Him by Carey Heywood (reading strategies book .txt) 📕

The first weeks are awful. I can’t help but stop and wonder what Will is doing. In Trenton, I’m not just mourning a broken heart. I miss my best friend. I had lost my cell phone that night so Chip eventually offers to add a line on his plan. My new number now starts with 609 instead of 404. I close my Facebook account, not that I used it that much before. I just can’t risk seeing him. To a certain extent, I disappear. That’s the start of my new life. My uncle lets me use his other car to get around. I get a job at a local coffee shop and go to school. I have a couple of weird conversations with Brian when he brings up Will, but after I make it clear I have nothing to say on the subject, he stops bringing him up.

I get registered at the local community college. While I wait for classes to start, I spend a lot of time with Sawyer. She’s adamant that I should call Will and hash it out but also respects the fact that I’m not going to. Besides, he’s in Italy right now, with Jessica. Just thinking about that kills me. I try to stay busy, even trick myself into thinking I’m moving on a couple of times. It was all a lie, I tell myself to make it through each day without him, but deep down, I know you never really get over your first love.

I had never been the best student, but something drives me to put everything I have into my classes. Every time I think about slacking off, I hear Mrs. Price's voice in my head telling me I will never be good enough for Will. That thought seems to push me more than anything else. After some time, I’m certain Will is probably back with Jessica or maybe even with some other girl at the University of Georgia. I know there is no future for us, but I never want to feel not good enough for someone ever again. I even go on a couple a dates with a guy who works at the coffee shop with me. His name is Carl. He’s nice, but I don’t feel anything when he kisses me.

It’s just before the start of my second semester, and I am working the afternoon shift at the coffee shop when a regular comes in. Her name is Helen, and everyday at three she stops in for a coffee to get her through the rest of her day, or at least that’s what she always says. She’s an accountant and works in the same building as the coffee shop, just three floors up. She’s extra frazzled today and keeps staring at me while she sits, drinking her coffee. The fact that she is sitting at all is odd. She normally just takes her order and leaves. We’re slow, so I grab a spray bottle and walk around the counter to wipe down the tables.

When I get closer to her, I ask. “Everything okay?"

One side of her mouth pulls up, and she clears her throat. "Funny you should ask. My assistant quit this morning. She’s moving to Mexico to find herself.”

Helen is a total corporate Barbie, from her rust shaded pantsuit to her low blonde power ponytail. She puts her elbows up on the table and steeples her fingers before resting her chin on them. "Any interest in becoming my new assistant?"

I shoot her a questioning look. "What?"

She picks up her coffee and takes another sip. "I'm serious. I know you're in school, and I can work around your schedule. I have seen you in here almost every day and can see how competent you are. Plus I'll give you health insurance."

It isn’t the health insurance that I’m interested in but her appearance of success. I want that. I end up taking a fifteen minute break and talk to her more about what exactly she’s looking for. I tell her I’ll think about it and that I want to talk to my uncle about it. She finishes her coffee and leaves. Since it’s Friday, I have until Monday afternoon to think about it. I watch her walk out of the shop, a guy holding the door for her as she leaves and watching her as she walks away. She not only has that air of success but of confidence too. If I had to guess, I would say she’s in her early thirties, but she seems younger.

I think about her job offer for the rest of my shift. It’s probably a no brainer but I’ve become comfortable with my current routine. I know what’s expected. I know I can handle my course load and my shifts at the coffee house. This opportunity has a whole lot of unknown to it for me. Chip’s not home when I get off of work. It’s Friday night, and he’s likely with his latest arm candy. Our conversation will have to wait until tomorrow. When I first moved in with Chip, I wondered if my living with him was affecting his social life. I learned pretty quickly I wasn’t and have gotten very good at making conversation with his conquests every Saturday morning.

Chip’s making some eggs, and Allison, his latest lady, is sitting at the breakfast bar in his robe when I walk in. She was here last weekend too. He must really like her. I mumble a greeting to the both of them before pouring myself some orange juice and sitting on the stool next to Allison. I tell them all about Helen and her offer. Chip and Allison are both realtors. They don’t work for the same company but had met at an open house for one of Allison's clients. They work with accountants regularly and