I was at my car, waiting for Melly to finish getting ready to go home for the day. Except we're not going home, we're going to find a job. Again. So far we've tried to get a job in a lot of retail works and restaurants such as Red Lobster, Hollister, Abercrombie, Applebee's, etc. all of them denied me and Melly the job. Apparently, they're all full right now. Even if they weren't full, they need someone qualify for the job and I guess I'm not it. Melly, well, we all know her case. I desperately need a job so I can make the money to support the baby. I'm planning to go to Target right now and apply there. I would take the job even if it isn't the most entertaining one in mind.
"Please help me!" I said, looking at the sky above. I need all God's grace to help me with this one. Besides, working at Target isn't too bad. It has it's pleasant part to it. I bet Melly would be totally turned on seeing how well I can put groceries in a bag.
I lightly drummed on the steering wheel, getting startled when I heard a knock on the glass window. I turned to see that it was no other than Melly waving and smiling at me, waiting for me to unlock the door. I hit the lock button and she immediately opened the door and climbed inside.
"Thank you." Melly sang as she put on her seat belt.
"No problem. Job hunting?" I asked, seeing how tired her face looked. With all that happened today, I can say that I'm pretty tired myself. But this job is essential right now. Melly breathed as she nodded her head.
"Let's go." She sighed.
I smiled as I got us out of the school's parking lot. I turned to right, onto the road and turned on the radio to some pop song. I cringed as I heard the singer sings "shake it off, shake it off-off..". I was about to switch to the rock n' roll station, when Melly stopped me.
"I like this song." Melly explained, before closing your eyes in bliss.
I gave her a judgmental look before turning my head back towards the road. Why does she like this song? The world may never know. The car ride was quiet for a bit, when I spoke up.
"How was your day today?" I asked, looking at her for a bit and back to the front. I know how her day with, I was there; I just want to know how she's feeling right now.
"As I look at the day as a whole, it was honestly...entertaining." She laughs lightly at the end of her sentence. Now that's music to my ears. This may sound cheesy, but her smile is her best feature. It's powerful enough to light up a dark room. "I look back at now and think how stupid people are to react personally about a pregnancy that does not involve them. If I were them, I personally would go about my day as if nothing happened."
"Hey, at least you're famous! That's something to feel special about." I said, making her laugh again.
"And I'm only going to tolerate until next week when school is out." Melly cheered, pumping her fist in the air. Thank goodness. I was getting tired of school as each day goes by.
"Then school is going to be back and you're only going to be famous AGAIN for at least three weeks. Everyone has to be bored with picking on someone after that. If they do, shows you how much people at our schools really, really, really needs to get their own lives." I said, turning my blinker to the left to head into Target's parking lot.
I smiled as I parked the car in the parking lot as I look over the huge store. I took out my keys and got out of my car with Melly on my side. I mentally recited all the prayers in my head as I took a step inside the big, red and white building. Melly took hold of my hand and squeezed it in reassurance. I looked at her with a small smile to see her giving me the same look in return. I squeezed her hand back as we approached the Customer Service desk.
"Hello, can I speak to the manager please?" I asked, the lady behind the desk. Her name tags reads Ana. Cool. "I want to apply a job here."
"Oh, well, you could just go to that desk with a computer there and sign up. Simple as that." Ana said, pointing to her right where the computer is.
I wiggled my eyebrows as I said thanks. I went to where Ana told me to go and did what I was supposed to do. I nodded my head when Melly told me that she will wait for me at Starbucks. I focused on the computer screen as I typed in all the required application. When I was done, I hit submit and got up from my seat.
"Perfect! We should call you back in a week or two for an interview." Ana smiled.
"Thank you." I said, before I went to the mini cafe that's inside the store to see Melly reading that book After by Anna Todd while sipping on a Starbucks drink. She can be such basic white girl sometimes(which is funny considering her Latina background), but that's one of the reason why I love her. She's my basic white girl inside of a Latina's body.
I walked up to Melly, suppressing a laugh when she jumped at my touch. She can be so oblivious sometimes.
"Yes?" Melly said, putting her book down as I leaned in for a kiss.
"Come on. Let's go." I said, taking her hand and helping her stand up.
"You didn't get the job?" Melly said, sounding upset.
"I don't know. They said, they'll call me back a couple of weeks." I said as we walked to the exit, hand in hand.
"Oh. Okay. That doesn't sound bad. I just really hope you get hired." Melly said,
"And while you were signed up for Target, I signed for Starbucks. I got the job on the spot. So we will probably work in the same building together."
"Cool." I said as we walked on the pavement. I probably sound less excited than I really am. In truth I think it's really cool that Melly and I would be near each other during work. That means I do have someone to mess with during my hours.
"Yeah, cool." Melly said in the same tone as we climb into the car to go home.
{_}
Monday, June 16, 2014
Twelve Weeks Pregnant
My cell phone rang around in the afternoon. I was at Somewhere Only We Know with Melly, celebrating the last day of school with her. I put one finger in her face to tell her give me a minute when I pick up at the fourth ring.
"Hello?" I spoke into the speaker.
"Yes. This is Jake Burns. I am a manager at Target. I saw that you applied for a job here and I would like to have an interview with you around three o'clock this afternoon." The person on the other line said.
"Okay, cool. I guess I will see you then." I said.
"Guess you will." Jake said, before hanging up.
I turned to Melly and said, "I need to go to Target today for an interview around three. Wanna come?"
