"I like my ending better." I complain.
"Yours is too boring and ruins it. Mine is at least positive." Lorenzo counters. I glare at him .
"Mine is reality. Yours is just like little red riding hood being friends with the wolf." I say.
"Yours is like... the itsy bitsy spider not being able to climb the spout again." He says.
"God, you're lame." I groan. I type my ending. He tried to delete it. "No! Leave it."
"You'll make the readers sad!" he cries.
"Good!" I say. I send it in. He groan. "Ha!" I poke his chest. There's a knock on the door. I turn seeing Kendall. She smiles.
"I was wondering if you wanted to come out to dinner tonight with me and a few other colleagues. You know, as a good bye type of thing." She asks.
"A... goodbye?" Lorenzo asks. I look at him.
"Yeah, she is going back to Phoenix. " Kendall says. He looks at me. I glance back at Kendall.
"Y-Yeah, we can do that." I says.
"Good, I will see you after work." She says. She leaves. I look back at Lorenzo. He still stares.
"When were you going to tell me?" He asks acrimony.
"At lunch." I admit. He rubs his face. "Loren-"
"Why are you being sent back? When did you find out?" He questions. I look at my lap.
"Yesterday but... the other day... before everything... I may have requested it." I say. "But I regret it now."
"Before everything? What difference does it make?" He questions. "Why would you want to go back?"
"I-I don't know." I lie. He sighs.
"I can't believe you requested to go back!" He states. He stands and walks to his desk not sitting.
"You can't be mad." I say.
"I can't be mad? You told Janice you wanted to go back!" He states annoyed. "Just because at the time, you didn't 'like' me. You're so hung up on a past that never happened!"
"I was, but I started realizing it may not have mattered." I say. "Why? Why was I still hung on the past? I thought you cheated! I had reasons to hold onto the past, Lorenzo."
"Yeah, but if things were changing, why'd you tell Janice you wanted to leave?" He asks.
"Because I was scared!" I say.
"Scared of what?" He questions. I bite my tongue.
"I don't know." I mumble the lie. " I have to go." I brush past him, leaving. Walking out of the office, I come across Kendall, Angelina and two other coworkers, who walk toward the office.
"Are you okay?" Kendall asks. I nod silently and rush past them. I emerge outside and get into my car. I call my mom and drive off.
"Hey honey." He answers.
"Mom." I say, my voice cracking. "A-Are you home?"
"Yeah, are you okay?" She asks sympathetically.
"I'll explain when I get there." I say.
"Okay sweetie, be careful." She says. "Bye." I hang up. What am I even feeling anymore?
After as little, I arrive at my mom's house. I go inside.
She sits in the kitchen with a cup of tea. I side hug her and sit.
"What's wrong? You were fine this morning." She says.
"I made a... good but bad choice." I say. I explain to her about going to Janice for the transfer.
"Why do you want to go back?" She asks shocked. "You just came back."
"I-I uh... feel like I'll be more successful." I say. "I regret it though now that it is happening." She gives me a dirty look. Yes, that's my mom for you.
"What is the real reason you wanted to transfer, Alexandria?" She asks.
"What do you mean? That was my reason." I say.
"You're my daughter. Don't you think I know you by now?" She asks. I bite my lip. "There has to be something else... or added to what you said. Yes, you're serious about your career, but you never had an issue with trying something new. You sucked it up and did what you had to." I shake my head.
"What about re trying something?" I ask. She frowns.
"What do you mean? I guess you are going back to where you started... but you always liked a fresh start if it wasn't bad." She says. I twirl a piece of my hair.
"What if I liked it before, before everything changed?" I ask.
"Well, I guess it's good you are going back then." She states. "You seemed very happy." I run my hand through my hair. "And you were... wait. You aren't talking about Lorenzo are you?"
"Mom." I state. "He never cheated on me." She tilts her head. "I just found out that it was a rumor. Nothing more."
"So after you found out, you've been having old feelings again?" She asks.
"Actually before I found out." I admit. "And I was scared, so I asked Janice to transfer me back."
"Ah, there's the full truth." She says. She rubs my back. "Sometimes we have to deal with the consequences in life from choices we make. We might not be happy, but we have to try to make the best of it." I nod. "SO, does Lorenzo know any of this?"
"He just found out I was leaving. He is mad that I requested it. I think I hurt his feelings." I admit.
"Does he know why though?" She asks. I shake my head. "Why not tell-"
"I'm scared mom. I'm not totally sure what I am feeling. I am confused." I say.
"Well, now you know he didn't cheat on you. Why are you scared?" She asks. I shrug.
"The past that I thought was real scarred me. I am just scared he will hurt me again... well for the first time. "
I admit. "And just everything, and what's the point anymore? I am leaving."
"I'm sorry, Sweetie." She says.
After I leave my moms, I feel much better. I return to work. Lorenzo is gone. I go to Kendall.
"Do you know where Lorenzo is?" I ask as she gives me a sympathetic look.
"Uhm... I think home... are you sure you are okay? "She asks. "You looked pretty upset."
"I feel better. "I assure.
"We heard all the way out here. We weren't sure what was going on." She says.
"Sorry. Him and I fight a lot." I state the obvious. She gives me a small smile. "It's stupid."
"I wouldn't say that." She states. I shrug. "Anyway, we are thinking about leaving around 5. Is that okay?" I nod.
"Yeah. I'll be here." I say.
Later, Janice calls me into her office.
"Is everything okay between You and Lorenzo?" She asks concerned. "I couldn't help but over hear this mornings... argument."
"Y-Yeah. It was just a small disagreement... type of thing." I say.
"Is it about the transfer back?" She asks.
"I guess most of it was." I say.
"Yeah... I would guess he'd be a little upset. When he discovered your articles, he showed me how talented you are. He said you would be perfect here and get the company further." She says. "Since you have been here, more people here in Cali have bought the paper. Our views have also gone up 5%, in the area at least."
"Wait, Lorenzo? He showed you my articles?" I ask.
"Yeah, I thought you knew that. He has a collection of your best ones." She answers. That is the folder I found when I first came here. So he is the reason why I was transferred in the first place? "Well anyway, I hope everything works out okay."
"Thanks." I say. I leave going to my office. I go through Lorenzo's desk and pull the folder out. I sit at his desk and look through the articles. He really collected all of these... just to get me here?
Authors note:
Hey guys! Tell me what you think and vote!
~Lindsy