Really? by M.J. Garrett (the beginning after the end read novel .TXT) 📕

the cubicle wall, handing me this ridiculous yellow cup that was shaped in the form of those stupid yellow smiley faces that people put in emails to spice up the drab office cyber conversation.

Really? I'm here 3 hours and I've already found my place. I grabbed her cup and walked down to the coffee machine. Deflated and angered, I poured the coffee and thought about all the things I wished I was pouring into this stupid yellow cup that kept smiling at me. I could see her peeking over the top of cubicle wall. Smiling and raising her shoulders, as she scrunched her nose and mouthed the words “Thank you”. As I handed her the warm cup, she says in her high pitched cheerleader voice, “You're such a sweetheart.” She then disappears behind the wall.

Leaning back into this new chair, yet to be worn in to fit my dumpy ass, I wonder if this is really earth or some sort of Hell that I was sure that I deserved. Either way, I have a job. I guess the only thing that could make me a little happier would be if someone actually told me what the fuck I'm supposed to do here.

“Hey!” the man said as he leaned against the entrance of my cubicle purgatory. Looking over my shoulder, I see this guy who looks to be around 25 years old. Sharp dresser, about as sharp as you could dress without a sport coat. His bedhead look and rugged smile made me somewhat uncomfortable. Leaning there with a cup of coffee in one hand and the other hand on his hip, it made me feel like I was getting set up for some kind of joke. My office initiation.

“Can I help you?” I asked him with a blank look on my face. I could have extended the courtesy of standing up, but I didn't see the need while in this small cubicle. I figured it would make him as uncomfortable as me, but I was the guy that planned on disappearing into the shadows, or at least the bathroom.

“I hear you just got here? Let me welcome you aboard! My name is Fredrick, but everyone around here just calls me Rick. It's nice to meet you.” He extended his hand forward and I reached my clammy chubby hand over to meet his, still staring at him with suspecting eyes. “Just let me know if you have any trouble, I'm always here to help.” Smiling with that little twinkle in his eyes, he shook my hand with a firm grip and turned to walk away.

It really wasn't to my surprise, but as he walked away, he left a wake of heads popping up above the cubicle walls as he passed each one. Every woman working in that particular row of desk did their best wack-a-mole impersonation. Of course, I only know this because I did the same. The girl with her ridiculous smiley face mug, turned and faced me and jumped in shock to see my balding fat face in line with everyone else. “Is that my boss?” I asked.

“Who, Rick?” She said as she pushed her eyebrows up to question me. “Uh...no. Rick works in the mail room.” She started to chuckle, as she shook her head and turned to sit down.

Mail room? This guy works in the mail room? Why the hell was he walking around the office with coffee and tie? “So...do all of the mail room staff wear suits?”

“Nope.” she said sitting down and facing away from me.
“Well, how does he know I'm the new guy?”

“You are the new guy, duh. The mail room has a bet going to see how long you last. I put my money down for three months.” She started typing while I stared at the back of her pretty head.

“Three months? Why three months?”

She stopped typing and swiveled her chair around to face me. Her legs crossed and her skirt inching up her thighs, she tilts her head down and peeks to both sides of her small cubicle as if she was going to reveal to me the big secret. She leans forward and blinked a couple of times and then whispers, “Do you know how many people have sat at that desk in the past year? Six. Each one of them, looked like you, sounded like you, and got coffee for me...just like you. I don't know what it is, but that desk is cursed!”

“Cursed? What the hell are you talking about?” I looked at her with total confusion written on my face.
“I didn't want to say anything. You seem like a nice guy and you seem like you want to be here.” she whispered and still looked around like she was giving me top secret nuke codes. I was confused. Who the hell really wanted to be here? I look like the guy that wants to be here? I got her coffee, so now I'm doomed? It's so secret that she's whispering? Really?

She slowly pushed her sexy little body up from the chair and brings her face close to mine. “Do you know what we do here? Do you have any clue?” She spoke with such conviction. I glanced around the room and could see all the wack-a-moles staring at me blankly shaking their heads as if they all knew the big secret.