"I have to. I have a job there now." Melly said as she laid her head on my shoulder.
"Oh right. You're an adult now. Oh my gosh, my baby has finally grown up." I said, earning myself a smack on my shoulder.
"Shut up!" Melly said, laughing, making me laugh along with her. I put my arm around her shoulder as we view the perfect scenery around us.
{_}
I walked to the customer service desk that I went to last week and told Ana that I'm here to talk to Jake. A man with a light brown beard, who seems to be around his thirties, approached with a smile on his face. This seems to be go off in a good start.
"Hi I'm Jake, you must be Derek." He said, putting his hand for me to shake. I returned the gesture .
"Nice to meet you, sir." I said.
"Please call me Jake. Step into my office and we'll start your interview." Emilee said. I nodded my head and I walked behind him to where his office is located. Her door opened to a tan room with papers all over the place. It's messy, but then again this is Sacramento's Target's manager; I wouldn't expect anything more than what it is. "Sorry about the mess, bro. I clean up as you tell me why you want to work here, your salary since your application said negotiable and if I like you, we can set out some rule.."
I raised an eyebrow at him as I said, "Um, okay..Well, I would like to work at Target because I think you guys have great service and I would like participate in the staff meeting.."
I was about to continue, when Jake said, "Okay, while I appreciate you being kind, I do not like suck ups. Tell me the real reason why you need to work here. You can work anywhere, but for some reason you choose here."
He doesn't know the half of it. I'm just a teenage boy in desperate need for a job, but that wouldn't sound appealing, but since he said he doesn't want me to 'suck up', here goes the truth. "My girlfriend is having a baby and I would really appreciate it if you would hire me. I need the job so I can raise the money to support it. I was being honest when I said, you guys have wonderful service."
"Oh. Okay." He said with a shrug and smile.
"Okay?"
"Yeah, the truth is all I needed to know to hire you, because if you were lying to me, that would make you dishonest and Target can't have dishonest employees for the job, right?" Jake said. I didn't answer, so he continued to talk. "Tell me how much money do you need to receive from here?"
I watched as Jake lights up a cigarette in his office. Because that's not illegal. I cough from the toxic smell of his cigarette, not really used to smokers. "How much is for minimum wage Jake?"
He took an inhale of his cigarette and blew out the smoke. "$8.84 per hour, if you want to be a cashier. But for your sake, I can raise it to 10.84 an hour."
"Whoa, really?" I asked, shocked at his reply. He nodded his head as he took another whiff of his toxic substance.
Two more bucks probably doesn't seem much for the average person, but as I said, I'm desperate for money. Melly and our unborn baby needs me to make at least this much. I plan to work for at least four hours, so that will be $43.36 by the end of the day. It would be $303.52 by the end of the week. That, plus the money that Melly is receiving for working at Starbucks, it would be enough to at least make the nursery, as well as other baby needs. At least I hope it will.
"I'll take it. Thank you." I said, really happy that Jake is helping me out. Despite his messy office and his bad habit of smoking with the door closed, he seems like a nice guy. "Why are you helping me out like this ? You know you don't have to."
I immediately regretted it, thinking that sounded rude or anything. I should have been grateful by keeping my mouth shut, but I was curious why he would raise my salary a bit more than it is. Thankfully, Jake didn't seem offended.
"Well, let's just say I was young when I had my first child too. I just want to help you out a little bit. I've done the same thing to my past employee who had similar reasons to working here." Jake explained.
"How's it like? To be a father at a young age, I mean." I asked, wondering what I'm really in for. I mean I know it's hard, but I want to see what I can to do to help Melly raise him or her.
"Well, it definitely isn't easy. They cry a lot. They're either hungry, need a diaper change, or they just want your full and undivided attention. But they're also really wonderful. It's really fascinating to see them grow up into these wonderful human beings. And the hugs and the kisses you will receive is....irreplaceable. It's hard, but I wouldn't trade my spot as a father to the world." Jake said, softly smiling at the end of his speech.
I smiled too. I know exactly what he means. The baby isn't even born and I think it's so surreal to see first hand how the baby grows from an embryo to a fetus and to the baby that will be here in six months. I may regret saying this once I have to wake up at three in the morning to attend my crying baby's need, but I cannot wait for the baby to come. I truly can't. Even from the start, I think I was a little too excited to realize I am going to be a father. Maybe it's too soon, but if it's meant to be it's meant to be.
"You know the rules of working at Target." Jake said, breaking me out of my thought.
"Oh yeah, of course." I said.
"If your girlfriend comes shopping you cannot flirt with her nor give her a discount just because she's your girlfriend." Jake said, making sure I would act professional for the job.
"I know." I said, smiling in the end. I can sneak a little flirting, just not make it too obvious to get caught.
"Alright, you're hired for the job." He said, softly, patting my back. "You start next Monday."
"Really?" I said, for him to nod his head. "Thank you."
I shook his hand, before I ran out of the office in happiness that I finally got a job. I ran to Starbucks, surprising Melly with my sudden burst of energy.
"Derek..what are you..?" Melly said, confused, but I cut her off before she could complete her question.
"We're going to celebrate tonight. I finally have a job!" I said, not caring that I look crazy to everyone else.
"You did? That's great news!" Melly said, hugging me quickly. "I'll come home as soon as they let me off."
"Okay! See you there, babe." I said, running out of Starbucks like a maniac. I don't care though. I'm just happy I got a job. I threw in an 'I love you' to Melly as
I ran out of the store.
This is one of the best days of my life.