's Hadley," I murmured. Liza and I had been best friends from kindergarten to about grade nine when I realized she was too good for me. No really, she's practically perfect!

"Oh, sorry," she said through smiling teeth. She stared at my cigarette. "I never knew you smoked."

"Ah, I only do it when I'm stressed," I mumbled, taking in another cloud of smoke.

"Don't be smoking too much though, okay?" Liza pleaded suddenly, waving her manicured hands all over the air. "I really don't want you to get cancer and... Y'know..."

"Die?" I chuckled. "I'm more careful than that." I noticed the big bag Liza had slung around her shoulder. I could see a water bottle peeking out of the top and a lunch bag too. "Where're you going?" I asked.