By noon, I'm already exhausted. I haven't ran into my new boss and I'm extremely thankful for that. I know it's best just to stay in my office and avoid any contact with him, so that is what I decided to do.

I read over the new laptop idea and held my pen between my teeth as I wrote out new notes for the way the new laptop would work. I smile when it's time for lunch but I am also fearful, what if I run into my new boss while I'm eating my lunch? I pray that I can get down to the break room with ease.

I walk down the stairs, careful to avoid Mabel and her irritating comments about my name.

"Hey Pacifica!"

I heave a sigh of relief when I see that Cody is coming to meet me. "Hey Cody," I say. "How's work?"

"Um could be better, like how about, Maxine and Stanford come back!" He laughs, a deep sound, then lowers his voice. "I mean, those twins are just awful!"

"Tell me about it," I whisper back, "Mabel keeps messing up on my name even though I was introduced to her at the wedding!"

Cody nods with me as we walk to the break room together. "Mabel constantly flirts with me."

"God that must be awful," I roll my eyes at his comment but smile nonetheless.

"She acts like such a bitch," Cody continues.

"They must be good at that," I mumble.

He stops and looks me in the eye, "you've met the new boss? What was he like?"

I take a deep breath and I think about how he acted when I first met him. "He was, at first, polite, intense, really smart, and," I trail off as I bite my lip.

"And what?" Cody asks.

"He was really intimidating." I say in a hush tone. "I don't really like either of them."

"Which one would you rather have here?" Cody decides to ask and I groan. "What?"

"You can't possibly ask me to pick between those two, they're both equally awful and self centered." I open the fridge and pull out a yogurt.

"You have that right," he chuckles, "but answer the question."

"Um. . .probably Mabel," I sit down on one of the chairs that surround a table.

"Seriously?" Cody seems to be surprised that I picked Mabel. "She's awful!"

"But I can deal with her comments," I say, "it's the boss's I can't."

"Why?" He asks, "what did he say to you?"

"Well, he said-"

"Oh hey Pepper," I frown when I hear the familiar voice of my new tormentor, "I'm surprised you're here."

"Why?" I feel a surge of courage when I ask.

"I dunno," she shrugs, "just that Maxine said you work your ass off like all the time."

"I do," I take what she said as a compliment, knowing that I won't get many from her or the new boss. "Just not twenty-four seven."

She laughs and it has a bell sound to it, it's pretty. Damn her. "True, you probably need a break some time in your life!" She smiles at Cody, "hey." She says to him and he only smiles in return.

I can tell that Cody likes her somewhat. It's not that hard to tell when someone likes someone else, it's harder to tell when someone likes you.

~ ~ ~

The next day is better, and worse. Mabel calls me another name that begins with P and I tell Cody all about it. Cody starts to spend more time around Mabel's desk and I can hear the two of them laughing. He totally likes her. I work in peace and wait for the day to be over so I can leave my office. I am beginning to not like work anymore now that Mabel and the new boss arrived. Mabel tries to be friendly to me, but I can tell that it's all an act. A publicity act.

I go about my business, organizing papers and writing reviews about how the new version of Tech G's laptop is better than the previous version and any other laptop you will ever have. I sigh before shutting off my laptop, ready to head home for the day.

I walk out of my office and to the elevator instead, knowing that I won't run into anyone right now. When the elevator opens I come face to face with the new boss.

He has a deadpan expression on his face when he sees me, like he was completely expecting me to be standing in front of him. I move past him and into the elevator and push the button for the main floor.

I hate when awkward silences happen, and it always seems to happen to me or with me. I look away from him the entire time and keep to myself. I hope to God that the elevator doesn't get stuck, because otherwise I'd have to spend an hour with him in a tight space. Not something I'd like to happen to me.

When the elevator opens again, I walk out of it as fast as possible, only to have the new boss call me over, "Priscilla," he calls, using the name he says is better. "I need to see you in my office."

I gulp and follow him into what used to be Stanford's office, a nice place that I could relax in when Maxine and I would chat about anything. "Yes?" I ask in a quiet voice.

He stands behind his desk and then he lets out a breath, "you're fired."