“The last 6 people, who sat in your cubicle, were never heard from again.” She's still whispering. “One day they were here and the next day they were gone. No one even knew their name. Well, no one but Rick. I don't know who you worked for or what you did to get this job, but the desk that you sit at is cursed.” She was beginning to creep me out.

Looking at her with my blank eyes, I inched to her pretty little face. “I don't believe in curses, sister.” I whispered back to her with my warm coffee breath pushing her blonde streaks to the side of her face. Standing there with our faces an inch apart, her eyes blinking and staring back at me, she became very quiet and motionless. Just when I begin to wonder where to go next with our conversation, she belches! Not just a normal girly belch, but she burped so loud and hefty that it made me jump back! I knocked over my desk lamp and then tripped over my chair. Reaching for something to keep me from falling, I grabbed the computer screen and in slow motion, I began to fall. I glanced towards the pretty little face peeking over the cubicle wall as she just looked at me with her blank stare. Hitting the floor with a loud thump and the sound of the chair hitting the desk, I could see my life flashing before my eyes! Still holding the computer screen, I rolled my fat ass over as I could see the entire desk and cubicle walls leaning over and collapsing on top of me.

Laying there beneath the rubble of my cubicle, as well as the 3 cubicles surrounding mine, I took a deep breath and stared up into the darkness. I could hear the people chattering and mumbling. I could feel the rubble moving around as they began to pick up the shattered office, trying to rescue me. Trying to save me! I held my hand up to signal to them that I was okay. I could feel the cool air conditioner blowing on my hand and I could still hear voices, so I knew I was going to be saved. A smile appeared on my face with the understanding that I wasn't hurt or lost forever.

With my hand still waving in the air and with that smile on my face, I felt the cool touch of a something in my hand. It took me a moment to realize what it was and as soon as I did, my smile disappeared from my face. It was that little punk cheerleader's yellow coffee mug. I peeked through the rubble and I could see that stupid yellow smiley face just laughing at me. I wish I could just wipe that smirk off it's face.

“You know how I like it!” I heard the cute voice say as it faded toward the bathroom with her laughing the whole way.

Still trapped under the rubble with my hand holding up this arrogant smiling coffee cup, I hear a man's voice say, “Hey! I found it!” Thankful, that I wasn't alone, the man continued talking. “Wow...I can't believe it! This was a 3 dollar pen!!”

Just like that....I was alone. Well, if you consider that stupid mug as some sort of personality, I guess I wasn't alone. It was just me and the mug, but don't think we became friends over this. I despised that mug! Every day, looking at me, laughing at me, and mocking me. I'm lasting longer than 3 months...but that mug? That mug is going down!


Chapter 6

“What do you want, Abe?” she said with a bitter sting in her voice.

“Nothing. I'm just calling because I think it's important for you to know. I have the girls now.” I spoke quietly because I know how she never had a chance to see them and she has pretty much blamed me for their lack of communication. I know that phones and email have been invented and she does have a computer, but somehow, it was all my fault. “Mom, I don't know what to do with them. I've lived so long without anyone, I'm confused and I'm scared.”

“Where is Sandra? She finally moved on?”

“Mom, she died.” The phone dropped to the floor and I could hear her suck in air in shock. I guess I could have at least told her, but I didn't think she even cared. It has been my way of things to shut everyone out of my life and that included my parents. When Sandra left me, she took the only thing that ever mattered to me and I didn't want anything to ever make me forget about my children. I locked myself away from life and then crapped my idea of standing out, to become the fat, balding, invisible asshole that even Sandra found to be impossible.


**

This is how much I never knew about the girls. Did you know that Katie was a really fast runner? I didn't! She draws a lot and reads about as fast as I do. She hates commercials during cartoons and she loves to mix the weirdest things in with her food. I actually liked the Kool-Aid Spaghetti. She laughs while she runs. With her hair flowing behind her, her mouth opens up and joy