Page 39 of I Love to Hate You
Guilt and despair swallow me whole as Theresa throws her head back and unleashes an agonizing wail into the air. The sound startles and frightens nearby children and they begin to cry in response to the horror spewing from her mouth.
The waiting room descends into chaos. Theresa faints and has to be held upright by my mother and a few bystanders who struggle to hold her as grief weakens them. A nurse is called in to tend to Theresa, and my mother slowly makes her way over to me. The pain in her eyes matches what I feel in my heart as my senses come tumbling down and I can’t fight anymore. All of my strength leaves my body and I disintegrate, bawling like a baby with heavy sobs as my mother wraps her arms around me. We slide down onto the floor and that’s where we stay. Completely broken.
PartTwo
WORLDS COLLIDE
Maya
Twenty-Six
~ MAYA~
It has been two months since graduation, and while every day leading up to this one has been a headache of the worst kind, I’ve got a feeling today is the start of something awesome.
I stand in front of my mirror making sure my hair is hanging exactly the way I wanted it to when I styled it this morning. My heart thumps and anxiety flows through my veins like I’m wearing an IV full of it. My hair looks great, as does the white crop top I’m wearing with green pants that will be accompanied by an open front blazer. I’ve managed to pull it all together, and it’s important that it looks perfect, because today is the day I begin my internship at Bell Liberty Marketing.
After a few weeks of job hunting with my father hovering over my shoulder, I finally managed to land an interview with a man named Denver Rhoades, who’s a marketing coordinator at Bell Liberty. I was just as anxious during the interview as I am now, but Denver asked fair questions and made me feel like he actually wanted me on the team based on my answers. With my father on my case all the time and every relationship turning to rubble beneath my feet, there was a part of me that felt like it wouldn’t happen. Sometimes you just get that feeling that you don’t deserve things even when you really do. That imposter syndrome kicks in and you start thinking it won’t happen for you because it shouldn’t. It’s hell, and I sat across from Denver waiting for him to tell me I wouldn’t hear from him ever again. However, he smiled like there was good news and then delivered it to me, reaching across the desk to shake my hand and congratulate me on landing one of six intern spots at Bell Liberty that would start the following week. I was so excited I could’ve jumped through the ceiling and flown back to my car instead of walking, but I kept my composure and shook Denver’s hand with poise and professionalism.
When I told my father about the internship, he answered the way I figured he would.
“Internship. So, you’re not getting paid?” he asked, glaring at me with disappointment.
I laughed and shook my head as I corrected him. “It’s not an unpaid internship, Dad. I’m getting paid. It’s not a lot, but if I'm hired after six months, my pay will nearly double.”
“All you have to do is manage to not mess it up,” he said.
But it didn’t matter. I’d beaten my imposter syndrome and gotten the job. I was hired.
Now that the day has come, I understand how important it is not to get caught up in the past. Everything before today is exactly that—before. The only thing that matters now is today and everything that happens going forward. So I slip my arms into my green blazer and don’t allow myself to be burdened with anything that took place two months ago—not school, or arguments with Dad, or my ex, or … anybody else. I haven’t heard from anyone anyway, so none of it matters now. Today is the start of a brand-new life of happiness, hard work, and success.
When I arrive at Bell Liberty Marketing, I’m greeted by a receptionist at the front desk, who smiles as her brown hair flows down her back. Her name tag says Sharita, but she never introduces herself before picking up the phone and speaking softly into it. A few seconds later, Denver Rhoades comes through a glass door wearing black slacks, an open olive-green blazer, and the exact same professional smile he had during our interview. He extends his hand as he approaches and I take it, shaking it a little too vigorously as excitement makes me lose control.
“Welcome back, Maya. It’s so nice to see you again,” he says, the smile on his barely-there lips never wavering.
Denver is tall, so I have to crane my neck up to make eye contact with him when I reply, “It’s nice to see you again as well. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I can’t wait to get started.”
“Fantastic. Well, you’re already off to a great start, as you’re the first of our interns to arrive. It’s always better to be early, so let’s get you into the conference room while we wait for the others to get here, then we’ll get started.”
“Sounds good,” I reply, beaming like it’s Christmas morning.
I follow Denver through the glass door and into a vast expanse of cubicles and offices with countless people moving about. Men and women of all races focus on their jobs, answering phones and typing up documents on wide computer screens, while some people vigorously take notes or give presentations in the many conference rooms. The place is booming with life, and now that I’m here to work, I realize I was only focused on Denver the last time I was here, because I don’t remember it being this big. I couldn't possibly be more excited to be a part of this.
“Hey, do you want anything to drink?” Denver asks as we stop in front of a break room that already has people in it filling up cups of coffee.
“Oh, no, thank you,” I answer. “I may get some coffee later or something, but I’m good for right now. I appreciate it, though.”
“Sure, no problem. Just let me know and we’ll get you some coffee. This is one of two break rooms we have. The other is on the far side and is usually less busy. When we had interns a couple of years ago, they always preferred to use the far one because it got less traffic, so don’t be surprised if that’s how it works this time around. I’m sure it’s unnerving to have the veterans hovering and whatnot.”
I giggle as we start walking again. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Denver escorts me into a conference room at the end of the building that’s completely empty, minus a few papers at the end of the table in front of the seat reserved for the boss. Denver approaches a rollout chair to the right and pulls it out for me, gesturing to it with his hand.
“Go ahead and have a seat, Maya,” he says. “My office is down the hall, so I’m going to check some emails in there and wait for the other interns to arrive. Once they’re all here, we’ll get going. Welcome to your first day at Bell Liberty Marketing.”
I smile as big as the mahogany table in front me. “Thanks so much, Denver. I’ll be right here.”
“Awesome,” Denver says, before turning around and exiting the conference room.
